all Inde conquered in substaunce Atwene him and king Lisymachus Of whom tofore is made remembraunce Began a warre and a great distaunce And as they met with their apparayles In a great felde ordeyned their battayles On Lisymachus fyll the disconfiture Wherof Seleuchus glad in especiall Dempt his winnyng came not of nature But by influence very celestiall Gan waxe proude in his estate royall Not supposing in his victorious stall Of his mischeues that should after fall For as the processe declareth vnto vs How of Egypt the great Tholome Brother in lawe to Lysimachus Fyll on Seleuchus by full great cruelte Slew him at mischefe the story ye may se Loste his lyfe as made is mencion In Macedoyne the mighty region And it is know of antiquitee By rehearsayle of the olde auctours That this foresayd great Tholome Was to Alexander one of the enheritours Kyng of Egypt there raignyng in his flours After whose name descedyng downe by grees Were all the kinges called Tholomees As I fynde touchyng his lynage By procreacion he had children thre The first of them to speake in playne langage I named was Ceraunius Tholome Next Philadelphus a daughter Arcynoe That wedded was by her faders coÌsentyng To Lisymachus of Macedon kyng The .xx. Chapter ⧠Howe the two sonnes of Quene Arcynoe were by their mothers brother trayterouslye slayne and she exyled ANd thus remembred in bokes olde Death of Seleuchus wrought by Tholome Vnwarely slayne tofore as I haue tolde Next in order came Arcynoe To John Bochas by great aduersite All with teares bedewed her vysage And gan coÌplayne the coÌstraynt of her rage This mighty quene the sayd Arcynoe Had sonnes twaine full famous of renoun The tone Lisymachus excelling of beautye That other Philip as made is mencion And her ioye and dilectation In worldly blisse there is no more to sayne Was holy set vpon these children twayne For by the occasion of their great fayrenes Men delited greatly them to se Namely women the story dothe expresse And their mother this quene Arcynoe Stode in great hope that they should be Mighty kynges by iust succession In Macedony the mighty region Onely by the title of their fathers ryght Whiche to her hart gaue full great gladnes For she dempt that none other wight To succede should haue no entresse But Fortune the blynde false goddesse Disposed so for her children twayne That none of theÌ their purpose shold attayne For whaÌ their father Lisimachus was slaine The sayd quene called Arcinoe To saue her lyfe coulde none other gayne But with her sonnes fearfully to fle Into Cassander a mighty stronge citee Onely for drede of one Antigonus Whiche theÌ pursued the story telleth thus But the brother of quene Arcynoe Called Ceraunius rescued her party Agayne Antygonus ye may the story se Yet in his hart he had great enuy Albe that they were nere of one alye That her two sonnes should kynges âe Of Macedoyne and raygne in that countre For he was set onely of couetise To be crowned in Macedoyne kyng And of his false treason the story doth deuise Them to disââyue this was his workyng First to the quene full humbly knelyng He made promise vnder great surete In Macedoyne she should crowned be And her children so fayre of their vysage Should be kept vnder gouernaunce Vnto time that they came to age And for to put her in more assuraunce Ceraunius swore god geue him sory chaunce He purposed for all his false workyng To crowne her quene make her soÌnes king Toke all the gods therunto witnes And swore agayne with a plaine vysage Vnto the quene of fraude and doublenes His purpose was to haue her in mariage Crowne her quene to her great aduauntage Thus he swore all be he was her brother Yet in hart god wot he thought another Vnder colour of this assuraunce She let him enter Cassandre the cite Came again him to do him more pleasaunce With all her lordes of hye and lowe degre Made the stretes hanged for to be With clothes of golde in solemne wise To all their goddes she did sacrifise And thus he was receyued solemnely The day was halowed and holde feastiual The quene for ioye ordeyned rychely Her two sonnes that were so faire in all To be crowned with crownes full royall Go afore her in the maister strete Gloriously their vncle for to mete With felonous hart vnder a frendly face This Ceraunius rote of all treason Gan his cosyns benâigly embrace Him purposyng by false collusion To procede to their destruction And fynally fyrst he did his payne The quene texyle slea her chyldren twayne But or this treason was brought to a prefe Whan the quene apperceiued his falsenes And saw her sonnes brought to mischefe She coniured him ãâã her mortall distresse To haue pitie of naturall gentilnes Spare his cosins afore him where they stode Of royall mercy so nere borne of his bloud And with a crye paâyng ãâ¦ã She fyl afore him âwownyng ãâã ground Like as she had be ãâã culpable Seing her sonnes bleadyng w t many wouÌde But all for nought there was no mercy fouÌd For with their bloud this story is not fayned Her garment was dolefully distayned Her face fayre was foyled with ordure Her golden heere was all to torne rent And like a thrall this wofull creature With mortall wepyng had her sight blent And after that I fynde how she was sent To bury her children for there was no space Into an yle called Samothrace Is any story whiche maketh mencion That a pryncesse of so hye degre Founde so great cause of lamentacion She beyng daughter to great Tholome Her children slayne by vengeable crueltie And to beholde the death most dolorous Of her husbande called Lisymachus ⪠She after banished in exyle made her ende w t sorowful coÌplaynt her life thus draw aloÌg Tyll into fate her spirite did wende It is no drede her paynes were full stronge And if I shoulde rehearce all the wronge That she suffred it woulde greue me to sore Therfore of her now I write no more ¶ Lenuoy THis tragedy sheweth an apparence And a lykenesse of faythfull assuraunce Excyte men to yeue false credence Vnto fortunes false variaunce Which cast her baytes angles of pleasaunce An hoke hid vnder of vengeable crueltie As this chapiter put in remembraunce Of Lisymachus and of Arcynoe Is there any greater euidence Of worldly trouble or worldly constaunce Than to se prynces from their magnificence And from their mighty royall puissaunce Vnwarely brought by fortune to mischauÌce And ouerwhelmed from their tranquilitie Se here a myrror full notable in substaunce Of Lisymachus and quene Arcynoe The ryng the anker of great excellence yeââ to Seleuchus for marciall suffisaunce Whan Appâââ by heauenly influence Lyst with his mother make his alyaunce Sent hiÌ these relikes of singuler acquaintaÌce To set his manhode in more surete But in al such quaueryng acquayntauÌce Thinke on Lisimachus and Arcinoe The vncouth
Andriscus of low byrth borne hauyng no tytle became kinge of Macedone was taken died in prison The xxiiii ca. Howe Alisander Ballas kyng of Surry for extorcion pride vnkyndnes dyed at mischefe with a Lenuoy The xxv chap. Bochas agaynst the rebellions and sedicions in Rome betwene Tribunes and the commons The .xxvi. chapter Howe the wyfe of âasdrubal brent her selfe and her children The .xxvii. chapter Of Machabeus Jonathas taken by the kyng of Surry The xxviii ca. How Demetrius the seconde lost at the last his head The .xxix. cha Howe zebenna kyng of Surry by intrusion entrynge had a mischeuous endynge The .xxx. Chapter How Bitynctus kyng of Auergnoyes by the Romaynes was taken and died in prison The .xxxi. chapter Howe the tyraunt Euergetes wedded quene Cleopatra and howe he slewe her sonne exiled hys wyfe wedded her doughter The .xxxii. chapter How Jugurtha by intrusion was king of Numidy slew the ryghtfull heires and howe he was after drowned hym selfe with a Lenuoy The .xxxiii. chap. Thus endeth the table with the chapters of the fifth boke and here foloweth the table of the syxt boke which contayneth seuentene chapters BOchas syttynge in his studye all alone wryteth a great processe how Fortune like a monstruous ymage hauyng an CâhaÌdes appeared vnto him and spake and Bochas vnto her makynge betwene them manye great argumentes reasons of Fortunes chaunces Leaf .cxxxiiii. In y e first chapter of the syxt boke Fortune rehearseth her condicions vnto Bochas she wynge hym howe she hath many one enhaunsed for a tyme and anone after she hath them sodaynly ouerthrowen Howe Gayus Marius of lowe byrthe borne came to hie estate which blent with couetyse after many great batayls dyed at mischefe The seconde chap. Howe kynge Mithridate abode seuen yere in wyldernesse and had great tourmentes bothe on sea and land by hys blode brought to vttraunce and howe he slewe hym selfe with a sworde with a Lenuoye Howe Eucradites kyng of Sithie was slayne by Demetrius and after hys carrayne cast to houndes The .iiii. chapter Howe Herodes king of Parthoys warred with the Romayns whiche after hys sonne and heyre was slayne made his bastarde sonne kynge that anone after slewe hys father The fifth chapter Howe Fimbria a consull of Rome slew hym selfe The syxt chapter Of Albinius that was slayne with stones The seuenth chapter Howe Adrian borne of lowe degre falslye vsurped to be kyng of Rome whych w t his churles was after brent The eyghte chapter Howe Sinthonius king of Trace y â all coueited all forwent and died in pouerte The .ix. chapter Bochas in briefe sentence maketh a discription of the kyngdome of Trace and pasleth ouer lyghtlye vnto the accomplishment of hys boke The tenth chapter Howe after manye great conquestes of duke Pompey there beganne great warre betwene hym and Julius and how there were thre hundred thousande slayne and at the laste the head of Pompey smyt of with a Lenuoy The .xi. chapter Howe the noble Julius Cesar brent the vessel of Tholome sloughe Achyllas that woulde haue murdred hym and after hys great victoryes he hym selfe was slayne wyth bodkyns by Brutus Cassius The twelfth chapter Howe y â last Scipion coÌsulere of Rome for he woulde not lyue in seruage of Julius roue hym selfe to the hearte wyth a Lenuoye The thirtene chapter How Octauian succeded next and how the murdrers of Julius dyed at mischefe The fourtene chapter Howe Tullius was two tymes exiled and at last slaine by Pompilius The fyftene chapter A chapter agayne ianglers and diffamers of rethorike The sixtene chap. Howe Sextus warred agayne Triumuir and of the death of great Anthony and Cleopatras The seuententh chap. Thus endeth the table wyth the Chapters of the syxte boke ⪠and here foloweth the table of the seuenth boke which contayneth xi chapters OF Antony sonne heire to the great Antony and of Cesarius Julia Agrippa Cassius and Galbus The fyrst chapter How the tyraunt Herodes slew his wyfe and children and afterwarde hym selfe died at michefe with a Lenuoy The ii chap. Of Antipas exiled by Octauian and of Archelaus sonne of Herodes the seconde The thyrde Chapter Of the strife betwene Calligula Tiberius and Messalyne The thirde chap. Of the moste vicious and cruell tyrant Nero that slew Peter and Paule and last of all hym selfe with a Lenuoy The fyfth Chapter How Eleazarus a Jewe borne for extorcion and robbery was brought into prison and there ended The syxe chapt Howe the heade of Galba was smitten of fylled full of golde and offred at the sepulture of Nero. The seuenth chapter How Occho and Vitellius for glotony lechery ribaudy and tyrannye ended mischeuously The eyght chapter Bochas complayneth agayne the foule vyce of glotony The nynth chap. A chapter diseriuyng the golden worlde that is to saye whan temperaunce had the gouernaunce with a Lenuoy The x. chap. How the kinred of Jacob was distroied Christ borne crucified JerusaleÌ distroyed and xi hundred M. slayne by sworde hungre fyre pestilence The xi chapter Thus endeth the table with the chapters of y â seuenth boke and here foloweth the table of the eyghte boke whiche contayneth xxvii chapters The table of the eyght boke THe Prologne of the translatour The first chapter of the eyght boke expoundeth howe the proude tyraunt Domician emperour of Rome and manye other emperours nobles for their great outrage and wretchednesse ended mischeuouslye Howe Gallyen sonne of Valerian was slayne The seconde chapter How Quintilius was murdred by women The thyrde chapter Of Aurelian in Denmarke borne The fourth chapter Howe Probus discomfited the Romaynes and after was slayne The fyfth chap. Howe Clarus and hys two sonnes were mischeued The syxt chapter How the noble Queene zenobia fought with Aurelian and howe she was take The seuenth chapter Howe Galerius oppressed martyrs and christes fayth and of his mischeuous end The eyght chapter How Maxence the emperour enemye to Christes fayth ended mischeuouslye The nynth chapter How Lucinius enemy to Christes faith was slayne The tenth chapter Of Constantine and Crispus and how Dalmacius was slayne The eleuenth ca. Of the brethren Constaunce and Constancius and how Magnencius Decius murdred them selues The twelfth chapter Howe Constantine baptised by Siluester was cured of his lepry The xiii chap. Howe Julian Apostata enemy to Christes fayth by false illusion was chosen emperoure and after slayne The fourtenth Chapter Howe the emperour Valence slewe holye hermites shed thristen bloude distoyed churches and after was brent him selfe The fiftene chapter Of kyng Amasicius and howe Gracian and Theodosy distroyed temples of false goddes and howe Gracian was putte to flyght The syxtene chapter A goodly processe howe Theodosy with prayer and small numbre gate the victorye of a great numbre The seuentene chapter How knightes and gentle men chase Alerike kyng and howe the commons chase Radagassus which had a mischeuous end The eyghtene chapter Howe Ruffyn chamberlayne with Theodosy vsurped to be Emperour for hys
mighty fierce Lyon And whan y â swerd of vengeaunce doth bite Vpon prynces for their transgression The common people in their opinion For very dread tremble adowne quake And by suche meanes their vyces forsake And suche also as haue ben defouled In their vyces by longe continuaunce Or in their synnes lye ymouled By good exaÌples may cum good repentauÌce Who so repenteth the lord will him auauÌce And him accept in lowe and high estate The meke preserue punyshe the obstinate This sayd matter touchyng such thinges Mine aucthor Bochas herafter shal declare By exaÌple of prynces and of mighty kyngs What was their fine not the truth spare And though my style naked âe and bare In Rethorike myne aucthour to ensue Yet fro the truth shall I not reââwe But on the substaunce by good leiser abyde After mine aucthor lyke as I may attaine And for a part set eloquence aside And in this boke bewepen and complayne The assault of Fortune froward sodayn How she ou princes hath kyd her veÌgeauÌce And of her malice the deadly mortal chauÌce But O alas who shal be my muse Or vnto whom shall I for helpe call Calliope my callyng wyll refuse And on Pernaso her worthy susters all They will their suger temper with no gall For their swetenes and lusty freshe singyng Ful farre discordeth froÌ matter coÌplayning My master Chaucer w t his fresh coÌmedies Is deade alas chiefe Poete of Brytayne That sumtime made ful piteous tragedies The fall of Prynces he did also complayne As he that was of makyng souerayne WhoÌ al this lande of ryght ought prefarre Sith of our langage he was y â lode starre Senec in Rome through his hye prudence Wrote Tragedies of great moralitie And Tullius chiefe well of eloquence Made in his tyme many a fresh ditty Fraunces Petraâeke of Florence that cityâ Made a boke as I can aduert Of two Fortunes wilfull and peruert And agaynst bothe wrote the remedies In bokes twayne made a diuision Among rehearsyng many freshe stories The first boke is thus conueyed doun A dialoge betwene gladnes and reason The second by me well to witnes Made betwene reason worldly heauines The matter is wondets delectable Though wo with ioye haue an entresse And John Bochas wrot maters lameÌtable The fall of princes where he dothe expresse How for their ioye they fyl in great distresse All these writers through their hye renown Great worshyp did vnto their nacion And semblably as I haue tolde toforne My maââet Chaucer did his busines And in his daies hath him so well borne Out of out tonge to auoyde al rudenes And to reforine it w t colours of swetenes Wherfore let vs geue him laude and glory And put his name w t Poetes in memory Of whose labour to make mencion Where of right he shoulde commended be In youthe he made a translation Of a boke whiche called is Trophe In Lumbard tonge as men may read se And in our vulgare long or that he dyed Gaue it to name of Troylus Creseyde Whiche for to reade louers them delite They haue therin so great deuocion And this Poete also him selfe to quite Of Boecius boke the consolation Made in his tyme an olde translation And to his sonne that called was Lowys He made a treatise ful noble of great prise Vpon that labour in full notable forme Set them in order with their diuisions Mens wittes to accomply she and conforme To vnderstande by full expert reasons By domifiyng of sundry mancions The rote out sought at the ascendent To forne or he gaue any iudgement He wrote also full many a day agone Dant in English him selfe so doth expresse The piteous story of Ceix and Alcion And the death also of Blaunche the duches And notably did his businesse By great auise his wittes to dispose To translate the Romaynt of the Rose Thus in vertue he set all his entent Idlenes and vyces for to fle Of fowles also he wrote the parliament Therin remembring of royall Eagles thre Howe in their choyse they felt aduersitye To fore nature profered the battayle Eche for his partye if it woulde auayle He did also his diligence and payne In our vulgare to translate and endite Orâgene vpon the Maudelayn And of the Lyona boke he did write Of Annelida and of false Arcite He made a complaynt dolefull and piteous And of the broche which that Vulcanus At Thebes wrought full diuers of nature Ouide writeth who so therof had a syght For high desire he shoulde not endure But he it had neuer be glad ne light And if he had it once in his myght Like as my master sayth writeth in dede It to conserue he shoulde euer liue in dred This poet wrote at the request of the quene A legende of perfite holines Of good women to fynde out nyntene That did excell in bountie and fayrenesse But for his labour and his businesse Was importable his wyttes to encomber In all this world to finde so great a nuÌber He made the boke of Caunterbury tales When the pylgryms rode on pilgrymage Through out Kent by hylles and by vales And the stories all tolde in their passage Endityng them full well in our language Some of knyghthode some of gentlenes And some of loue and some of perfitenes And some also of great mortalitie Some of disport coÌcludyng great sentence In prose he wrote the tale of Mellebe And of his wife that called was Prudence And of Grisildes perfite pacience And howe the monke of stories new olde Pyteous tragedies by the way tolde This sayd Poete my master in his dayes Made and compiled many a freshe dittie Complaynts ballades rouÌdels vyrelayes Full delectable to heare and to se For whiche men should of ryght and equitie Syth he in englysh in making was the best Pray vnto god to geue his soule good rest And these Poetes that I make of mencion Were by olde tyme had in great deyntye With kynges and princes in euery regyon Greatly preferred after their degre For lordes had pleasaunce for to se To study among and cast their lokes At good leasure vpon wyse bokes For in the tyme of Cesar Julius When the triumphe he wan in Rome towne He enter woulde the schole of Tullius And heare his lecture of great affection And notwithstaÌding his coÌquest renowne Vnto bokes he gaue great attendaunce And in stories had great ioye pleasaunce Also in this lande I dare affyrme a thinge There is a prynce full mighty of puissaunre A kynges sonne and vncle to the kynge Henry the syxt whiche nowe is in Fraunce And is lieutenaunt hath the gouernaunce Of our Brytayne through whose discrecion He hath conserued vs in this region Duryng his time of full high prudence Peace and quiet han susteined ryght That notwithstaÌdyng his noble prouideÌce He is in dede proued a good knyght Eyed as Argus with reason and forsight Of high lecture I dare of him
as bokes specifie And poetes also of him endite He was connynge in astronomy And therin did ful greatly him delite And many a boke he made and dyd write With great labour and great diligence In hys time vpon that science The which were more precious than golde And more rich in his opinion But Hercules in soth as it is tolde Gate all the bokes through hys hie renoun Bare them by force out of that region And to Grece lyke a conquerour With him he brought theÌ for a great treasour Of Trace he slough the giant outragious That sumtime was called Diomede Which murdred al that came to his house And with their fleshe his horse he dyd fede And through his witte labour and manhede Of Achelous whych was a great wondre He made the stremes for to departe a sondre And by his wisdome dyd theÌ so deuide In two parties disceueringe his passage For afore no man myght abyde Of his course the furious fel outrage For in countreis it dyd so great domage Turning vpward there was non other bote Where euer it flowed of trees crop and rote A great emprise he did also vndertake Whan that the messe hidious and horible Ariued vp of Archadies the lake Called Lerne the beastes ful odible Which with their teeth mouthes terrible Frute grayne corne dyd mortally deuour But Hercules the countre to sucour Came lyke a knyght their malice for to let And by his prudence destroyed theÌ euerichon With in the lake the wormes vp he shet Saue among all behind was left one And against him this Hercules anone Of knighthod raught so great auauntage That to the couÌtre he dyd no more domage Thus all that euer may rehersed âe Touching knighthode prowes or prudence Or glorious fame or long felicitie This knyghtly man had most excellence And in armes longest experience And for his triumphes and actes marciall He set vp pillers for a memoriall Whiche remembred his coÌquest most notable And his dedes by grauyng did expresse Beyonde whiche no lande is habitable So farre abrode spred his noblesse But as the sunne leaueth his bryghtnes Sumtime whan he is fresshest in hys sphere With vnware cloudes that sodaynly appere Semblably the nobles and the glory Of Hercules in this vnstable lyfe Eclipsed was and shadowed his memory By Dianyra that sumtyme was his wyfe For by her fraude came in the mortall stryfe As ye shal heare the maner and the caas Wherby that he lost his lyfe alas Yet for her sake this most manly man Fought as I fynde in singuler battayle With Acheloes sonne of the Occian Lyke as Poetes make rehearsayle And as eche other proudly did assayle This Hercules of knyghthode souerayne Sent from his head one of his hornes twain Of kyng Oene she was the daughter dere To Hercules ioyned by mariage And as they came to a great riuere With sturdy waues where was no passage Nessus the gyaunt vgly of vysage To Hercules profered his seruyce And full falsely against him gan deuyse Made his promise to Hercules in dede To put his life in great aduenture Ouer the streme Dianyra to lâde Because he was large of his stature And for she was a ryght fayre creature Whan they passed and came to londe Nessus falsely woulde vpon the strând Haue know her fleshly like as write Ouide Hercules hauyng therof a syght As he abode vpon that otherside And for to auenge him of his great vnright âake his howe and âent it aâone ryght ⪠And wyth an arrowe fyled sharpe and grouÌd Gaue to Nessus his deadly fatall ââunde Like a condyte gusshed out the bloude And whan he sawe that he must dye To Dianyra before him there she stode With all his hart he her gan pray That in one thing his lust she would obey To take his shert and be not retcheles With bloud distayned and sende it Hercules There through with him to be reconsiled And she to him anone the shert hath sent Through whose venim alas he was begiled For what by touching and by enchauntment His fleshe and bones were all to brent And among his deadly paynes all Into a rage he sodaynly is fall And as a beast furiously he ranne On valeys hylles among craggy stones Semblably as doth a woodeman Pulled vp trees and rotes all at ones Brake beasts hornes al to gnew her bones Was it not pitie that a knyght so good Shold amoÌg bestes runne sauage woode Thus ouerwhelmed was all his worthines And to deâiyne went his prosperitie Cause and roote of al his wretchednes Was for that he set all his felicitie To trust so much the mutabilitie Of these women whyche early and soone Of their nature brayed vpon the moone Alas alas all nobles and prudence Prowes of nature force and chyualry Forsyght of wisdome discrecion and science Vertuous study profityng in cleargy And the clere shynyng of Philosophy Hath through false lustes here be manaced By sleyght of women darked and defaced O Hercules I fele my penne quake Mine ynke full filled with bitter teares salt This piteons tragedy to write for thy sake Whom all Poetes glorifye and exalt But fraude of women made thy renome halt And froward muses thy triuÌphes all to âend For to discryue alas thy fatal ende ¶ Lenuoy THe sole ve ãâ¦ã sauory pâysoâ The dredfulâ ioyâ the dolorous pleasauÌce The ãâ¦ã the furious ãâã Fayth dispayââd ãâ¦ã ⪠Vertue exilyng where lust hath gouernauÌce Through false luxury diffasen all nobles As this tragedy can beare full well witnes Where froward Venus hath domination And blinde Cupide his subiects doth auaunce And wilfull lust through indiscrecion Is chosen iudge to holde the balaunce Their choyse vnlefull hath through yll chauÌce Derked of prynces the famous nobles As this tragedy beareth full well witnes O thou Hercules for all thy high renoun For all thy conquest knyghtly suffisaunce Thou were by women brought to confusion And by their fraude thy renoumed puissauÌce Disclaundred was brought to mischaunce I were ashamed to write it or expresse Except this tragedy can beare well witnesse Prynces princesses of high discretion This thing imprinte in your remembraunce Of others fallyng make your protection You to preserue through prudent purueiauÌce Afore prouided that your perseueraunce Be not perturbed by no false sorceresse As this tragedy of other bereth witnesse ¶ The .xv. Chapter â A processe of Narcissus Byblis Myrra and of other their infortunes to Bochas complaynyng NArcissus Byblis and Myrra all thre Tofore Bochas pyteously did appeare Their infortunes their infelicitie To him complaynyng with a deadly cheare And of their commyng to tell the manere Narcissus with sorow and dole attaynt Began first to declare his complaynt He was the sonne of Cephisus the flode And his mother called Lyriope And by discent borne of gentle blode Of creatures fayrest on to se. And as I finde at his natiuitie Tyresias by spirite of prophecy Touchyng his fate thus gan specify The goddes haue prouided
For he most gloriously sate in his se Of worldly wealth he lacked no plente Except onely as clarkes on him wryte He had no sonne his kyngdome to enherite Whiche to his wealthe was great distres Least succession fayled in his lyne A daughter had he called Mundanes Out of whose wombe as bokes determyne He dreampt on a nyght howe he sawe a vyne In his auysyon with him so it stode Ouer all Asye his braunches spred abrode He had also a reuelation Slepyng a nyght after his soupere Though he not knewe the exposicion He thought he sawe a cristallyn ryuere With lustye waters as any Beryll clere Out of her wombe with his stremes fresh The soyle of Asye make tender and neshe Touchyng this riuer and this lusty vyne To hym shewed in his auysion Within him selfe he coulde not termyne Therof to finde no clere coÌclusion Without some maner exposicion To him declared by folkes in sentence Whiche of suche dreames had experience To him he called his astronomers His phylosophers and his deuynours That knew the meanyng of the nine spheres Images of stars their houses their towers And such as were expert expositours And they were assembled euerychone Touching his dreme they corded all in one To tell him trouth they were not retchles Said his daughter froÌ whoÌ there came a vine She that by name was called Mundanes Should haue discendyng from her lyne Whose noble fame through Asia should shine Whiche should put through his renoun Him by force of armes out of his region This was his fate he might it not refuse The heauenly cours but it did fayle Wherupon he sore gan to muse Suche fantasies did his hart assayle Fill in great doubt of their diuyâayle Thought he woulde make purueyaunce For to withstande gods ordinaunce Full harde it is to make resistence Again thiÌg ordeined wheÌ god will that it be And namely there where as influence Of heauen aboue hath shape a destiny Some men record that no man may it fle The dome of this where it holde or flyt To astronomers all wholy I commit This sayde kynge of whom I spake but late Cast he woulde for his aduauntage The ordinaunce reuerse and the fate Of the heauen with all the surplusage And yeue his daughter as in mariage To sum vnworthy pore infortunate That neuer were likely to rise to hie estate And in this wise kyng Astyages Maried his daughter as in his entent To one vnworthy called Cambyses Demyng therby by short auisement Within him selfe that he was ryght prudent Wening y â nobles came by discent of bloude And not by grace nor as the heauen stode In his reason was not comprehended How Socrates master of Platon Of full low bed by birthe was discended And not to enherite kingdome nor regyon But for to haue fully possession Of morall vertue and philosophy Duryng his life his witte he did apply He sought countreys for wisdome and science And secrete cuÌnyng to serche he did his payne And he founde out through his diligence This philosopher as bokes assertayne To ioye reserued outher to payne By grace of god whiche is eternal How mens soules be founde aye immortall The great Appollo in bokes it is founde Gaue iudgement of equitie and ryght That Socrates in vertue most habounde And most preferred in euery mans sight Was called of wisdome the lanterne and light And wisest named at euen and at prime Of philosophers that were in his tyme. The poete also called Euripedes Most honourable named in that age All be his mother of lyfe was retchles And contagious through vycious outrage Yet was this poete for all his vyle lynage Most vertuous founde at all assayes Of all poetes that were in his dayes Called in his tyme a great tragician Bicause he wrote many tragedyes And woulde of trouth spare no maner man But them rebuke in his poetries Touching the vices of fleshly fantasies CoÌplayn in princes theyr dedes most horrible Aâd eche thyng punyshe that was odible Another called clarke Domosthenes The most subtyll rethorician And most inuentyfe among all the prees That euer was sythe the worlde began Al be of byrth he was a pore man Yet had he most souerayne excellence Among philosophers of speach and eloquence By whiche example me semeth doubtles That royall bloude nor hye lynage To mens byrthe yeueth but small encres Nor vnto vertue but little auauntage For hye nobles taketh not his courage Of riche nor pore nor states souerayne But of his grace as god list ordayne Wherefore of foly kynge Astiages Contrariously agayne al gentry Bad that his doughter called Mundanes Fyrst whan folke wyth chylde her dyd espy For to accomplyshe his froward fantasy Whan it was borne charging aboue althing Of Arââanie to beare it to the kyââe Whych in that tyme was called Harpagus And as I fynd he dyd in vertue floure And spyte had the story telleth thus That beastes shoulde the litel childe deuouâ But god that may in mischefe best socoure To kepe the chyld was not recheles Agaynst the malice of kynge Astyages Which had commauÌded of malice hatred Howe that this chylde grene tendre of age By Harpagus shoulde be cast in dede To be deuoured of beastes most sauage But for he drede to do so great outrage To his shepeherde himselfe to stand at large The chylde to slee he fully yaue the charge This heerdman al be that he was loth To execute this woful auenture In to a forest forth wyth the chylde he goeth And gaue to beastes that litle creature Whom to foster by grace agaynst nature A wylde bytche her whelpes there forsoke And to her pappes the litel childe she toke And w t her mylke she made hym sup and dine And busy was for hym to enchace Wyld foules and beastes sauagyne That none ne durst nyghe to that place Lo how that god dispose can his grace Innocentes fro mischefe to preserue Agayne false enuy whych would make them sterue O blode vnkynde founde in kynred For couetise O blode disnatural Of false malyce O blode ful of hatred To murdre a chyld borne of the stocke royal Where mannes reason is turned beastiall Falsy transfourmed vnto cruelte To slee a chylde where beastes haue pyte The sely herde hath tolde his wyfe the case And she anone of pitye dyd aryse With her husbande went a ful great pase In to the forest beholdyng al the gyse As here to fore ye haue herde deuyse Seyng the chylde with lippes tendre softe The bytches pappes how he sokte ful ofte The sayd heerde called Sparagos His wyfe also of whom tofore I tolde This yong childe toke in their depose And in her armes âhe softly gan it folde And he ful goodly her face gan beholde And on his maner the same whyle In chyldly wyse on her gan to smyte The childes laughter whan she dyd aduert With al her hole faythful diligence She gan to cherishe it wyth al her herte She yaue it soke
collusion Of Decemuir the frowarde disceyuyng The great outrage in their liuyng Of all echeone the odious rauine Hath by processe them brought vnto ruyne Where is become thy dominacion Thy great tributes thy treasures shynyng The worlde all whole in thy subiection Thy sword of veÌgeaunce al people manacing Euer gready to encrese in thy gettyng Nothing by grace whiche that is diuine Which hath the brought by processe to ruyne In thy most hyghest exaltation Thy proude tyrantes prouinces conquering To god contrary by long rebellion Goddes goddesses falsely obeiyng Aboue the starres by surquedous climbyng Till vengeaunce thy nobles did vntwyne With new complaintes to shewe thy ruyne Lay downe thy pride and thy presumption Thy pompous bost thy lordships encreasing Confesse thine outrage lay thy boast adoun All false Gods playnly defiyng Lift vp thine hart vnto the heauenly kyng Whiche w t his bloude thy sorowes for to fyne Hath made thy raunsum to saue the fro ruyne From olde Saturne drawe thine affection His golden worlde fully despisyng And from Jupiter make a digression His silueren tyme hartely dispraysyng Resort agayne w t will and whole meanyng To him that is lorde of the orders nyne Whiche mekely dyed to saue the fro ruyne Though Mars be myghty in his assencion By influence victories disposyng And bright Phebus yeueth consolation To worldly princes their nobles auaunsing Forsake their rightes and thy false offryng And to that lorde bowe downe thy chyne Whiche shed his bloude to saue the fro ruyne Winged Mercury chiefe lorde and patrone Of eloquence and of fayre speakyng Forsake his seruice in thine opinion And serue the lorde that gouerneth all thyng The sterred heauen the spheres eke meuyng Whiche for thy sake was crowned w t a spine His hart eke pearced to saue the fro tuyne Cast vp of Venus the false derision Her fiery brande her flatteries renuyng Of Diana the transmutacions Nowe bryght nowe pale ⪠nowe clere nowe drepyng Of blynde Cupide the fraudulent mockyng Of Junâ Bachus Proserpina and Lucine For none but Christ may saue the fro ruyne Voyde of Cirses the beastiall poyson Of Cyrenes the furious chauntynge Let not Medusa do the no treason And fro Gorgones turne thy lokyng And let Sinderesis haue the in kepyng That Christ Jesu may be thy medicyne Agayne suche raskayle to saue the fro ruyne Of false ydols make abiuracion To Similachres do no worshyppyng Make thy resort to Christes passion Whiche may by mercy redresse thyne erryng And by his grace repare thy fallyng So thou obey his vertuous disciplyne Trust that he shall restore thy ruyne His mercy is surmountyng of foyson Euer encreaseth without amenusyng Aye at full cche time and eche ceason And neuer waneth by none eclypsyng Whan men list make deuoutly their rekening To leaue their sinne come to his doctrine He ready is to kepe them from ruyne O Rome Rome all olde abusion Of ceremonies falsly disusyng Lay them aside and in conclusion Crye god mercy thy trespace repentyng Trust he will not refuse thy askyng The to receyue to laboure in his vine Eternally to saue the from ruyne O noble prynces of high discrecion Sithe in this worlde is none abidyng Peyse conscience against wil and reason While ye haue leasure of hart ymaginyng Ye beare not hence but your deseruyng Let this conceite aye in your thoughts mine By example of Rome how all goth to ruyne ¶ Thus endeth the seconde boke LIke a Pilgryme which y â goeth on fote And hath no horse to releue his trauail Hote drye wery and may find no bote Of well colde whan thyrst doth him assayle Wine nor lycoure that may to him auayle Right so fare I whiche in my busines No succour finde my rudenes to redresse I meane as thus I haue no freshe lycouâ Out of the conduites of Calliope Nor through Clyo in rethoryke no floure In my labour for to refreshe me Nor of the sisters in number thrise thre Whiche with Citherea on Pernaso dwel They neuer gaue me drinke of their well Nor of their sprynges clere and cristallyn That sprange by touchyng of the Pegase Their fauour lacketh my making to enlumin I fynde their balme of so great scarcite To tame their tunnes w t some drop of plente For Poliphemus through his blyndnes Hath in me darked of Argus the brightnes Our life here short of wyt the great dulnes The heuy soule troubled with trauayle And of memory the blasyng brotilnes Drede vncunnyng haue made a strong battayle With werines my spirite to assayle And w t their subtill crepyng in most quaynt Hath made my spirite in making for to faint And ouermore the fearfull frowardnes Of my stepmother called obliuion Hath a bastyle of foryetfulnes To stoppe the passage shadow my reason That I myght haue no clere dyrection In translatyng of newe to quycke me Stories to write of olde antiquitie Thus was I set and stode in double werre At the metyng of fearfull wayes twayne The one was this who euer list to lere Where as good will gan me constrayne Bochas to accomplyshe for to do my payne Came ignoraunce with a manace of drede My penne to rest I durst not procede Thus my selfe remembryng on this boke It to traunslate I had vndertake Full pale of chere astonied in my loke My hand gan tremble my pen I felt quake That dispayred I had almost forsake So great a labour dredefull importable It to âerforme I founde me so vnable Twe ne the residue of this great iourney And little therof that was begonne I stode checkmate for feare whan I gan se In my way how little I had âonne Like to a man that fayled day and sonne And had no light to accomplishe his vyage So farre I stode abacke in my passage The night came on darked with ignoraunce My wit was dull by clerenes to discerne In Rethoryke for lacke of suffisaunce The torches out quenched was the lantern And in this case my style to gouerne Me to further I founde none other muse But hard as stone Pierides and Meduse Support was none my dulnes for to gye Pouertie approched in stale croked age Mercury absent and Philologie My purse aye lyght voyde of all coynage Bachus farre of to glad my courage An ebbe of plente scarcete at full Which of an olde man maketh the spirite dull But hope and trust to put away dispayre Into my mynde of new gan them dresse And chefe of all to make wether fayre My lordes fredom bounteous largesse Into mine hart brought such gladnesse That through releuyng of his benigne grace False indigence lyst me no more manace O how it is an hartly reioysing To serue a prynce that list to aduertise Of their seruauÌtes y e faythful iust meanyng ⪠And list to coÌsider to guerdon their seruice And at a nede list them not despyse But fro al dauÌger y t should them noy or greue Beth euer redy to helpe them and releue And thus releued
punycion That one princes trespas in lecherye Caused afore God that all a regyon Distroyed was without remedy This story is told for to exemplify Whan noble princes to women them submit Grace al fauour anon doth from theÌ flyt Of this mater what shuld I wryte more In Genesis the resydue ye may rede The dethe of Sichem and of kyng Hemore And howe their kingdome distroyed was in dede Of Sychemites lo here y â finall mede Of lechery of his false plesaunce Which many a realme hath broughte to myschaunce What shuld I eft reherce agayne or write The false auoutry of Paris and Helayne Their woful fate Guâdo dyd endyte Poetes echone eke dyd their busy payne To declare howe only by these twayne The worthy blode for short conclusyon Of Troy and Grece came to distruccion ⪠But oft it falleth that muche abundaunce Of worldli good with great ease and riches In folke that set all holy their plesaunce To folow their lusts froward wylfulnes Hath caused in landes gret mischef distres Whan vicious life their corages did encoÌbre Distroied kingdoms people out of nombre For whan the people through fals obstinacy Is indurate to amend them and correct And wil not turne them from their lechery But aye be redy their soules to enfecte And vnto purpose my style I wyl dyrect To examplify howe Gabaa the town Was for his sinnes brought to confusion Whylom this people called Gabanytes From Beniamin discended in their line Were aye disposed to folowe their delytes And of custome their wyttes dyd enclyne In worldly plentie to flour and to shyne And dempt alway to them it was most due Of wylfulnes their lustes for to sue In lechery was set al their plesaunce And in that vice they lad moste their lyfe Wherby they were brought vnto mischauÌce And many slayne by full mortal strife Whan the Leuyte came forby with his wife Full excellent of fetures and beaute And toke his lodging within the greate cyte He was ful old and she was inly fayre He impotent and she but tendre of age Through Gabaa making their repayre The cytesyns of importune rage Shewyng the fury of their great outrage So long that nyght her beauty dyd assayl Tyll lyfe and brethe atones dyd her fayle Contagious the sclaundre and the diffame In Judicum the story ye may rede Which to reherce is a maner shame To here the abusyon of that foule dede And how y e Leuite a morow gan take hede With piteous chere and saw his yong wyfe Tofore the gate depriued of her lyfe He hent her vp and layde her on his asse To noyse this cryme vpon euery side Thought in such case he myght do no lasse Toke a sharp sword lyst no lenger abyde On twelue partes he gan her to deuide And to eche tribe of Jacob he hath sent A certayne parte to se their iudgement Which thing to them was hateful terrible And in their âight full abomynable And in all haste lykely and possible All of one wyll and one corage stable On Gabaonytes for to be vengable They gathered haue shortly to conclude Tassayle that towne a ful great multitude whan they first met atwen theÌ thus it stode The twelue tribes were twise put to flyghte On either party great quantity of bloud was shed among them in that mortall fyght For sixty thousand who that coâpt a right Were slayne there the story wyll not lye To auenge the sclaundre of false auoutry Lo here the guerdon of the froward fyres In lecherons folke y t wyl not staunched be That brent so hote through bestiall desyres In Gabaa the mighty stronge cyte Which was distroyed for his iniquite And almoste brought of Beniamin the line Through his offence to eternall ruyne Eke for his feruent dronken lechery Holophernes by Judith lost his hede And al his hoste and al his chiualry Left the felde and fled away for drede And he lay bathed in his bloud al rede Thus through their vyce if it be wel sought Ful many a price hath be brought to nought These sayd stories ought ynough suffyse If men wold consydre and take hede The great vengaunces in many sondry wise Which God hath take for this sinne in dede As in their bokes they mai behold and rede Warnynges afore full oft put at prefe How they them self shal saue fro mischefe Lenuoye This tragedy yeueth vs gret warnig Biclere examples of manifold resoÌ Howe many a prince for their ãâ¦ã uing And many rych royal mighty toune Many a citie and many a region Haue bene euer sith full notable infamous For synne of princes that were lecherous The chosen of god Dauid the worthyking Prophet of prophets most souerain of renoâ On Bersabe for a sodayne lokyng To slee Vrye caught occasyon For which he suffred great punicion Chastysed of god he and all his house For cause only that he was lecherous Great repentaunce he had great sorowing And made psalmes of great contricion with woful teares and manyfolde wepyng To make a sheth for his transgression yeuing to princes full clere dyrection For to eschewe the flattery odious And the false fraude of women lecherous Where was ther euer of science or conning So renomed as was king Salomon yet women made him thrugh false flatering To foraine goddes done oblacion Which clipsed his honor brought his fame doun That was whilom moste vertuous Tyll he thrugh women fyl to be lecherous Is it not eke remembred by writing Of Israel howe the chefe champion Which goddes people had in his leadyng I mean the famous mighty strong SaÌpson That thrugh his force torent the lion But Dilada with teares plentuous His grace bereft him made him lecherous Sichem was slayne eke for the rauyshyng Of yonge Dyna as made is mencion His father Hemor brought to his endyng Lost his rychesse in that discencion And his kingdom brought to distruccion Lo here the end of princes vicious Which them dispose for to be lecherous It is in earth one the most perylous thinge A prince to be of his condicion Eââemynate his wyttes enclynyng By false desyres of fleshly mocion To put him self vnder subieccion And thral resoÌ his tresour most precious To the vnleful lustes hatefull and lecherous This is the sentence full playnly in menyng Where women haue the dominacion To holde the raine their hokes out castyng That sensualitie hath iurisdiction To enter on reason by false intrusion Warre agaynst vertue most contagious To be vaynquished of lustes lecherous It taketh fro men their clerenes of seyng Causeth great sickenes and corruption And to all vertue it is greatest hyndryng Maketh men seme olde as by inspection Appalleth their minde and disposition Shorteth their life thing dredfull piteous Whan they dispose them to be lecherous Noble prynces in your ymaginyng Conceyue of women the false deception Namely of them that loue but for winnyng And labour aye for your possession Whose sugred flattery is false collusion
remembraunce Writyng is cause that hereto is remembred Lyfe of Prophetes and patriarkes olde How the apostles martyrs were dismeÌbred For Christes fayth his banner vp to holde And writyng sheweth to fore as I you tolde Of confessours the great stedfastnes And of vyrgyns the virgynall ciennesse Like to a tre whyche euery yere beareth frute Shewyng hys beuty w t blossoms and flours Right so the fode of our inward refute By diligence of these olde doctours And dayly frute of their faythfull labours Haue our courages fostred and pastured By writyng only which hath so long endured The Epigrames whilom perished had Of prudent Prosper that was so vertuous And of Senecke the tragedies sad The stratagemes of Vegecius Rebuke in vyces of noble Percius If in olde writyng had ben founde a lacke These sayd thynges had farre be put abacke Writyng caused Poetes to recure A name eternal the laurer whan they wan In adamant graue perpetually to endure Recorde I take of Vyrgyll Mantuan That wrote y e armes prowes of the man Called Eneas whan he of hygh corage Came into Itayle from Dido of Cartage Thre famous bokes this auctor list compyle Eneidos fyrst whiche that dyd excell In rethoryke by soueraynte of style He dranke such plenty this poete as men tell Of the stremes y t ran downe from the well Wrought by tho sisters that be in nuÌber nyne Prowes of knighthode most clerely to termin For in that boke he cast not for to fayle With voyce melodious to discriue aryght The great conquest of Rome and of Itayle Wrought by Enee the manly troyan knyght Whose verse notable gaue so clere a lyght Through all the worlde as in Rethoryke That among poetes was none to hym lyke He wrote also this poete wyth hys hande By humble style other bokes twayne One of pasture the next of tylthe of lande The verse coÌueyed w t fete of meters playne By which thre labours a palme he did attain To make hys name through dities dilectable Aboue poetes to be most commendable Writyng of poetes hath set w t in his clos CoÌquest of knyghthode their triuÌph renouÌs Reade in Ouide Metamorphoseos The great wonders the transmutacions The morall menyng y â vncouth conclusions His boke de Ponto and wyth great diligence Full many a pistle coÌplaynyng for absence Of craft of loue a boke he hath compyled Wherof Cesar had full great disdayne Whyche was cause that he was exiled To abide in Ponto and neuer turne agayne And yet he did his labour in certayne In hope of grace his wittes to apply To write a boke of loues remedy Writyng of olde with letters aureate Labour of poetes doth hyghly magnify Recorde on Petrarke in Rome laureate Whiche of two fortunes wrote the remedy Certayne egloges and his cosmography And a great conflyct whiche men may se Of his quarelles within hym selfe secre He wrote seuen psalmes of great repentauÌce And in his Affryke commended Scipion And wrote a boke of his ignoraunce By a maner of excusation And set a notable compylacion Vpon the life called solitary To which this world is froward contrary Thus by writyng he gate him selfe a name Perpetually to be in remembraunce Set and registred in the house of fame And made epistles of full high substaunce Called Sine titulo more him self to auauÌce Of famous women he wrote the excellence Gresylde preferryng for her great pacience Writyng also remembred hath how Troy Destroyed was sithe gone many a yere The death of Ector chefe pyller of their ioye And for the party of Grekes wrote Omere Whiche in his writyng was particulere For to Achilles that wrought al by fraude Aboue Ector he gaue a singuler laude Writyng causeth the chapelet to be grene Bothe of Esope and of Iuuenall Dauntes labour it dothe also sustene By a report very celestiall Songe among Lumbardes in especiall Whose thre bokes the great wonders tell Of heuyn aboue of purgatory and of hell Men by writyng knowe the myracles Of blessed sayntes and of their holtnes Medicyne salue and eke obstacles Geyne mortal woundes great sickenes Recreacion and solace in distres Quiet in labour in pouerte pacience And in riches ryght trouth and conscience Shortnes of lyfe and forgetfulnes The wytte of man dull and aye slydyng Negligence and frowarde ydlenes Echone stepmother to science and cunnyng That I dare say nad be for writyng Onely ordeyned for our aduauntages Dead were memory and mind passed of ages And thus in chefe the causes afore tolde Meuyng the hart of Bochas to writyng And to remembre by many stories olde The estate of prynces in chares high sittyng And for vyces their vnware fallyng Geuyng example as I affyrme dare Of false fortune how they shall beware His first thre bokes be full clere myrrours Fully accoÌplished as Bochas vndertoke The cause of fallyng of many conquerours Onely for trouth and vertue they forsoke For which min auctor toward his fourth boke Gan sharpe his pen to his eternall fame Onely by writyng to get him selfe a name Myne auctour Bochas that so much coude Beginneth here to make a processe Again the outrage of princes y t were proud Which wer brought low for their frowardnes And notablye remeÌbreth that mekenes Whiche standeth whole in one doth coÌtune Is aye franchised from daunger of fortune But he in maner doth recapitle agayne The fall of many that sate in hye stages How they for vyces stode aye in no certayne Came to mischefe for their great outrages Remembryng first of Pryam the domages How he lost sceptre and regaly For susteynyng of false auoutry The fall rehearsyng of Astyages That gaue his daughter whilom in mariage To one that was called Cambises A pore man borne of lowe lynage For he should haue none auauntage In no maner nether in right ne wrong By rebellion agayne him to be strong For me to forne had had a bysion How there should one procede of his lyne Whiche should him put out of his region And cause him in mischefe for to fyne But yet fortune could him vndermyne That all his wisdome stode in none auayle For agayne god preuayleth no counsayle It nedeth not his story to reherce Nor the maner of his vnhappy chaunce Nor the fallyng of Cyrus kyng of Perce Nor of king Tarquin for his misgouernauÌce Though Bochas here put theÌ in remeÌbrauÌce For as me semeth it were a thing in vayne A thyng ones tolde to tell it new agayne And he list not now to be retcheles New agayne to make rehearsayle Of the kyng called Artaxerses Sithe it is tolde what should it more auayle ⪠But he proceadeth strayght vnto Itayle To their stories and beginneth here At Marchus Manlius a romayn coÌsulere â The ende of the Prologue Hovve Marcus Manlius wrought and dyd for Rome towne and at the last he was by the commons cast into Tybre and there drowned ¶ The fyrst Chapter WHilome in Rome there was a great
Romayns Sempronius another Consulere That was felowe to the sayde Scipion Sent âke fro Rome w t a full proude chere Gayne Hanyball but in his coÌmyng doun Tofore Tresbie a large myghty towne Outrayed was by fatal auenture And after neuer his fal myght recure Of two Consulers this was the woful fyne Sempronius and Gneus Scipion Ouer the mountayne called Appenyne Went Hanibal through his great renoun To great domage and great confusion Of his people that passed the mountaines Distroyed w t colde snowe hydeous rayns Lost his knightes hys tresour his goodes There myght as tho be made no defence His gret stedes drowned in the floodes By the waters mighty vyolence Fonde for the time no better resistence Saue he escaped fro that sodayne wracke On an OliphauÌte he rydyng on the backe So importable was his greuous payne Onely borne vp of marcial corage Yet there he lost one of his eyen twayne Kept of knighthode one chere one vysage Through Itayle helde alway his passage Slewe a Consull called Flaminius Thus in thre battayls he was victorious But in thys whyle as saythe myne auctoure Quintus Fabius subtyl and disceyuable Whiche was in Rome a famous dictatour And he apperceyued by tokens ful notable No Romayne captaine was in tho dayes able As it was shewed by experience Gayne Hanyball to make resistence Yet in his conceyte he subtillye gan serche To fynde a waye he dyd his busy paine Day by day gan fully theron werche Outher by fraude or some coÌpassed trayne To lye in wayte and secretely ordayne Embusshmentes to his auauntage Of Hanyball to stop the passage But al his traynes serued him of nought For Hanybal this worthy Affrican In his conquest so proudly hath wrought So lyke a prince and a knightly man For thilke tyme that he werres gan Agayne the Romayns both on see lande That they were feble his power to withstaÌd This QuiÌtus fabius kept him alway close Lyinge a wayte to fal on Hanihal And of assent eke to his purpose There was one Varo manly wyse wythal And these twayne in especiall Within Poyle a large great countre Fought wyth Hanybal at Cannas the cytie As the story maketh rehersayle The Romayne party of worthy werriours Where forty thousand slayne in battaile Emilius Paulus thurty senatours Twenty in numbre y t had ben Pretours And thre hundred captaynes of estate Slayne by Haniball in that mortal debate And by the slaughter of Emilius The noble consul Romains dispayred And Hanybal that day victorious To his lodgyng is agayne repayred His fone outrayed and mortally appayred Knewe no refute agayne this manly knyght But at mischefe toke them to the flyght The which day yf that Hanyball Had them folowed proudly to the towne By the counsayle of one Marthaball A manly knyght a prince of hye renowne He shoulde haue had full possession That day of Rome lyke to hys entent But I suppose fortune lyst nat assent In thys processe playnlye as I rede This Hanyball wexte proude ryght pompous Of four victories dempt hym selfe in dede Aboue all other to be most glorious Of his corage most inly surquedous But o alas alytle slouth and pryde For lacke of pursute his conquest set asyde Yet in hys conquest of knightes y â laye dede Of Consulers olde and yonge of age With Senatours the processe who lyst rede Slayne in the felde in that mortall rage Duke Hanyball sent vnto Cartage Of clene golde by recorde of writynges Out of the felde thre bushell full of rynges After four victories here remembred By and by the processe who lyst se In which many worthy were dismembred Bothe of Affrike and Rome the cite Abate gan the great prosperite Of Hanybal by froward auenture Set ones backe fortune is harde to recure After the flours of hys felicite His noblesse drewe to declination To Capne he went a myghty stronge cite There to soiourne as made is mencion All the tyme of wynter colde season Where to his lust and bodily pleasaunce Of all vitayle founde great haboundaunce Whiche made his knightes slowe to y â werre For wine women and plenty of vitayle Full oft sythe cause men to erre Make them feble their enemyes tassayle Gorges agroteied enbossed their entrayle Disposeth men rather to rest and slepe Then of their enemyes for to take kepe But whan wynter with his frostes colde Was ouergone in thylke region Hanyball gan his purpose holde To laye a siege vnto Rome towne But so great raynes fyll fro heauen downe So great tempest vpon euery syde For the constraynt he myght nat abyde To fortifye the sayde Hanyball Agayne his enemies where he had ado Sent letters vnto Hastruball In right great haste for to come hym to But fortune her whele hath tourned so That Hastruball wer he lothe or fayne By Salmator venquished was and slayne Of whiche mischefe and discomfiture Hanybal gan dull in hys corage Complayned sore of hys misauenture Knewe no refute agayne thys mortall rage Herde eke say that Affrike and Cartage Were of newe to hys confusion Strongly werryed by worthy Scipion. Siphax also of Numedy kyng Which agayne Romayns gan a werre make Maugre his might and all his fell workyng Was by force of Scipion ytake Wherthrough his corage greatly gan aslake And how Cartage chefe of that region Besieged was also by Scipion. Thus Hanyball constrayned was of nede Home to repayre for rescue of Cartage And was also in bokes as I rede The same tyme fall farre in age And at mischefe and great disauauntage Agayne Scipion full lytle might auayle By whom he was discomfited in batayle Cartage constrayned of necessite Them to submit vnto Rome toun And for their more aduersite Gneus Gernilius was fro Rome sent doun Onely of purpose for this conclusion For to procure in especiall Final distruction and death of Hanyball After all his marciall labours His olde felicite wext frowarde vnmete In holow ymages put all hys treasours Toke his passage into the lande of Crete And fortune contrarye and vnswere Made officers kepe hys rychesse In the temple of Diane the goddesse Som what for trust and percell eke for drede To fynde succour he went to the kyng Of Bithinye to helpe hym in hys nede Called Prusias but of hys commyng The sleyghty Romayns had knowledgyng To Bithinye downe theyr letters sent If Hanybal escaped they shoulde repent The letters redde the kyng the same daye Made his people besiege the dongeon Where duke Haniball of trust alone lay All destitute when he knew this treason Tescape hys enemyes draÌke wylfully poysoÌ Chase rather so other escape was none Then in the handes to fall of hys fone Tofore his dethe sayde this oryson To all y â goddes deuoutly downe knelyng That they woulde of this false treason Take vengeaunce of Prusias the kyng Whiche was cause by hys false workyng Of the destruction and dethe finall Of this famous worthy Hanyball ¶ Lenuoye THis tragedy frowarde to wryte
or rede Of this forsayde manly Hanyball My penne quoke my herte I felt blede For to beholde the wofull pytous fall Of hym that was the defensable wall Of Cartage the myghty strong toun Which slewe him selfe by drinkyng of poyson It was to him he thought more manhede To sle him selfe by vengeaunce most mortal Than his enemies by constraynt should hym lede In chaynes bounde he to be thrall So great dispite he had of them at all That leuer he had than byde in theyr pryson To murder him selfe by drynkyng of poyson As me semeth in thys horrible dede He resembled the furies infernall Of cruel Pluto I trowe he toke his mede Voyde of all reason became bestiall It whose terrible feast funerall Goddesse Proserpina came w t Manes doun The same tyme whan he dranke poyson Noble prynces consider and take hede Leauyng the surplus hys dedes marcyall Knyghtly remembre haue in herte hatrede Of his enpoysonyng in especiall Abhominable to god and man withall That a prynce so famous of renoun Shoulde murder him selfe by drinking of poyson The .xxi. Chapter â Howe Prusias kyng of Bithinye that betrayed Hanybal woulde haue disherited his sonne and heyre went a beggyng in straunge landes FOlowyng in order there came to Bochas Of Bithinye the great myghty kyng Whiche in his tyme was called Prusias Greatly sclaundred and noysed of one thyng That he was false and double in workyng Agayne the noblesse of his estate royall Because that he betrayshed Hanyball This diffaute derked the bryghtnesse Of hys fame and his knyghtly renoun And eclipsed hys passed olde prowesse By reporte in many a region Alas that euer the condition Of doublenesse by falsenesse or faynyng Shoulde be founde and namely in a kyng Of this Prusias further to procede Which agayne Hanyball wrought thys treason A sonne he had called Nychomede Borne to be heyre by iust succession But hys father by false collusion Purposed hym for he was yonge of age To put hym out of hys heritage In this matter ther grewe vp a great stryfe By Prusias agayne thys Nychomede Cause that he by hys seconde wyfe Had a yonge sonne in bokes thus I rede Whome he purposed to preferre in dede For whyche he caste by shorte conclusion Of Nychomede the destruction And for tacomplyshe this frowarde falsematere By full great delyberation Kyng Prusyas gan shew heuy chere Gayne Nychomede sekyng occasion To depriue hym of possession After hys dayes by subtell false workyng In Betheny he shal nat reygne as kyng The people seynge thys great iniquite Wrought by the king gayne good conscience Through all the lande of hye and lowe degre To Nychomede all of one sentence Gaue theyr good wyll theyr beneuolence For euery lorde and euery great baron Stode whole w t him through all the region Thus by iust tytle he was crowned kyng Prusias for shame and heuynesse In straunge countreys lyued by beggyng All desolate cryed for almesse Loe here the ende of treason and falsnesse Left at mischefe myne auctour sayth y â same Of pouerte forsoke hys owne name Se here two thynges take ryght good hede Of Prusias the vnware sodain mischaunce The disherytyng done to Nychomede After folowyng on him the great vengeauÌce As the story putteth in remembraunce For treason done odyble and mortall Agayne the foresayde famous Hanyball The .xxii. Chapter ⧠Howe Perses of Macedone kynge that enpoisoned his brother was by Emilyus outrayed and died in pryson BEspreynt with teares pitouslye wepyng As Bochas sate in hys studye alone Next came Perses of Macedone kyng And mortally he gan sygh and grone And furiously for to make hys mone That he was whylom of so great renoun Constrayned after to dye in pryson This sayd Perses of nature was frowarde Yuyll disposed eke of hys condicion Though he of byrth was but a bastarde He compassed by false collusion After hys father to haue possession As myne auctour remembreth by writyng Of Macedone to be crowned kyng His father Philip the story telleth thus Had a sonne whiche was yonge of age Wyse and redy called Demetrius Borne and begot trewly in mariage But Perses cast by furious outrage Hym to destroy and murdre by poyson He of that kyngdome to haue possession Falsely compassed to hys auauntage In his entent Demetrius to depriue Of Macedone whiche was his heritage And thervpon he letters gan contriue To preue him traytour while he was alyue Wherof kyng Philip greatly was anoyed That he and Perses should be distroyed By Demetrius that thought no domage Ment no harme in hys opinion Yet his father suspicious of corage For Perses gaue hym false information Made him be slayne by drinkyng of poyson Vpon a daye a thyng abhominable Sittyng at meate at his fathers table King Philip after when he knew the trouth Had of his dethe great compassion But all to late and that was great routh Whiche caused after hys owne destruction For sorowe dyed and of presumption Perses after falsly vsurpyng In Macedone was crowned for the kyng With diuers countreys made his alyaunce In Grece Trace gate frendes nere ferre And of pride and wylfull gouernaunce Cast with Romayns for to holde werre Vngrace and youth made him for to erre Tyll a Consul sent fro Rome toun Brought thys Perses vnto distruction Called Emilius was thys Consulere Sent again Perses to haue a great batayle Seynge his doughter heuy of her chere When he went out hys enemies to assayle Made vnto her this vncouth apposayle Why wepe ye so what thyng doth you agreue At my departyng takynge of meleue Father quod she and ye take good hede A whelpe I had that dyd great pleasaunce Called Perses the which right now is dede And this chefe cause is only of my greuauÌce Her father than gan chaunge countenaunce This is a token to myne encreace of glory That I of Perses shall haue the victory In Macedone he and Perses mette And quit hym there lyke a manly knyght CoÌquered the lande none might him withlet And manly put Perses to the flyght After to Trace he toke the way ryght Of whiche conquest short processe to make With his two sonnes Perses was ther take Emilius after thys victory Asketh the triumphe to hys guerdon And as it is remembred in hys story Perses foloweth his chayre throughe Rome toun Condempned after to dye in pryson The whiche dethe he dyd well deserue For he by poyson made hys brother sterue Thus can fortune erly and eke late Downe from her whele and hye stage Of proude prynces the surquedy abate Whan to her lust she seeth moste auauntage She frowardly gan tourne her vysage And sodaynly the estate of them consume Aboue their office that wrongly lyst presume Amonges whiche a kyng of Israell Agayne the precept and lawe of Moyses Called Ozias the byble can well tell Of presumption wylfull and recheles To sacrifice put hym selfe in prees Lyke a byshop in the temple arayed But or he passed greatly he was affrayed
messangere To helpe Flaccus slayne by great aduersite As he entred in to that countre After whose dethe his party to auaunce Of Flaccus meyny toke the gouernaunce Of presumption without auctorite This Fymbria by dyligent labour Full ferre aboue his state and his degree Toke vpon ãâã by fortunes false fauour To be called capitaine and Emprour Through al that countre bokes specify Of whose presumpcion Scilla had enuy Pursued him through many a greate citye To a castel made him take hys flyght Where Fymbria of great necessite Constrained was maugre all hys myght Dyspayred for sake of euery maner wyght To slee hym selfe the storye telleth thus Wythin the temple of Esculapius The .vii. chapter ¶ Of Albinius that was slayne with stones ANother Consull stoode in case semblable In his tyme called Albinius Whose hareful pride was abhominable To al folkes lothsome and odious Whiche lyke a rebel wode and furious Agayne Romayns ofter than ones Whan he lest wende slayne was w t stones The .viii. chapter How Adriane borne of lowe degre falsly vsurped to be kyng of Rome whyche w t his chorles was after brent NExt cam Adrian which rose to hie estate Fyrst in Rome borne of lowe degre Chosen sent by the whole Senate To gouerne of Affrike the countre Where of hys owne pompous auctorite Toke vpon him by subtel false workynge Maugre Romayns ther to be crowned king Whom to support shortly to conclude Was a great numbre of the coÌmonte Of chorles gadred a confuse multitude Title was none nor grounde but volunte Gentlemen than beyng in that countre All of assent and one opinion Assembled them to his distruction At Vtices a large great cyte Hym and his churles beset rounde aboute Of woode and fagot with large quantite In coÌpas wise closed him without Gadred with him of vylayns a great rout Layd on fyre that with flames rede Echone consumed in to ashes deade The .ix. chapter Howe Sinthonius kinge of Trace y t much coueted al forwet died in pouerte NExt Adrian came Sinthonius Tofore Bocas w t teres spreint his face As the story reherseth vnto vs In hys tyme he was kynge of Trace Fal sodainly from fortunes grace Cast downe lowe from his estate royal Which came to Bochas to complayne his fal Whose purpose was if it woulde haue be Seuen realmes to haue coÌquered w t his haÌd That were subget to Rome the cytie And all seuen were of grekes lande Who al coueteth ye shal vnderstande He al forgothe ful wel affyrme I dare At vnset houre wherof eche man beware Long or his conquest was brought to a prefe From her whele fortune cast hym doun The pretor SeÌcius brought him to mischiefe Dyed in pouerte as made is mencion And Bochas here maketh a digression Compendiously within a lytell space To discriue the region of Trace The .x. Chapter ¶ Here Bochas in partye maketh a dyscripcion of the kyngdome of Trace and passeth ouer lyghtlye vnto the accoÌplyshment of his boke TRace whylom a countre of greate fame And contayneth a ful large space And of Tyras it toke fyrst y â name Son of Japhet and so was called Trace Whyche many a daye dwelled in that place Towarde Septemtrion plenteous of good Besyde Dynoe the large famous flode Southward Trace renneth the flode Egee Macedone standeth in the Occydent And the kyngdome called Propontide Stant in Trace towarde the Oryent Where great plente of blod was shed spente Whan Sencius through his hye prowesse Kyng Adrian there manly dyd oppresse Ebrus in Trace is the chefe citie As myne auctour maketh mencion I cast not long to tary but in breuite To make of Trace a discripcion And to procede in my translacion After myne auctor which wryteth a loÌg proces Of great Pompeye his worthynes The .xi Chapiter ¶ Howe after many great conquestes of Duke Pompeye great warre began bytwene hym and Julyus in whiche thre huÌdred thousaÌd were slaine at the last the head of PoÌpeye smytten of THys Pompeius of whom the name is couth Wise and worthy famous of prowesse Toke vpoÌ hym in his tendre youth After his father by fortunate duresse Called PoÌpeye the story beareth wytnesse Distressed was by sodaine deth commynge As sayeth y â story through thuÌdre lyghtning His host dystroyed by the violence Of vnware tempest lyke as saith the boke Fourty thousand slayne in that pestilence For feare the remenaunt the felde forsoke Til yonge PoÌpeye of corage on him toke In his beginning proudely to procede Ful lyke a knyght his fathers host to lede Rome that tyme by theyr dyscencions Among them selfe nye brought to ruyne By the frowarde false diuysions Twene Marius Silla brefely to termine Tyl that a new sonne gan to shyne Of worthynes which shad his light In manly Pompeye the famous knyght This sayde Pompeye thys knyghtly man At his begynnyng through hys chyualrye The proude captayne slough whan he began Whych of Marius helde vp the party Called Brutus which in Lombardy Was by PoÌpey thrugh knightly gouernauÌce With al hys host brought to mischaunce In hys begynning Pompey eke also To set Romaynes in rest quiete One that was called Gneus Carbo He slew him knyghtly whan he did him mete Whych in Cicyle proudly helde his sete And all the countres about him enuyron Pompey made theÌ subiect to Rome toun After al this Pompeyus on the see Wyth many a shyp stuffed with vytaile Towarde Affrike made a great armee And there in hast after his arriuaile With Domicius had a great battayle Brought the couÌtre throughe his hye renoun To be to Rome vnder subiection He pursued the great myghty kynge Called Jertha to Marius honorable And had also hys royall abydynge In Numidy a countre full notable Againe Pompey hys power was not able For at a Castel as they met in fyght He slewe kynge Jertha lyke a maÌly knyght Thus in brefe tyme holdyng his passage For coÌmon profyte as made is mencion By hys wisedome and knightly hye corage Brought al Affrike to subiection Which stode afore in rebellion To the Romayns but all their sturdines The sayd Pompey dyd in haste redresse The greatest enemy agayne Rome toun Thylke dayes was one Sertorius And of fortune whych is nowe vp now doun On Pompeye ones was victorious But after soone of hym it happed thus Among his meyny fallynge at debate He slayne was in hys most hye estate After the deth of thys Sertorius Came Porpenna Pompeye to assayle And as they mette anone Pompeius Ful lyke a knyght slewe him in battaile Which victory greatly dyd auayle To the Romains after by gouernaunce He brought Spayne to their obeysaunce By auctorite gyue by the Senate This Noble Pompeye for vayle of the cite Vpon the sea would suffer no Pyrate Where euer he came fro hym they dyd flee For wyth his shyppes he scoured so the see And bare hym there so maÌly with hys hande That maugre theÌ he brought theÌ to the land Al
of his chyldren beyng at nurcery As the story putteth in remembraunce Of auenture or they coude it espy His knightes slough I trowe it was vengeauÌce Eche tirant gladly endeth with mischauÌce And so much he that wext ayen Christ wode Which for his sake shedde innoceÌtes blode The noÌbre of childre that were slayne in dede About Bethelem and in tho parties An hundred forty and four M. as I rede Two yere of age sought out by espies Of Herodes and for the prophecies Of Christes byrth mencion did make They were echone slayne for his sake Fro that day forth as made is mencion He fyl in many vncouth malady His flesh gan tourne to corrupcion Frette wyth wormes vpon eche party Whiche him assailed by great tourmentry His legges swole corbed blacke gan shyne Where vengeauÌce worketh adue al medicine Of his sickenes the stenche was so horible To awayte on him no man myght abyde Vnto him selfe his carrayne wext odible So sore he was troubled on eche syde Leches for hym did a bath prouide But al for nought in such mischefe he stode Of greuous constraynt he sodeÌly wext wode In token he was wery of his lyfe So importable was his mortal paine To pare an apple he asked a sharpe knyfe His malady dyd hym so constraine Fully in purpose to cut his herte in twayne The knife he raught leysar whan he founde One stode besyde bacwarde drue his hond For payne vnneth his winde he might drawe Gaue al his frendes in commaundement By a decree and a furious lawe That al the worthy of parties adiaceÌt Whiche y â were faine or glad in their entente Of his dethe he voyde of all pitee The same day they shoulde slayne be This cursed wretche this odious caytife I rede of none stode farther out of grace In sorowe mischefe ended hath his lyfe Eche man was glad whan he shoulde pace And for his storye doth this boke difface With wofull clauses of him whan I wryte Therefore I cast no more of him tendite ¶ Lenuoy OF Herodes the vnware cursed fall The lyfe vngracyous of hym and hys kinrede Euer vengeable in his estate roial Hys wyfe his childre slough of olde hatered Innocentes he made in Bethelem blede Reignyng in Juda borne of foreyne lygne The fyrst tyrant ye may the Byble rede Whych ayen Christ gan frowardly maligne Hys swerde of rigour cruel and mortal Aye redy whet to do vengeaunce in dede Hasty and fumous with furies infernall Of wylfull malice innoceÌtes blode to shede Dyd execucion also on womanhede Slewe his alies whiche was a cursed signe For the fyrste cause he stode in drede Whiche againe Christe gan frowardly maligne He woulde that none were to hym egall That daye alyue in Israell to succede The byrthe of Christ dred in especiall Cause fro Jesse his line gan floure sede He but a forrayne came in by fraude mede Without titell to that estate vndigne The fyrst also who lyst take hede Whiche agayne Christe gan frowardely maligne Noble princes that gouerne ouer all This large world both in length and brede Whan you sitte hyest in your royall stall Do not the people oppresse nor ouerlede Vpon Herodes remembre as I rede In what mischefe that tyrant dyd fyne To shewe y â none shal in hys purpose spede Whyche ayen Christ doth cursedly maligne The .iii Chapiter ¶ Of Antipas exiled by Octauian and of Archelaus sonne of Herodes the seconde COmpendiouslye thus ye haue herde the fal Of Herodes remembred by Bochas Who in his testament set in especiall To succede him Herode Antipas In hast exiled of hym thys was cas By Octauian to Vien as I rede And Archelaus ordained to succede Sonne of Herodes called the seconde Which in effect toke possession In Hierusalem reigned as I rede Of whom mine aucthor for short conclusion Maketh in his boke but small mencion Hym and hys brother set sodainly asyde Of them to write no lenger lyst to abyde Saue that he writeth the forsaide Antipas At Vien a mighty great cite In his exyle soone after slayne was And Archelaus succeding in Jude With Herodias who lyst the storyse By Agrippa to Tiberye accused Of certayne crimes coude not be excused A certaine time coÌmaunded to prison Of themperour coude neuer get grace Banished him fer from hys region In to Spaine for a certayne space And his worshyp breuely to deface Fortune caused to his final reprefe He died there in pouerte and mischefe The fatal ende rehersed of these twayne In what distresse that they dyd fyne Myne auctour after gan his pen ordaine To write the case by many a wofull lyne Vpon the striefe at wene Messalyne And other twayne standynge by her syde Tofore Jhon Bochas howe they dyd chyde Tofore Bochas they came all thre to playne Messalyne the wyfe vnto Claudius Againe whom there were other twayne Calligula and Tiberius In whose time was slaine Christ Jesus Touching y â debate that was amoÌg these thre Suyng the processe here folowyng ye shal se. The .iiii. chapter ¶ Of the strife bytwene Calligula Tiberius and Messalyne THys empresse named Messalyne As I haue tolde was wyfe vnto Claudius Successour as bokes determyne To Calligula called Gayus And as I fynde that Tiberius With Calligula both wode for tene Stode afore Bochas Messaline atwene Metynge al thre with furious loke chere Gayus Calligula called by his name Gan first reherce anone as ye shall here Without reuerence or any maner shame With an exordye to diffame Bochas present felly gan abrayde To Messalyne and euen thus he sayde Thou sclaundred woman noysed in lechery Thrugh the world as folke thy name atwite And reported for thine aduoutry What doest y â here in thy mournyng habite ⪠I trowe thou commest of purpose to visite In this place the vnhappy women fiue Touchinge disclaundre that euer were alyue The first of them called Emilia And Lepyda was named the seconde Liuia Plaucia and the fyfthe Elya Diffamed echone in dede as it was founde In token wherof the lechery to confounde Of Emilia in auoutry take Was by the lawe of her lorde forsake By the whylom was knowe that Drusus Strangled was murdred by poyson Lyke to Claudia doughter of Claudius Which by her lorde the booke maketh meÌcion Was throwen out to her confusion For her defautes founde in auoutry Sclaundred for euer there was no remedy Thou coudest whylom make thy lorde slepe With certaine drinkes to cast him in a rage By which he was made his bedde to kepe To get layser in thy flouring age For to misuse of false lust thyne outrage A nightertyme toke vpon thee a wede At the bordell dyddest amysse for mede Thyne appetite was very vnstauÌcheable It is a shame to write it or expresse Thyne hateful lyfe was so abhominable Tibery and I can beare hereof wytnesse And with the worde anone she gan her dresse Whan she had herde al their fel langage Gaue them this answere
repayre To a woman which had in her entrayle Spyrites closed to make his diuinayle In whose wombe barain and out of grace Of wicked spirites was the dwellyng place This sayd woman was a creature The which afore by cursed Julyan By his lyfe his purpose to recure In sacrifice was offred to Sathan And so as he with cursednes began Such was his ende as al bokes tell whose soul with Pluto is buryed depe in hel With this tyrant Bochas gan wexe wroth For his most odious fell outrage And to reherce in partie he was lothe The blasphemies of hys fell langage For nouther furye nor infernal rage May be compared with poison fret within To the false venyme of this horrible synne It is contrary to all good thewes And tofore God moste abhominable Hatefull to all saue to cursed shrewes For of all vyces very imcomparable Moste contagious and most delectable The mouth enfect of such infernal hounds Which euery day sle Christ with new wouÌds For obstynate of purpose for the nones Of disposicion furyous and wode Not afraide to swere goddes bones with horrible other as body flesh and bloud The Lord dismeÌbring most gracius good His fete haÌdes armes face and heed Reno him of new as they wolde haue him deed This blessed Lord which is immortall Though they be dedly they would him slee ageyn They be erthly he is celestial In froward wise they ben ouerseyne Discrecion fayleth their reason is in vayne All suche blasphemy for shorte conclusyon Procedeth of pride and false ambycion It semeth to me they haue foul fayled Of kyndnes to do him reuerence which for their loue vpon the crosse was nayled To pay the raunsome for mans offence Suffred death with humble pacyence False rebukyng spyttyng in hys vysage To bring mankynde vnto his heritage False surquedy that doth the heartes reyse Of such blasphemers as was this Julian whose great empyre might not counterpeise Again the Lord which is both God and man The original ground of pride was Sathan Prince vnder him most infortunate was this Apostata reignyng in his estate What was th ende of this tyrant horrible This cruell felon hatefull to euery wyght By sodayne myracle to al his hoste visible There dyd appere a very heuenly knyght Most freshly armed angelyke of sighte With a sharpe speere sitting on his stede Made the tyrant his hert bloude to blede His false goddes might him not auaile His frowarde off rynge done to maumetry Nor al his proude imperyall apparayle His inuocacions nor hateful sorcerye For this apostata that dyd his faythe denye Amonge his knightes slayn by death sodain His soule in hell with sathan in great payne The xv chapter ¶ Howe themperoure Valence slewe Heremites shed christen blud ⪠distroyed churches and after was brent BOchas in hast doth hys style dresse Next to the mperour y e called was ValeÌce Rehersyng first the perfyte holynesse Of Heremytes that did their dilygence To lyue in penaunce and in abstynence Forsoke the worlde and for Christes sake In to desert they haue the way take ⪠In this world here they lyst no lengar tarye Dyuers and double of trust no certayne Ferre in Egypte to liue solitary Depe in desertes of folke not to be sayne The soyle was drye of vitayle ful barayne The frutelesse trees vp seared by the rote For Christes loue they thoght y e life most soâe This sayd Valence of malice frowardly To this Heremites y â liued in gret penaunce Causelesse with full great enuy Troubled them and did theÌ great greuauÌce Lyke a tyraunte set al in vengaunce Distroyd churches with people that he ladde And where he went christen bloud he shadde This mean while by robbyng and rauyne In Mauritayne which is a great countre There was a prince that called was Faryne And in Cesaria a famous great cyte For his extorcion and his cruelte He toke vpon him proudly there reignynge Maugre romayns to be crowned kinge Theodose the fyrst a manly man Was sent out his malice to withstand By the bidding of Valencian Which that time the mpyre had in hand Bothe atones but ye shal vnderstande Theodose was sent out to assayle The sayd Farine and slewe him in batayle Of whiche Faryne by full cruel hate In that countre presumptuously reignynge Smote of his heed and sate it on the gate Of Cesaria this was the endyng Which by intrusioÌ afore was crowned king In Mauritayne oppressing them by drede As ye haue herde for which he lost his heade In this mater Bochas doth not soiourne By no attendaunce nor long diligence But of purpose dothe agayn retourne To the mperour that called was Valence Which as I told did so great offence The holy church of froward cursednes Slewal Hermites that bode in wildernes God wolde not suffre he shuld long endure Graunteth no tyraunt here longlyfe For by some mischefe or sodaine auenture They dye by murdre with dagger swerde or knife The Gotheyes whilom gan a stryfe For his outrage and great oppressyon They agayne romains fyll in rebellion A prince of his called Maximus Distressed them by so great tyranny And was vpon them so contrarious That they gadred all the cheualry And wext so strong vpon their partie That by their manhode it fel of auenture They on Valence made a disconsiture Spared not by robbynge and pillage Slough and brent many a stately place Cyties townes and many a small village That were famous within the laÌd of Trace But furiously thei met him in the face Where like a coward he turned his visage To saue his life lay hyd in Cartage Thus finally this emperour Valence As ye haue heard fayled of his entent The Gothes folowed by cruel violence As wylde beastes al of one assent The house and him to ashes they haue brent Lo here the fyne ye princes take hede Of tyrantes that saintes bloud do shed The .xvi. Chapter ¶ Of kynge Amacisius and howe Gracian and Theodosy distroied temples of fals gods how GraciaÌ was put to flight AFter Valence to God contraryous In al his workes most froward of liueÌg Tofore Bochas came Amacisius Which of Gothes was whilom Lord kyng Of his great age piteously complaining Inflate and dole lyst make no delayes Slew him self to short his greuous dayes Then came downe the brother of Valence The mighty emperour called Gracian Whiche afore had had experyence First with his vncle Valentinyan In the Empyre as bokes tell can And afterward Theodosy and he Had gouernaunce of Rome the cyte Theodosy and Gracien of assent Distroyed temples as in that partie Of false goddes also they haue downe rente The great ydols and all such maumetrye And full deuoutly gan churches edifye And in this whyle as fortune dyd ordayne One Maximus was vicar in Bretayne An hardy knight albe that he did vary From his promise made by sacrament In Bretayne list no lengar tary ⪠But into Gaule of hert and hole entent Gayne Gracian he sodenly is went And as
Howe ech of them was in his coâtre Soueraynly by vertuous excelleÌce Of olde commended for their pacience Which may be set and crowned in hir stall As Emperesse among vertues al. Among Ceciliens fyrst Theodorus For pacience had in great reuerence Amonge Grekes the story telleth thus Anaxerses for his magnificence By force of vertue grounded on pacience Because he was vertuous and wyse For sufferaunce gate him a souerayne prise Among Romains put in remembraunce Sceuola both philosopher and knyght For his marciall stronge constaunce Whan that he helde amyd the flame lyght Hande fingers among the coles bryght Tyl the ioyntes falling here and yonder From the wrest departed were a sonder Fyrst Theodorus borne in the famous yle By pacience great paines enduringe Chefe philosopher called of Cecile With chaynes bouÌde vpon the ground lying On his body layde gaddes reed brennyng Suffring his paine list it not refuse By kynge Jerome the tiraunte of Siracuse For common profit suffred all his payne Long tyme afore liyng in prison Whych by assent of mo than one or twayne Was the most chefe by conspiracion To bring the tiraunt to his distruccion For no paine that he might endure The coniuracion he would not discure Rather he chase in mischefe for to dey Than by name openly declare Of him that slewe the tiraunt sothly to sey Thought of ryght no man should spaâe For common profit helth and welfare To slee a tiraunt demyng for the best Al a region for to set at rest For which title he list suffre deth All his turment toke most paciently Theodorus tyl he yelded vp the breth Grutched not with noise nor loude cry Amyd wose hert roted was faythfully Common profit Bochas wryteth the same Among Ceciliens to get hym a name Grekes also coÌmende aboue the sterres Anaxerses and greatly magnifye Cause that he to stint mortall werres Lyst not spare to acquite hys partye In rebukyng manly the tirannye Of Nicoâreon a tiraunt full mortall Reignyng in Cipre in his estate royall Spared nouther for deth ne drede Him to rebuke by vertuous langage The tiraunt bad cut out of his heade Hys tonge in haste but he w t strong corage Sayde he shoulde haue none auauntage Of that membre whych wyth al his myghte Had tolde him trough in the peoples sight Of his manace set but litell tale Bytte of his tonge of stronge corage Chewed it al on peces smale Of manly herte thought it no domage Spyt it out in the visage Of the tiraunt gate so the vyctory To put his name euermore in memory And Sceuola equal to these twayne For common profit by iust comparison Put him in preace dyd his busye payne To slee Porcenna enemy to Rome toun For to accomplysh his entention Toke a stronge darte passingly trenchaunte With al his mighte cast it at the tiraunte Of his marke cause he dyd faile To slee his enemye after his entent Whych in Tuskan by many stronge battayle Gayns Romains wyth his knightes went This Sceuola his owne hand brent Cause that he failed of hys arte To slee Proceuna with casting of his darte To declare the force of his manhode Put him selfe auenged for to be As I haue tolde in coles rede His hande he brent for loue of his cite Onely to aquite his magnanimite Of feruent loue his cite to auayle To slee the tiraunt cause that he dyd fayle Thus for to put the marcial suffraunce Of these noble philosophers thre In perpetuall mynde and remembraunce Howe they them quit eche lyke his degre For their pure partye vnto the commonte Cause al their ioy and inward delite Was for auaile to the coÌmon profit Fyrst Theodorus put him selfe in prees For Ceciliens to dye in prison And for Grekes noble Anaxerses His tonge torne felte great passion And Sceuola for Romayns and their toun Suffred his hande by shorte auisement Of verye trouth in coles to be brent A martirdom it was in their manere Of their corage to haue so great constaunce Were so stable of herte body and chese For coÌmon profite of face and countenaunce Vnto the deth without variaunce Gate the triumphe by souerayne excellence With laurer crowned for their pacience Lyke as Phebus passeth the litel sterre Hyest vpraised in hys mydday spere So this vertue in trouble peace werre Called pacience most freshely doth appere Among vertues to shewe hys beames clere For pacience knyt wyth humilite Where they abyde maye none errour be Târauntes hertes this vertue doth appease Modifyeth their cruell fel wodenesse Rage of Lions who lyst lyue in ease Of folke prostrat his malice doth represse Al our ioy gan first wyth mekenes For of Juda the hardy stronge lion A maideÌs mekenes fro heauen brought doun In battaile and mighty stronge sheltrons Aduice with sufferaunce winneth the victory Pacience venquisheth champions Lownesse in vertue by many olde hystory And mekenes perpetuall of memory Al to conclude grouÌded on reason A maidens mekenes wrought our redeÌpcion ¶ Bochas here commendeth humilite VErtue of vertues O noble pacience Wyth Laurer crowned O vertuous constauÌce Laude honour prayse and reuereÌce Be yeue to thee prices of most pleasauÌce Most renomed by olde remembraunce Of whom the myghty marciall armure Gayne all vyces lengest may endure Grounde and gynnyng to stande at defence Agayne Sathans infernall puissaunce Laureat quene where thou art in presence From outrages haue no gouernaunce Condite head spring of pleÌtuous habuÌdauÌce Cristall well celestial of figure Gayne al vices which lengest may endure Chefe founderes by soueraine excellence Of gostly building spiritual substaunce Empresse of most magnificence With heuenly spirites next of aliaunce With life euerlasting thy triuÌphes tauaunce And ioy eternal thy noblesse lo assure In the aureat throne perpetually to endure Three Jerarchies there liuing in preiÌence With whoÌ humilite hath souerayne acquaintauÌce Where Osanna w t deuout diligence Is songe of aungels by long continuauÌce Tofore the throne keping their obseruaunce Syng Sanctus saÌctus recorde of scripture Wyth voice memorial perpetually tendure The breÌning loue of Cherubin by feruence Perfit in charite diligent obeysaunce And Seraphin wyth humble obedience And orders nyne by heuenly concordaunce Dominacion with vertuous attendaunce Afore the trinite synge freshly by measure Wyth voice memoriall perpetually tendure Suffraunce of panims hath but apparence Done for vainglory hangyng in balaunce But Christes martyrs in very existence Lyst againe tyrauÌtes make no repugnauÌce Rather die than shew god displeasaunce Shewed in no myrrour likenesse nor picture Take full possession w t Christ euer tendure Suffraunce for vertue hath y â preemynence Of them that set in god their affyaunce Recorde of Stephyn Vincent Laurence Blessed Edmonde by longe perseueraunce Suffred for our fayth victorious greuauÌce Kyng made martyr a palme to recure In the heuenly courte perpetually to endure And for to set a maner difference In Bochas boke tolde euery circumstaunce Howe for our fayth by full great violence Dyuers sayntes haue suffred
DIEV ET MON DRIOT ARISE FOR IT IS DAY A memorial of suche Princes as since the tyme of King Richard the seconde haue been vnfortunate in the Realme of England ¶ LONDINI In aedibus Johannis Waylandi cum priuilegio per Septennium The copy of the quenes Maiesties letters Patentes MAry by the grace of God Quene of Englande Fraunce and Ireland defendour of the faith and in earth of the Churche of Englande and also of Ireland the supreme head To y e Prynters of bookes and booke sellers and to al other out Officers Minysters and Subiectes these our letters patentes hearing or seing gretyng Knowe ye that we of oure especial grace and meare mocion haue geuen and graunted and by these presentes doo geue and graunte full power licence auctoritie and Priuilege vnto our welbeloued Subiect John Wayland Citezeyn and Scriuenour of London That he his Assignes only and none other person or persons shal from hensforth haue auctoritie lybertie to prynt al and euery such vsual Primers or Manual of prayers by whatsoeuer other title y â same shal or may be called which by vs our heyres successours or by our clergy by our assent shal be auctorised set furth and deuysed for to be vsed of all our louing Subiectes thoroughout all our Realmes and domynyons duringe the full tyme and terme of seuen yeares next ensuing the date of these our letters Patentes And farther that it shal not be lawful for any maner of other person ⪠or persones of out said Subiectes to Prynt or to procure to be imprinted anye Prymers or Manuall of prayers by whatsoeuer title the same shall or may be called or set furth during the said tearme nor any booke or bookes which the saide John Waylande or his Assignes at his or theyr costes and charges shall first Prynte or set furth during the said terme of seuen yeares next ensuing the printing of the same booke or bookes vpon payne of forfature and confiscacion of the same Prymers Manuall or prayers and bookes âo thuse of vs and oure successours Wherfore we wâll and commaunde all you our Printers and other our Subiectes that ye nor any of you do presume procure or attempt to print or setfurth any maner Prymers Manuall of prayers booke or bookes which the said John Wayland or his assignes shal first Print during the tyme of thys our Priuilege and licence vpon payne of forfature and confiscacion of the same Prymers Manual of prayers and bookes as aforsaide And as ye tendre oure pleasure and wyl auoyde the contrarie In witnes wherof we haue caused these our letters to be made patentes Wytnes our selfe at Westminster the foure and twentith daye of Octobre in the fyrst yeare of our reigne Per breÌ de priuato sigillo et de data predicta ¶ Here foloweth the Table of thys presente Booke called the fall of Princes and Princesses c. Whiche boke is deuyded in to nyne bookes and euerye booke contayneth dyuers chapters as here after foloweth And fyrst of the fyrste boke whiche contayneth xxiiii Chapiters THe Prologue of John Lidgate Monke of Bury translatoure of this boke The fyrst Chapter of the firste booke sheweth howe Adam and Eue for theyr inobedience were put out of Paradyse and howe they standinge naked before Bochas desyred hym to put theyr wofull fall fyrste in remembraunce And howe they and theyr ofsprynge liued in sorowe wretchednesse with a Lenuoye The fyrste chapter Howe Nembroth buylded the towre of Babylone to saue him selfe from Noes stode whiche for his pryde and presumpcion was put from his magnifycence and his towre with sodayne leuyn smytten downe The second chapter An exclamacioÌ of John Bochas against proude foâke shewynge howe God maye them and theyr pryde abate whan ãâã shall please him and by dyuers meanes waies them punysh and chastice With a lenuoy The third chapter Howe manye yeres were betwene Adam and Nembroth and betwene Nembroth and Cadmus and of dyuers other kinges The fourthe chapter Of Ogiges king of Thebes leafe .vii. Of a greate flode in Tessaly leafe .vii. Of goodly Jsys wyfe to Apys king of Argyue and howe he was slayne by hys brother Diffeus The fyft chapter Of Grisiton that eate hys members for hungre With a Lenuoy the sixt chapter Howe Jupiter rauyshed Europa the doughter of kynge Agenor and how Cadmus was sent to seke her in to diuers couÌtrees With a Lenuoy of the translatour The seuenth chapter A goodlye processe of Oetes kynge of Colchos of Jason and Medea of Theseus Sylla of Nisus and of dyuers other With a Lenuoy The eyght Chapter Of mightye Jabyn kyng of Canaan of Quene Jocasta and how Thebes was dystroyed With a Lenuoy The .ix. chap. How Atreus kyng of Messene wrought againste his brother Thiestes and howe he stewe his children dismembred them in pieces and made the said Thiestes to eate of their flesh and drinke of theyr blode The tenth chapter How Atreus accused him selfe of murder and his brother of auoutry don wyth Europa the quene With a Lenuoy The xi chapter Of duke Theseus and of Ariadne that saued his lyfe in a caue and howe he lyke a forsworne man for soke her and wedded fayre Phedra which afterwarde slew her selfe a Lenuoy The .xii. chapter How Bochas blameth theym that gyueth hasty credence to liers and flatterers With a Lenuoy The .xiii. chapter Of quene Althea and howe Hercules by women was broughte to confusion With a Lenuoy The .xiiii. chapter A processe of Narcissus Byblis Myrra and dyuers other their infortunes to Bochas complaynyng and howe Narcissus Byblis and Myrra dyed at myschefe with a Lenuoy The fyftene chapter Of Priamus kynge of Troye and how the monke of Burye translatoure of thys boke wrot a boke of the siege of Troy called Troy boke the sixtene chapter Here Bochas authoure of this boke wryteth agayne the Surquedous pryde of them that trust to much in theyr riches The seuentene chapter Here also John Bochas putteth a great prayse and commendacyon of suretye that standeth in pouerte With a Lenuoy The eyghtene chapter Of mighty Sampson whiche tolde all his counsayle to Dalyda wherby he was disceyued With a Lenuoy The nyntene chapter A chapter of Bochas disââyuynge the malyce that is in Women The twentye chapter Thexcuse of Bochas for hys wrytyng againste mysgouerned women in maner of a Lenuoy The. xxi chapter Of myghtye Pyrrus that slewe Pollycene whiche for his pryde and auoutrye died in pouerte and at the last was slayne by Horestes The .xxiii. chapter Of Machayre and of his suster Canace The .xxiiii. chapter The letter of complaynte wrytten by Canace to her brother Machayre With a Lenuoy The .xxv. chapter ¶ Thus endeth the Table with the Chapiters of the fyrste boke and here foloweth the table of the seconde boke which containeth .xxxi. chapters THe Prologue of the translatour The fryste Chapter of the second boke declareth how Saule Kynge of Ierusalem borne of lowe degree as longe as
enuy excluded Thoughe to forne him translated was this boke Within him self ⪠be fully hath coÌcluded Vpon that labour when he cast his loke He woulde amend it but first he forsoke Presumption and toke him to mekenes In his prologue as he dothe expresse In whiche processe lyke as I am learned He in his tyme of cunnyng did excel In their language he was requyred Of estates whiche gan him compell Among them holde of rethorike the well To vnderfong this labour they him prey And their request lowly he did obey Full well he felt the labour was notable The fall of nobles with euery circumstance From their lordships dreadful and vnstable Howe they fyll to put in remembraunce Therin to shewe Fortunes variaunce That other might as in a myrrour se In worldly worship may no surety be By example as there is no Rose Sprigyng in gardeÌ but there be sum thorne Nether fayrer blossom theÌ nature list dispose TheÌ mai their beuty as meÌ hath sene toforn With bitter winds be froÌ the brauÌches born Ne none so high in his estate contune Fle froÌ the wayting daunger of Fortune Wherfore Bochas for a memoriall Consideryng the great dignities Of worldly princes and their power royall Great emperours estates and degrees How Fortune hath cast them froÌ their sees Namely such as coulde them self not know Full sodainly to make them lye full lowe This the sayd aucthour wise ryght sadde Hath gadered out wyth Rethorykes swete In diuers bokes whiche that he hath radde Of philosophers and an olde Poete And busied him bothe in colde and heate Out to compile and write as he fonde The fall of nobles in many diuers londe Vpon whose boke in his translation The saied Laurence rehearceth in certaine And holdeth this in his opinion Suche language as open is and playne Is more accepted as it is often sene TheÌ straunge termes which be not vnderstaÌd Namely to folkes y â dwel vpoÌ the laÌd He sayeth also that his entencion Is to amende correct and declare Not to condemne of no presumption But to report playnely and not to spare Thinges touched shortly of the story bare Vnder a style briefe and compendious Them to prolonge when they ben vertuous For a story whiche is not playnely tolde But construed vnder wordes fewe For lacke of truth where they be new or old Men by report can not the matter shew These okes great be not downe yhewe Fyrste at a stroke but by long processe Ne long storyes a worde may not expresse For whiche playnly thys noble translatour Cast of purpose these storyes for to wryte And for to do his diligent laboure As they fyll in order to endite That men after myght them selfe delyte The aduentures so as they fyll in dede Of sundry prynces to beholde and reade And haue a maner contemplacion That things al where fortune may attaine Be transitorye of condicion For she of kynde is hasty and sodayne Contrarious her course for to restrayne Of wilfulnesse she is variable WheÌ men most trust theÌ is she most chauÌgeable And for her chaunge and for her doublenes This Bochas biddeth y â men should enclyne To set their hartes voyde of vnstablenes Vpon thynges whyche that ben diuyne Where as ioye perpetually dothe shyne Wythout eclipsyng in that heauenly see Voyde of all cloudes of mutabilitye Among these Bochas writeth of swetenes And of matters that lusty ben and glade And sometyme he wryteth of wretchednes And how fortune can floure and after fade Ioye vnder cloude prosperitie in the shade Enterchangyng of euery maner thyng Which y â men fele here in this world ââuyng And in hys processe who so lyst beholde Of all estates of hygh and lowe degre And of prynces bothe yong and olde Fro the beginning which in this world haue be Lykyng in ioye or in aduersitye Fro the fyrst descended he adowne Of theyr fortune by playne description Of the most noble he ne spareth none But setteth them in order cereously Begynneth at IdaÌ endeth at kyng John Theyr auentures rehearsyng by and by Of this kyng John concludyng finally How y â he was for all his great puissaunce Of price Edward take prysoner in FrauÌce Thys sayd Bochas aucthour of thys boke Whiche of stories had great intelligence Some he left and some also he toke Suche as he left was of no negligence Supposyng and demyng of credence All the storyes whythe that commune be Other knowe them also as well as he And lest that folke would haue had disdain Thynges coÌmune for to put in memory Therfore Bochas thought it were but vain And to his name more encrease of glory To remember no cronicle ne historye But tho that were for their merite notable Aucthorised famous and commendable In his labour hauyng a delite That the matter greatly myght auayle Do pleasaunce to the commen profite Of noble storyes to make a rehearsail Shewig a myrror how al y e world shal fail And how Fortune for all their hye renowne Hath vpon Prynces iurisdiction The whiche thyng in full sober wyse He considered in his inwarde intent In his reason began to aduertyse Seyng of Prynces the blynde entent With worldly worshyp how y â they be blent As they shoulde euer their estates kepe And as Fortune were ylayed to slepe And as they had of Fortune the maistry Her enchaunted wyth their pocions By some newe craft of sorcery Or by power of incantacions To make stable their dominations Wyth yron chaynes for to last longe Locked to rockes wyth adamantes strong Supposyng in their surquedy Their estates should be durable But Fortune can frowardly deny And plainly preue that they be changeable And fro prynces when they be most stable Fortune full fast for all their great estate Vnwarely chauÌgeth saith to theÌ che ãâ¦ã For lordes some in their magnificence Of royal power set of God tyght nought They not conceyue his long pacience Neither peyse his power in their thought But in their hartes if it were well sought How he is meke and pacient to abide They would of reason their pompe lay aside But for their tariyng and their negligence That they to him will not returne agayne Yet of his mercy and his beneuolence Without vengeaunce rigour or disdayne As a meke father in all his workes playne Assayeth his yarde of castigation So for to bryng them to correction Some he can full fatherly chastice Where he loueth by punishynge of sickenes And of his mercy in many anotherwise By aduersitie of worldely distres And he not asketh for his kindenes Of high ne lowe who so can aduert None other treasure but a mans hart And as mine aucthour list to comprehende This John Bochas by great aucthoritie It is almesse to correct and amende The vycious folke of euery comminaltie And by examples whiche that notable be Of Prynces olde that sumtime did fall The lower people from their erroure call By small whelpes as sume clarkes write Chastised is the
tell And truely deme that he dothe excell In vnderstandyng all other of his age And hath ioye with clarkes to commune And no man is more expert in langage Stable in study alway he dothe contune Settyng aside all chaunces of fortune And where he loueth if I shall not tary withouten cause full lothe he is to vary Duke of Glocester men this prynce call And not withstaÌdyng his estate dignitie His courage neuer dothe appall To study in bokes of antiquitie Therin he hath so great felicitie Vertuously him selfe to occupye Of vycious slouthe he hath the maistry And with his prudence and his manhede Truthe to susteyne he fauour setteth aside And holy churche mainteynyng in dede That in this lande no herityke dare abide A very support vpholde and also gyde Spareth none but maketh him selfe stronge To punish all tho that do the church wrong Thus is he manly and also wise Chosen of God to be his owne knyght And of one thinge he hath a singuler prise That heritike dare none come in his sight In Christes faith he staÌdeth so hole vpright Of holy churche defence and champion To chastice all tho that do therto treason And to do pleasaunce to our Lorde Jesu He studieth euer to haue intelligence Readyng of bokes bringeth in vertue Vyces excludyng w t slouth and negligence Maketh a Prince to haue experience To knowe him selfe in many soundry wise Where he trespaceth his erroure to chastice And among bokes playnely this is the case This sayed prynce considered of reason The noble boke of this John Bochas Was accordyng in hys opinion Of great noblesse and reputation And vnto princes greatly necessary To geue exaÌple how this worlde doth vary And for these causes as in his entent To shew the vntrust of all worldly thinge He gaue to me in commaundement As him semed it was ryght well sittyng That I shoulde after my small cunnyng This boke translate him to do pleasaunce To shew the chaung of worldly variaunce And with support of his magnificence Vnder the wynges of his correction Though that I lacke of eloquence I shall procede in this translation Fro me auoydyng all presumption Lowly submittyng euery houre and space My rude language to my lordes grace And as I haue one thing well in minde He bade I shoulde in especiall Folow myne aucthour written as I fynde And for no fauoure be not partiall Thus I meane to speake in generall And none estate singulerly depraue But the sentence of mine aucthour saue All this conceiued I gan my style dresse Thought I would in my matter procede And for the matter obreyed heauinesse Of freshe colours I toke no maner hede But my processe playnely for to lede As me semed it was to me most mete To set apart Rethorykes swete Ditties of mournyng and complaynyng Do not pertayne vnto Caliope Neither to the muses that on Pernaso syng Whiche be remeÌbred in numbers thrise thre And vnto matters of aduersitie With their sugred aureat lycoure They be not willyng to do fauoure But of disdayne me settyng farre a backe To hinder me of that I woulde endite Hauyng no colours but only whyte blake To the tragedies whiche I shall write And for I can my selfe no better aquyte Vnder the support of all that shall it reade Vpon Bochas ryght thus I will procede Finis ¶ Howe Adam and Eue for their Inobedience were put out of Paradise and liued in sorowe and wo they and their ofspringe And howe they standynge naked before Bochas desired hym to put their wofull fall fyrste in remembraunce ¶ The fyrste Chapiter WHan John Bocas considered had sought The woful fal of mighty conquerours A remembrance entred in his thought Rekenyng the numbre of our predecessours And fyrste to mynde came the progenitours Of all man kynde farre yrun in age And toward hym holdyng their passage And as hym thought in his in warde syght In theyr coÌming full pitiously tremblynge Quaking for age and for lacke of myght Their feblenesse by signes out shewing And one of them first at his commyng Our father Adam sodenly abrayde And to myne auctour euen thus he saide Cosyn Bochas I wol well that thou lere That art so busy to serche ouer all Ofinfortune the maner to enquere Her sodayne chaunge turning as a ball Of ââthly princes from their estate rial It is most syttyng or we a sondre twyn At vs twayne the processe to begyn Consider first the lorde in his auyse Whan he vs made vnto his likenesse He put vs both in to paradise There to haue lyued in parfite stablenesse Till the Serpent dyd his businesse Of false enuy to make vs lese our grace Perpetually to exyle vs fro that place And whaÌ Jhon Bochas naked theÌ behelde Without the hand fourmed of nature Of slime of the erth in Damascene the felde God made them aboue eche creature And for they should perpetually endure By discrecion for a prerogatife He endued them wyth a soule of lyfe Parfite of age as men of .xxx. yere Put them after in possession Of Paradise a place most entere And of delites a chosen mansion Where Adam made an imposion To fysh and to foule and to these beastes al Of very reason what men should them call Out of a rybbe whyle that Adam dyd slepe Eue was drawe ful fayre of her visage Al sodenly or that he toke kepe After to hym ioyned in mariage For his disport and his auantage So as the lorde first wyues dyd ordeyne Eyther for helpe or encrease of peyne God vnto them gaue the soueraintie Of Paradyse and dominacion A place fulfilled of all felicitye The frutes be all in their subiection Saue that of one was made excepcion Whyche god forbad the Byble can deuyse That they should it touche in no wyse All delices in that heuenly place God gaue to them and put in their kepyng To vse them euery houre and space To theyr most ease as was to them lyking Blomes blossomes theyr fayrnes ay keping And the frutes alwaye of one freshnesse For witer stormes myght do theÌ no duresse The soyle enbrouded full of saâer floures There wedes wycke had none interesse For god kynde wyth freshnesse of colours And w t their tapites motles of gladnesse Had made y t place habuÌdant w t at swetnes And fresh Flora whych is of floures quene Her lyuerey made of a perpetuÌal grene The trees raught almost to the heuen Whyche cast about a ful pleasaunt shade That storme ne rayne thuÌdre wynde ne leuine No power had their leues for to fade For euer they were ylyke freshe and glade And whan they lyst they might se In middes of y e garden of life y â holesume tre Whyche vertue had ayenst all malady Folke to preserue in youth in their freshnes Who eate thereof should neuer dye But lyue euer in ioy and gladnes And neyther fele trouble nor sickenesse But in that place haue alwaye hertes ease And suffisaunce of all y â
for wanting of their wil. And wheder were thei sorowful or faine Long tyme after their desolacion Whan they fouÌd Abell their own son slayne By cruel Cayne to his confusion ⪠The same Cayne as made is mencyon After that time wilde was vagabound Til blind Lameth yafe hiÌ his dethes wouÌd Adam nor Eue afore that ylke time Had neuer sene no feest funeral It was of chaunge to them a new prime For to behold a thyng disnatural Brethern of one wombe by hatered eternal The one of hate so far hym selfe deuide Of false malice to be an homicyde And it was routh whan that they stode For to behold their son al deed Layd on the grond and bathed in his blod And al the soile where he lay was rede That whan Adam and Eue toke hede It was to them ful great aduersite The newe slaughter to behold and se. And euer among their sighes harde sore The bitter weping and sorowes to auauÌce Or they were ware their heere 's woxe hore And age began theyr beautie disauaunce Their youth also by ful great displesaunce Began to appal or they it could aspye By cruel constreynt and force of malady And of youth fallen was their flour By the processe of many hundred yeres And by the duresse of great labour They wexe vnlusty vgly of their cheres Of age and deth these ben the daungers To say checkmate in nature it is couth Vnto beautie and grene lusty youth For whan the yeres fully passed be Of flouring age lastynge a season By processe at eye men may se Beaute declineth his blossoms fal adoune And littel and littel by succession CoÌmeth croked elde vnwarely in crepynge With his potent ful porely manassing Thus to our father that called was Adam Of creatures fayrest of al feire After great trauaile by processe in he came And began vnwarely ascend vpoÌ the steyre With his potent and cast him to repeyre With Atropose which afore shal gone For to attwin his liues threde anone And in Ebron was made his sepulture Ther after was bilded a mighty great cyte By whose story and recorde of nature I may conclude who list to se That neuer man had liberte Sithen that Adam our lord gan disobey Ayenst deth but that he must obey In coÌplaining mine autor Jhon Bochas Ful pitiously in hys aduertence Bewepeth wayleth and oft sayeth alas In apple there was so great offence That for a taste of inobedience Adam alas should haue so great a fal So sodainely to die and be mortal Which example ought inough suffise In al this world though there were no mo To exemplify to folkes that ben wise How this world is a throwfare ful of wo. Lyke false Fortune y â turneth to and fro To make folkes whaÌ they most clerely shine In their estates vnwarely to decline For though that thei their hedes lift a lofte Highe as Phebus shineth in his sphere Thinke them selfe as it falleth oft Their renown recheth aboue y e starres clere And howe they surmount euery sphere Their trust corrupt hath a sodayne fal For to declare you they ben mortal O worldly folke aduert and yene entent What vengeauÌce and what punicion God shal take in his iugement For your trespas and your transgression Which breke his preceptes ayen al reason Ye haue forgotten how w t his precious blod You for to saue he died vpon the Roode For if Adam for his disobeisaunce Was by the lorde as him list ordaine Made first formed with euery circuÌstaÌce Of creatures to be most soueraine If that he was enbraced in the chaine Of seruitude with children ouersene what shal I than of other folkes seinâ That liue here in this deserte of sorowe ⪠In this exise of plesance desolate ⪠And in this worlde both euin and morowe Of hertely ioye stonte disconsolate ⪠All destitute and also infortunate And forpossed with wo and worldly troble Euer variable and ful of chaunges double Ye not entende but to false couetise To fraude berret and extorcion Agayne god in many dyuers wise Againe your neighbour by false collusion To do hym wronge and oppression And worst of al ye retche not by syn To slee your soule worldly good to wyn And if it fal your power to be but smal To accomplyshe your auarice in dede Your sinful wyl assenteth ouer al Thing to desire of which ye maye not spede And thus false lust doth your bridel lede Trust in hauing so sore you doth assayle Falsly afered the world should you fayle And if god benigne and debonayre With his yarde of castigacion Chastiseth you but easely and faire Ye grudge against his correction Nothing auerting in your discrecion Howe god not bad vs who can take hede For to striue ne wrastel in dede Neither our strength ne our might to appli Vpon the beast monstruous and sauage which called is the Chimere of Licy Specially whan he is in hys rage which monstre had to his auantage Heed of a lion as bokes determine Wombe of a gote and taile serpentyne Which was outrayed of Bellyferon As olde poetes make mencion Neither god bad not that men should gon In to Colchos to conquere with Jason The Flees of gold which in that region With firie bulles of mettal made of bras And by a dragon ful straitly kept was God bad vs not our contreys for to lete To vnderfonge things that ben impossible The Mynotaur for to slee in Crete Halfe man halfe bul if it be credible Which was a monster hateful and odible SuÌtime brought forth in bokes ye may se By Mynos wife called Pasyphae Whose storie techeth if thou list to here This vgly beast and monstruous Through Ariadne the kings doughter dere Was sumtime slayne by duke Theseus Within a caue made by Dedalus God biddeth vs plainely for his sake So great emprise for to vndertake He byddeth vs not to be so recheles In perilous dedes that bene marciall Vs to ieoparde as dyd Hercules Which by the bidding in especiall Of Euristeus the mighty kyng royall Lordes of AtheÌs to make their honor shine Learned of armes the famous discipline Of these preceptes if we haue a sight And remembred of his highe bounte He vs coÌmaundeth thinges that be lyght For to accomplishe with all humilite From our corage to auoyde all vanite And from our hertes to exclude ydelnesse And this false chaÌge of al worldly gladnes For vnto a man that perfite is and stable By good reasoÌ mine auctor doth wel preue There is nothing more faire ne agreable Than finally his vicious lyfe to leue On verye god rightfully to beleue Him loue worship aboue al erthly thyngs This passeth victory of Emperours kinges The Lord biddeth also who so can discerne Of entere loue to do our labour In this life here so our life shal gouerne To father mother that we do due honor And in their nede to do them socour And in all vertue our frendes to comfort And to
our power in grace them supporte For in this world is nothing more perfite Neither taccoÌplish thinge of more plesance Than a man for to haue delyte In lytell good to haue suffisaunce And to be content in his gouernance Auoyde auarice and thinke euer among To his neighbour that he do no wronge Not to couet his goodes in no wise Him selfe gouerne like to his estate Not to excede but flye and also dispise All maner loue whych is disordinate Him selfe preserue from contecke debate And specially to esche we it is good Slaughter murdre sheding of bloude Flye from his syn and hate for to lye O folde offences among haue repentaunce And to esche we all scorne and malory Ayenst vyces do almesse and penance And to haue most souerainly pleasaunce To sewe the pathes of oure Lorde Jesu True examplayre of grace and vertue Which for our sake and our redempcion And for our loue was nayled on a tre Suffered payne and cruell passion And nothing asketh of high lowe degre Recompensed ayenwarde for to be But that we set all holy our ententes For to fulfil his commaundementes And of his grace here in this mortal lyfe As we precell of wysdome and reason And of his gift haue a prerogatife Tofore all beastes by discrecion Therefore let vs of hole intencion As we of reason beastes ferre excede Let vs be before theÌ in word exaÌple dede Grounde our selfe first vpon humilite Our pompous eyen mekely to vnclose Enclyne our hartes so conceiue and se All worldly welth shall fade as a rose And of meke hert let vs our selfe dispose By this tragedy to haue knowledgynge Of our mischefe howe rote and beginninge Was the vice of inobedience Surquidy and false disobeisaunce As myne anctour hath shewed in sentence Emprinteth it well in your remembraunce Be ware the serpent wyth disceiuance The flesh the world your enemies all thre Through their traynes ye nat disceiued be Your best shilde to make resistence Ayenst their power sothly is mekenes Your haburion most mighty of defence The fendes power to venquish oppresse It is to remembre deuoutly with lownes Howe mekely Christe to pay our taunsum Suffred on crosse deth and passion Therby men may that prudent ben wyse The ioyes clayme whych bene eternal And entre ayen into Paradise Fro whens Adam by pryde had a fall To whych place aboue celestiall O Christ Jesu so brynge vs to that glory Whyche by thy deth haddest the victory Lenuoye SOdeine departinge out of this felicitie Into miserie and mortal heuinesse Vnware depriuynge out of prosperitye Chaunge of gladnes into wretchednes Longe languishynge in wo and bitternes Continuell sorow dred dole pestilence Were fyrst brought in by inobedience Adam and Eue lost their libertye Their fraunchise and their blessednes Put in exyle and captiuitye To lyue in wo labour and pensifnes Through false desire and pompous wilfulnes To the serpent whan they gaue credence The lord mistrustyng through inobedience But O alas wher as they were free Of ioy eternall stode in sekernes They were to blynde alas it was pitie To leue their rest and liue in wetines All their ofsprynge to brynge in dystresse Drawynge fro God hys due reuerence Through false consentynge to inobedience Wherefore ye prynces auysely doth se As thys tragedye in maner bereth wytnesse Where as wanteth in any comonalte Subiection for lackynge of mekenes And wyth poore pryde hath an enteresse There foloweth after through froward insolence Among the people false inobedieÌce And noble princes whych haue the souereinte To gouerne the people in ryght wysenesse Lyke as ye cherishe them in peace vnite Or frowardly distroy them or oppresse So ayenwarde their corages well dresse Lowly to obeye to your magnificence Or disobey by inobedience Che .ii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Nembroth bylt the tower of Babylon to saue him fro Noyes stode whyche for his pryde was put fro his magnificence and hys tower with sodayne leuyn smytten downe MYne auctour Bochas lightly oueryode The vengeaunces myscheues huge Which y â God toke with Noyes flode Whan he sent an vniuersal deluge Ayenst whych there was no refuge Saue .viii. persons in that mortal wo Whiche in a shyp were saued and no mo Wherefore myn auctour lightly ouergoth Maketh of that age no special mencion But passeth ouer from Adam to Nembroth Consideryng howe in that deedly chaunce The lorde for syn toke so greate vengeaunce That by wryttynge of storyes no victorye Of highe ne lowe was left to memorye For there was laft cronicle none ne boke After that made mencion Of none auctour who so lyst to loke For all was brought to destruction By a deluge wythout any excepcion For whych myne auctour traÌsported his stile And of that tyme lyst nothynge compyle He founde no mater wheron he myght found Nor set his fote by none auctoritie Neyther no truth his purpose on to grounde Of olde wrytynge that he coude se For whych him thought of necessitie The surplusage of all that tyme lete And after Adam with Nembroth for to mete And certes lyke as Bochas in hys boke Remembreth first of Adam the story So next in order he the story toke To speke of Nembroth and his surquedye Whych here first as bokes specifye After the flode his waues gan aswage Was made a lorde to gouerne in that age For whan the flode began to decrece And God his vengeaunce gan to molifye Withdrawe his hand the water tho gan ceseâ Vpon the mounteynes high of Ermonye The shyp gan rest the Byble can not lye And in that age called the seconde Lynage of man gan first to habounde To encrease ayen and to multiplye And by dyscent in bokes ye maye se Specified the genelogye Howe that one Chus cosyn to Noe A man that tyme of greate auctorritie Vnto this Nembroth the storye dothe assure The father was as by ingendrure This Nembroth was mighty large long Excelling other as of his stature Surquedous hardy and right stronge And in his time great labour might endure And in his force to much he dyd assure And yet was none on water ne on lande Which durst his power presume to withstand And his noblesse more to magnify In worldly worship by reporte of his glorye He was called chefe prince of venery Desirous euer to haue the victorye Of beastes wilde to be put in memory And haue a price amonge these champions Tigres to daunt eke boores and Lions There was no beast in wodes so sauage That durst ayenst him make resistence His furious yre so mortall was on rage The erth quoke for feare of his presence Tyll at the last in his aduertence As a prince deuoyed of all grace Ayenst god he began to compace He made a maner coniuracion This frowarde Gyaunt and a conspiracy Toke his counseyl by false collusion His might his power for to multiply And his estate for to glorifye Thought he woulde of his entent not fayle God and
Of surquedie that he was so contrary And for the place was wilde and solitarye Of thys Senaar and furious sauage Nembroth gan to feble fal in great age And yet some bokes of him specifye He waxte froward of hys condicion And was fyrst grounde of ydolatrie And fynder vp of false religion Causynge people to haue an opinion Goddes to worshyp in Panimes wyse Founder of rightes and of false sacrifyce Towarde Perce chese hys dwellynge place The whych countre is in the Orient That hys lordshyp shuld stretch a great space He bounded hym into the Occident For Perce lande hath hys extent Toward the parties of the Reed see And thys lande Perce who so lyst to se As bokes olde remembre put in mynde How that Perce costeth inuiron Septemtrion and the great Inde And many another myghtye region Where Nembroth had first dominacion Whyche extendeth as bokes specifye Out of Mede into Germanye But in lordeshippes as myne auctour sayeth Without that vertue be their true guyde In them there is surauÌce none ne fayeth Thynge that passeth may no whyle abyde Wherefore Bochas in a spyte of pryde And in rebukynge of al folkes proude Makyng his coÌplaynt cryeth to theÌ ful loude The .iii. Chapiter ¶ An exclamacioÌ of Bochas ayenst al proude men shewynge howe God maye them and their pryde abate whan hym best lyste by manye dyuers meanes and wayes punyshe and chaslyce ME al proud most ryal in your floures Whych that most trust to reygne long Dresseth vp youre roches and youre towres And ayenst God make youre selfe stronge And let your power proudly vnderfonge Your selfe wyth pryde for to magnifye Ayenst the heuin to holde the champartye Buyld vp your castles reyse them vp tyghte Of Adamantes wyth yron stronge ybounde With square stones large and huge of hyght Reyse vp your walles most mighty profouÌd And shit your duÌgeoÌs w t mighty chenes rouÌd Lette men of armes who euer wake or slepe Nyght and daye your watche so straitly kepe As god ne man in your opinions Your fortresses myghte not assayle Your Castels ne your stronge dungeons Stuffed wyth men plenty of vytayle Lyke to stande euer and neuer for to fayle As god not might ayenst your false puissauÌce WhaÌ euer hym lyst of right to do vengeaunce Set afore youre eyen that ben blynd The monstruous werke of greate Babilone The pride of NeÌbroth that was put behinde Maugre his mighte his towre smyt doun For al the craft of werkemen and mason Distroied was with a sodayne leuin To auenge hys pryde sent a downe fro heuin For though your strengthes so assured be That none engyne may thereto attayne Gunne ne Bumberdes by no subtilte Shot of arowblast ne touche of dundayne Yet god that is lord and souerayne Which lyche desertes can both spyl saue May confounde it with an erth quaue Myne auctour asketh what castel or towre May be so stroÌge made in any wyse But that by meane of some false traytoure Or by some way that he can deuyse It may be lost or solde for couetise And deliuered for al the stronge bondes Into the power of their enemies handes Or by some other sodayne aduenture Castels cities and many a riche towne Haue be lost they might not them assure For to resist ayenst false trayson Sume haue be lost also by rebellion And all these meanes the truth to begyn Is but punishynge whyche god sent for syn God hath a thousande handes to chastyse A thousande dartes of punicion A thousande bowes made in diuers wyse I thousande arowblastes bent in hys doÌgeoÌ Ordeyned echeon for castigacion But where he findeth mekenes repentauÌce Mercy is maistresse of his ordinaunce Ye that bene wyse considereth howe the rote Of vices al is pride ye may well se Pulleth him downe and putteth vnderfote And taketh your counceyl of humilitie And if ye list to stande in surete Byldeth in hert for more sekernesse A towre of vertues grounded on mekenesse Whose masonry is of no costage Of vertues grounde and soueraine Blastes of wyndes and of weders rage Neyther no tempest hasty ne sodayne Pompe ne blast though they do their payne This vertue mekenesse for to vndermyne They be to feble to make her to enclyne For where mekenesse is grounded verily Though he somtime fele aduersite He passeth ouer and suffreth paciently And venquisheth all maner enmytie The assaute also and the contrariosite Of infortune and of worldly trouble And of victory conquereth a Palme double And tho mekenes amiddes the flodes flowe Of worldly mischefe and persecucion Whyle pacience in her bote doth rowe Tho froward waues tosse her vp and downe A calme shall folowe of consolacion Whan sterne windes their blastes haue laid lowe The name of mekenesse shal shewe be well knowe She may be troubled but ouercome neuer And for a tyme she may suffre werre But at the ende she vanquisheth euer On land and see whether she be nere or ferre To the hauââ of life she was the lode sterre I take recorde of the humilite Of Mary so blessed mote she be The rote of mekenes floureth vp so faire Whose beaute dredeth no tribulacions In somer ne wynter her floures not apayre And her frute lasteth in all maner seasons Pryde may assayle with his bostful sownes And finally for her encrease of glory With humblenes she wynneth the victorye ¶ Lenuoye Ofolkes al that this tragedies rede Haueth to me kenes amonge youre aduertence Of proude Nembroth also taketh hede How that he fel from his magnificence Onely for he by sturdy violence List of malice the mighty lorde assayle But in such case what myght his pride auayli Noble princes which this worlde do possede Ye that be famous of wysdome and science And haue so many subiectes that you drede In gouernaunce vnder your excellence Let your power with mekenes so dispence That false pride oppresse not the poreyle Which to your nobles so muche may auayle Pride of Nembroth dyd the brydel lede Which him conuayed with great insolence Pride apertayneth nothynge to manhede Saue in armes to shewe his presence Wherfore honour laude and reuerence Be to mekenes that hath the gouernaile Of al vertues which man may most auayle The .iiii. Chapter How many yeres was betwixt Adam and Nembroth and bitwixte Nembroth and Cadmus of other kinges THese olde poetes w t their sawes swete Ful couertly in their verses do fayne How old Saturne was suÌtimne king of Crete And of custome dyd hys busy payne And of his goodnes list to ordayne That he shoulde as of his nature Echon deuoure as by his ingendrue In this mater shortly to soiorne To vnderstande of poetes the processe They meane plainly that this word Saturne Doth in it selfe nothinge but Time expresse And Philosophers bere also wytnes That as in tune forth euery thing is broght So time ayenward bryngeth al to nought Clerkes also recorde in their wrytinge Vnder support as I dare reherse How that
a citye rayse Which the poetes greatly coÌmend and praise And y â his buildyng myght the more auayle All the foreyns that did about him dwell Full like a knyght by force and by battayle Out of that countrey he did them expell Raysynge a citie whiche that did excell And as Ouide also recordeth the same Vnto thys day of Thebes beareth the name And he was not onely glorified For rearyng vp of this great citye But he was also magnified For his manhode his magnanimitie And most commended if ye list to se For the surmountyng famous excellence Whiche that he had in wysdome and science For as myne aucthour of him list indite Through his noble prudent puruey aunce He taught fygures letters for to write And made lawes of full great ordinaunce Among the Grekes and set a gouernaunce Theiâ vycious life by vertue to restrayne And who outraied was punished w t the pain And of entent to encrease hys lynage And his citye also for to multiply He toke a wife that was but yong of age And she was called as bokes specify Hermyone and touching her alye Though that she were borne of royall bloud She was also bothe ioly fayre and good And this was done as writeth mine auctour After the death of worthy Iosue Sothonyell beyng successour Hauyng the leadyng and the soueraintie Of Israell whan Thebes the citye Was founded first in the dayes olde By kyng Cadmus tofore as I you tolde Foure daughters he had by his lyue Full fayre echone and goodly on to se And their names to reherse blyue Semele was the eldest and next Acthonie The thirde in order was called Inoe And Agane was yongest of them all Of the whiche daughters thus it is befall They were echone of port and of manere Full well fauoured in euery mans syght Right womanly and heauenly of their chere And for their beauty their father anone right As it was sittyng wyth all his full myght Like their estates birthe and also their age Made theÌ be wedded and ioyned in mariage To worthy princes his linage to auaunce And they encreased by procreation Wherof the kynge had full great pleasaunce And great reioysyng in his opinion To saue his lyne by generation With his neuewes and cosyns of alye Fro day to day to waxe and multiply And this encreased his felicitie Whan he considered verely in dede The riche buildynge of his royall citye And Fortune did his brydle leade To great riches in bokes as I reade To great nobles hauyng great residence In his citye of moste magnificence His daughter Semele record of mine auctor Though she discended were of the bloud ryal To Iupiter she was paramoure And by his power supercelestiall She conceiued in especiall As poetes of her list to endite Him that is god of grapes redde and white Called Bachus whiche hath the gouernauÌce Of wynes all and the regaly Wherof after was take full great vengeauÌce For when Iuno did first espye Of Iupiter the great auoutrye Of great hatred and enuyous desire She made Semele to be brent w t sodayn fire By discendyng of a sodayne leuine And on Semele the vengeaunce downe weÌt Fro Iuno ielous cleped quene of heauen To wreke her wrath purposely ysent And fore the flame consumed was and spent There was of her left no remembraunce But of the ende the wofull mortall chaunce Also Actheon the sonne of Acthonie To great mischefes and infortunes borne Whose father called was Criste Come of the kinred that I you tolde toforne With cruell houndes alas he was to torne For that he sawe as bokes of him tell Dyana naked bath her in a well And as Poetes remember at the lest Whan the ladyes of Thebes the citye Helde of Bachus solemnely the feaste The yonger sister called Agane Daughter to Cadmus alas it was pitie Ayenst her owne sonne deare She was so wode and mortall of her cheare Murderyng hym in full cruell wise In her rage she was so furious For he lough at the sacrifyce In Thebes done by women to Bachus The whiche sonne was called Pantheus Whom that she slewe w t a sharpe dart In her wodenes as she him founde apart These great mischeues fell in the lyue Of king Cadmus through his vnhappy chaÌce Fortune his noblesse gan vndermyne And thought she would his glory disauaunce All worldly gladnes is medled w t greuaunce Experience in Cadmus ye may se So importable was his aduersitie For while he sate most highest in his glory No part clipsed of his prosperitie His bryght renowne and his royall memory In realmes spredde many a farre conÌtrey He moste wealfull in his high see Set w t his linage most high in noblesse Than came Fortune the false enchaunteresse Of wilfulnesse and founde occasion Ayenst Cadmus and made his renowne dul Of his kynred by false collusion She gan away the bryghtest fethers pull And whan his shining was waxt vp to y â full After the chaunge of fortunes lawe His glory gan discrece and withdrawe It was more greuous to his dignitie A sodayne fall from his high noblesse Than if that he had neuer be Set in the state of his great worthines For the furious mortall heauines Of his kinred without any more Would haue greued a pore man full sore And amonge his sorowes euerychone To rehearse playnly as it was I dare affirme how that there was one Most horrible dreadfull in such a caas For Cadmus sonne called Athamas His sonne in lawe through false melancoly Fell sodaynely into a frenesy Of whom the wife was called Inoe Cadmus daughter as ye haue heard expresse Which through the coÌstraynt of his infirmitie In his rage and furious wodenes Thought that his wyfe was a lyonesse And in his wylde ymaginations That his two children were also two lyons And vpon them full loude he gan to crye Towarde his wife in haste he came anone And from her armes there was no remedy The childe he rent and on a craggy stone He gan to brast it and breake it euery bone The whiche childe Bochas writeth thus Full tender and yong called was Learchus And all this wofull and sodaine aduenture Of this rage whan that she toke hede As most sorowfull of any creature Her other childe she hent anone for drede For of succour she knewe no better spede So as she might gan haste out of his sight But welaway as she toke her to flyght Her husbande came after pursuyng Like a woode Lyon in his crueltie Downe from a hill whiche was dependyng She and her childe fell into the see Was it not ruthe was it not pitye A kings daughter her lord i Thebes crouned He to be woode and she for feare drowned ⪠Lo here the fine of Cadmus euery deale His children slayne and his allies all And he him selfe from fortunes whele Whan he wened leste full sodaynly is fall His little suger tempred with moche gall For among all his mortall peynes His
his power drewe alway bacward And his empire was after ybrought full low His riall fame fortune hath ouerthrow His name eclipsed y t sumtime shone ful clere Of great Cison besyde the ruiere Of quene Iocasta Bochas doth also endite Princesse of Thebes a mighty great citie Of her vnhappes he dolefully doth write Imagining howe he did her se To him appere in great aduersite Lyke a woman that would in teares reine For that fortune gan at her so disdeine And though she were defaced of figure There shewed in her a maner maieste Of quenely honour plainly to discure Her infortuns and her infelictte And to declare plainly how that she Of all princesses which stode in estate Was her selfe the most infortunate Which gaue to Bochas full great occasion Whan he sawe her pitous apparayle For to make a lamentacion Of vncouth sorowes whych dyd her assaile With a tragedy to wepe and to wayle Her importable and straunge dedely strife Which that she had duryng all her lyfe He wryte of her a story large and playne And of her byrth fyrst he doth diffyne And affyrmeth in hys boke certayne She was discended of a noble lyne In flouryng age also when she dyd shyne She wedded was for her great beauty Vnto the kyng of Thebes the citye Which in his tyme was called Layus And whan her wombe by processe dyd aryse The kyng was glad and also desirous The childes fate to know in some wise And thought he would go do sacrifice Vnto Appollo to haue knowlegynge toforne Touching his child whan that it was borne What should folow in conclusion He was desirous and hasty for to se Fyrst by heauenly disposicion And by the fauour if it woulde be Of Appollos myghty deite To haue aunswere among his wyttes al Of his child what fate should befall His answere though it were contrary To his desire yet was it thus in dede Appollo tolde hym and lyst no lenger tary That this childe should verily in dede Slee his father and make his sides blede And w t his hands there was none other wey But on his swerde he must nedes deye The kyng was heuy trist on this sentence Sorouful of hert god wote nothyng faine And cast afore through his prouidence That his son should in al hast be slayne And that he would not an houre delayne After his byrth but bad his men to gone Into a forest and slee the chylde anone Lyke his byddyng the ministers dyd in dede Takyng the chylde tendre yong of age And into a forest wyth them they gan it lede To be deuoured of beastes most sauage The mother alas almost fell into rage Seyng her child so inly fayre of face Shal thus be deed and dyd no trespace Lytel wondre though she felt smert To al women I report me And vnto mothers that ben tendre of hert In this mater fuges for to be Was it not ruth was it not pite That a princesse a quene alas Shuld know her child deuoured in such caas ⪠After thys byrth Layus toke good kepe Without mercy respite or delay That vnto one whych kept his shepe This yong chyld vpou a certayne day Shal be deliuered in al the hast he may To thys entent it myght not be socoured But that it should of beastes be dettoured This sayd sheperde goth forth anon ryght The chyld beholdyng benigne of loke face Thought in hert and in his inwarde light He shoulde do to god a great trespace To slee this child wherfore he did hym grace Toke fyrst a knife and dyd his busy payne Throughout his fete to make holes twayne Toke a smal rodde of a yonge osier Perced the fete alas it was pite Bonde hym fast and by good leiser The yong childe he henge vpon a tree Of entent that he ne should not be Through wylde beastes cruel and sauage All sodenly deuoured in their rage Vpon the tre whyle he henge thus bound Of auenture by some occasion A straunge sheperd hath the child yfound Whych of ruth and pyte toke hym doun Bare wyth hym home in to hys toun Made hys wyfe for to do her payne To foster the chylde wyth her brestes twaine And whan he was brought forth recured And full made hole of hys woundes sore Thys yong chyld whych al this hath endured Whan he in age began to were more And that nature began hym to restore The saide sheperde that loued hym best of all After his hurtes Edippus dyd hym cal For Edippus is no more to saine Who that conceyueth the exposicion But fete yperced throughout both twayne In that langage as made is mencion And to Meropa wife of king Polibion The shepeherde of ful humble entent Began the child ful lowly to present And for she was barreyne of nature She and the kyng of one affection Toke Edippus both in to their cure As sonne and heire by adopcion To reigne in Corinth by succession The kyng the quene of Corinth the couÌtre Had the chylde in so great cheerte Let men considre in their discrecion Sodayne chaunge of euery maner thyng This childe sent out for his distruction And now prouided for to be a kynge And through fortune aye double in working He that was refuse to beastes most sauage Is now receyued to knyghtly heritage Destitute he was of his kynrede Forsake and abiect of bloud and of alie In teÌdre youth his fete were made to blede Henge on a tre and began for helpe crie But god that can in mischefe magnifye And reconfort folke disconsolate Hath made thys childe nowe thus fortunate And hath prouided to be a kynges heire Him that stode of deth in auenture Fortune can shew herselfe both foule fayre Folkes brought lowe ful wel ayen recure And such as paciently can endure And lyst not grudge ayenst their chastisyng God out of myschefe can sodenly them bryng But whan Edippus was growe vp to age Lyke a yong prince encresynge in noblesse Lusty and strong and freshe of his corage Of auenture it fel so in sothnesse Outher by strife or by some frowardnes Or by sume conteke he had knowledgynge Howe he was not sonne vnto the kynge As by disceÌt but a ferre fortaine Whereupon full sore he began to muse And for to knowe and be put in certaine Thought he would som maner practike vse And to the kyng he gan hym selfe excuse For a tyme to wythdrawe his presence Tyil he myght knewe by some experience Or by sume signe howe the matter stode Thought he would do his diligence To knowe his father also of what bloude He was discended and haue some euidence Touching troth howe it stode in sentence And her vpon to be certified Towarde Appollo fast he hath hym hyed Whiche in Cirta worshypped was that time And gaue answere through his beite To tolke that came at euen and at prime Of euery doute and ambiguyte And there Edippus fallyng vpon his kne After hys offring had answere
Kingdomes deuided may no while endure Princes princesses which haue the soueraintie Ouer the people and domination Ifye lyst longe lyue in felicitie Cherishe your subiectes do none extorcion And aduertise of wysdome and reason As this tragedy dothe to you discure Kyngdomes deuided may no while endure The .x. Chapter â How Atreus kynge of Messene wrought ayenst his brother Thiestes slew his thre children dismembred them in pieces made Thiestes to eat of their flesh drinke of their bloud BOchas the Poete auctour of this boke Him purposyng to gather and compile Diuers stories anone his penne he toke Him remembryng within a little while In this chapitle began direct his style To write the story hye and compendious A forne all other of duke Theseus Lorde of Athens a famous great citye Right strong and myghty on euery side But at his backe Bochas did one se Which cryed loude and bade he shold abide Bochas quod he fro the me list not hide My wofull case ne in no wise spare My piteous complaynt to the to declare I am Thiestes besprent all with wepyng Drowned in teares as thou maiest well se Sometyme sonne of the mighty kyng Pelops and borne also parde Of quene Hippodamea excellent of beautye And for thou art desirous to endite Of people vnhappy and their wo to write My will is this anone that thou procede Turne thy style and take thy penne bliue Leaue Theseus and take of hym none hede But first my tragedy that thou discryue For I suppose that in all thy lyue That thou saw neuer a thing more dolorous More vnhappy frowarde ne more piteous Than is alas my mortall aduenture Incomperable the sorow surmounting Of quene Iocasta most wofull creature Or of Edippus his fate euer complaynyng For my complaynt hath none endyng But lasteth euer and beareth me witnes No wo resembleth vnto my heauines And with y â worde John Bochas styll stode ⪠Full soberly to geue him audience And in the place demurely abode To hear the substaunce of his mortal offence Whiche thus began to shewe the sentence O John quod he I pray the take good hede My wo to write that men may it reade Alas my brother rote of vnkyndenes Atreus called of reason sours and well And finder out of treason and falsenes For all other in fraude he doth precell Whose couert hate is more than I can tell I supposyng of very innocence In him no malice disceite nor none offence But as brother should a brother trust I trusted him of hart will and thought By apparence none other cause I wyst For in his person I supposed nought That euer he culd so false a thig haue wroght But who may soner another man deceyue Than he in whom no malice men conceyue ⪠I demed of him as of my true brother Wenyng he had faythfull ben to me I sawe no signe ne I knew none other In him suposynge no duplicitie But wo alas how might it euer be Or who did euer in any story finde Bloude vnto bloude to be so vnkynde I will passe ouer to tell the worthines Touching the estates of our progenitours Of our kynred and the great noblesse I tell nothing nether of our predecessours Ne of my youth howe passed ben the floures I leaue all this and vnto mynde call The wretchednes that I am in fall My brother founde a false occasion Ayenst me and began a cause feyne To banish me out of our region And began at me of hatred to disdayne Vpon me affirmyng in certayne In our kingdome whiche called is Missene I should haue lien by his wyfe the quene This he compassed full falsely of malice Him selfe well knowyng that it was not so Euer founde vnkynde and misauise Not like my brother but like my deadly âo And to encrease great percell of my wo By long processe in his entencion He ââââgined my destruction And his chefe cause was false couetise Touchyng this thing which he did fame And yet this kyngdome truely to deuise Should haue beÌ departed betwene vs twaine But ayenst truth he did so ordayne Me to exyle out of that region Him selfe alone to haue possession Yet in his hart he cast an other wile To my vndoyng and desolation To the place whence he did me exile Vnder a shadowe of false collusion To make a maneâ reuocation Of brotherhead shewyng a pretence Me to restore ayen to his presence To be accepted as a brother shoulde With full accorde styll with hym to abide All miuries of whyche afore I tolde On either party forget and set asyde That nothing after should our loue deuide But of one will and one entencion Leade all our lyfe without deuision Wherof the people were full glad and lyght Throughout Missene that mighty region At my resortyng founde I euery wyght Ready of hart and whole affection Me to receyue into that noble towne And none so ready by sygnes out shewyng To make me chere in sothe as was the kyng There is no domage in comparison That may be lykened by no resemblaunce To fayned truth and simulation Whan fraude is hyd w t a fayre countenaunce Pretendyng truth outward by deceyuaunce And vndernethe of most false entent Of doublenesse dareth the serpent As vnder flowers is shrowded the dragon For to betray by sodayne vyolence Suche folke as haue no suspection But truely meane in their pure innocence Till they be caught dispurueyed of defence Or as a fishe with bayte of false pleasaunce The hoke not sene is brought to mischaunce Thus semblably at my home commyng I was receyued with euery circumstaunce Lyke as halfe heyre and brother to the kynge And he pretendyng as by countenaunce That he had so inly great pleasaunce Of my repayre of truth he tolde so For reioysyng that he sayed he woulde go Vnto his gods to do some obseruaunce For this accorde and humble sacrifice Made his ministers w t faythful attendaunce To wayte on me in all their best wise It nedeth not to tell ne deuise Neither by wrytyng in bokes sor to set Halfe the ioye he made whan we mette First how frendly he did me embrace Of harty gladnes within his armes twaine ⪠And how for ioye the teares on his face Full entirely gan distyll and rayne That for my party he could not me restraine But that I must of frendshyp fraternall Wepe as did he in his estate royall The wily wolfe that cast him to deuouâ The sely lambe whiche can no defence Ne none helpe him selfe to succour So feble he is to make resistence Whiche demeth truth of false apparence What wonder is it the fraude not conceiued Though such lambes vnwarely be disceiued Though that roses at midsomer be full sote Yet vnderneth is hyd a full sharpe spyne Some freshe floures haue a full bitter rote And lothsom galle can suger vndermine In dredful stormes y â sunne amoÌg doth shyne And vnder a shadow of fayned frendlyheade There is no frendshyp so perillous to dreade
for him a space To lyue in earth and so long endure Tyll that he knowe and se his owne face And for his sake full many a seruituâe By ordinaunce of god and of nature Whan they him se shall fele full great payne If they in loue his grace may not attayne But he shal be contrary and daungerous And of his port full of straungenesse And in his hart right inly surquidous By the occasion of his natife fayrenes And presumyng of his semelinesse No woman so freshe ne so fayre of face That able were to stand in his grace And for the excellence of his great beantye He purposed him in his tender age Neuer in his lyfe wedded for to be He thought him selfe so fayre of vysage For whych he cast through his great outrage Agaynst all lustes of loue to disdayne To hunt at beastes alone and be slayne And in this whyle that he kept hym so In the forest and in wyldernes A water goddesse that called was Ecco Loued him full hote for his fairenes And sikerly did her busines To folow his steppes ryght as any lyne To her desyres to make him to enclyne He heard her wele but he sawe her nought Wherof astonied anone he gan to enquere As he that was amarueyled in his thought Sayd euen thus is any wyght now here And she aunswered the same in her manere What euer he sayd as longeth to Ecco Without abode she sayd the same hym to Come nere quod he and began to call Come nere quod she my ioy my pleasauÌce He loked about among the rockes all And sawe nothyng beside ne in distaunce But she abrayed and declared her greuaunce And to him sayd mine owne hart dere Ne be not straunge but let vs dwell in fere Nay nay quod he I will nothing obey To your desires for short conclusion Well leuer I had playnly for to dey Than ye should haue of me possession We be nothing of one opinion I here you well though I no fygure se Go forth your way ye speake no more w t me And she ashamed fled her way anone As she that myght of him no socour haue But dispayred this Ecco is forthe gone And hidde her selfe in an vgly caue Among the rockes is buried in her graue And though so be y t men her voyce may heare After that time she neuer durst appeare Thus Narcissus through daunger disdeine Vpon the lady did cruell vengeaunce But whan the Goddes his cruelty had seiâe Towardes him fyll a great greuaunce Of his vnmercy they had displeasaunce And right as he merciles was founde So w t vnmercy he caught his deadly wound For all daunger displeaseth to Venus And all disdayne is lothsome to Cupide For who to loue is contrarious The god of loue will quite him on some syde His dreadfull arrowes so mortally deuyde To hurt and mayme all that be retchlesse And in her seruyce founde mercilesse And for Narcissus was not merciable Towarde Ecco for his great beautye But in his port was founde vntretable Cupyde thought he woulde auenged be As he that her prayer hearde of pitie Causyng Narcissus to fele and haue his part Of Venus brande and of her fiery darte And on a day whan he in wildernes Had after beastes runne in huntyng And for longe labour can fall in werines He was desirous to haue some refreshyng And wonders thurstlewe after traueylyng Myght not endure lenger there to dwell And at the last he founde a cristall well Right freshe springyng wonder agreable The water lusty and delectable of sight And for his thirst was to him importable Vpon the brynkes he fell downe ryght And by reflection in middes of y e water bright Him thought he sawe a passyng faire ymage To hym appeare most angelyke of vysage He was enamoured with the semelinesse And desierous therof to stand in grace And yet it was not but a lykelinesse And but a shadowe reflectyng of his face The whiche of feruence amorously tembrace This Narcissus with a piteous complaynt Start into the well and so him selfe dreynt And thus his beauty alas was layed lowe His semelines put full farre abacke Thus whan he gan fyrst him selfe knowe And sene his vysage in whiche was no lacke Presumptuous pryde caused all to wracke For who to much doth of him selfe presume His owne vsurpyng wyll sonest him coÌsume And finally as these olde Poetes tell This Narcissus without more succour After that he was drowned at the well The heuenly goddes did him so fauour They turned him into a full freshe floure A water lilly whiche dothe remedy In hote accesses as bokes specify After that Narcissus was at the well dreynt And to John Bochas declared had his wo Biblis appeared with teares all be spreint And toward him a great pase gan she go And her brother Camnus came also And of one wombe as gemelles twayne But she tofore her fate gan complayne She in her loue was not vertuous For ayenst God and kyndes ordinaunce She loued her brother named Camnus And whan he sawe her froward gouernauÌce He vnto her gaue none attendaunce Though she of sleyght to accoÌplysh her enteÌt In secrete wise a pistle to him sent She sayd it was an impossible thing Without his grace her selfe to saue And but he were to her assentyng She els playnly may not health haue But onely death and afterwarde her graue Thus in her writyng to him she did attame And to be couert she ne wrote no name But whan this pistle came to his presence Vertuously therat he gan disdayne And gaue therto no maner aduertence Neither toke no hede of her furious payne But suffred her eternally to playne Tyll that she was as Ouid can wel tell With oft wepyng transformed to a well Next came Myrra wyth face full piteous Whiche that sumtime loued ayenst nature Her owne father called Cynarus For whose sake great payne she did endure For she âe durst her sorowe not discure Tyll her noryshe by sygnes dyd espy The hartily constraynt of her malady For her nourice of whiche I haue tolde Conceiued hath by open euidence As she knoweth both of newe and olde In suche matters all hole the experience That through long labour and great diligeÌce Diuers wayes and meanes out she sought To her fathers bed that she Myrra brought With whom she had her lust and pleasaunce For she vnknow lay with him all nyght He was deceaued by dronklewe ignoraunce And on the morow longe or any lyght She stale away and went out of his sight With her noryce whiche kept her long close Till vnto the tyme that her wombe arose But her father that was of Cypre king Which as I tolde was called Cynarus Whan he the truthe espyed of this thing That by his daughter he was deceiued thus She waxt to him loth some and odious Fledde from his sight so sore she was aferde And he pursued after with his swerde In Araby the hote mighty lande Kyng
among with transmutations Set in Ouide by full souerayne style Whan he on them had mused a long while Sene the maner both of forowe and ioye He began to remeÌber of Priamus of Troy First of his byrthe and of his kynrede How among kinges he was most famous And as poetes recorde of him in dede He descended of worthye Dardanus Whiche as his line declareth vnto us From Jupiter was lynially come downe Vnto his father called Laomedoun Of olde Troy this Laomedon was kyng Destroyed by Grekes he and his countrye After whom this Priamus raynyng Made there ayen a myghty strong citye Where he full longe in full great royaltie With wife childer most worthy of renoun With scepter and crowne held the possessioun Gouerned his citye in peace and rightwisnes And Fortune was to him fauourable For of all Asie the treasour and riches He did assemble this kyng most honourable And in armes he was so commendable That through the worlde as far as meÌ gone Of high nobles the ronoume of him shone This Priamus had children many one Worthy princes and of full great myght But Hector was among them euerychone Called of prowes the lanterne and the lyght For there was neuer borne a better knyght Troylus in knyghthode so manly was fouÌd That he was named Hector the seconde But I should rehearse the manhede Of kyng Pryam and of his sonnes all And how his citye besieged was in dede And all the story to remembraunce call Betwene him and Grekes how it is befall The circumstaunces rehearsyng vp doun To set in order the first occasion Of the siege why it was first layed By Hercules and also by Iason The maner whole in Troye boke is sayde Rudely endited of my translation Folowyng vpon the destruction Called the second whych by accomptes clerâ Fully endured the space of ten yere For as me semeth the labour were in vayne Truely also I not to what entent That I should write it newe agayne For I had once in commaundement By him that was most noble and excellent Of kynges all for to vndertake It to translate and write it for his sake And if ye list to wete whom I meane Henry the fifte most myghty of puyssaunce Gaue me the charge of entent full cleane Thinge of olde time to put in remembraunce ⪠The same Henry for knyghtly suffisaunce Worthy for manhode teken kynges all With nyne worthies for to haue a stall To holy churche he was chefe defensoure In all suche causes Christes chosen knyght To destroy heritykes he set all his laboure Loued all vertues and to sustayne right Through his nobles his manhode might Was diligent and did his busy payne To haue set peace betwene realmes twayne A meane in sothe England and Fraunce His purpose was to haue had a peace finall Sought out meanes w t many a circumstanÌce As well by treaty as actes marciall Theron ieoparded lyfe goodes and all But wo alas agaynst death is no boone This land may say he dyed all to soone For among kinges he was one of the best So all his dedes conueyed were by grace I pray to God so geue his soule good rest Wyth sayntes in heauen a dwellyng place For here with vs to little was the space That he abode of whom the remembraunce Shall neuer dye in England ne in Fraunce This worthy kyng gaue to me in charge In Englysh tonge to make a translation Out of latyn within a volume large Howe longe the grekes lay tofore the toun And how that Paris fyrst at Cytheron In Venus temple sleighly dyd his payne There to rauysh the fayre quene Heleyne In which boke the processe ye may se To hym how she was wedded in the toune And of the siege layde vnto the cyte By Menelay and kyng Agamennon And many another full worthy of renoun On eyther partie which that in battaile Fro day to day ech other dyd assayle Wherto shuld I tell or what shuld I write The deth of Hector or of Achylles Or wherto should I of newe endite How worthy Troilus was slaine in y â prese The ende of Paris or of Pallamides Or the slaughter of manly Deyphebus Or howe his brother called Hellenus Tolde afore howe it was great folly That Paris should wed quene Heleyne And how Cassandra in her prophecy On this wedding fore began compleyne And for the constreint of her hertely paine How she wexe madde ran about the toune Tyl she was caught shet vp into prison Al this matter ye may behold in dede Set by and by wythin Troye boke And how Creseide loued Dyomede Whan worthy Troylus she wilfully forsoke Of her nature a quarel thus she toke To assay both if nede were also to feyne To take the thirde leue theÌ both tweyne I passe ouer and tel of it no more Ne by what meanes the grekes wan y â toun How Eneas neyther how Anthenore Ayenst kyng Priam coÌspired false traison Neyther howe Vlixes gate Paladion The deth of Priam ne of Eccuba the quene Ne howe Pyrrus flewe pong Pollicene Neyther here to write it is not mine entent Repeyre of grekes home in to their countre After the cyte at Iiyon was brent Neither of their mischefe they had on the see Neyther howe Vlixes founde Penolope A true wyfe though he were long her fro Through al Grece I can rede of no mo Of these matters thus I make an eude What fil of grekes after their viage To Troy boke tho folke I send Which haue desire to se the surplusage Howe grekes made fyrst their passage Towardes Troy besiegynge the cite Bede the storye ye get no more of me The .xvii. Chapter â Here speketh Bochas the authour of thys boke agaynste the surquedous pryde of them that truste in rychesse sayeng these wordes vnto them ME proude folkes that set your affiauÌce In strength beaute or in hye nobles If ye consider fortunes variaunce And coude a myrrour before your eyen dresse Of kyng Pryam and of his great richesse To se how he and his children all From their noblesse sodainly ben fall Hector of knighthode called sours wel Sad and demure and famous of prudence Paris also in beaute dyd excell And Helenus in perfyt prouidence Troylus in armes had great experience Also Deyphebus preued manly on his fone Yet in y â warre they were slaine euerychone Had not this kyng also as I can deuise By noble Heccuba whiche that was y â quene ⪠A doughter called Cassandra the wyse Her yong suster fayre Pollicene Alas alas what may all such pride mene For albeit their renome spronge ful far Yet are these women deuoured in the war Was he not mighty strong in all thynges And had also of his aliaunce Ryght worthy princes many rych kynges And nighe al Asie vnder his obeisaunce Holde in his tyme most famous of puissance Most renomed of richesse and tresours Tyl that fortune wyth her sharpe shoures Whan that he satte highest
speake of rybaudry And folke cheryshe that coulde flatter lye Tyll at the last God of very right Displeased was with his condicions Because he was in euery mannes sight So feminyne in his affections And wholy yaue his inclinations Duryng his life to euery vycious thing Terrible to heare and namely of a kyng But as Bochas list to put in minde Whan Arbactus a prince of great renowne Sawe of this kyng the fleshely lust blynde Made with the people of that region Agaynst him a coniuration And to him sent for his misgouernaunce Of high disdayne a full playne defyaunce Bade him beware proudly to him tolde That he him cast his vicious life to assaile And in all haste also that he woulde Within a fielde mete him in battayle Wherof astonied his hart gan to fayle Where among womeÌ he sate makyng gaudes No wight about but flatterers and baudes And vp he rose and gan him selfe auaunce No company w t him but seruauntes ryotous Toke the felde without gouernaunce No men of armes but folkes vycious Whose aduersary called Arbactus Made him proudly the felde to forsake And like a cowarde his castell to take And for his hart frowardly gan fayle Not like a knyght but like a loseniour His riche pierrey his royal apparayle His golde his iewels his vessell treasure Was brought afore him downe fro a toure And of his palace yaue his men in charge Of cole and fagot to make a fyre large In whiche he cast his treasoure and iewels More like a beast than a manly man And amyd his riches stones and vessels Into the fire furiously he ranne This triumphe Sardanapalus wanne Whiche fyre consumed for his finall mede Brent to ashes among the coles rede Tofore his death bade men should write Vpon his graue the boke dothe specify With letters large this reason for to endite My cursed life my froward glotony Mine ydlenes myne hatefull lechery Hath caused me with many false desire My last dayes to be consumpt with fyre This epitaphe on his graue he set To shew how he in all his liue Busyed euer to hinder and to let All maner vertue and theragayne to striue Who foloweth his trace is not like to thriue For whiche ye prynces se for your auayle Vengeaunce aye foloweth vyces at the tayle The .xv. Chapter ¶ A commendation of Bochas rehersing the vertuous names of fouÌders of diuers sciences and cunnynges in reprefe of ydlenes THere were other that list to prouide False fleshly lustes and dissolutions Ryote outrage froward disdaine and pride Vyces to enhaunce in their affections With many vnlefull croked condicions Reason auoyding as I rehearse shall Them selues delityng for to be bestiall Two maner folkes to put in remembraunce Of vyce and vertue to put in a difference The good alway hath set their pleasaunce In vertuous labour to do their diligence And vycious people in slouth and negligence And the report of bothe is reserued With laude or lacke as they haue deserued Men must of ryght the vertuous preferre And truely prayse laboure and busines And agayn warde disprayse folke that erre Whiche haue no ioye but in ydlenes And to compate by maner of witnes ⪠Vertuous folke I will to mynde call In rebukyng of kyng Sardanapall THe olde wise called Pitagoras By souÌd of haÌmers auctours certifye Example toke and chefe master was That founde out musyke and melody Yet of Tuball some bokes specify That he bi stroke of smyths where thei stode Founde first out musyke tofore Noes floude And Josephus remembreth by scripture That this Tuball could forge wele First ymagined makyng of armure With instrumentes of yron and of stele And their temprures he found out euery dele Lucius Tarquyn in story as I finde Founde chaynes fyrst folke to fetter binde The children of Seth in story ye may se Flouryng in vertue by longe successions For to do profite to their posteritie And first the craft of heauenly mocions Founde of sundry starres the reuolucions Bequeth their cunnyng of great aduauntage To them that after came of their linage For their vertue god gaue them great cuÌnyng Touching natures both of earth and heauen And it remembred sothly by writyng To lasten aye for water or for leuen Generations there were of them seuen Whiche for vertue w tout warre or strife Traueyled in cuÌnyng durynge all their life And for that Adam did prophecy Twise the world destroyed should be With water ones and stande in ieopardy Next with fire whiche no man might flee But Seths children that all this did see Made two pyllers where men might graue From fire and water the charects for to saue That one was made of tyles harde ybake Fro touche of fire to saue the scripture Of harde marble they did another make Against water strongly to endure To saue of letters the prynt and the figure For their cunnyng afore gan so prouide Agayne fire water perpetually to abyde They dempt their cunnyng had ben in veyne But folke with them had ben partable And for their laboure should after be seyne They it remembred by wrytyng full notable And tofore god a thing full commendable To them that folow by scripture and writyng Or that men dye depart their cunnyng For by olde time folke diuers craftes founde In sundry wise for occupacion Vertue to cherishe vyces to confounde Their witte they set and their entencien To put their laboure in execution And to outrage this is very trouth Fro mannes life negligence and slouth Olde Enoke full famous of vertue Duryng the age founde first of euerich one Through his prudence letters of Hebrue And in a piller they were kept of stone Till that the floude of Noe was gone And after him Cam was the seconde By whom mo of Hebrue letters was founde And Cathacrismus the first was that fande Letters also as of that langage But letters written by Gods owne hande Moses first toke moste bright of his vysage Vpon Syna as he helde his passage Whiche of carectes and names in sentence From other writyng had a difference Eke afterward as other bokes tell And saint Hierome rehearseth in his style Vnder the empyre of zorobabell Esdras of Hebrue gan letters first compyle And Abraham long erst a great while The first was in bokes men may se That found letters of Ciria and Calde Isys in Egypt founde diuersitie Of sundry letters parted into twaine First for priestes and for the comontie Vulgar letters she did also ordayne And Fenices did their busy payne Letters of Greke to finde in their entent Whiche that Cadmus first into Grece sent Whiche in number fully were seuentene Whan of Troy ended was the battayle Pallamides their langage to sustene Put thre therto whiche greatly did auayle Pitagoras for prudent gouernaile Founde first out y a figure to discerne The life here short the life that is eterne First latin letters of our a. b .c. Carmentes founde of full high prudence Great Omerus
his harmes to restore Bochas writeth of his wo nomore But of his fal howe he fyll in dede To tel the maner forth he doth procede And for a whyle he set his style asyde And his processe in party he forbare To speke of Cresus that was kyng of Lyde And gan resort to write of Balthasar Agayne rehersynge or that he was ware Howe myghty Cirus of woful auenture Made on hym proudly a discomfiture And as it is put in remembraunce Of Balthasar to holde vp the party Cresus wyth hym had made an aliaunce With al his puissaunce al his chyualry His lyfe his treasoure to put in ieoparty Sworne in armes as brother vnto brother By Cirus veÌquyshed the one after the other Both their mischefe no lenger was delayed Al be that Cresus faught long in hys defence He finally by Cyrus was outrayed And depriued by knyghtly vyolence Take in the felde there was no resistence And rigorouslye to his confusion With myghty fetters cast in darke prison And more to encrease his gret aduersite A sonne of his tendre yong of age That was dumbe from his natiuite And neuer spake word in no maner laÌgage Cyrus commaunding by furious outrage That Cresus shoulde by vengeable cruelte By a knyght of Perce in prison headed be And with his sworde as he gan manace Cresus to haue slayne wythout al reuerence The dombe chylde there present in the place Which neuer had spoken thus said in audieÌce Withdrawe thy stroke do no violence Vnto my lorde thy fame so to confounde To slee a kyng that lyeth in prison bound The knight astonied hath his stroke forborne Gretly abashed in that darke habitacle Whych herde a chyld that neuer spake toforne Agaynst his swerde to make au obstacle Ran and tolde this marueylous myracle To myghty Cirus with euery circuÌstauÌce Hopyng therby to atempre his greuauÌce But where as tyrauntes be set on cruelte Their croked malice ful harde is to appese So indurate is their iniquite That al in vengeaunce is set their hertes ese Them selfe reioysinge to se folke in disease Lyke as they were in their frowarde dauÌger Clerely fraunchised fro god his power Thys cruel Cirus most vengeable of desire To execute his fel entent in dede Let make in haste of fagottes a gret fyre And gan theÌ kyndle wyth many coles rede And made Cresus quakyng in his drede For to be take where as he lay ful lowe And bad men should in to the fyre him throw But Iupiter whych hath his vengeauÌce seyn Howe cruel Cirus with malice was attaynt From heauen sent a tempest and a reine That sodainely y â horrible fire was quaynt Woful Cresus w t dredful fyre made faynt Escaped is his furious mortall payne God and fortune for hym lyst so ordayne This aduenture in maner marueylous The hert of Cirus gan somwhat tenbrace And caused hym for to be pitous Agayne Cresus and granted him hys grate To occupye whyle he hath lyfe and space The land of Lyde except only thys thynge He shoulde not after be called kyng And thus of Lyde the kynge dyd fyne Which toke his beginyng of one Ardisius And endured the space of kynges nyne Loke who so wyl the bokes tel thus Hereof no more but forth vnto Cirus I wyl procede wyth al my busy cure For to translate hys woful auenture The .xxvii. Chapter ¶ How the cruell tyraunt Cirus delited euer in slaughter and shedynge of blode and so ended HEyre by discent to great Astiages Poorely brought forthe as is made meÌcion And had al Asie to his great encres Holdyng that reigne by iust succession In longe quyete wythout rebellion Tyl tyme he thought in ful frowarde wyse The world was smal to staunch his couetise He had an etyke most contagious Fretyng vpon hym for desyre of good A dropsy hateful and furious Of froward rage that made his hert woode A woluyshe thurst to shede maÌnes bloud Which ouerth warted by false melancoly Hys royal corage in to tiranny But whan he presumptuously dyd entende To robbe reue folke through his pyllage God and fortune made hym to discende Ful sodaynly from hys royal stage Demyng of pryde it was a great auauntage To wyn landes of very force and myght Tho in his coÌquest were no tytle of ryght To wyll he yaue holy the soueraynte And aduertised nothyng to reason But preferred his sensualite To haue lordshyp and dominacion Aboue sad trouth and discrecion Whych causeth princes froÌ their estate roial Or they be ware to haue a sodayne fall For the lordshyp of al Asia Might not suffise to Cirus gredinesse But thought he would conquere Cithia And there werre to encrease hys ryches Though he no tytle had of ryght wysnesse Saue false lust wherof meÌ shoulde haue ruth That wyl in princes shoulde oppresse truth Fyrst his Cirus al princes dyd excel Both in conquest victory batayle Of golde treasure as bokes of hym tell Kyngdoms to wyn he dyd most preuayle And yet two vyces dyd his hert assayle Fyrst couetise euer to encrease in good With a desire to shede mens bloude Wyth two vyces he brenned euer in one That neuer might from his hert twyn Made a great army towarde SepteÌtrion And cast him proudly to set on and begyn Cithia the mighty land to wyn Quene Thomiris there reigninge as I fynde Whose kyngdom ioyneth to Ethiope in Inde Towarde the party whych is orientall The see of Surry floweth full plentuous Downe to the see called occidentall And southwarde renneth to Caucasus And folke of Cithie that ben laborious Which tyl the land hath not to their liuing But onely frutes which from therth spring The lande of Cithie is ryche for the nones For greyne fruite a land ful couenable Ryche of golde perle and precious stones Ryght comodious and wonder dilectable But a great party is not habitable The people dredful to bylde their mancions For feare of deth bycause of the gryffons The noble fame nor the high renoun Was not ferre knowe nor ysprad aboute Of Thomiris quene of that region Nor of her noblesse within nor wythout Tyl that king Cirus with a ful great route In to Cithia gan hym proudly dresse The hardy quene to spoyle of her richesse But she her fame more to magnifie Gan in great haste with ful rich apparayle Ful prudently assemble her chyualry And toke a felde if he woulde her assayle Redy with him to haue a batayle And of her meyny lyke as sayth my boke Vnto her sonne the thyrde parte she toke And yaue hym charge in the same place Hym selfe that daye to aquite lyke a knyght And for to mete Cirus in the face And nothyng drede with hym for to fyght But whan kyng Cirus of him had a syght Cast hym that day the yong prince oppresse Rather by wyles than manhod or prowesse Fyrst he let stuffe his large pauilions With great plenty of drinkes dilectable Diuers meates and confections Rounde aboute vpon
by succession Named Albanois princes of great nobles And by discent the story beareth wytnes From kyng Prochas recorde on bokes olde Came these .ii. brethren Rea their suster told Numitor slayne as made is mencion The kyngdom occupied by Amulius And Rea entred in to religion For to be wympled in that holy house Sacred to Vesta wyth virgyns glorious There for to abyde be contemplatife With other maydens duryng al her lyfe And thys was done whyle she was yonge of age By her brother of false entencion That she shoulde haue no maner heritage Nor clayme no title in that region Of her kynred by none occasion But stande professed in virginitye To fore Vesta and liue in chastitie Yet not withstanding her virginal clennesse She hath conceyued by natural myracle Gan to encrease in her holynes Whose wombe arose in kiÌde was no obstacle Agayne such bolnyng auayleth no triacle But the goddes for her so dyd ordayne That she at ones had sonnes twayne The temple of Vesta stode in wildernesse Where Rea had holy the gouernaunce Of priestly honour done to the goddesse Wyth many straunge vncouth obseruauÌce But by her brothers mortall ordinaunce Her yong sonnes might not be socoured But cast out to beastes to be deuoured But a she wolfe whych whelped had late To yeue theÌ soke dyd her businesse By god ordained or by some heauenly fate TheÌ to conserue fro deth in their distres For holy write plainly beareth wytnes God can defende as it is well couth Children froÌ mischefe in their tendre youth But in this whyle this sayd Amulius That was their vncle as made is mencion Agayne his suster frowarde and furious Made her be shyt in a ful derke prison And there complaynyng the distruction Of her two children borne to her reprefe For very sorow dyed at great myschefe These sayde chyldren deuoyde of al refuse Besyde a riuer lay pitiously crying From al socoure naked and destitute Except a wolues vpon them waityng At whose wombe ful style they lay soukyng Vnto nature a thyng contrarious Children to souke on beastes rauenous But he that is lorde of euery creature Ryght as hym lyst can both saue spyl And beastes which ben rage of their nature He can aduert make them lye ful styl Tigres lions obedient at his wil The same lorde hath made a fel wâlâesse Vnto twey children her bigges for to dresse And whyle thys wolues had theÌ in depose Ther came an herde called Faustulus Behelde their soukyng saw theÌ lye ful close Whych sheperde was of kyng Amulius Caught vp these chyldreÌ the story telleth thus And brought theÌ forth with great diligence Vnto his wyfe that called was Laurence And she for loue dyd her busy payne Them to fostre tyl they came of age Gaue them souke of her brestes swayne Fro day to daye of hert and hole corage And they were called as in that langage After the storye that one of them Remus And the seconde was named Romulus Of whych brethern brefely to termyne The towne of Rome toke original Of false disclaundre fyrst began that lyne The rote out sought ful vicious fouÌde at all Clerely remeÌbred for a memorial Their begynning grewe of such incoÌtinence As clerkes call Incestus in sentence Incestus is a thyng not fayre nor good After that bokes wel deuise conne As trespassyng wyth kyn or wyth blode Or frowarde medlyng w t her that is a nonne And thus the line of Rome was begon For slaughter murder and false robbry Was chefe begynnynge of al their auncetry Of Couetyse they toke their auauntage Lyggers of waies and robbers openly Murdrers also of their owne linage And stronge theues gate to their company Spoiled al tho that past them forby Vnder shadowe of kepinge their beastayle Al maner people they proudly dyd assaile To âlee marchauÌtes they had no conscience And for to murdre folke of euery age Women to oppresse of force and vyolence In al that countre this was their vsage Where they abode ther was no sure passage And these two brethern lyke as it is founde Fonde first y â maner of speares sharpe groude Aspeare in greke called is quiris And for that cause the sayd Romulus As bokes say and sothely so it is He afterwarde was called Quirinus Which w t his brother y â called was Remus Was in al thyng confederate partable That tofore god was vicious dampnable And as it was accordynge to their life For lacke of vertue they fyll in great diffame And atwene theÌ ther was an vncouth stryte Which of both should yeue the name Vnto the citie atwene ernest and game After theyr names Rome to be called Thus fyll the case afore or it was walled And therupon ful longe lasted their striues Which should of them haue dominacion Shewing their titles and prerogatyues Who should of them yeue name to the toun And reigne as kyng in that region There was no reason who shuld go beforne Bycause they were both at once borne But to fynishe their fraternal dyscorde They haue prouyded atwene theÌ anon ryght Thus condiscendyng to put theÌ at accorde Nouther by force oppressyon nor myght That whych of them sawe greatest flyght Of byrdes flyeng high vpon an hyl Should name the citye at his owne wyl Of this accorde for to be wytnesse They w t them lad a ful great multitude Therof to yeue a dome of rightwisnesse Both of wyse and of people rude Al at ones thys mater to conclude And to an hyl called Auentyne They ben asâended this matter for to fine And byrdes syxe to Remus dyd appere By augury as they gan procede Called vultures ful fierce in their manere But in numbre the double dyd excede That Romulus sawe whan he toke hede Wherof ther fyll a great contrauersy Which of theÌ shoulde preuayle on his party Thus first of al Remus had a syght Of sixe birdes called Vultures And for to auaunce prefer hys right He ful proudely put him selfe in prees But Romulus was not recheles His brothers clayme playnly to entrouble Afforced hys title with the numbre double Yet of his purpose one of theÌ must fayle Though it so be that they euer striue But Romulus gan finally preuaile And to the citye he forth went blyue And as auctours lyst echone discryue And in their bokes as they reherce al After his name Rome he dyd it cal And al foreins to exclude out And agayne theÌ to make stronge defence Fyrst he began to wal it rounde aboute And made a lawe ful dredful in sentence Who clymeth the wal by any violence Outward or inwarde there is no more to sey By statute made he must nedes dey This was enacte by ful plaine ordinauÌce In paine of deth which no man breke shal But so befyll Remus of ignoraunce Which of the statute knewe nothynge atal Of auenture went ouer the wal For whiche a knyght ordained in certayne The saide Remus hath with a pykeis slayn His brother
by the goodly hede And through the nobles of this most knightly man All mistes clered of dispayre and drede Trust hope and fayth into my hartran And on my laboure anone forthwyth I gan For by cleare support of my lordes grace All foraynes lettyng fro me I did enchace For folke that vse to make great vyages Whiche vnderfonge long trauell and labour WheÌ thei haue don gret part of their passages Of werines to asswage the rygoure Against faintyse to fynde some fauâââ Loke oft agayne parcell to be releueâ To se how muche their iourney is acheued Cause why they so oft loke ageyne Backeward turne loke and eke vysage Is only this that it may be seyne To them how much is done of their vyage Eke wery folke that gone on pylgrimage Rest them some while a full large space Laborious sweate to wipe fro their face Their heauy fardell among they cast adoun At certaine bouÌdes to do their backes ease At welles colde eke of entencion Drinke freshe water their greuous thurst to apease Or holesum wynes their appetite to please Rekenyng the myles by computacions Whiche they haue past of castels of townes It doth them ease the number for to know Syth they began of many great iourneys Of hye mountayns and of valeyes lowe And straunge sightes passyng by countreys The vncouth buildyng of borowes and cities Counting y e distaunce froÌ townes the spaces This is their talking at their restyng places The residue and the surplusage They reken also of their labour commyng Thinke it is a maner auauntage To haue and se a cleare knowlegyng Of thinges passed thinges eke folowynge For to their hartes it doth full great plesauÌce Whan all suche thing is put in remeÌbraunce And semblably Iohn Bochas as I fynde Gan turne backe his loke and countenaunce And to remember appoyntyng in his minde To the stories rehearsed in substaunce In his two bokes of sorowes displeasauÌce Him selfe astonied marueilyng a great dele The fall of prynces from Fortunes whele Of their vnhap as he dothe rehearce Towarde theÌ selfe the cause dothe rebounde Their climbyng vp the heauens for to perce In worldly riches to encrease and abounde Their gredy etike doth them selfe confounde And their thirst of hauyng vnstauncheable Causeâ their nobles to be so variable Hygh climbyng vp of reason who can se Dulleth of braines the memoriall Blunteth the sight of hygh and low degre Whiche from aloft maketh them to haue a fal Men saye of olde who that couet all At the vnset houre suche one shall not chese But all his gadryng at once shall he lese For worldly folke whiche so hye aryse Wyth the great peyse of worldlye abundauÌce And with the weight of frowarde couetise Namely where Fortune holdeth the balauÌce With vnware turne of some vnhappy chauÌce This stormy quene this double Goddesse Plungeth theÌ downe from all their riches Wherfore Bochas hereof to make a prefe Sheweth to purpose a sentence full notable A clere example of suche vnware mischefe Writeth of an auctour by maner of a fable Albe the menyng be full commendable And well accordyng in conclusion To the clere purpose of his entencion Finis ¶ Hovve Andalus doctour of Astronomy concludeth how Prynces shoulde not atwite constellacions nor Fortune of their vnhappy fallyng but their demerites and vycious liuyng ¶ The first Chapter AT Naples whylom as he dothe specify In his youth whan he to schole went There was a doctour of Astronomye Famous of cunnyng and right excellent Of hym rehearsyng shortly in sentment His ioy was most to study and wake And he was called Andalus the blake He redde in scholes the mening of the heauen The kinde of starres and constellacions The course also of the planets seuen Their influence and their mocions And helde also in his opinions The fall of princes the cause well out sought Came of them selfe and of fortune nought Nor the starres was nothing to wite By their meuyng nor by their influence Nor y t men should of right the heauen at wite For no froward worldly vyolence For this clarke there concluded in sentence How men by vertue longe may contune From hurt of starres or of fortune Their owne desert is chefe occasion Of their vnhappe who so taketh hede And their demerites vnwarely put theÌ doun Whan vycious life doth their brydle lede Course of fortune nor of the starres rede Hindreth nothing agayne their felicitie Syth of free choyse they haue full libertye God punished sinne in many maner wyse Some he chastiseth for theyr owne auaile Men may of reason in suche case deuise Sinne aye requireth vengeauÌce at his tayle God of fortune taketh no counsayle Nor from her meuyng no man is more fre As clarkes write than is glad pouertee And vnto purpose this auctour full notable To his scholers there beyng in presence Full demurely gan reherse a fable With many a coloure of sugred eloquence Theron concludyng the suÌme of his sentence Touching a strife whiche he did expresse Atwene glad pouert this blinde goddesse â A disputation betwene Fortune and glad pouerte HVod Andalus whilom of fortune In straite place there sate glad pouert Whiche resembled of loke of figure A retcheles woman most vgly vnto se At a narow metyng of hye wayes thre All to torne to ragged and to rent A thousand patches vpon her garment She was hydous bothe of chere and face And in semyng voyde of sorow and drede And by that way as Fortune did pace And of glad Pouert sodaynly toke hede She gan to smile and laught at her in dede By a maner scornyng in certayne Of her aray she had so great disdaine Whose froward laughter whaÌ pouert did espy How she of her had indignacion She rose her vp of hygh melancholy Playnly to shewe her entencion Without good day or salutacion Doyng to Fortune no maner reuerence Vnder these wordes declaryng her sentence O thou Fortune moste fole of foles all What cause hast thou for to laugh at me Or what disdayne is in thyne hart fall Spare not a deale tell on let se For I full little haue ado with the Of olde nor new I haue none aquayntaunce Neither with the nor wyth thy gouernaunce And whan Fortune beholdeth the manere Of glad Pouert in her to torne wede And knew also by countenaunce and chere How she of her toke but little hede Like as she had to her no maner nede The whiche thinges conceyued and seyne To pouerty she answered thus ageine My scornefull laughter plainly was for the Whan I the sawe so megre pale and lene Naked and colde in great aduersitie Scabbed scoruy scalled and vnclene On backe and body as it is well sene Many a beast walke in their pasture Whiche day by day of new thou doest recure Hauyng nothing to wrap in thy head Saue a brode hatte rent out of nattes olde Full of honger for defaute of bread Slepyng on strawe in the frostes colde And where thou comest
his dethe wrote of compassyon To them that sate in royall dignitees Which had of vertue lost the libertees Princes be sechyng that were luxurous To take ensample and folow kyng Drusus The which Drusus by succession Was heir to Augustus next him emperour Set all in vertue his affection And it to cherysshe did holy his labour To lust vnlefull he neuer gaue fauoure And touching loue duryng al his lyfe He neuer had lust but onely to his wife And in his palayes amyd of his royall se Of noble princes dwellyng in Rome toun He asked was for all his dignyte What maner corage of temptacyon Or what feruence or delectacion Within hym selfe he had of loues play Sole by hys wyfe whan he a bed lay And lyke a prynce fulfylled of hye nobles Answered agayn wyth sobre countenaunce Touchyng such lust as foloweth fleshlynes Lyke as nature me put in gouernaunce In one alone is set al my plesaunce For with none other for no concupiscence Saue with my wyfe I neuer dyd offence Princes echone folowe nat the trace Of noble Drusus as ye shal vnderstand For some haue stande all in another case Such as can hold two or thre in hand Now here now there as botes come to land Not consydring their degrees nor disauayle Whan newfangylnes bloweth in their sayle Eke Bochas writeth soÌe prices haue be fouÌd which viciously haue done their busy payne Vertuous women by flatery to confound And tendre maydens to bring in a trayne Suche manaces and tormentes to ordayne TheÌ to transforme from their perseuerauÌce And interrupt their virginal constaunce But of such folke that yeue no force of shame Nor drede God such traynes to deuyse Husbandmen forsoth are most to blame with foraine women to trespace in such wise I trow their wiues theÌ may inough suffise For many be feble their dettes for to quite Though they in chaâige theÌ self falsly delite Some affyrine for them self allegyng To such outrage that they haue licence Frely of nature to vse their own thing And in such case to no wight do offence But froward is their errour in senteÌce Fro bond of wedlock whan they be so vnstable And tofore God most hatefull and daÌpnable For she that is through her hye noblesse Named of clerkes which clerly can coÌcerne Doughter of God Lady and princesse Reason called to gyde folke and gouerne Atwene good and yuell iustly to discerne She hath departed playnlye to conclude The lyfe of man from lyfe of beastes rude This Lady reason sith ago full yore Gaue vnto man wyt and discrecion Taught him also by her souerain lore Twene vyce and vertue a great diuision And that he should in his eleccion Vnto all vertue naturally obey And in contrary al vicious lyfe werrey And to enprinte in his memoriall How of luxurie the great dishoneste Dissourme a man and make him bestyal And disfigure of what estate he be For whan that reason of high or lowe degre Is fled away folke may affyrme than He is lyke a beast rather than a man wherfore let princes that haue ben defectife To folowe their lustes of sensualite Shape them bi reson for to amend their life And to conserue and kepe their chastyte Both of virgins and wifely honeste And to punyshe al tho that lyst labour The honest fame of women to deuour For when a lechour by force or by maistrye Defouled hath of virgynes the clennesse Widowes oppressed and by auoutry Assayled wiues that stande in stablenesse who may thaÌ their sclauÌdrous harm redres WhaÌ their good name is hurt by such report For fame lost ones can neuer haue his resort A thefe may robbe a man of his ryches And by some meane make restitucion And some men may disherite and oppresse A poore man froÌ his possession And after make satisfaccion But no man may restore in no degre A mayden robbed of her virginite A man may also beate a castell doun And build it after more freshly to the syght Exyle a man out of a regyon And him reuoke wher it be wrong or right But no man hath the power nor the might For to restore the palayes virginal Of chastyte whan broken is the wal Men may also put out of seruise And offycers remeue from their place And at a day whan fortune lyst deuyse They may agayne restored be to grace But there is nouther tyme set nor space Nor neuer in story nouther read nor seyne That maydenhed lost recured was ageyne For which men shuld haue a conscience Rewe in their hert and repent sore And haue remorse in their great offence To rauish thing which thei mai not restore For it is sayd and hath ben sayd ful yore The emeraud grene of perfyte chastyte Stolne ones away may not recured be And hard it is to rauysshe a treasour Which of nature is not recuperable Lordshyp may not of kyng nor emperour Refourme a thing which is not reformable Rust of dyffame which is not seperable And maydenhed lost of newe or yore No man alyue may it agayne restore Romayns old through their pacience Suffred tyrauntes in theyr tyrannies And in their cyties to do great vyolence The people to oppres with their robberyes But to punyshe they set strayte espyes On false auoutrours as it is wel couth Widowes to rauish maydeÌs in their youth Vpon this mater the story bereth witnesse Touchyng the exyle of king Tarquinius Afore rehersed by writing ful expresse The hateful death of Apius Claudius For his trespase done to Virginius The iudgementes rehersed and the payne And fro their offyce depriued bothe twayne Was nat the cytie whylom desolate Of Sychemites for the ribaudry Of one Sichem whiche gan a great debate To haue accomplyshed his foule lechery Whan yonge Dyna as bokes specifye Went rechelesly walkyng vp and downe To se the maydens of that royall towne But whan Sychem this Dyna dyd espye Sole by her selfe walke in the cytie He begane anone assayle her by maystry And for to aforce her virgynyte Bycause she had no leyser for to fle Whose great offence and transgressyon The cytie broght vnto destruccyon Her father Jacob and holy her kynrede Agayn this Sichem gan inwardly disdayne Whan the fury of Mars was most to drede To be venged they dyd theyr busy payne And specially her worthy brethern twayne Fyll on the cyte Symeon and Leuy To auenge their suster and stroy it fynally So mortally they gan with them stryue with their swordes ground sharp and kene Of male children they left none alyue They were so veÌgeable in their furyous tene The Sychemytes might not sustene That day agaynst them to stand at defence So importable was their violence For wher that God list punish a man of right By mortall swerde farwel al resistence WhaÌ grace faileth force goth away myght Febleth of princes the magnifycence Chaungeth their power into impotence Reuerseth the kynges their stately regaly Example in Sichem for his false auoutry It was an hard dredfull
my selfe dispose And my wittes specially apply Cause of my coÌmyng clerely to vnclose And tell the effect of mine ambassatry And my speache so gouerne and gye After I am receyued to thy grace My selfe declaryng if I haue time and space For like thy mother if thou receiue me And me accept vnto thy presence I must therafter so gouerned be To tell my tale playnly in sentence So that thou geue me frendly audience And if I be not receiued in suche wise More strongly my tale I must deuise This noble prynce this Corolian When that he heard his mother thus coÌplaine Full like a lorde and a knyghtly man Gan her embrace in his armes twayne In lowly wise there is no more to sayne Saue like a sonne of due and ryght To her he sayd full lyke a manly knyght Madame quod he be it to your pleasaunce To hear my conceyt as in this matere With faythfull hart humble attendaunce I you receyue as for my mother dere But and ye lyke benyngly to here The ingratitude done in most cruel wise To me of Romayns I purpose to chastise Ah sonne quod she touching their offence Done to thy nobles their great outrage They shal by menes their trespace recoÌpence And thinke thou art borne of their linage And suffer y t mercy thy rigoure may asswage And think of nature thou maist not wel w tsay Thing for the which thy mother doth pray Thou shalt not close thyne entrayles of pitie To the requestes of me and of thy wife Nor gynne a warre agayne thy countrey To stroy thy lyne by newe mortall strife Thy children and me to make vs lose our life Wey in balaunce to Romayns thy hatred Against the loue of me and of thy kynred Sende home agayn thy straunge souldiours Which ben so redy y â Romains bloud to shede Let stand in peace our walles our towers Suffer thy grace thy rancour to excede So that thy pity may put away all drede And condiscende to receyue for hostage Me to be pledge for their great outrage Behold the woÌbe in whiche thou were borne And se also my naked sydes twayne By whiche thou were fostred here toforne If there were lack thou woldest cry plaine Remember theron and at me not disdayne But vnto mercy receyue this citee At the request here of thy wife and me Whilom my milke thy chrishing was fode To stynt thy cry whan thou diddest wepe Their sote drops full holsome were and good Thy tender youth for to preserue and kepe And like a mother to bryng the a slepe I woke full oft to the I was so kynde Wherfore dere soÌne on my request haue mind If that thou lyst this city now torment Their demerites by rygour recompence Punyshe me for them and I wyll assent To beare the gylt of their great offence But dere sonne let thy magnificence Suffer of knighthode y t mercy may in dede Attemper thy rygour or thou to dome procede Suffer Romayns to liue in quiete Graunt theÌ peace agayne their great outrage Some drope of pity let in thyne hart flete And thinke thou art borne of their linage Loke vpon them with mercifull vysage Whiche offer them selfes as they shal fulfill Their lyfe their death all wholy at thy will Remember of nature how that the lyon Set aside his rage and his wodenes To them that mekely afore him fall doun His royall kinde will do them no duresse To exemplify to knyghtly noblesse w t rigorous swerd thou shalt no more manace Them that be lowly yelden vnto thy grace And whan this prynce this Corolian Had heard all that his mother list to sayne He goeth to her in all the haste he can Besprent w t teares y â on his chekes rayne And her embraced with his armes twayne And sayde mother there may be no lettyng Me hole of hart to graunt your askyng The siege he made for to auoyde away And to repayre home to their countrye And wyth his mother and wife he was y t day With great gladnes and solemnitie Anon receiued into that citye Like as fortune him neuer wold haue fayled But she fone after of newe hath him assayled The gery Romayns stormy and vnstable Whiche neuer in one styll coulde abide Against this prynce most knyghtly notable For to conspyre of new they gan prouide And banished him to Tuskan there beside Where he was slayne within a little space For he the Romayns afore toke to grace â The .ix. Chapiter ¶ Howe Melciades Duke of Athens with small nombre vanquished .vi. C M. PercieÌs and after by his comonte that aye of custome desyreth a chaung of princes new he was chayned in pryson and so dyed AMonge other that putte theym selfe in prees For too bewayle their greuous heauynesse Came of Athens Duke Melciades which thrugh his manhod hygh prowesse And thrugh his knightly renomed noblesse Like as auctours his triumphes lyst coÌmeÌd Faught many a batayle his city to defend And of victories as it is compyled For comon profyt of that noble toune Faught wyth a tyraunt y t was tofore exiled Called Hippias which by false treason Had to kyng Dary made a suggestion Vpon Athens in al the hast he might To rayse al Perce agayn the town to fyght Sixe hundred M. accounted was the noÌbre Of Perciens armed in plate and maile Them of Athenes by force to encombre Echone assembled them proudly to assayle But this Duke for nothyng wold fayle Melciades but knightly toke his place With ten thousande he met him in the face For both he was manly and ryght wyse And of his handes proued a ful good knight Set vpon them with so prudent auyse That they of Perce for all their great might Were four tymes put vnto the flyght By thylke Duke if I shall not fayne And by the noblesse of other knyghts twain Themystocles ycalled was the tone Which of his hand as auctours list discryue Was in a felde proued on hys fone The manlyest knight in his time alyue Whych thylke day so proudly dyd stryue Agayn theÌ of Perce such a slaughter make That fynally the field they haue forsake Cynegirus a knyght eke of that towne The same day through his chyualry With blody swerde as he went vp and doun without nombre in his melancoly Slough Perciens bokes specify That for the tyme they no refute can Saue to their shyppes for drede of dethe they ran And there he wrought a straunge marueyle As writeth Bochas affyrmyng it certayne The greatest shyp that bare largest sayle with his righthand he gan it so restrayne Lyke as it had be fastned wyth a chayne Maugre Perciens whiche did theÌ sore greue That by no craft they could it not meue But whan that they none other refute wyst Frely to escape out of his daungere Tyl they his right hand cut of by the wrist But w t his left hand he gan approche neare And helde it styll an vncouth thing to
heare That he had force so great a ship to let But than alas his left hand of they smet Yet maugre theÌ whan he their malice seeth All were it so that he had lost eche hande The ship he styll helde with his teeth That they ne myght departe from the lande Lyke as their vessell had fal vpon sand Caused that day mine auctour doth reherce Two hundred M. were slain of theÌ of perce And whan this singuler mighty champion Cinegirus most vncouth of corage Had done this maruaile as made is meÌcion Of very anguish he fill into a rage Lyke a beest furious and sauage Ran about alas for lacke of mynde In Bochas boke no more of him I finde But in this proces after I beheld Aye howe that fortune can her frends fayle For Melciades leder of that fielde And gouernour of al that great batayle Causing victory as made is rehersayl yet his people of malice and of yre Again his nobles falsly gan conspire They of Athenes set him in prison And in chaynes mightily him bounde Vnkindly they yaue him this guerdon For al the knighthod they in him found Yet had he suffred many a mortal wound In their diffence and for their libertees To saue their liues their toun countrees This was the ende of duke Melciades Through y â constreynt of his stronge bondes Eke they exyled the knyght Themystocles Out of their towne to lyue in straunge loÌdes That was so worthy proued of his hondes To shewe the chaunge and mutabylite Founde in fortune and euery comonte ¶ Lenuoye THe stormy trust of euery comonte Their gery corages and trobled coÌstaunce In this tragedy men may behold se Now vp now doun as fortune cast her chauÌce For they of custome haue ioy most plesauÌce In their desyres vnstedfast and vntrewe To se ech day a chaunge of princes newe Corolyan of Rome a chefe cytye Was there protectour thrugh his mighty pusauÌce Venquisshed their enemies set theÌ in suerte Brought in rebelles to their obeysaunce But they agaynwarde of wylfull variaunce Banysshed hym twyse and no cause knewe Saue for to se a chaunge of princes newe The knyghtly noblesse the magnanymyte The polyce the prudent gouernance Of Melciades duke of the countre Where y t Athens is chefe towne in substauÌce Whan he their comon gan most to auaunce The more vnkyndly in honor y t they grewe Most they wer busy to chauÌge him for a new Themystocles hauyng the soueraynte Of knyghtes all that bare speare or launce Duryng his tyme I take no more on me For coÌparisons do oft tyme great greuaunce Sixe hundred thousande he put to vttraunce Vnto Athens neuer founde vntrewe Yet they conspyred his exyle for a newe What thyng may here flour in felycite Or stande stable by longe contynuaunce In hyghe estates outher in lowe degre Nowe flowe now ebbe nowe ioy nowe mischauÌce After as fortune holdeth the balance And specially false feyning and vntrewe Comons desyre a chaunge of princes newe Noble princes in your prosperite On sodayne chaunges set your remeÌbraunce Fresshnesse of floures of braunches y â beaute Haue aye on chauÌge a treÌblyng attendaunce In trust of comons is no perseueraunce As wynter somer be dyuers of their hewe So be they dyuers in chauÌge of princes nâw The .x. Chapiter â Howe Xerxses kyng of Perce for his rauyne and couetyse was dismembred in to small pieces ANd tofore Bochas pitously wepynge For to declare his deedly heuynesse Came Xerxses nexte of Perce kynge And gan coÌplayne his dole and his distresse Which in thre thinges y â story bereth witnes And as the cronycle clerly can vs tell All other princes in erthe he dyd excell In high estate was none so greate as he Neyther in ryches nor worldly habundauÌce Nor none that tyme of so great dygnite For as it is put in remembraunce He had all Perce vnder his obeysaunce Nor neuer prince as auctours do conclude Hosteyed attones with suche a multitude Space of fyue yere he had his ordynaunce SeueÌ hundred thousaÌde people he dyd rayse Dempt of pride agayn his gret puissaunce None erthly power myght counterpayse But some auctors alowe him nat nor prayse Bycause that he people to encombre Set all his trust to coÌquere w t gret nombre But manly princes haue this opynion In multytude standeth nat victory For knightly prowesse of euery champion Which manly cast theÌ in armes to haue victory Enprynted hath fixe in his memory Marciall tryumphes god ne doth nat shewe In nombre great no rather than in fewe This sayd Xerxses by recorde of auctours Had also in cronycles as I rede Thre huÌdred thousande straunge soudeours Without other that were of Perce Mede Whiche gan the erthe for to cure and sprede Dried ryuers that they dyd attayne Karfe downe hylles made valeys playne This was chefe conceyte of his fantasies To haue all erthe vnder subieccion Thought his power raught aboue the skyes Of surquedy and false presumpcion For as he demeth in his opynion Howe in his power playnly that it lay Fro god of heuin the heuyn to take away But thylke lorde y t can the meke enhaunce And from their sees the proude put doune And namely them y t haue no remembraunce To aduertyse of wysdome and of reason To knowe the lorde most mighty of renoune The lorde of lords which plainly to compyle Wyll suffre tyrauntes to reigne but a whyle And one the maruayle that euer I dyd rede Greatest and vncouth playnly vnto me Is howe Xerxses kynge of Perce Mecde For to shewe a specyall syngulerte Out of Asie ouer the great se As sayth myn autour whoÌ I dare alledge In to Europe made a myghty bridge Some men peraueÌture will ther at disdayne And say it is a maruayle nat credyble Yet craft in case to suche thing may attayne Whych by nature semeth an impossyble And as to me it is a thing odyble Thynges to inpugne autentyke and olde Whiche notable clerkes in their dayes tolde These newe men that haue but lytell seyne Nouther expert in crafte nor in nature For lacke of reason holde all such thing veyne Though that it be remembred in scripture For euery maruayle and euery auenture Is straunge to hym as I reherce can That lacketh y e cause wherof y e grouÌd began This sayd Xerxses had eke possession By the tytle of his father Darye Of all Egypt as made is mencyon But they of Grece were to hym contrary Wherfore he cast no lenger for to tarye This proude prince but mightely werrey Lacedemonoys which wolde him nat obey But one that was called Demaratus Whych of that country had afore be kyng And was exyled the story telleth vs That tyme w t Xerxses in housholde abyding Whyche loued that land for all his exyling Gaue theÌ warning to saue theÌ fro mischauÌce Of Xerxses power and all his ordynaunce He wrote them letters grauen in a table All themprises of Xerxses out of doute
werre Agayne the sayd myghty Artaxerses Wenyng therby to haue had great encrees Gadred shyppes and made a great armee In his entent to haue met hym on the see To Lacedemons he was fauourable Sent them vessels stuffed with vitayle Dempt of pride that hym selfe was able With Artaxerses to holde a battayle But hasty trust doth fooles often fayle For this Theo was after anone ryght Dryuen out of Egipt and yput to flyght Artaxerses pursued hym so sore Tofore hys face he durst nat appere Fledde into Araby myne auctour saythe no more Banished from Egipt deedly of face chere And of hys fate who so lyst to lere He was depriued from kyngly dignite And by fortune cast from his royall see The .xxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Amynta of Macedone kyng had by Erudice hys wife Alysandre Perdica and Philyppe that were slayne ANd among other their fates coÌplaining Through fortunes dredefull violence There came Amynta of Macedone kyng And to John Bochas shewed hys sentence And to declare hys magnificence To Alysandre graunde father in his lyfe Hauynge four children by Erudice hys wyfe The fyrst of them was Alysandre called And Perdica named the seconde The thirde Philyppe in Macedone stalled Kyng of Grece lyke as it is founde Whiche in ryches greatly dyd habounde And was eke father thys noble warriour To Alysandre the mighty conquerour And or myne auctour further dothe procede He maketh a maner of disgression From his matter like as ye may rede And gynneth in order a discription Of Macedone the famous region Amonge Grekes writeth in especiall Of seuen prouinces it is the principall And so procedyng he sayth how that countre Stretches his boundes about hym enuyron Towarde the see which called is Egee Forthe by Achaya towarde Septentrion And to Messene westwarde it gothe doun And who that can by crafte the costes cast To Dalmacia the name therof dothe last In Macedone he dothe also vs lere Of Olympus standeth the great mountayne And in that kyngdom is many great mynere Of golde and syluer lyke as bokes sayne And on that hyll is nouther wynde ne rayne For thylke mountayne so high dothe attayne That it may nouther blow there ne rayne The kyng Amynta of whoÌ I spake toforn Had in Grece many great battayle Olympiens in Macedone borne And Illyriens togyder he dyd assayle Through his wisdom he did alway preuayle But with his enemys whyle he stode in strife Hys dethe was shapen by Erudice hys wife Myne auctour Bochas of her doth diffine She imagined his destruction Bycause she had another concubine On whom she set all her affection Day set and tyme to hys confusion Fully ordayned at a mariage He to be slayne of one of his linage He had a suster called Vryone Whiche prudently espied the manere Of Erudice and secretly alone Goth to the kyng and tolde hym all yfere And as the story in order telleth here Though she fayled that daye of her empryse She thought to fulfyll it in another wyse Thys to meane of her iniquite Of her fraude and false ymaginyng She was in cause through her coÌtrariouste Of the destruction of their myghty kyng For the conclusion of her false workyng was to haue slayne the kyng and all his lyne She to haue raygned with her concubyne But whan she saw she myght nat atcheue Her furious purpose by none auenture Her venomous malice vpon her lord to preue On other parties she dyd her busy cure Enmitees and mischeues to procure Agayne the kynge by mortall fell assayes With sorow trouble for to shorte his dayes Night and day hys lyfe stode euer in drede Hym to betraye she cast out hoke and lyne And who is he that can or may take hede Frely to escape to eschewe or decline Malice of women whan they be serpentine ⪠Se an example of thys quene Erudice Voyde of all vertue and full of euery vice Alas no prince can beware by other To bridel their nobles with reynes of reson Such as commit alas bothe shyp and rother Vnto Sirenes to row them vp and doun Throughout Caribdis to theyr destruction By craft of Cyrces alas they wer made nice Blynde to remembre vpon thys Erudice Which made Aminta to liue i sorow drede To rest in peace suffered him to haue no space In thought trouble his lyfe gan he lede Tyl by long processe deth gan hym manace Yet or he died fortune gaue hym grace His eldest sonne by wisdome to ordayne Called Alysandre hys crowne to attayne Thus Alisandre was hys successour For Cathynenses gan their rancour lete Agaynst hym for he wyth great labour By theyr sufferaunce came to hys royall sete And for to set hys realme in quiete First with Athenes the myghty strong toun Prouided a peace of hie discretion And for to auoyde all ambiguite Of olde debates and of olde outrage First he sent into that strong cite His sonne Philippe yong and tender of age On peace assured to lye there for hostage And in that citye the storie beareth witnes He gan to grow vnto full hye nobles He was committed vnto the discipline Of a great duke called Epaminondon Which to all vertue his youth made encline For of this duke Justine maketh mencion By a maner recommendacion Tofore nor after as by hys auyse Was neuer no prynce more excellent nor wise Fyrst he commendeth hys vertuous corage Hys hye noblesse hys vertuous excellence And by discent he borne was of hye linage And in two thynges concludeth his sentence Sayeth that he was of most magnificence Egall to Mars by famous chiualry And sonne to Phebus through hye philosophy And Bochas here doth hys style auaunce Ful notably with excellent langage And sayth no treasour atteyneth in substauÌce To thylke richesse auoydyng all outrage As when there is by bonde of mariage Knyt vp a knot atwene excellence Of famous knighthode of dame prudence This knot auaileth more than golde in cofer And is more glorious perpetually to abyde A mighty prince ought be a Philosopher Whiche can by prudence al vices set asyde For whan to manhode prouidence is gyde And vertuous force is captayne in the werre Let men well trust that partie may not erre This Epaminonda of knighthod sustenour Carbuncle of vertue as bokes tell con Of gentel maners called the famous flour And of high noblesse a very worldly son Whose knyghtly triumphes be so high vp ron To Martes palais with the blessed souns Of famous trumpettes golden clariouns For he was called the bright myrrour Of rightfull quarelles the partie to sustene Of extort wronges most iust reformatour Aye egall iuge of entent most clene Whiche neuer coude nothing but truth meaane Wolde of custome for hate nor aliaunce On nouther partie decline the balaunce And to commende hys vertuous prowesse Hys proued triumphes hys magnanimite Hys marciall actes hys knyghtly busynesse In the gettyng of many strong cyte And all his labour was for the commonte Which to augment he woulde
knyght ⪠That whan Alysander laye diyng certayne And gan to feble of hys force myght Dempt afore that it sat ful well of ryght How thys Perdicas for wisdom manhede In Macedone shoulde after hym succede And vnto hym with loke chere benigne Vpon his heed for sickenesse complaynyng With full whole hert for a notable signe Of succession he gaue to hym a ryng After his day to be crowned kyng Of Macedone sith he most might auayle Through al his empyre to haue y â gouernaile And yet sayth Bochas playnly in sentence Though he of knyghthode and hie prowesse Of manly force and also of prudence Passed all other the storye beareth witnesse By vicious pride frowarde boystousnesse He was more hyndred through his outrage Than all his enemyes myght do hiÌ domage For throughe his pride and great extorcions Fro Macedone the people of that countre Fledde into other strange regions And of presumption the story sayth howe he Began a warre agayne kyng Tholome Where he was slayne in all mens syghtes Nat of his enemies but of his own knightes Eke of Anaxarchus of Capadoce kyng Whiche prouince ioyneth vnto Surry Touchyng the bouÌdes by recorde of writyng Towarde the Orient the lande of Armeny Hauyng two couÌtryes Scilice and Isaury Towarde Cypre a great ryuere Rennyng amiddes with stremes freshe and clere This Anaxarchus were he lothe or fayne In dayes fewe hath hys kyngdome lorne For by Perdicas proudly he was slayne Of whom that I haue you tolde beforne Thus worldly prices tho they had it sworne For all theyr lordshyp and domination By fraude of fortune vnwarly be put doune And amonge other prynces of that age Vpon Alysander duly abydyng Bochas reherseth Amylchar of Cartage Duke of that cite by recorde of writyng After the death of that worthy kyng As ye haue herde ymurdred by poyson This sayd Amylchar repeyringe to his toun Was slayne in Cartage shortly to conclude Of cruel malice and conspiracion Within that cite of false ingratitude Whan he of knighthode fraÌchised had y t towne And nat withstandyng all his hye renoune Whan he stode hyest in hys felicite He by the commons was slayne of that cite The .xiii. Chapter ⧠Howe Eumenydes was twyse outrayed by Antigonus and at the last dyed in pryson WHaÌ Alisader in his roial estate Had all conquered tofore as ye haue herd He like a god most pompous elate As souerayne prince of all myddleerde To take vpon hym was nothyng aferde To clayme in countrees a thynge y â was nat fayre Of Jupiter to be both sonne heyre One of the principles who so taketh hede That first brought in false ydolatry Was thylke tyme y t priestes for false drede Hys name with goddes gan to magnify And so to call hym of fayned flattery And mydde their teÌples in Liby on a stage Of hys lykenes they set vp an ymage But lytle or nought to hym it myght auayle Agayne his deth for to do succour When the fell poyson hys hert dyd assayle Whiche made him fade as doth a flour Of whose empyre was none enheritour Saue in his deth thus stode the woful case Twene sixe thirty hys land deuyded was And in his story full playnly it is tolde This departicion to make it ferme stable He was laide forth vpon a couche of golde To reherse by tokens full notable Whome he dempt of very sothe most able Of all his princes playnly to discerne When he was deed his kingdom to gouerne First there was one amonge all that prees Next Alysander the knightlyest man The worthy knyght called Eumenides Whose high renoun ful well rehearse can Prudent Justinus the great historian Ordayned afore to gouerne realmes two All Capadoce and Pafflagony also His hie nobles as made is mention In especiall more to magnify Hym lacked nought of commendacion That apparteyned vnto chiualry To hie prudence or noble policy Except thre thinges myn auctor sayth y â same A crowne a scepter and a kynges name But for that he all other dyd excell Bothe of prudence and famous chiualry It is remembred as some bokes tell That there were some had therat enuy For when fortune lyst to set vp an hye Any person aloft vpon her whele Some are besyde that like it neuer a dele Who holdeth him euer vpon hie mountaynes Fyndeth great experiece of blastes shours Oft is troubled with storme wind raines So of Alysander the proude successours Whan they sat freshest in theyr flours Winde of enuy fortune helde so the rother That eche was busy to destroy other On hylles hye it is an impossible A man to abyde without winde or reyne A thyng expert and very visible Hye climbyng vp is medled with disdeyne Preace hath enuy as it is oft seyne And through preferryng of fortune â estates Is euer cause of great warre and debates This same thinge was well expert preued Among these sayd royall enherytours Of Alysander for eche of them was greued To see hys felow raygne in his flours And thus atwene these myghty successours Of false enuy there gan so great a stryfe That eche made other for to lose hys lyfe And as it is afore made mencion Pollicarpus and Neptolonyus By a maner false conspiracion Agayne Eumenides were onely enuious Of whose falsenesse he was suspicious Tyll on a day there is no more to sayne Metyng in battayle slew them both twayne For which slaughter proude Antigonus Of Macedone prefect and gouernour Wext in his heart so fell and dispitous And was withal a noble warriour With his knightes dyd wholly his labour Agayne Eumenides by marciall apparayle A felde assigned to holde great battayle Made vpon him a great discomfiture As they mette armed bryght in stele And thus Eumenides of mortall auenture Fledde at mischefe into a strong castell Wherof his knightes lyked neuer a dole For as the story playnly maketh mynde That day he fled and left his men behynde In which castell for he stode destitute Fro thencehe cast in all hast to flye In his great mischefe to fynde some refute That time he drew him to a straÌge countrye Some succour to get auenged for to be Called Argyre by Grekes of entent The Latyn corrupt of this worde argent Of Argiraspedes a people that there dwell The name they toke after that region The whiche lande as olde bokes tell Hath of syluer plente and foyson For which cause by olde discription It toke the name of nature and of ryght Because the soyle like syluer shyneth bryght And of thys yle which hath so great a pryse As myne authour maketh rehersayle How the people be prouident and wyse Prudent in armes and manly in batayle Bothe to defende and proudlye to assayle Whiche by theyr wisdome good counsayle To kyng Alysander stode in great auayle And Eumenides one of his successours As ye haue herde drewe to that countre There to fynde some refute and succours In his mischefe and great
aduersite And for his wordes of great authorite His noble langage and his fayre eloquence The people had him in ful great reuerence And for they were manly and coragious Able to assemble bothe plate and mayle He made them rise agaynst Antigonus By theyr prowes with hym to haue batayle But of fortune hys party gan to fayle Wher thilke people the story telleth thus Had afore ben full victorious Antigonus hath the felde recured That day his knightes fought lyke wodelyons In furious tene of hys corage assured Brake theyr tentes and pauilions Spoiled their castels robbed their dâgeons Where that countre vnwarely thus affrayed Had neuer afore in batayle ben outrayed And of dispite this people recheles Caught in their hert great indignation Agayne their prynce this sayd Eumenides Which had theÌ brought to their destruction And all the people of one opinion Presented him it was nat after longe To Antigonus bounde in chaynes strong In this proces brefely to procede At great mischefehe dyed in prysone He found no mercy playnly as I rede For all his noblesse nor hys hye renoune Yet of hys manhode made is mencion Who that story lyst to loke aryght With Alysander there was no better knight In hys conquest euery hour and space He was most cheryshed for hys hye noblesse Aboue all other stode most in his grace To helpe and releue folke in their distresse All be that he dyed in wretchednesse To vs declaryng the great variaunces That all daye fall in fortunes chaunces ¶ Lenuoye THys tragedy of duke Eumenides She weth of fortune y e great doublenes How worldly princes that ben recheles With vnware chaunges fall into distresse And there may be no greater heuynesse After prosperite nor greater payne Than aduersite which that is sodayne Greatest enuy where is greatest preace Greatest awayte where is most rychesse And greatest ease where is rest and peace Where most discorde most is heuynesse And of all sorow sorow fullest excesse Is thylke sorow y â dothe a man constrayne After prosperite with aduersite sodayne Princes in erthe of power peerles Which excelled all other in noblesse Had in this worlde by coÌquest most encrees As Alysander the story bereth wytnesse RemeÌbre the fyne of all theyr hye prowesse And the triuÌphes to which they dyd attayne After prosperite aduersite sodayne The strong enheritours which y t he out chees Sixe thirty the nombre to expresse Whiche hadde possession of kyngdoms doutles Eche thyng obeying to their worthynesse Tyl fortune through her wunted doublenesse Shewed her myght vnwarely to ordayne After prosperite aduersite sodayne Noble prynces to auoyde all disencrees Amonge your selues discordes to represse Be nat enuyous nor yrous causeles Worke nothyng of hasty wylfulnesse Let discretion be your gouerneresse For there must folow yf ye parte on twayne After prosperite aduersite sodayne The .xiiii. Chapiter ⧠Howe Queene Olympiades for she delyted in vyces murdre and vengeaunce dyed at mischefe NExt in order to Bochas dyd appere After the mischefe of Eumenides The great quene w t a full pitous chere Mother of Alysander Olympiades Borne of the lyne of Gaades Amonge quenes her story bereth wytnesse Excelled all other in beauty and rychesse She was doughter to Neoptolomus The mighty kyng of Epirothes And had suspecte how Neptanabus By enchauntment put hym selfe in prees Of wifely trouth to make her recheles But Bochas here for to saue her name Writeth but lytle of her disclaunderous fame This sayd quene right fayre of her visage Was first brought forth in thylke regions Where all the worthy of blode and of lynage Helde theyr scepters and their ryche crouns Through all Grece with full possessions So that this quene that tyme nere and farre Was of beaute called the lode starre But among al her great prosperitees Her youth flowig in most souerayne noblesse Her ioye was meddled w t great aduersitees Whan Philip Maredo in her great heuinesse Was mortally wounded in distresse In Cythia by a certayne nation Called Triboloys as made is mencion For in that countre vpon a certayne day Where as he faught and dyd hys best payne To gette a cite and at a siege lay And for thassaute dyd his stuffe ordayne He lost vnwarely one of his eyen twayne That whan the quene behelde hys wounde For sorow she fell platte vnto the grounde Another thyng bokes specifye Troubled her fame by great heuynesse The suspecte sclaunder of aduoutry Wrought by Neptauabus enchauntyng her fayrenes The light eciipsyng of hie nobles By swifte report for to hynder her name What flieth more swifte then wicked fame In womanhede as authours all wryte Most thing coÌmended is theyr chast honeste Thyng moste sclaundrous their nobles to atwite Is whan princesses of hasty freeite Excede the boundes of wifely chastyte For what auayleth linage or royall bloode Whan of theyr liuyng y e reporte is nat goode The holy bedde defoyled of maryage Or ones soyled may nat recured be The voyce goth forth the froward langage By many realmes and many a great cite Sclaunder hath a custome and that is pite Crew outher false by contagious sowne Ones reysed it goth nat lyghtly downe And to more hindryng of Olympiades Philippe away dyd from her deciyne And of the kyng of Epyrothes The wyfe he toke to hys concubine Called Cleopatra playnely to termine And thus in myschefe tencrease of her trouble Their false aduoutrie gan to wexe double Of this proces write wyll I no more Cause the matter is abhominable For kyng Philip the bargayne bought sore As is remembred by cronicles ful notable Slayne on a day syttyng at hys table Full sodaynly or he toke any hede Pausanias dyd that cruell dede Of which slaughter folowed a strange case As ye haue herde by Pausanias wrought Olympiades full glad and mery was Heuy outwarde her heart voyde of thought Yet faynyngly she hath wayes out sought For hym to holde solempne and royall Lyke Grekes rightes a feast funerall After whose dethe wrought of great cruelte Kyng Alysander made no lenger let Made Pansonias taken for to be And to be hanged vpon an hye gybet Vpon whose head there was a crowneset Of golde and peerle and riche stones Inde By Olympiades in story as I fynde For he stode greatly in the quenes grace And as folke dempt of suspection They met together in many priuy place Which greatly tourned to her confusion For noyse arose through all that region That by thoccasion of theyr mislyuyng How Pausanias slough Philyp the kyng But she anone in her malice feruent Fro the gybet made hym to be take doun Made his body solempnely to be brent Kept his exequies with great oblatâon After the ryghtes of that region Nat left behinde in partie nor in all That appertayned to feastes funerall Vpon kynge Philyp as it were for the nones To do her lorde a shame or a despyte Solempnely she made brenne the bones Of Pausanias for a false appetite Vnto no man she had so great
peoples syght That of a Pretor they gaue hym an offyce He meuyng them in all that euer he myght Gaine Cyracuses to make theÌ stroÌg to fight Of entent of them auenged to be Cause for his exyle out of that cite But in his exyle the story saythe none other It was so wrought by mediacion Of duke Hamilchar y t was hys sworne brother Cyracusans of one entention Called him home agayne into their toun And there was restored to hys place And reconciled to the kynges grace And vnto hym they gaue by great auice By assent of lordes and all the commonte Of a Pretour newly an offyce For Pretors of custome called be Offycers that dwell in the cite And haue full charge by dome iudgementes To put all gylty to payne and turmentes Than of new thys Agathocles Bycause he had more aucthorite Cast for to trouble the quiete and the pees Of Cyracuses and out of that cite All the senatours greatest of dignite Of mortal veÌgeaunce this titant made anon Without exception to be slayne euerichon This hasty slaughter wrought by tiranny Might nat asswage nor staÌche his fel corage Tyll he their treasour toke by robbery And all Cicile he spoyled by pyllage Cast of pride vpon an hye stage For to ascende by sleyghty false workyng Of all that region to be crowned kyng Made his subiectes maugre hym dredyng To cal hym kyng and in especiall One the most worthy prynce tho lyuyng That sat in chayre of maiestye royall Tyll fortune shope he must haue a fall For of Cartage the duke a worthy knyght Fought with him twyse put him to flyght Wherthrough he stode in mischefe dispeyred And of al people he was had in disdayne To Cyracuse in hast he is repayred And to his cite retourned home agayne There abydyng in drede and vncertayne For whan fortune gan agayne hym take His frendes olde of new haue him forsake In that mischefe he bode nat long As the processe maketh rehearsayle Gadred people and made him selfe strong Onely in purpose all Affryke to assayle With them of Cartage had a great battayle Thân discomfited as fortune lyst ordayne By hye prowesse of his sonnes twayne Archagatus ycalled was that one Wonder delyuer a man of great myght The seconde brother moste worthy of echone Called Heraclydes whiche in y t mortal fight Preued him selfe that daye a manly knyght For by theyr maÌhode in which was no lacke They of Cartage were fellye put a backe For though so wer by fortune of the warre Agathocles had that day the victorie False couetyse made hym for to erre And eclipsed the light of hys glorie For as it is remembred in hys storie Lyke as in his byrthe it is determined To all falsenes his corage was enclyned Cruell of custome of hert mercyles His wyll was law were it wronge or ryght Contrary to accorde frowarde vnto pees Proude and surquedous in hys owne syght Where his power stretched hys myght Lyke a tyraunt naturally disposed To execute vengeaunce afore purposed He thought he had power for to bynde Fortunes whele for to abyde stable Which is a thing contrary to her kynde Whose propertie is to be variable Hys pryde alas was to abhominable For mortall Prince is none y t may restrayne Her vnware tourne nor her course sodayne By influence of the heauenly starres The vncouth course aboue celestiall By fortune and fauour of the warres This Agathocles of byrth full rurall Promoted was vnto estate royall Tyll pride outrage froward engendrure Caused in his lordshyp he myght nat endure Fortune of kynde is so flaskysable A monstruous beast departed manyfolde A slydyng serpent tournyng and vnstable Slipper to gripe on whom there is no holde As in this boke declared is and tolde Her power preued on princes recheles Recorde with other on Agathocles As ye haue herde rehersed in sentence Symple and bare was hys natiuite Brought vp and fostred in great indigence Out of a stocke springyng of pouerte Rose to the estate of royall dignite The rysyng vncouth marueylous tattayne The fal more greuous because it was sodayn From Cyracuse he was exyled twyse Vengeable of heart where he had myght Of Affricans disconfited thryse Euer in batayle of custome put to flyght Had an vsaunce to robbe day and nyght And lyke a tiraunte agayn conscience To spoyle his subiectes by great violence Hindred by fortune wherof he was nat fayne Her stroke agayn him sodayne and violent His sonnes two in Affrike were first slayne He of his lymmes wext feble and impotent With a consumption his entrayles brent And by an ague continuall of feruence He was suppressed by stroke of pestilence All his treasour hath from hym take His proude port and his worldly glory His wife kyn and freÌdes hath him forsake His conquest derke and put out of memory His name yclipsed of hys olde victory And as he gan in pouerte and distresse So he made an ende in wretchednesse Hasty rysyng and thriâte that is sodayne And surmountyng by violent rauyne And extort power may for a whyle attayne In ryche chayre of lordshyp for to shyne Sodayne ascending dothe sodenly declyne And by vntruth whereuer there be encrees Men wayt of custome a sodayne disencrees Of Agathocles men may ensample take What is th ende of euery false tiraunt WroÌge climbing vp dothe a foule ende make For a season though tirauntes be puysaunt Fortune to them yeueth no lenger graunt But whan they syt on her whele most royal By vnware chaunge to haue a sodayne fal Agathocles was first a sympleman Brought forth in mischefe and in pouerte Sonne of a porter the story tell can By vicious liuyng came to great dignite Of all folke hated for his cruelte Clambe fro pouert vp to great rychesse Made pore agayne died in wretchednesse ¶ Lenuoye THis tragedy sheweth a figure Bothe by story and by aucthorite How man and beast euery creature Tarageth the stocke of his natiuitie Herbe of the rote and eche frute of his tre For bothe of vertue and also of outrage Foloweth some tetche or taste of the lynage Agathocles by recorde of scripture Borne of lowe bed brought forth in pouerte Yet Fortune made him to recure Vp to hye estate from full lowe degre His reason blent with sensualitie Forgate him selfe to speake in playne laÌgage Through a false tetche y t came fro his lynage There is a difference of colours in pycture On table or wall as men all day may se Twene golde golde atwene byse asure All is not golde that shyneth bryght parde Some noble is false y t hath great beaute Let men beware of counterfayte coynage Tetches eschuyng of churlyshe lynage Some man is furthered of sodain auenture Set in a chayre of royall dignitie Wenyng his empyre shoulde euer endure And neuer to be troubled with no aduersitie With royall Eagles a kyte may not flye A Jaye may chatter in a golden cage Yet euer some tetch must folow of his lynage
treasour the gold ne the dispeÌce Of them that haue this world in gouernauÌce Nor al the subiectes vp rekened in sentence Nor al the regions vnder their obeysaunce Princes princesses with al their attendaunce May agayne fortune yeue them no lybertie Who not knoweth her vnsure gery chaunce Thinke on Lisimachus and Arcinoe Her chyldren she slayne by violence Of Ceramius god yeue him sory chaunce That by false coloure dyd her reuerence And pretended a maner obseruaunce The treson close of venomous purueyaunce Purposed afore to outray them all thre The chyldreÌ slayne which knew no cheuisaÌce The mother exiled called Arcinoe Noble princes beware of hie prudence Amonge your selfe that there be no distaunce Hyde no rancoure of hateful vyolence Vnder a curtayne of double daliaunce Lyke your hert shewe out your countenauÌce Voide of dissimulinge and duplicitie Wysely way this chapter in balaunce Of Lysimachus and quene Arcinoe The .xxi. chapiter ¶ How Ceramius of Macedoyne kyng that murdred his cosins was slayne in bataile by them of Fraunce THe Noble Poete Jhon Bochas in his boke Procedyng forth coÌplaineth of pite With quaking hande whan he his pen toke And gan to writ the woful desteny As ye haue herde of quene Arcinoe And how Ceramius the story maketh minde Was to her false traytour and vnkynde Of whose treason is made a great processe And howe he after was slayne in batayle Punished by vengeaunce for his falsenesse Lyke as his story maketh rehersayle Whych to remembre I cast me not to fayle Folowyng mine auctour procede in writing Howe Ceramius was slayne beynge kinge For whyle that he by his false workyng In Macedoyne had the gouernayle Thre huÌdred M. accompted by writynge Went out of Fraunce to conquere Itayle The host departed in many stronge batayle Gate by conquest through theyr hye renoune Ful many a prouince and many a region And as they rode through many a gret couÌtre This people of Gaule in stele armed clene They founded castels many stronge cytie Towarde Rome they bylded Mylân Sene Vpon the Alpes their armour shone ful shene And some of them vp to Rome went By very force and the citye brent Some parted vp to the grekyshe see Had a custome to chese their dwellynge place By Augurie as byrdes dyd fle Folowynge their flyght they gan after trace Holdynge their way within a lytell space With myghty hand the boke doth specify They came to a countrey called Pannony This folk of Gaule whych is called FrauÌce To conquere landes put them selfe in prees As most notable people of puissaunce Folowynge y â exaÌple of their knightly encrese In theyr ridynge of worthy Hercules Which was worshipped in their actes mercial Lyke as a god and called immortall Through grace of fortune in their chiualryes Conquered countreys alwaye forth rydynge Them selfe departynge in diuers companyes Who them withstode they coÌsumed by breÌnig Came to Macedone where Ceramius was king Of presuÌpcioÌ wening it shuld auayle Out of ordinaunce he met them in battayle This Ceramius of outrage and of pride Dempt him able to mete with theÌ of FrauÌce But for he was through murdre an homicide He lacked grace and power in substaunce Yet they of Gaule by prudent gouernaunce Offred vnto hym though he was retcheles With Macedonoys for to treate of pees But for presumpcion and melancoly Agaynst his enemies he the felde hath take And discomfited anone was his party His men gan flie and haue their lord forsake Hys heed smyt of and set vpon a stake But al his mischefe was to lyte in dede To recoÌpence his fraude and his falshede There is no paine againe so great offence May be deuised in no boke that men rede Equiualent murder to recompence Duely to punyshe so outragious a dede Of him that made yonge children blede As did Ceramius whiche of false couetise His cosyns slough as ye haue heard deuise To thinke on murder it is to foule a thing To god and man hatefull and terible The infernal fraude the deuillyshe coÌpassing To eche creature of nature is odible Whiche to redresse is an impossible O cursed Ceramius I leaue thy story here Thy name no more shal blot my papere The .xxii. Chapiter ⧠How the prynce Belgius was disconfited and brought to nought AFter this tyraunte as ye haue hearde the eaas Slayne in battayle this traytour odious Anone in order came to John Bochas A mighty prynce called Belgius Deadly pale with face furious Whiche coÌplayned amonge this wofull prees His disconfiture done by quene Softenes This sodayn mischefe greued his hart sore For all the folke that were in his battayle Were put to flyght Bochas writeth no more Of his knighthode nor of his apparaile Saue onely this he maketh rehearsaile Of the Frenche host he telleth in certaine How he was chosen for a chefe captayne And how he came into the riche lande Of Macedoyne with his people of Fraunce Tyll Softenes the quene w t myghty hande Disconfited him brought to mischaunce Of whoÌ I finde none other remembraunce Saue whan he wende to be most glorious He was outrayed by force of Brennus â The .xxiii. chapter ¶ How duke Brennus delityng to robbe and steale mischeuouslye ended THis Brennus full knyghtlye in workynge which by coÌquest gate many great citie And as I reade of Danes he was kyng Disployled regions many a great couÌtrie Robbed people of hye and lowe degre Spared no goddes but by vyolence Toke their treasures did them no reuerence There was a temple great and marueylous Built on a roche and on an hyll of stone Sacred to Appollo called Delphicus In all Grece so great a god was none And oft sythe the people woulde gone Vp to a Theatre whiche that stode wythout To haue answere of y t they stode in doubt Their trust hope was to y t god applyed Hauyng to hym singuler affection As though he might haue holpe magnified And done to them great consolation For by a spiryte of false deception He gaue answere of sundry questions To folke that came from diuers regions Kyng Brennus had no fantasy In their temples after their panym gyse Neither to worship nor to magnify Their Grekysh goddes to do theÌ sacrifise For in his hart he gan them to despyse Caught a ioy wyth all his false robbours Them to dispoyle robbe of their treasours Behyght his men sayd in playne langage That his desyre and hys entencion Was to be boty with them of such pyllage As Goddes had in their possession And part with theÌ for singuler guerdon For their labour and great trauayles That they had had wyth him in battayles He gaue his people a maner hardines Made them trust in great multitude Hauyng despyte of the innocent symplenes Of his enemies because they were but rude I meane tho folke shortly to conclude Whiche had in kepyng the iewels precious Of great Appollo called Delphicus The people also whiche was with Brennus Had all the day
mariage y t he myght vnderfonge In his diyng to set a fynall peace Twene these .ii. realmes for their both eÌcrece After whose death thus the matter stode Quene Arcynoe most subtyll in workyng Agayne this matter so cruell was and wode Maryed her daughter w t out more lettyng Called Beronices agaynst the biddyng Of her father that called was Agas As heretofore rehearsed is the caas She maried her to one Demetrius That brother was by Bochas rehearsynge Vnto the mighty great Antygonus Beyng in Grece of Macedoyne kyng But infortunate was she after her weddyng As in this story suyng ye shall se By the false workyng of quene Arcynoe And to conclude shortly this mattere Whan thys quene this double Arcynoe Sawe of Demetrius the vysage the there His loke his coloure his langage beautie His manly port and his liberalitie She was enamored of fleshly pleasaunce Lyke her desyre to haue his acquayntauÌce Of her nature she was most lecherous And of her frowarde inclination She brought about that Demetrius Assented was by her suggestion For to accomplish lyke her opinion All her desyres of fleashly appetite Thus of accorde there folowed their delite Lefte his wyfe called Beronices The quenes doughter agayne all ryght In a place secret out of prees They lay together almost euery nyght Takyng no hede of god nor of no wyght Tyll of fortune the case is so befall That he was hated of hys knyghtes all Dispyte they had of Arcynoe The dede horrible whan they dede espy Hys wyfe Beronices eke whan she dyd se Holy the maner of theyr ribaudry In heart she caught a great melancoly Ordayned knightes in stele armed bryght In their aduoutry to take them on a nyght Lying a bedde slept and toke no kepe After false lustes whiche they had vsed They fel vp on them whyle they dyd slepe The dede open myght nat be excused To all the worlde thus they were accused With swordes draw y â knyghtes thilke night To slee theÌ both were purposed anone right Out on Beronices cryeth John Bochas Because she badde spare Arcynoe Grounde gynnyng of this horrible caas Sayth her mercy was very cruelte To saue suche one it was a false pite As sayth myne auctour a thyng coÌtrarious Her to preserue and slee Demetrius O Beronices small is thy discretion To saue the quene y â hath the treason founde First to Demetrius she gaue occasion For which she shuld haue had the first wouÌde Take for them bothe and in cheynes bounde And after that thys false Arcynoe To example of other shuld haue punished be And whyle they were taken thus in close The sayd Arcynoe made no delay But fro her bedde anone she vp rose Without clothes naked as she lay Ran to their swordes in all theyr gret affray Went atwene them dyd her busy payne To beare of strokes with her armes twayne To saue Demetrius naked as she stode Voyde of all drede dyd her busy cure Her whyte body all bespreynt with blode Gan to cry out on euery creature Alas quod she let me alone endure Deth by my selfe ye be to dispitous To saue my lyfe and slee Demetrius To the erthe anone she fyll adowne To stande vpryght she might nat sustene Deed pale wan with many pitous sowne Dethe of Demetrius gan wofullye bemene Embrasyng him with all his wouÌdes grene And in her armes albe that he laye deed She kyssed his mouth blew nothyng reed In sorow coÌplaynt thus she made an ende I write no more of thys Arcynoe But to Beronices agayne I wyl now weÌde For Bochas sayeth in the story ye maye se She after wedded was to worthy Tholome Like as it was her fathers first entent When y â he dyed and made his testament â Thus endeth the fourth boke and hereafter foloweth the fyfte Here Bochas vvryteth agaynste them that delyte in beaute and semelynesse callyng to purpose howe a man borne in Tuscan whiche excelled in beaute and fayrnesse and for hys beaute should nat geue other occasion to synne he disfigured hys visage and body wyth manye a great wounde and spotte The first Chapter HEre Bochas scorneth hath disdayne Of thre maner of folke he dyd se In this worlde whiche that in certayne Set at theyr ioy and all their felicite For to excell in fayrenesse and beaute Nat withstandyng as ye well tell can It hath vndone full many a worthy man Recorde he taketh of Demetrius Which in his tyme was fayrest in certeyne Which caused hym to be contrarious To al vertue his story ye haue seyne But of tho folke Bochas hath most disdeyne That busy ben to conquere and recure Beaute by craft which cometh nat of nature The thirde is he y t grutcheth agayne kynde For lacke of stature and of semelynesse And all these thre ben ignoraunt and blynde And agayne reason their corages they dresse Yet aboue beaute vertue is maystresse And lytle worthe is fayrnesse in certeyne In a person where no vertue is seyne Vnto purpose he telleth of a man That excelled all other in fayrenesse Called Spurnia borne was in Tuscan And folke had ioye and great gladnesse To beholde hym for his semelynesse Whose beaute brought women in dotage When they cast her loke on hys vysage Wyues maydens dwellyng in that countre Presed fast on hym to beholde By theccasion of hys great beaute Nat onelye yonge but some that were olde Wyth loues axcesse nowe were they hote nowe colde Thus was hys beaute to many a creature Founde in effecte a perylous lure Husbandes olde caught a fantasy And had a maner suspection Styred by the serpent of false Jelosye Towarde Spurnia as made is mencion But for to auoyde all cruell occasion Of any people that suche malyce thought Ye shall here howe wysely that he wrought To put awaye false dylectacion And all occasions of Cupides rage He of prudence and discretion With many wounde diffaced hys vysage For he dempt it was great domage That by thenchesen of excellent beaute Any creature hyndred shoulde be Philosophers and poetes that were wyse Gaue vnto hym a great commendation That he coude so notably deuyse To fynde a waye within hys reason To set asyde all occasion Of suche vnlefull fleshlye fantasye That might styre women vnto lecherye He knewe afore and saw by experience That all beaute shall waste away and fade Lyke somer flours in theyr moste excellence That growe on hylles or belowe in shade The rose the lyllye whan they be most glade Vpon theyr stalkes theyr prefe is dayly seyne Been beten downe with a stormye reyne And semblably in euery creature Of lowe degre or of hye estate Beauty abideth nat nor lenger doth endure Than youthes ceson w t age is ful checkmate Who thinketh hereon I holde hym fortunate And can afore in his reason caste No worldly beauty in erth mai alway laste ¶ Lenuoye YE worldlye folke that reioyse in beaute Se with the eyen of your aduertence
Called Seleuchus which was a wonder Fil froÌ his courser brake his necke asoÌder 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 â 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 veÌgeaunce Gods were wrothe through this gret offeÌce 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 â How Cleomenes king of Macedone was slayne with his wife and children AFter this vengeauÌce 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 auauÌtage 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 coÌmon 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 theÌ 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 sâ 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 preseÌce 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 â 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 â 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
or euer dyd se Of any princes so stedfast and so stable As whylom were in Rome the cite Or in theyr conquest so longe perdurable Of vertue founde of corage vnstauncheable Reken vp all that euer were in that toun And to this Marcus make no comparison Reken Camillus Papyrius Scipions Notable worthy for many great victory Reken vp all the worthy champions Cursius Fabricius famous of memory But this Regulus eclipseth all theyr glory And surmounteth by reporte of renoun All these for sayde in comparison Reken vp y â four that whylom were so rychâ The first of them called Lucius Other twayne of condicion lyche As was Scaurus and Gayus Delius And forget nat the great Emilius But for all theyr great possession Make to Marcus no comparison Remembre of Crassus of whome it is tolde The Assiriens to staunche his couetyse Powred in his throte straÌgled him w t golde So he dyed the story dothe deuyse And though these foure wende haue be wyse Greatlye commended through false opinion Of them to Marcus make no comparison Touchyng this Marke let men beholde se He left his treasour fredome and rychesse And for the profite of the commonte Forsoke hys freÌdes Bochas bereth witnesse To further his towne dyed in distresse To kepe hys fayth resorted to pryson Make of none other to hym comparison Myne auctour here putteth in remembrauÌce Some that had golde stones and pierre Some that had of rychesse habundaunce And of other that stode in dignite And some that had worldly prosperite Set all asyde and conclude of reason Twene them and Marcus is no comparison Prynces may lyue after theyr ententes After theyr power frowardly in vices Of gold and purpure wear riche garmentes After theyr lustes and theyr delyces Graunt theyr ministers great offyces Twene all their pompe and vayne ambicion And atwene Marke make no comparison All these thynges remembred in certeyne Wel considred and yput in mynde There was in Rome but fewe suche seyne To common profit that found was so kynde And tyll I may suche another fynde In all thys boke turnynge vp so doun I wyll to hym make no comparison ¶ Lenuoye THys tragedye who that can take hede Is entermedled wyth wo and gladnesse Joye for worshyp and singuler manhede That was in Marke by excellent noblesse To rede his fall it is great heuynesse Whiche chase to dye where as he stode fre Onely for profite of the commonte To kepe hys othe playnely as I rede Made in Cartage there beyng in distresse Thys noble prynce constrayned of no nede But of frewyll myne auctour doth expresse Fro Rome agayne thyther gan hym dresse To suffer tourment of hys fre volunte Onely for the profyt of the commonte Thys story shoulde crowned be in dede With golden letters for to beare wytnesse Howe the sayde Marke hauynge of death no drede To set Rome fro werre in sykernesse Whose hie renome most soue rayn of prowesse May neuer eclypse by none antiquite Which chase to dye to forther the commonte He deserued for to haue the mede Of triumphe and marciall worthynesse And of Jupiter to weare the purple wede Fret full of stones most heueÌly of brightnesse The laureat crowne coÌseruyng hys grenesse Graunted to victours who lyst consider se Which chase to dye for the commonte Noble princes whiche that gouerne lede All wordly people take hede in your hynesse To this story trew as is the crede Takyng example to do your busynesse Aye to support mayntayn ryght wysnesse And let Marcus to you a myrrour be Whiche chase to dye to forther the commonte The .viii. Chapter ¶ Howe Tholome kynge of Egypte called Philopater slewe father and mother and hys wyfe in lecherye spent hys lyfe and mischeuouslye ended NExt in order to Bochas complaynyng Vicious of lyfe there came Tholome Called Philopater was of Egypt kyng In tender age by horrible cruelte Slewe father mother suster ye maye se He to be crowned as it is made mencion To reygne alone in that region He was disposed vnto euery vyce Frowarde to vertue and to all doctryne Slewe hys wyfe called Erudice Left hys spouse and toke a concubyne Wasted hys lyfe and gan hym selfe enclyne To all ryote surfet and outrage And in this wyse he spent hys yonge age Thus was disclaundred hys royall maieste In lecherous lustes watched all nyght In bed tyll noone agayne all honeste Of false excesse shope hym anonryght When he arose to drynke agayne myght Gorge vpon gorge to afforce hys lechery The longe daye he spent in glotony I wexe wery the processe for to write Of this tyraunt vicious and wode It is contagious the processe to endite Because the example doth harme no goode And of vengeaunce thus with him it stoode Of sodayne mischefe I rede he dyd fyne Enbraced in armes of hys concubyne Agathoclia playnly was her name And had a sonne called Agathocles Vicious bothe and sclaundred by diffame Noysed by report they were so recheles Bothe at ones take in a sodayne prees With their alies all at ones fet And by iust dome led to the gybet The .ix. Chapter ¶ How Brythomarus and Viridomarus dukes of Fraunce after great batayls were by Romayns slayne NExte Philopater called Tholome Ther came in order a worthy duke of Frauâce Brythomarus out of that couÌtre Rode into Grece with a great puysaunce And first he gan to make hys ordinaunce Agayne Romayns albe they were ferre Proudly with them for gynne a werre But they of Rome to theyr confusion By theyr bysâ oppes and priestes gan deuise To vse a cursed false supersticion Vnto their goddes in full cruell wyse To offer vp men by a newe sacrifice To burye theÌ quike in Bochas thus I rede By a false hope the better for to spede Of frauÌce Grece they toke ten in nombre Halfe men womeÌ togider twayn twaine And by false murder they dyd theÌ encombre Buried theÌ quike their dethe was sodayne At this sacrifice the goddes gan disdayne And to the Romayns wexte contrarious For theyr false ryghtes supersticious And by recorde of olde Croniculers The yere fyue hundred fro their foundacion And one and twenty tho beyng consulers Thre in numbre as made is mencion Whiche gouerned and ruled all the toun The first called Lucius Emilius And the seconde Catullus Gaius Actilius Regulus the thyrde consulere By al the senate ordayned were these thre As I haue tolde the selfe same yere For to gouerne and rule the cyte And to preserue them from all aduersite Agayne two peoples of Gaule Lumberây Which them werred of malyce and enuy Of whiche werre y e Romayns stode in doute The Senatours all the citisayns Because agaynste them there came so great a route Of Lumbardes by this halfe the mouÌtayâs Joyned together with many fell forayns Which stode departed as made is remeÌbrauÌce Fro them of Rome and theyr obeysaunce The people rude bestiall and vnstable Together assembled
cowarde knowe in y â felde was he The pore toppresse a wolfe most furious And by disceite a foxe for subtilte No man more froward of hie nor low degre Nor more deliting in falshed nor flatery What was his endeâ a sodain deth parde For his outrages of pride and lechery Noble Princes of prudence full famous In al your greatest roial maieste Remembre playnly if ye be vertuous Ye shall perseuer in longe prosperite Where the contrary causeth aduersite As this story afore doth specifye Of Antiochus cast from his dignite For this great pride riot and lecherye â The .xvi. Chap. How Jeronimus kig of Ciracuse was slayn how Scipio Affrican y t laboured for coÌmon wele of Romains was exiled by them and so dyed After the deth of thys Antiochus Ther came a price to Bocas coÌplaining Which that was called Jeronimus Of Cyracuse whylom lorde and kyng Whych of his lieges he nothing trespasing Slayne was wyth his thre susters dere Of hatred myne auctour wryteth here Ciracusanes had a condicion Through chauÌges newe aye to be vnstable Of wilful malice voyde of al reason On their kinges for to be vengeable They loued not to haue them perdurable But euery yere of custome this is trewe Them to gouerne to haue a prince newe And for their chauÌges their vncouth striues Wyth variaunce of their condycions Because no frute is founde in their liues Nor in their stories nor in their successions I wyl passe duer and speke of Scipions And first to write of the worthy man Called in his tyme Scipio Affrican A famous knight in al nacions For his conquest shortly to conclude Which had brought full many regions More by wysdome than by multitude To obey the Romayns but for ingratitude Whych that he fonde in them as I rede How he wrought to tel I wyll procede It is remembred of his worthynes While that he was flouring in yonge age How Rome was made lady maystresse Of many a lande to their auauntage And specially all Affrike Cartage By hys prowesse as made is mencion Were brought of Romayas vnder subiection But they againeward were to him vnkynde By accusacions fonde out by their falsenesse Sayd agayne hym as it is put in mynde By recorde of many a false wytnesse That he should haue imbezeled the rychesse Of Cartage and Affrike the countre Whych appertayned to Rome the cyte But againeward this noble Affrican Proudly gaue answere to his accusours He neuer wythhelde fro tyme y t he began Toward him selfe no parte of theyr tresours Saue as the manere is of conquerours For to conserue hys worshyp his name As most was profit to the townes fame This is to meane playnly and not tary He neuer accroched treasour nere nor ferre Towarde hym selfe but that was necessary For their worshyp to mayntayne theyr wer And yet that tyme he was their lode sterre To encrease their bouÌdes fully his delite Was al hole set to the coÌmon profyte He toke none hede of all the surplusage Of their treasours nor their great rychesse The name reserued of Affrike Cartage To hys knyghthod and his hye noblesse But their malicious expert vnkyndnesse Was in cause breuely to compyle Hys body fro them perpetually to exyle Cast him neuer wythin Rome toun After that daye amonge them to be seyne Vnkyndenesse gaue hym occacion To absent his person of hye dysdayne To exyle hym selfe neuer to come agayne But for to abyde in a smal vyllage Called Lynterne whan he was fal in age And for men should mynde on hym haue By a maner of indignacion An Epitaphie he set vpon hys graue Which saide thus to them of Rome toun O people vnkynde vnkynde agayne reason My funeral ashes nor my bones dede In thy walles thou shalt neuer possede In thyne vnkynde frowarde teritory My bones shall not rest nor abyde But thyne vnkyndnesse to put in memory To remembraunce shal be red full wyde Of these letters graue on euery syde By report onely of this small scripture Whych here is set vpon my sepuiture Lo here the cause by brefe dyscripcion Set on my graue for a memoriall Why that my bones out of Rome toun Be buried here lowe vnder thys wall In exile holde my feast funerall Vnkyndnesse me droue out of that cyte That wrought so much for the coÌmonte ¶ The .xvii. Chapter ¶ Howe Scipio Asian lorde of Asye that laboured euer for the coÌmon wele was murdred AFter the ende of thys Affrican Called i his time worthy Scipion Came next his brother Scipio Asyan Which in Asie had dominacion Gayne whom was made an accusacion To al the Senate that he vntruly shold Certayne tresours towarde hym selfe w t hold Whych that he in Asie had wonne In hys conquest by many strong battayle Which accusacion falsly was begonne Of olde enuy causlesse thys is no fayle Whose worthynesse full muche dyd auayle To comon profyt by these two conquerours By great ritchesse encreasyng their tresours The tone in Affrik as ye haue hard me tell By hys wysdome and his chinalry That other in Asia whych dyd excell In hye prowesse as bokes specifye Flalsly hyndred of hatred and enuy By compassyng of one Antiochus Hym to distroy he was so desirous Not withstaÌding these twayne Scipions Had in their tyme by manifolde battayls Brought vnto Rome so many regions To obey their citie w t marcial apparayls And euer more to their great auails Brought in tresours to encreace w t their toun Yet haue they wrought to their distruccion The tone in exyle as made is mencion Dyed alas whan that he was olde The seconde was murdred in prison Their boeth storyes remembred here tolde To yeue example to princes manyfolde That who that laboureth for a comonte Leseth oft his thaÌke by Scipions ye may se. â The .xviii. chapter ¶ How the Duke Philopomenes was take put in prison after dranke poison and so dyed AFter the processe of these two Scipions Twene two peoples wylfull and recheles Began in Grece newe discencions Twene Acheoys and Etholois doutles And a great Duke Philopomenes A Prince y â tyme of full great puissaunce Had of Messenois holy the gouernaunce This sayde Prince Philopomenes Leadyng his host vpon a ful fayre playne As he rode armed and put him selfe in prees Myd his people as gouernour wardaine Folke out of rule for to call agayne Vpon his stede as he gan them fette In due ordre his wardes for to set And this Prynce of port most marcial In the pursute which that he gan make Amonge his enemies he had a sodaine fall Voyde of al rescue vnwarely he was take Of al his frendes lyke a man forsake Amonge his enemies brought vnto prison There made an ende by drinkynge of poyson Of Philopomenes this was the fatal caas Out of gouernance his people disolate Except a captaine called Ligorias Whych in the werres was wonder fortunate Of Acheoys toke on him the state Them to gouerne and
lykely of disposicion Chosin afterwarde for a synguler prise To go to Spayne to helpe Scipion Gaine NumeÌtaynes a famous mighty toun And there Jugurtha so knyghtly hath begon That by his nobis the town anon was won And to remembre his knyghthod of entent His worthynesse and his hye renoun To Mysipsa letters were downe sent By the forsaid worthy Scipion Which gaue so great a coÌmendacion To Jugurtha him callyng in that werre ⪠Of manly prowesse the yonge lode sterre Of king Mysipsa receyued notably Called hun sonne by adopcion The king dead sone Jugurtha traitourly Slewe Hiempsales heire by succession He of that realine to haue possession This was his custome how euer y â tytle stode By slaughter and murdre for to get good He lyst to goddes do no reuerence Of his nature wylful and recheles Hauynge nouther remors nor conscience Touchyng the slaughter of Hiempsales Falsly practised for his owne encrees For which murdre Romains haue set doun A Consulere to do correccion Calphurnius he called that was sent Onely to punishe that horible dede But with treasour hys eyen were so blent Of execucion that he toke none hede The Romayns ouercome with mede Gaue to Jugurtha by collusion Of this murore a coloured false pardon By which he toke a maner hardinesse Of tyranny which he dyd exercyse Gathered people of hareful cursydnesse And in him selfe gan curledly deuyse To execute the leâfe same gyse Of false murdre I meane nowe none other To slee Adherbales the seconde brother That he alone by false intrusion Of Numedy might be lorde and kyng Thus of his cruelte murdre false treason The noyse was borne by laÌgage wrytyng Of which the graffes flasly abrode spredynge Brought forth in hyndring of his name Frute of disclaundre reporte of diffame Mortall treason was couered vnder flours To saue him selfe by some subtylte And specially with his great treasours To appease the Senat if it would haue be But theragayne al the coÌmonte Made agayne him a coniuracion On his salse murdre to do correction Foure Mâmen of armes were downe sent With a pretour called Actilius The which pretour set al his entent To gather treasour for he was couetous And couetyse is contrarious Vnto knighthode as auctours all expresse And stepmother vnto worthynes A siege he layde aboute a myghty tour Wherin Jugurtha put all hys rychesse The siege was layde for loue of the treasoure More than for worshyp or for worthynesse Wherby his name and his noblesse Ther discomfyted brought vnto mischaunce After for mede made hys alyaunce With Jugurtha to his encrease of shame Caused Affrike through false cheuysaunce They togyther disclaundred by diffame Them to withdrawe fro the obeysaunce Of the Romains more them selfe tauauÌce To theyr purpose corrupted wyth treasour Many a Tribune and many Senatour Of newe againe al the comonte Fro Rome sent Gayus Marius For the murders and horible cruelte Wrought by Jugurtha the tiraunt furious Which to refourme the sayd Gayus A Consulere of purpose was sent doun A manly knyght and famous of renoun Full notably the werres he began Wrought euery thyng of hie prouidence And fortune whyche helpeth hardy man Gaue him great fauour by her influence And alderfirst he dyd his diligence For to auoyde al that were vicious Delicate people and folkes lecherous A day was set and taken a batayle But Jugurtha by false subtilte Profered much good which might not auaile To haue corrupt if it would haue be The sayde Marius but euer in one degre He stode aye stable vpright as a wall And toke none hede to his profer at all Than Jugurtha in party dispaired Greatly astonyed within hym selfe musynge But lyke a man hyndred and appayred He gan purpose anone a newe thynge Of Mauritaine he went to the kyng To get helpe whych called was Boccus Him to succour agayne this Gaius Twene them was made of new an alyauÌce The whyche last but a lytle space For kyng Boccus gan fal in repentaunce Cast he woulde resorte to the grace Of the Romayns and nomore trespace And to perfourme his entencion He made to Gayus this mediacion There was one Scylla called a Questour Of Gayus host had gouernaunce For king Boccus he was mediatour That ther was newely accordaunce Twene him Gayus and by the purueyauÌce Of thys Boccus Jugurtha anone was hent Maugre his myght and tâ Gayus sent And al his kyngdom without resistence Gaine to Romains came vnder obeysaunce And Marius forgaue them their offence Receyued them vnder assuraunce That he shall by dome do no vengeaunce To punyshe y â trespaces that they dyd aforne The space coÌpted fro tyme they were borne Jugurtha taken almost for angre mad Brought to Rome and fettered in prison To Terpeya an hye hyl he was lad Jugement yeue for his false treason bound to a stone and after throwe doun Fro the place full hye where he stode Without mercy in to Tibre flode ¶ Lenuoye THis may be wel called a tragedy By discripcion takynge auctorite For tragedy as Poetes specify Ginneth with ioye endeth with aduersyte From hye estate cast in to lowe degre Example taken this story sayth aright Of Iugurtha that was fyrst a good knyght At his ginnyng famous in chiualry Gate NumeÌtaigne of Spaine a great citye But in repairing home to that party I meane whan he came home to his countre He chaunged knyghthode into cruelte With couetise so blinded was the syght Of Iugurtha that first was a good knighte His wyt his power he holy dyd apply To hateful murdre fraude and subtylte By extorte title him selfe to magnify Slew rightful heires reft theÌ their lybertie By false intrusion clambe vp to their se And gaue no force were it wrong or ryght A thyng contrary to euery worthy knight Noble princes lift vp your hertes iye Within your selfe remembre and do se Of this murdre the hateful tyrrany With oppression done to the commoÌte His gynnyng good a cursed ende had he Murdre axeth vengeaunce day and night A thynge contrary to euery worthy kyght ⧠Here endeth the fyfte booke and here after foloweth the sixte ¶ Here Bochas sittinge in his studie alone wryteth a greate processe howe Fortune lyke a Monstruous Image hauynge an C. handes apeared vnto hym and spake and Bochas vnto her makynge bytwene them both many great arguments and reasons of fortunes chaunces ¶ The Fyrst Chapter IN hys studye alone as Bochas stode Hys pen in hande of sodayne auenture To remeÌbre he thought it dyd hym good Howe that no man may him selfe assure In worldly thynges fully to recure Grace of fortune to make her to be stable Her dayly chaunges be so variable She braydeth euer on y â chauÌtipleure Now songe now wepyng now wo now gladnesse Nowe in myrth nowe paine to endure Nowe lyght now heuy nowe in swetnesse Nowe in trouble nowe fre nowe in distresse Shewyng to vs a maner resemblaunce No worldly welth hath here non assurauÌce Whyle
shalt wryte How many romaynes lost by theÌ their liues I wyll also in ordre that thou endyte And if I shall rebuke them and atwyte As I fro nought made them in honour shine So I again warde made theÌ in mischef fine Forget nat also the deadly pytous fate Of him that was so notable in his lyfe I meane the great famous Mithridate Whose name is yet full couthe and ryfe To whom I gaue a great prerogatyfe Fourty wynter the dede was well sene Agayne Romayns the werre to sustene For whiche herafter I gyue it the in charge Of Mithridate the story set alonge Whan thou haste leyser a space large Remember his conquest his dedes stronge And howe that I medled me amonge For al his noblesse and his felicite To yeue him parte of great aduersite Next in ordre after her owne choys Fortune vntrusty vpon eche party To John Bochas bothe conuayed fro Parthoys Stronge Herodes reignyng in Parthy Lo John quod she take hede of this story All his kinred yf it be well out sought Wer by ScithieÌs chased brought to nought And yet for al my mutabylite Some of them whyle they stode dispayred I restored vnto their dignite Vnto which whan they were repayred This Herodes was hindred and apayred By chaunges for his hatefull pride Whan he lest wende vn warely set asyde Suyng after within a lytle whyle This geryshe lady of condicion Gan an yll laughing falsely for to smyle Lokyng on Bochas brought with her doun A mighty prince which in Rome toun Had in his dayes notable price and fame All be that she expressed nat his name Bochas than his head gan downe declyne Seyng that prynce of face disfigured Of suspection gan to ymagyne Whan he his mynde fully hath recured By certayne tokens sygnes well assured It was Pompey surquedous of estate Which with Cesar so longe was at debate Disconsolate through his vnhappye caas His face soyled with water of the see Tyme whan Fotynus and cruel Achyllas Drowned hys body of furyous enmyte His face disfigured at the solempnyte With smokes blake deadly and mortall Called of clerkes the feast funerall Codrus caused the corps was brent And consumed into ashes deed To Cesar after his head was borne and sent Vpon a pole hys story who lyst rede After all this Bochas toke good hede How fortune by a maner mockery In scorne of hym gan thus to specify Vp to the heauen after his deuyse I gan enhaunce and encrease hys glory By my fauour I gaue hym many a pryse Conquest of kynges w t many great victory And more to put his noblesse in memory By my support through his chiualry With Cesar Julius to holde champarty And while that I my fauour dyd applye Towarde him his victories to assure His fame arose tyll that in Thessalye I gan withdraw his party to succoure Sufferyng his enemies make discomfiture Vpon this Pompey hyndred in my syght When to Lesbos at mischefe toke hys flyght By the seruauntes of yonge Tholome Reygning in Egypt Pompey in his drede Was take slayne he founde no helpe in me I gaue him vp and so he lost his hede Yet of my chaunges no man taketh hede Nor how vnsurely I cast my dredefull loke Saue thou art busy to set them in thy boke Bochas astonied parcell of her presence Bothe of chere face and countenaunce And this whyle hauyng his aduertence Thought he sawe a maner resemblaunce Of a person which stode in great greuaunce Tyll at last fortune cast her syght Towarde Bochas and tolde what he hyght This is quod she playnly to termine The famous man prynce of eloquence That gaue to Latynes y â scole the doctrine Of Rethorike as well of that science For whiche I wyll thou doe thy diligence To write with other of thys Tullius All the case and gyn at Marius These wordes sayde fortune made an ende She bete her âynges and toke her to flyght I can nat se what way she dyd wende Saue Bochas telleth like an angell bryght At her departyng she shewed a great lyght But assone as she gan disapere He toke his penne and wrote as ye shal here The .ii. Chapter ¶ Howe Gayus Marius of lowe byrth borne came to hie estate whiche blent with couetise after many great batayls dyed at myschefe HEre Bochas gynneth to tell of the man Called in hys tyme Gayus Marius Borne at Aprina a castell of Tuscan Sonne of a carpenter the storye telleth thus Pursued armes manly and vertuous Through all Rome nor in that countre Was there no man holde so stronge as he Discyplyne and great subtylite He had also as bokes specify Prudence manhode and habylite Bothe in armes and in chyualry Moste famous holde towarde the party w tin a while myne auctour saythe certayne Chose a Tribune and a great capitayne But fro the gynnyng of his tendre age As histories put in remembraunce He was pricked so sore in his corage By a gredy fret of longe contynuaunce Neuer to staunche with none habundaunce The worlde nor fortune w t all their richesse Suffyled nat to appease his gredynesse Entring a temple he founde a diuynour Counsayled him there by his diuynayle To entre Rome and holde there soiour By good auice and knightly apparayle Made him promyse that he shoulde nat fayle To attayne by fauour of the commonte To great office and state in the cyte Fauour of commons brought hi to hie estate By them receyued vnto dignyte Of Consulere albe that the Senate Had disdayne of his felicite Bycause he was borne of lowe degre Graunted to him after by the toun To conquere realmes by a commissyon He gate the prouince through his hie renoun Of Numedy as he dyd them assayle And toke the kyng of that region Called Jugurtha proudly in batayle For whiche emprise by marcial apparayle He gate y e triumphe through y â town ryding Bycause onely for taking of that king And for he was a person so notable For many a famous sodayne victory Namely in conquest preued profitable To all the coÌmons as put is in memory And for thencreace of his renome glory By the opinyon hole of the cyte In his hande lay all their prosperite Agayne a people y â called was Cymbroys TheÌ to conquere froÌ Rome he was sent doun Also agaynst the boystous Tigurnoys Gadred together of many nacion All them he brought to subiection Like as Romains had afore desyred Because thei had againe their town coÌspired They toke vpon them of false presumption To passe all the mountaines of Itayle First discomfited as made is mencion Thre Romayne dukes felly in batayle Fourscore thousand clad in plate and mayle Slayne of Romayns y â story is well knowe Vnder the Alpes at mischefe ouerthrowe This Marius of marciall auenture In Germany had a great batayle With Tewtobochus a gyaunt of stature Put first to flyght with al his apparayle For Marius dyd hym so sore assayle At the chace
proudly borne to grounde Maugre his might take in chaynes bouÌde Marius after with his hoste hym drewe Towarde y e people of Cimbroys for to fight Two hundred people I fynde of theÌ he slewe Eight thousand take thre M. put to flight Kyng Bolerus a full famous knight Slayne in the felde for all his great pryde Agayne Marius lyke as he dyd ryde That day of Cibroyes was al y e people slaine The women after he lyst nat to reserue Yet they profered wolde haue ben ful faine Their chastite deuoutly to obserue In the temple of Vesta for to serue But their request for he lyst nat here With him they fought echone slayne yfere Except some whan they sawe none other Remedy of purpose they were set Eueriche of them to slee murder other And some thought also it was bet To hange them selfe vpon an hye gybet Than to abyde of Marius the outrage Perpetually to lyue in seruage Thus Marius of thre nacions Through hys conquest accoÌplyshed y â victory With prisoners of sundry regions Entred Rome to his encreace of glory With speciall laudes notable of memory First the triumphe a guerdon singulere He tymes syxe was chosen a Consulere Thus fortune was to him fauourable To set him vp in worldly dignities For a season but for she was chaungeable Amonge her gyftes and great prosperitees She gaue him parte of great aduersytees And specially the tyme accompted than Twene him Scilla whan the werre gan Lucius Scilla abyding in Champayne Marius at Rome tho present Whan the deuysion gan atwene theÌ twayne Eche to other contrary of entent Melancolous and impacient Whiche of both the story wel conceyued To gouerne should sonest be receyued All sodaynly were it right or wronge Toward Rome takinge his passage Agayne Marius to make him selfe stronge Gan slee and burne and of great outrage Wylfull and hasty furyous of corage For sodaine comming and vnware violence Agayne him found no resystence Two mighty batayls he dyd with him lede Entryng the cite gan through y â wal myne Wyth one bataile fast gan him spede To passe the gate called Aquylyne That other gate named was Colyne At whose entring by recorde of the boke Scilla by strength the capitoyle toke But whan Marius had knowlegyng That Scilla had so great power might Without arest or lenger abydyng In to a maryshe Gayus anonright With all his people toke sodainly his flyght Fet out by strength coude hym nat defende Scilla after to prison dyd him sende Thus the prowesse for a whyle slept Of Marius lying in pryson Scilla that tyme the capitoyle kept Wherby all Rome stode in subiection And of hatred in haste he sent down A sturdy chorle to Marius in his drede Whyle he lay bounde to smyte of his heade This chorle wel compacte of braune bones Set of purpose Marius for to oppresse For his strength ordayned for the nones To the prison the chorle gan him fast dresse Where Marius was fettred in distresse Fully in purpose without more delay To behead him in prison there he lay Losing hym first lying on his couche And Marius rose vp lyke a man The chorle fearfull to âinite him or to touche And Marius full proudly tho began To entre a place beside of a woman Founde an asse there of auenture Vpon whose backe the see he gan recure Towarde Affrike there he fonde passage By enprisoning though he were wext faynt Yet there abode styl in his corage Hye worthynesse with prudence meynt Which in his person were nat queynt Agayne the malyce to make a countertayle Of proude Scilla the malyce efte tassayle Of Itayle rode through the countre Toke his voyage through Rome tou n Wyth four batayls entred the cyte Sixe hundred knightes by computacion Slaine in the felde as made is mencion Where men may se who lyste loke aferre What domage diuysion dothe in werre First by the manhode of this Marius In this diuysion the story who lyst rede The great Consull called Octauius Loste his head and his lyfe in dede Vpon a pole while it dyd blede Was cruelly presented of entent Before the iudges sytting in iugement Of whose death some of them were fayne Some sory of loue as they were bounde And in this werre Merula was slayne Priest in the temple lyke as it is founde Of Jupiter with many mortal wounde The romayne slayne y â called was Crassus With fyre consumed was proude Catullus All his enemyes Marius dydencombre Which agayne him by conspyracion Were assented with a ful great nombre In their auise for to haue put him doun Take from him his dominacion But he abode the turment and the shoures Strong to coÌdempne al his coÌspyratours Sixe times aforne rehersed here Of condicion though he were dispytous He was chosen so oft consulere Tyll fortune gan wexe enuyous Agayne this sayd cruell Marius Which made the Senate w t al the chyualry To grutche agayne his hatefull tyranny In this time the story maketh mynde Damasippus a Pretor of the toun Frendly to Marius helpyng as I fynde Vnder a shadowe of deception Vnto their cite for to do treason Causyng four Romayns come in fere Tofore Marius a certayne day tapere And their names to put in memory Sceuola Carto and Domicius The fourth of them as sayth the story Called in Rome the wyse Antistius Together assembled tofore Marius He of rancour agayne iudgement or lawe Made theÌ be slayn through the cite drawe Their bodies after were in Tybre cast By cruelte of the sayde Marius All this while the cruell werre last Twene him and Scilla tyl duke CoÌpaneus Came to the party hardy and dispitous To helpe Scilla their baners first displayed Wherof all Rome was sodaynly affrayed At the gate that called was Collatyne Marius and Scilla had a great batayle Four score thousand the numbre to termyne On Marius side slayne it is no fayle Scilla victorious with marcial apparayle Entring the towne agayne his othe parde Thre thousand citezius slew of that cite Of folke disarmed and naked in the towne They nouther spared olde nor yonge of age The cruell murdrers walkynge vp downe By Scilla sent in that mortall rage Tyll Catullus a prynce fall in age Sayde vnto Scilla we can no difference Twene rebellion nor atwene innocence We murder and slee without exception Bothe hie and low holdyng no manere Againe all knighthode to myne opinion We do procede in our conquest here Our title is lost the triumphe to requere Of hie prowesse whan we can nat obserue No difference to slee nor to reserue And in this while of hatefull cruelte Scilla contriued letters diffamable Wherby fiue hundred out of that cite Were falsly banished citezins notable Agayns them he was so vntreatable All their goodes atcheâed in that rage Of auaryce and of false pyllage Another romayne named Marius Brother to Marius of whoÌ tofore I tolde For drede of Scilla fled and toke an hous Which vnto
countrees Saue in cauernes great holowe trees The boke remembreth how that his diet Were beastes wylde enchased w t great might Fled ydienesse eschewed all quiete And lytle slepe suââised him at nyght By exercise his body was made âyght There was nouther whan hym lyst pursue Harte nor hynde y â myght his hande eschue He nouther drad tygers nor lyons He was so swifte tho they dyd hym assayle Lyke of strength to olde champions No wylde beast of great nor smale entayle Tescape his hande might not countreuayle If he were ware early outher late So great swiftnesse had this Mithridate Amonge he had in armes exercyse Amonge to tournay and ren on horsebacke All dilicate fare he dyd also dispyse Of gredy excesse in him there was no lacke A nighter tyme his slepe full oft he brake Stoundmeale the houres for to marke In the daunyng rose vp or the larke The space accomplished fully of seuen yere He is repayred home to hys countre Shewed hym selfe of manhode and of chere Full like a knight his story who lyst se Wherof his enemies astonied be Caught of hys coÌming in hert a maner drede Supposyng afore that he was dede In whose absence his wyfe Leodyces Conceyued a childe as made is mencion For the diffame shoulde nat come in prees Him for to murder she sought occasion Fully in purpose to slee hym by poyson Of which defautes her lorde was nat fayne Knowing the trouth made her to be slayne Toke on him after many knightly dede First to conquere all Paflagoâye By the helpe of worthy Nychomede That tyme called kyng of Bithinye Togyther assured to be of one alye In losse or lucre fortune to be theyr gyde And therto sworne neuer to deuyde To Mithridate Legates were downe sent Fro the Romains him lowly requiryng That he woulde lyke to their entent Paflagoâye restore to their kyng Which he had wonne the cite assaylyng But he lyst nat aduertise their prayere Nor on no parties their requestes here He dred nat their thretes nor manaces Gate proudly after the lande of Galathye In his conquest wan many other places Capadoce toke to hys partye Slew their kyng of hatred and enuye Ariarectes a full manly man And in this wyse his conquest he began Agayn thassurauÌce twene him Nichomede All sodaynly he gan fall at debate Thought he wolde warrey hym in dede Because that he pompous and elate In Capadoce toke on hym thestate To reygne as kyng agayns his entent He nouther being of counsayle nor assent Yet Nychomede or they gan debate Had longe afore to his owne encrees The suster wedded of y e Mithridate Whan they as brethren lyued in rest pees And she also was called Leodices Hauyng two sonues borne for to succede After discease of the sayde Nychomede And by processe these sayde children twayne In Capadoce by helpe of Mithridate Claymed a tytle iustly for to attayne Vnto the crowne their father died but late For which they gan felly to debate Tyll Mithridate falsly gan contriue His two neuewes vngoodly to depriue All Capadoce he toke into hys hande His owne sonne he hath crowned kyng Capadociens by assent of al the lande Gan disobey of purpose his workyng Whan the Romains considred all thys thyng Artaberzanes in hast they sent doun Gayne Mithridate to kepe that region The sonne of whoÌ fro theÌ they haue refused Out of their kyngdome gan him to enchace For they seÌpte their fraunchyse was abused To see a foraine occupie that place Mithridate gan newly them manace And toke with him to sustayne his partye Tygranes the kyng of Armenye Artabarzanes that was fro Rome sent To Capadoce to helpe them and counsayle Of Mithridate knowyng the entente Howe he came downe proudly hym tassayle With Tygranes set in the first batayle Of Capadoce that al the region Was brought that day to theyr subiection Thus Mithridate hauyng his entent In short time countreys conqueryng Was mightiest prince of all the orient And in tho dayes one the greatest kyng And as it is remembred by writyng He delyted most in astronomye In sortilege and in sorcerye And with all these he dyd hys busy cure For to lerne vncouth conclusyons And secretes sought out by nature Knewe the langages of diuers regions Of two and twenty sundry nacious And helde women many more than one Loued Hipsycrata aboue them euerychone To the Romains this manly Mithridate As bokes olde recorde of hym and sayne Vpon a day of very cruell hate Through all Asya he bad that eche Romayne Shoulde of his men mercilesse be slayne Twenty thousande he slewe eke on a day Of Romain marchaÌtes durst no maÌ say nay To him he drewe diuers nacions To encreace his party by puissaunce Kymbrois Gallois with other regions Bostornois toke to his aliaunce With strauÌge people made his acquaintauÌce Where that euer he rode nye or ferre With them of Rome for to holde werre In Grece also he gate manye an yle All Cyclades to his subiection Conquered so that within a whyle Of Athenes he gate the famous toun But when Romains knewe his entencion They sent Scilla in a furious hete With Mithridate in Grece for to mete Archelaus which that was constable Leading the host of kyng Mithridate Gan agayne Scilla trustynge he was able Maugre the Romains with him to debate As they met in their furious hate Beside Orthonia of Grece a great towne Of Archelaus y â party was brought downe There gan Scilla to be victorious Gayne Mithridate and by great violence Gate al Ephesie a kyngdome ful famous Rode through Asye founde no resistence By his knighthode and manly prouidence Capadoce and Bithinye eke also To Romain handes he gate them bothe two When Mithridate perceyued hath this thinge How the coÌquest of Scilla toke encrees Anone he cast without longe tariynge For a tyme with him to haue a pees Of hie wisdome he was nat retcheles To dissimule tyll he founde time and space In double fortune to finde better grace Abode his tyme kept hym selfe close Tyll he founde layser lyke hys opinion In this while of auenture arose Within Rome a great discencion Twene two Consules being in that toun Which to appease by hys auctorite Scilla came vp agayne to the cite When Mithridate his absence dyd espy To his purpose founde oportunite Gadred people and with his chiualry A siege layde vnto Cyzite the cite Of all Asye moste of auctorite Tyll Lucullus a myghty Consulere To breke the siege approche gan full nere Mithridate had on fyue captayns Tofore the towne made a discomfiture Of hie dispyte he had to Romayns But Lucullus the damages to recure To enclose his enemies dyd hys busy cure To his mynours gaue anone in charge About the siege to make a diche full large They within had knowledgyng By certayn tokens of all theyr gouernaunce Whervpon they made no tariyng To cast a way for their delyueraunce Mithridate seyng their ordinaunce Of hie prudence to escape
worlde one the best knyght Thus erthly princes w t at their poÌpus fame Which ouer the world yeueth so gret a soun Of slauter and murdre they toke firste their name By false rauyn and extorcion Clambe so vp fyrst to dominacion BreÌnyng of countreis conquest by vyolence Set them in chaires of worldly excellence In this batayle that called was ciuile Holde atwene Pompey Cesar Julius Thre hundred M. slayne within a whyle Thre thousande take the story telleth thus Without princes not able and glorious As kynges and pretours reckned al atones Tribunes Consuls and Centuriones Phebus on y â soil might not his bemes spred Nor on the grouÌde shewe out his clere lyght Men that were slayne laye so thicke on brede That of the earth no man had a syght Wolues beares rauinous foules of flight Came great plente to fede there eche day Besyde the ryuer of Nile where they lay Gobbets of fleshe whych foules dyd arace Fro dead bodies borne vp in the ayre Fyl fro the clawes vpon Julius face Amydde the felde where he had repaire Made his visage blody and not fayre Albe that he to his encrees of glorye Had thylke day of Romayns the vyctory The head of PoÌpey brought w t his stately rig Offââd vp to Julyus hye presence He by compassyon the murdre aduertisyng Of his innate imperyal excellence Brast out to wepe and in his aduertence Thought it pyte a price of so great myght Shuld so be slayn y â was so good a knight The corse abode without a sepulture Tyll one Codrus of compassyon After the batayle and disconfyture Besought hym of great affection To hyde the trunke lowe in the saÌdes doun Sought tymbre there he fonde but small To do exequies with fyres funerall Nowe sith thys prince came to suche mischefe Murdred slayne by Tholome the kyng Here of her power fortune hath made a prefe What trust there is in any worldly thynge After his deth wanted he not buryeng This proude PoÌpey so famus of his hande Of fyshe deuoured as he lay on quicsande What shall men set by power or noblesse Of slyding goodes or any worldly glory Which to restrayne may be no syckernes Fortune and the worlde is so transitory Though Mars to day gyue a man victorye Parcase to morowe vnwarely he shal dey I take recorde of Cesar and Pompey Sith al stant vnder daunger of Fortune Ye worldly men do your loke vp dresse To thilke place where ioy doth aye coÌtune The blynde lady hath there none entresse Set pride asyde take you to mekenesse To sue vertue do truely your labour Gaine al pompe make PoÌpey your myrrour ¶ Lenuoy THys tragedy of Duke Pompey Declareth in grosse the chefe occasion Why he and Cesar gan fyrst warrey Eche againe other through vayne ambicion To haue lordshyppe and dominacion Ouer y e Romains by fauer fraude or mighte Possession take no force of wrong nor ryght To trouthes partie pride is loth to obey Extort power doth great distruction Wyse policye al out of the waye Prudent counsaile age with discrecion Lost their liberte of free eleccion Who was most stronge with him helde euery wyght Possession take no force of wronge nor right Such deuision made many man to dey Brought the cyte to desolacion With two princes fortune lyst to pley Till from her whele she cast theÌ both doun Subtel disceit fraude and collusion By ambicious climbinge blent their syght Possession take no force of wronge nor right Noble princes remembre what I saye Peyse this story wythin youre reason Of false surmouÌting auarice beareth the key Recorde of Cesar Pompey of Rome toun Whose wylfull warres hateful discencion Geueth clere warning to you euery wyght No claime is worth without title of ryght The .xii. chapter ¶ Howe victorious Julius Cesar brente the vessels of Tholome slough Achilas that woulde haue murdred hym and after great victories was murdred with him selfe bodkins by Brutus Cassius AFter the woful complaynte lamentable Of Pompeyes deth pitous for to here Warres remeÌbred w t tresoÌs importable Compassed fraudes faced with fayre chere Conspired murdre rehersed the manere How kinge Tholome fraudulent of courage The dethe conspired of Pompey fall in age The processe tolde I holde it were but vayne Thereof to wryte a newe tragedy Thing ones sayde to reherce agayne It were but ydel as for that partie But howe Cesar went out of Thessaly Came to Alisandre to lodge him in that place I will remeÌber with supporte of youre grace He lodged was in the paleys royall Where he was busy by diligent labour Through that region in temples royal To spoile goddes and haue al their treasour Where he was mocked and founde no fauour For Achilas whych that slewe Pompey Cast him with Cesar proudly to warrey His purpose was to fall vpon Cesar As of nature was hys condicion Falsely to murdre men or they were ware By some sleight to fynde occasion To distroy Julius by treason And to accomplyshe hys purpose in party Had twenty thousande in hys company This Achilas false cruel and disceyuable Cast him disceyue Cesar if he myght ⪠Of the Egipciens leader and constable With the Romayns purposeth for to fyghte But whan Cesar therof had a fyghte He is discended ⪠and fast by the see Brent al the nauy of kynge Tholome All the vessels were driuen vp wyth a flode To great domage of the sayd Tholome Julius brent them euyn there he stode And a great parte besyde of the cite And there was brent which was great pite The famous lybrary in Egipt of the kyng Full .xl. thousande volumes there lying In which thing Bochas reherseth in sentence Howe Tholome was greatly commendable That through his busy royall prouidence Made him selfe a librarye so notable For to al clerkes in study that were able Of seuen sciences the story bereth mynde Lyke their desire myght bokes fynde After this fyre in Farus the countre The Egipciens had a great battaile Wher Cesar was of great necessite That day constrained whan y e felde can fayle Toke a barge from Egypt for to saile But so great prees folowed at his backe Almost the vessel was lyke to go to wracke Cesar armed with letters in his hande Put his person that daye in a venture Two hundred paas he manly swam to lande And coÌnyngly to lande he doth recure Notwithstandyng his heuy great armure But yet tofore or Cesar toke the see He in the felde had take Tholome And Achilas the murdrer of Pompey With al his felowes that were of assent Were slayne that daye there went non away Many Egipcien the same tyme brent Cesar of mercy for Tholome hath sent To Alysandre sent hym home of newe Charging he should to Romaynes be trew But whan he was deliuered from prison Of Egipciens in Alysandre the cite From euery coast gadred great foyson Againe Julius came downe with his meyne But yet for all hys hasty cruelte Such
resistence Cesar gan to make That .xx. M. that day were slayne take Sixtie galeys not farre fro the lande Twelue M. men comynge to Tholome Echone were yelded and brought to hande Of Julius hys prisoners to be Than Tholomeus busied hym to flee To the water where maugre al hys myght He drowned was in his hasty flyght He knowen was by his rich haburion Of golde and stele it was entremayled By Cesar sent vnto the royall toun Which for dyffence was strongly enbattailed Buccles of golde richely enamayled Which tokens anone as they haue seyne Despeired to Cesar sent ageyne Of theÌ to Cesar was made fayth homage The reaim of Egipt brought to subiection Tyl he of grace and merciful corage To Cleopatra gaue all that region Longyng to her by succession By tytel of ryght that tyme none other Because onely Tholome was her brother Kyng Lagus whylom in his testament Father to Cleopatra and to Tholome Tofore his deth by great auisement Clerely euacted his last volunte That hys kingdome departed should be Halfe to Tholome as his bequeth was That other halfe to quene Cleopatras She by her brother was holde in prison To kepe her wrongly from her heritage Whereof Cesar had compassion Purposed him to reforme her domage And whyle that he helde there his hostage Of equite of lawe and of reason Of al Egipt gaue her possession Than came Juba of Libye lorde kynge Sower of stryues and discencion Proude hye of porte cruell in workinge Whiche in especial had indignacion Vnto the worthy last Scipion Cause he was chose lyke as bokes sey To succede next Consul to Pompey Thys Juba bare to hym great hatrede Sought a quarel againe hym for a thyng Cause that he was cladde in purple wede For him allegyng howe onely y â clothynge No maner estate shoulde vse but a kynge Ment for hym selfe syttyng in royall trone He wold as kyng that colour weare alone Here myne authour maketh a digression Puttynge ensample of Almayne the countre Sayth that there is none other nacion Touchyng array that is so dysguyse In waste of cloth and superfluyte Rehersyng here in full playne langage In many wise such wast doth great damage It causeth pride and ambicion Agayne the vertue of humilite To Lechery it gyueth occasion Which is contrary vnto chastite Wast of array sette folke in pouerte Causeth also such costage spent in vayne Of other poore to haue ful great disdayne Where superfluite is vsed of array Ryote foloweth proude port and ydelnes With wast of tyme driue forth the day Late drinkyng watch surfet dronkenes Engendreth feuers and many greate excesse Thus euery surfet englued is to other And one mysrule bryngeth in another God suffreth wele there be a difference Touchynge aray as men ben of degre Hye estates that stande in excellence Must be preferred of reason men maye se As cloth of golde stones of pyrre Was for priÌces with other fresh clothinges But specially purple was for kynges Thus was there set of hye discrecion Aray accordyng to prynces hie nobles And for other estates lower downe Lyke their degrees twene pouert riches An order kept from scarsyte and exces A meane prouided atwene hie and lowe Lyke to him selfe eche man may be knowe But kyng Juba insolent and madde Of surquedy caught an opinion That none but he in purple should be clad Causyng debate twene hym and Scipion Yet were they partie bothe with Rome toun Agayne Cesar and drewe towarde Pompey For which at myschefe bothe they dyd dey Whan Juba felte him selfe of no powere Agayne Cesar to holde champarty For sorow he lost countenaunce and chere Of his disdaine and melancoly Called one Peitrin a knight of his aly Made theÌ by assent y â they were bothe faine Felly to fight tyll one of them was slayne Againe nature was this straunge fight Eche to slee other and knewe no cause why But for king Juba was an hardy knight He slewe his felowe and abode proudly And rather chase to die wylfully Of hie dispyte and of proude corage Than vnder Cesar to liue in seruage Made call a man whome he loued wele Gaue vnto him golde and great guerdon To take a swerde forged of fyne stele And make therof no lengar delacion But he should for short conclusion Take vpon him haue no feare nor drede Without tarying to smite of his heade Thus king Juba rather chase to dey Than lenger liue in subiection Vnder Cesar he loued so well Pompey Than next to Bochas as made is mencyon Came Aristobolus w t face loke cast doun Which was to Rome afore as I haue tolde Sent by Pompey to be kept in holde Which after was delyuered from prison By helpe of Cesar in full hasty wyse Standing in hope of his region To be restored vnto the fraunchyse Where Hyrcanus as ye haue herde the gyse Preferred was to his great hindring By Pompey of Jewes crowned king Whiche Aristobolus hopeth to recure Cast meanes there to reigne againe Wrought thereon dyd his busy cure Whose hasty laboure was but spent iÌ vaine Fyll in the handes of a proude capteine Which that whilom was loÌginge to PoÌpey And he with poison vnwarely made him dey The .xiii. Chapter ¶ How the last ScipioÌ Consulere of Rome for he lyst nat to liue in seruage of Julius rofe hym selfe to the hearte NExt came the last worthy Scipion Whiche after Pompey was made Consulere With whome Juba was at discension For wearing purple as was tolde well ere And afterwarde fyl in great feare whan Cesar had within Libye lande Outrayed theÌ with strong mighty hande Wherby Scipion gan fall in dispeyre Lost his chere as man disconsolate With thre romains gan make his repeyre Dansippus Plectorie and Torquate Goyng to shyppe the time infortunate Towarde Spayne the teÌpest gan theÌ driue That they in Affrike vnwarely dyd ariue Scipion seing this wofull case sodayne Howe he was brought vnwarly to mischefe ⪠For Scicius a mighty stronge captaine Being a Pyrate and of the sea a thefe Whiche is a name of full great reprefe The same Pyrate longyng to Cesare Fyll on Scipion or that he was ware Beyng in purpose toke him prisonere Within his shyppe tofore his ariuaile For which alas dul gan his chere His countenaunce appall and eke fayle To fynd comfort no man coude him couÌsaile Pulled out a swerd whan he might nat stert And rofe him selfe euyn to the hert This was th ende at last of Scipion Leauer he had at mischefe so to dey Than vnder Cesar lye fettred in prison Or to his lordshippe in any wyse obey To Bochas next him came Pompey Sonne and heyre to great Pompeyus Contrary also to Cesar Julius Had bretherne and susterne mo than one And many another of their aliaunce And of assent they cast them euerichone Their fathers deth hauing in remembrauÌce Vpon Celar to take therof vengeaunce Eke vpon Tholome which by collusyon Slough their father by
full false trayson The eldest brother called eke Pompey Being in Spaine with ful great apparayle Cast him of newe Cesar to warrey And his people proudly to assayle And as I fynde there was a great batayle In which Pompey the eldest son of thre By Julius men constrained was to flee He fonde no socour nor receit him to saue Of his life he standing in great drede Knowyng no refute fled in to a caue Tescape away knew no better rede Where he was slaine to Cesar brought hyshede Sent forth in scorne anon to Hispalee Which in Spayne is a full great cyte Thus by processe al holy the kinrede Of Pompeius for short conclusion By Cesar was and by his men in dede Without mercy brought to distruction Thus gan enâreas the fame and renoun Of Julius conquestes on sea eke on land Whose mortal swerd might no man w t stand First in Libie Spaine and eke Itayle Thexperience of his royal puissaunce In Germany by many strong bataile His power preued ofte times in Fraunce Brought all these kingdoms to y e obeisaunce Of the romains peised al this thing and sein Touching his guerdoÌ his labor was in vein Toward Rome making his repeyre By him appeaced ciuil discencions Of Throne imperial climbing in the eyre For the conquest of xiii regions Of the triumphe required the guerdons Which to recure his force hath applied Albe the Senate his request hath denied And his name more to magnifye To shewe the glory of his hie noblesse To the Capitole fast he gan him hie As Emperour his domes there to dresse That day began with ioy and gladnesse The eue nothing according w t the morowe Thentring gladde th ende care sorowe Calphurnia whiche that was his wyâe Had a dreme the same night beforne Tokyns shewed of the same funerall strife Howe that her lorde was like to be lorne By conspiracy compassed and sworne If he that day without auisement In the Capitole satte in iugement She dremed alas as she laye and slept That her lorde through girt w t many a wouÌde Lay in her lappe and she the body kept Of womanhede like as she was bounde But wo alas to true her dreme was founde The next morowe no lenger made delay Of his periody was hys fatall day A poore man called Tongilius Whiche secretly the traison did espy Let write a letter toke it to Julius The case declaring of their conspiracy Which to rede Cesar lyst nat apply But wo alas ambicious negligence Caused his murdre by vnware violence Cesar sitting amydde the consystorie In his estate most imperiall After many conquestes and victorie Fortune awayting to giue hym a fall With bodkyns persinge as a nall He murdred was w t many a mortal wouÌd Lo how false trust in worldly poÌpe is found ¶ Lenuoye THroughe all this booke rede eche tragedy Afore rehersed and put in remembraunce Is none more wofull to my fantasy Than is the fall of Cesar in substaunce Which in his hyest imperiall puissaunce Whan he wende haue be most glorious Was murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius This marcial prince ridig through LoÌbardy Eche countre yelded brought to obeisauÌce Passyng the Alpes rode through Germany To subiection brought the realme of FraÌce Gate Brutes Albion by long continuauÌce Two lustres passed this manly Julius And murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius Among the Senat was the conspiracy All of assent and of one accordaunce Whose triumphe they proudely gan deny But maugre them was kept thobseruaunce His chare of golde with stedes of plesaunce Conueied through Rome this prince most poÌpus The murdre folowig by Brutus Cassius Reken his conquestes reken his chiualry With a counterpeis of worldly variaunce Fortunes chaunges for his purparty Way all togyder cast them in balaunce Set to of Cesar the mischeuable chaunce With his periody sodayne and enuious Murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius Bokes all and Cronicles specifye By influence of heuinly purueiaunce Mars and Jupiter their fauour did apply With gladaspectes his noblesse to enhaunce Mars gaue him man Jupiter gouernaunce Among princes holde one the most famous And murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius Beholde of Alysandre the great monarchy Which all the world had vnder obeysaunce The prowesse of Hector medled with gentry Of Achilles the melancolike vengeaunce Reken of echone the quauering assuraunce Among remembring the fyne of Julius Murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius Princes consydre in marciall policy Is nouther trust faithe nor affiaunce All stande in chaunge w t twicling of an eye Vp towarde heuin set your attendaunce The worlde vnsure all worldly plesaunce Lordship abydeth nat recorde on Julius Murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius ⧠The .xiiii. Chapter ⧠Howe Octauian succeded next and howe the murdrers of Julius died at myschefe AFter the dethe of this manly man This noble Prince this famous Emperoure His worthy neuewe called Octanian To reigne in Rome was next his successour Which did his deuoyre by diligent labour To punysh all tho of nature as he ought By rightfull dome y â the murdre wrought Chefe conspiratour was Brutus Cassius Which of this murdre made all thordinaunce Another Brute surnamed Decius Was one also conspyryng the vengeaunce Wrought on Cesar he after slaine in France Here meÌ may se what coastes y â men wende How murdre alway requyreth an yll ende Within the space almost of thre yere Distroied were all the conspiratours By sodaine dethe some stode in daungere To be banished or exyled as traitours And as it is cronicled by aucthours Space of thre yere tekened one by one Dyed at myschefe the murdrers echone To murdre a prince it is a pitious thing God of his right will take therof veÌgeaunce Namely an Emperour so famous in ech thig Which all the world had in gouernaunce Reken his coÌquestes digne of remembraunce All peysed in one Bochas beareth wytnesse In hie estate is littell sykernesse â The .xv. Chapter ¶ Howe Tullius was two tymes exyled and at the last slayne by Pompilius MYne auctoure here writeth no longe processe Of Julius death complaining but a whyle To write of Tully in hast he gan him dresse Compendiously his life for to compile Complaining fyrst saith his barayne style Is insufficient to write as men may sene Of so notable a rethoriciene Lampe and lanterne of Romayne oratours Among them called prince of eloquence On Pernaso he gathered vp the flours This rethoricien most of excellence Whose merytes truely to recompence The muses nyne me thought as I toke hede A crowne oflaurer set vpon his head Bochas astonied gan in him selfe conclude His boke abashed dull of his corage Thought his termes reasons were to rude And that he lacked conning and langage Wherby he should to his auauntage Though he labored wryting all his liue Of Tullius the merites to discriue Wherof supprised he caught a fantasy Within him selfe remembring anonright Though it so fall somtime a cloudye skye Be chased
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 triuÌphs coÌquestes maruelus Which thing remembring gretly gaÌ 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 â doctrine Whose bright bemes vnto this houre shine Sothly quod Bochas of whoÌ whaÌ 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 huÌdred 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 circuÌstaunces 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 PlatoÌ 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 reasoÌ For the pronounsing of matters in substauÌce His thanke receiueth by chere countenaÌce 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
during al his life Maried he was had a right fayre wyfe Children many seruauntes yong and olde And as I finde he helde a good houshoulde De Officiis he wrote bokes thre De Amicitia I fynde how he wrote one Of age another notable for to se Of morall vertue they treated euerychone And as Vyncent wrote full yore agone In his myrrour called Hystoriall Nombre of his bokes be there remeÌbred all He wrote also the dreme of Scipion Of rethorike compiled bokes twayne And twayne he wrote of diuinacion Of titell of land to write he did his paine A large boke of glorie that is vaine Dere Publica and he saith him selue Of his oracions he wrote bokes twelue And of his dities that called be morall Is remembred notably in dede In the said myrrour Historiall And yet this said Tullius as I rede Myd his worshyps stode alway in drede Of fortune for in conclusion He by enuy was banished Rome toun Beyng in exile this famous Tullius At Campania in Atiue the cite Receiued he was of one Plaucius A man that time of great authorite And while that he abode in that countre Sleping a night the boke maketh mencion How that he had a wonders vision He thought thus as he laie sleping In a desert and great wildernesse Finding no pathe but to and fro romyng Howe he mette cladde in great richesse Gaius Marius a prince of great noblesse Askyng Tulli with a sadde countenaunce What was chefe and cause of his greuaunce Whan Tullius had him the cause tolde Of his disease and his mortal wo Marius with his hande set on him holde To a âergiaunt assigned him right tho And in all hast bad him he should go To conuey him do his bu sy cure In all hast possyble to his sepulture Where he should haue tidinges of plesaunce Of his repeyre in to Rome towne Be alleyed of his olde greuaunce This was th ende of his auision The next morow as made is mencion There was hold to Tullius great aueile Tofore Jupiter in Rome a great counsayle Within the temple buylded by Marius The Senatours accorded were certaine To reconsile this prudent Tullius Out of his exile to call him home againe After receiued as lord and soueraine Of eloquence by assent of the Senate Fully restored vnto his fyrst estate This thinge was don whan y â Rome toun Was at grettest strife twene Cesar PoÌpey And for Tullius drue him to Caton With Pompeius Cesar to warrey And of Julius the partie disobey Out of Rome Tullius dyde him hie Fledde with Pompey in to Thessalie Cesar after of his free mocion Whan he stode hiest in his glorie Hym reconsyled againe to Rome town Vpon Pompey accomplished the victorie But Julius slaine in the consistorie By sixty Senatours being of assent Tullius againe was in to exile sent And in a cite called Fariman Tullius his exile dyd endure For Antonius was to him enemy than Bycause that he percase of auenture Compiled had an inuectife scripture Agayne Antony rehersing all the caas Of his defautes and of Cleopatras Thus of enuy and of mortall haterede His deth compassed by Antonius And afterward execute in dede By procuring of one Pompilius Gate a coÌmission the storie telleth thus Of false malice and forthe anone went he In to Gayre of Compayne the cite And by the vertue of his commission Taking of Antony licence and liberte Chefe rethorician that euer was in the toun Among Romains to worshyp the cite Was slaine alas of hate and enmyte By Pompilius rote of all falshead Profering him selfe to smite of his head Tullius afore had be his defence Fro the galowes and his dethe eke let Which had deserued for his great offence To haue ben banged vpon an hie gybet Who saueth a thefe whan the rope is knet About his necke as olde clerkes write With some false turne y e bribour wil hi quite Lo here the vice of ingratitude By experience brought fully to a prefe Who in his hert treason doth enclude Cast for good wyl to do a man reprefe What is the guerdon for to saue a thefeâ Whan he is escaped loke and ye shall fynde Of his nature euer to be vnkinde This Pompilius traitour most odible To shewe him selfe false cruell veÌgeable Toward Tully did a thing horrible Whan he was dead this brâbour most culpable Smit of his right haÌd to heare abominable With which hande he lerning on him toke To write of vertues many a famous boke The hande the head of noble Tullius Which euery man of right ought complaine Were take and brought by Pompilius Vpon a stake set vp both twayne There to abide where it did shyne or rayne With wynde weder tyll they were defyed In token al fauour was to him denied ⧠The .xvi. Chapter * A chapiter againe ianglers and dyffamers of rethorike BOchas complaining in hys studye alone The death of Tulli and the wofull fall Grudging in hert made a pitous mone The folke rebuking in especiall Which of nature be boystous and rurall And hardy ben for they no conning haue Craft of rethorike to hindre and depraue Clerkes olde did greatly magnifie This noble science that were expert wyse Called it parte of philosophy And said also in their prudent auise There be thre partes as tresours of gret prise Compiled in bokes and of olde prouided In to which Philosophie is deuided The first of them called is Morall Which directeth a man to good thewes And the second called Natural Telleth the kinde of goodmen and shrewes And the thirde racionall well shewes What men shal voide and what thing vnderfong And to that partie Rethorike doth belong By Tullius as authours determine Of his person rehersing in substaunce Traunslated was fro Greke into Latine Craft of rethorike and for the abundance Of eloquence stuffed with plesaunce All oratours remembred him toforne Was there none like nor after him yet borne Bochas also saithe in his writinges And preueth wele by reason and sentence To an oratour longeth four thinges First natural wyt practike with science Vertuous life chefe grounde of eloquence Of porte aâd maner that he be tretable These meanes had mine auctor hold hi able In his writing and in his scriptures Bochas wele parceiueth it must nedes ben Howe y â of right there long fiue armures To euery notable rethoricien Sette here in order who list them sene Whiche he calleth rehersing in sentence The fiue baners longing to eloquence The fyrst of them called Inuencion By whiche a man dothe in his hert finde A secrete grounde founded on reason With circcÌstaunces y t nought be left behinde Fro poynt to poynte imprinted in his minde Touching y â matter y e substaunce the great Of whiche he cast notably tentreat Another armure in order the seconde Of right is called Disposicion As of a matter whan the grounde is founde That euery thing by iust deuision Be voide of al foreine digression So disposed touching
Delyted hym wyth a greate nauee Lyke a Pyrate to robbe on the see To his father contrary in suche caas For euery Pyrate of custome he dyd hate Vpon the sea whose vsage was Against theim proudelye to debate Pursued them early and eke late Where this Sextus to his great reprieâe Was on the sea a robbour and a thefe The sclaundre of him gan to sprede farre Reported was in many a farre countre With Triumuir this Sextus gan a war Which is an office and a dignite By the Romains coÌmytted vnto thre Notable estates those for chiualry Thempire all hole to gouerne and to gye The fyrst of them named Lepidus And the seconde called Octauian The third in nombre was Antonius Again which thre Sextus this proud man Of surquedy a newe warre began Afore by Julius for his rebellion Banished for euer out of Rome toun Triumuir of politike gouernaunce Well auised afore in their reasons Treating for peace by notable purueiaunce With proude Sextus vnder condicions Write and enacte in their conuencious But anone after list no while tary He to his promise was froward contrary For his conuycte outragious falsnesse And on the sea for his robbery Bochas of him writeth no long processe Hauing disdaine his name to magnify For he to vertue list nothing apply The different cause which is in the state Atwene knighthode and life of a pyrate With fugitiue theues and robbours And men exiled out of Rome toun Banished people false conspyratours With other conuicte of murdre and trayson He toke all such vnder protection And one Moena a churle of his certaine Of fourty shyppes he made him capitain The said churle vnwarely tho began To folow the nature of his condicion Alied him selfe with Octauian Againe his lorde of full false traison With all his nauy shyppes he came doun Spared nat to mete of very pride With Menecratus y t was on Sextus side But al so soone as the bataile began And the parties togider shoulde gone All the vesselles of Octauian With sodaine teÌpest were drowned echone Beside a castell buylt of lime and stone Called Nauleton where yet to gret reprefe Sextus fled was brought to mischefe Went in to Grece to make him strong agein To holde a batayle with Antonius Take in his coÌming by strength of a capitcin Longing to Antonie called Phurnius Whilom nephue to Cesar Julius And or duke Sextus might farther wende He slaine was and made there his ende Of Triumuir in th empyre as I tolde There was a capitaine called Lepidus Whiche by his office like as he was holde Right busy was the boke reherseth thus To reconsile the proude Antonius To the grace of great Octauian Eche thing forgiue wherof the war began And to conclude shortly who list se Fortune a whyle was to him gracious Th empyre all whole gouerned by these three Lordshyp of Affrike had Lepidus By which he wext proude and contrarius To him assigned vnder commissions Fully the nombre of twenty legions Wherof in herthe caught such a pride Causing by processe his distruction Surquedy a while was his gide Fro his estate till he was fall doun Namely whan he of false presumpcion Toke vpon him of malice to warrey The said Octauian and gan him disobey Whan Octauian his malice dyd se That he gan waxe sodainly contrary He threw him downe from his dignite Cast him in exile list no lengar tary Lo how Fortune gan sodainly vary To make him that had gouernaunce Of all Affryke to come to mischaunce Another prince Cesar Lucius Exiled was from Rome the cite By his vncle the said Antonius Of wylfulnesse and hasty cruelte For in that time as men may rede and se Contriued causes were founde vp of malice Texile princes notable holde and wyse Some bycause they helde with Cesar Other for Pompey y â helde on that partie Some for their good afore or they wer ware Some for suspection some for enuy Some for they coude nat flatter nor lie Some for vertues which was great routhe Bycause they were so stable in their trouthe In this trouble dredefull and odious As is rehersed in order ye may rede The noble knight Paulus Lucius Exiled was of malice and hatered Folowing vpon the great horrible dede The pitous death and the hatefull caas Of great Antonie and Cleopatras The tragedy of these ylke twaine For me as nowe shal be set asyde Cause Chaucer chefe poete of Britaine Seing their hertes coude nat deuide In his boke the legende of Cupide Remembring there as one they did endure So were they buryed in one sepulture Thing ones said by labour of Chaucer Were presumpcion me to make againe Whose making was so notable and enteer Right compendious notable in certayne Which to reherce the labour were in vayne ⪠Bochas remembring how Cleopatras Caused Antonie howe he distroied was Her Auarice was so importable He supprised with her great fayrnesse Folowing her lustes foule abhominable She desyring to haue be empresse And he alas of frowarde wylfulnesse To please her vnhappely began To warrey the great Octauian Frowarde ambicion set his hert on fyre To climbe vp to the imperiall sea To haue possession of the hole empyre Toke vpon him if it wolde haue be To reigne alone in Rome the cite Cleopatras to foster her in pride Tytell of Octauian for to set asyde With multytude of many legions As I haue tolde againe Octauian To him accroched of diuers regions Great multytude of many manly man First on the sea to warre he began Where he was maugre all his might To his confusion vnwarely put to flight Dispeyred fled home to his countre Knowing no helpe nor meane to recure But to thencreas of his aduersite Whan that he sawe his woful auenture Gaine Octauian he might nat endure With a sharpe swerde his danger to diuert Him selfe he rofe vnwarely to the hert Of whose dethe the quene Cleopatras Toke a sorow very importable Bicause there was no recure in the caas Thought of his wo she would be partable Whose fatall ende piteous and lamentable Slough eke her selfe loue so did her raue After they both were buried in one graue ⧠Thus endeth the sixt boke and here after foloweth the seuenth ¶ Of Antony son and heire to the greate Antonie and of Cesarius Julia Agrippa Cassius and Galbus ¶ The Fyrst Chapter THis storie ended last of the sixte boke Bochas wery thought for the best Of gret traueile oppressed in his loke Fil in a slombre leaniÌg on his chest Fully in purpose to haue take his rest But euin as he rest should haue take Came a great prees and made him tawake First of that felowship came the son heyre Of Antonie w t blode spreint all his wede Called Antonie fall in great dispeyre Cause Octauian bare to him haterede Whose swerde he fled quaking in his drede To an olde temple socour for to haue Trusting fro death the place should hâ saue In that temple
Cesar was deified Of whoÌ by Romains was set vp an ymage But whan he sawe he was espied He ran to Julius hie vpon a stage Gan him to enbrace in his piteous rage He rent away by sodaine violence Vnwarely slaine there gained no defence Next in order came Cesarius Of whom there fill a wondre pitous caas Whilom beget of Cesar Julius Vpon the yong fayre Cleopatras Slaine in his youth thus writeth Bochas As Octauian dyd him selfe assigne For he gaine Romains should nat maligne Folowing in order Julia began Hir greuous complaint to Bochas specify Whilom doughter to great Octauian With weping gan to houle and crie Which by her father to punish her lechery Exiled was out of her countre For lacke of socour died in pouerte Her son Agrippa yong and tendre of age Borne of hie blode Bochas doth expresse Came next in order pale of his visage Which spent his time in slombre idelnesse Froward to vertue for his wretchednesse Octauian which was great touthe Suffred him die at mischef for his slouth After Agrippa came forth anone right Cassius of Parme a famous great countre Which in Itaile was holde a maÌly knight With Marke Antony wele cherished secre Bode in his court and there withall parde Greatly alowed fyrst for his chiualry And for his notable famous policy And there withall he had in existence A right great name stode in great fauour For his knighthode for his hie prudence After accused vnto the Emperour Octauian for a coniuratour He should haue be of frowarde false entent To Julius death fully of assent For whiche by bidding of Octauian Take he was being but yong of age And as mine auctor well remembre can Brought tofore Julius hie vpon a stage There offred vp vnto his ymage By cruell death ⪠the storie telleth thus For the false murdre of Cesar Julius After the death of the saide Cassius Another came of Rome the cite Which as I rede called was Galbus Of a Pretour hauing the dignite And for suspection slaine eke was he His eyen fyrst out of his head were rent For Julius death than in to exile sent Toward his exile by brigantes he was slaine And After that within a litel while Of his labour nouther gladde ne faine Bochas began to dyrecte his stile To great Herodes breuely to compile His greuous fal and holy the manere To set in order next as ye shall here The .ii. Chapter ⧠How the tyrauÌt Herodes slough his wyfe and chyldren and after died at myschefe REmembrynge fyrste in Jurye he was kyng Antipater his father who lyst se In Arabia mightely reignyng Ouer the prouynce called Idume This same Herodes gardeyne of Galile Ordayned was fyrste for his hye prudence And for his notable knyghtly excellence Famous in manhode famous of his lyne Famous also by procreacion I rede also he had wyues nyne And amonge all as made is mencion To hys pleasaunce and his opinion Maister of stories reherseth there was one Mariannes fayrest of echone By whom he had worthy sonnes twayne Alysander and Aristobolus But for his suster dyd at her disdaine Called Saloma the storie telleth thus He vnto her wext suspicious Bycause she was accused of enuy By Saloma touchyng auoutry Agayne her of rancour sodaynly He gan of herte greuously disdayne With rigorous hert he slewe her furiously But as the storie doth vs ascertayne He for her deth after felte great paine Euer whan it came to his remembraunce Her porte her chere her womaÌly plesaunce Lo what it is a prince to be hasty To euery tale of rancour to assent And counsaylles to procede wilfully To execucion of frowarde false entent For Herodes so sore he dyd repent That he for thought fyl in to an noy Of hertely sorowe and malencoly Rest had he none nouther day ne nyght Troubled with fury that he wext frantyke w t dremes vexed many an vncouth syght Of chere nor colour to no man he was lyke And euery moneth ones lunatike A great whyle he had this wofull lyfe For sorowe onely he had slayne his wyfe And as the storye wel reherce can In the Capitoyle mydde Rome the cite By Antonye and by Octauian He crowned was and made kyng of Jude By the Senate made theron a decree And registred that he and his kynred Shulde in that lande lineally procede In Rome was made the confirmacion To this Herodes bokes specifye Beyng afore the translacion Was made of Juda and of Jurye Septer and crowne with all the regaly By hym vsurped as ye haue herde toforne Vpon the tyme whan Christ was borne This same Herodes by procuracion Of Antonye dyd also occupy By Augustus plener remission The great estate called Tretrarchy In two kyngdoms with al the regaly Of Traconitides Jtury eke also By the Romains made lorde of bothe two Mayster of stories reherseth of hym thus For commendacion in especiall In Aschalon he buylded a stately hous Of right great cost a palayes ful royal Was none so riche for to reken all After whych myne authoure doth so wryte He called was Herode Aschalonite This same Herodes cruell of nature Of chere and porte passyng ambicious Aye to be venged dyd his busy cure On al that were to hym contrarious Hys wyues brother Aristobolus In Jerusalem chefe byshoppe as I rede Falsely he slough of malyce and hatered Vniustly reigned borne through his realme His hert fret and cankred wyth enuy Another byshoppe in Jerusalem Called Hircanus myne authour lyst not lye This same Herodes in his malencoly Slewe hym vnwarely by raÌcour vengeable Setting at dyner at his owne table There was no man of corrage more cxuel Nor more desirous to be magnified To make his name also perpetual Four statelye cities he hath edified Of which the names be here specified Cesaria Sebastin citees souerayne Antipadra Cipre that other twayne He had also a false condition He trusted none that was of his kynrede His sonnes twaine he had in suspectioÌ Their purpose was to sley him of hatred Whan he were deade hopyng to succede And causelesse as father most vnkynde Made theÌ be slayne in story thus I fynde In al his workyng he was founde double A great tirant hold throgh his realme Neuer thinge so greatly dyd him trouble As whan thre kinges came to Jerusalem Jesu to seche that was borne in Bethelem Boldly affirmynge cause of their commynge Was to worshyp that blessed yonge kyng The which thynge whan he dyd aduertise Prophecies remembringe and writinges Within hym selfe a meane he gan deuise First to distroy these famous holy kynges Namely whan he knewe of their offrynges Imaginyng gan suppose blyue The child was borne that shuld him depriue Newly discended fro Dauid doun by line Cast almost Herodes in a rage Of cursed hert gan frowardly maligne Lyke a tirant of venomous outrage Slewe al the children within two yere of age About Bethelem a ful large space He spared none for fauour nor for grace One
wyth a sad visage Certes quod she I coude neuer kepe To saue my selfe a woful creature I haue great cause to complayne cry wepe My sclauÌdrous lyfe which I may not recure But I suppose I had it of nature To be such one for by dayes olde An astronomer so my father tolde At my byrthe takyng the ascendent Tolde longe afore of my misgouernaunce The sonne the mone towarde the orient Were in the signe that beareth the balauÌce And sayde also more for assuraunce The same signe had by discripcion His fote in Virgyn armes in Scorpion Amid the heuen was Venus exaltate w t Mars coÌioyned the boke maketh meÌcion And Jupiter was also infortunate To my sayd disposicion Within the fyshe helde tho his mancion Thus by the lordshyp plainely of Venus I was disposed for to be lecherous In her excuse the sayde Messalyne Gan alledge her constellacion But prudent clerkes plainly determine Of heuenly course the disposicion Is obeysaunt and subiecte to reason That euery man which well gouerned is Is not constrayned of force to do amys Nor byndeth no man of necessitie Vicious lustes frowardly to sue A vertuous man stante at liberte False inclinacions by prudence to remewe Euery man by grace may eschewe Al thynge to vertue that founde is contrary For there is no synne but it be voluntarye Yet for all this the sayde Messalyne In her excuse woulde not be in pees The heuyn quod she as Poetes determyne Was borne vp whylom by myghty Hercules Yet coude he neuer of nature haue relees For al his knighthod and his chiualry To ouercome the vyce of lechery But thou Calligula and thou Tiberius What euer ye say I take thereof none hede For thou Calligula called eke Gaius Thy selfe diffouled with lechery in dede To rebuke other y â shouldest stande in drede But thy rebukes in party for to quyte Who is defouled none other shoulde atwyte By fames truÌpe thy sclauÌdre is out blowe Through all the worlde reported shamefully Thy thre susters fleshely thou dydest knowe Wexe rede for shame and for thy party For the vice of hateful lecherye Durynge thy life putme no more in blame Whiche art thy selfe defouled in the same It sitteth not in no maner wyse A thefe for theft to syt in iudgement A lecherous man a lechour to chastise Nor he that hath al his lyfe spent In waste riote forfeted and miswent To be a iudge other to redresse Nor leprous leches to cure men of sickenes I woulde haue suffred take in pacience If of Affricke the chaste Scipion Had me rebuked for my great offence I would haue suffred his worde of iust reson Or if the famous prudent olde Caton Had agayne me in such case made abrayde I would haue suffred what euer h ehad saide Or if Lucrece for my correction Had layd to me by vertuous doctrine All my forfetes myd of Rome toun I would haue bowed both backe chine To haue obeyed vnto her discipline Shame for a creple to staÌd y â hath no mighte To rebuke other for they go not vpright Agaynst the also I may reply Many an other false conspiracion Touchyng maters of nygromancy And many an other contriued false poyson FouÌde in two bokes Bochas maketh mencioÌ One called Pugio most supersticious And the seconde named Gladius Able all this worlde tenuenyme encloy Againe thre states dwelling in Rome toun Their names write of them thou cast distroy Which to remembre is a great abuston A chest also fulfilled of poyson After thy dethe cast in thee see I rede By which an hundred M. fishes were deade On this mater is tedious for to abyde Namely to princes princesses borne of hie estate It sitteth not gentle bloud to chide By furious rancour to stande at debate And for these maters ben infortunate I wyl passe ouer and no more of them write Saue of their ende coÌpendiously to endite To the Tiberye I haue somwhat to sayne Knowe and reported by many a creature How in ChaÌpaine folke had of the dysdayne For thy most hateful lecherous ordure In thilke vice whych is agayne nature Whiche taccoÌplish voyde of al hap and grace Thine abydyng was in a suspicious place To such false lustes duringe all thy lyfe Lyst not forbeare in thy latter age Thou vsidst many rich restoratife In such vnthrift to encreace thy corrage Of ribaudy thou fyll in suche dotage Howe mayst thou than rebuke me for shame Which in such case art blotted with diffame I dyd amysse but it was in my youth Horrible thinges which Gaius hath tolde But thine outrage the reporte is yet couthe Thou dydest them vse both yonge and olde And for tafforce your vices manifolde Thou Caligula in all such ribaudy Dyd greatest surfet in frowarde glotony Also Tiberye thou beyng Emperour Cruel causelesse and most malicious Diddest murdre in Rome the famous orator Called in his tyme prudent Asinius Which thrugh thempire Romains tolde thus Was light lanterne founde at all assayes Of rethorike called in his dayes Thou were eke cause that werthy Nonomus Kyng of Parthois through thy cruelte Exyled was thou were so couetous To haue possession of his treasour parde Died in mischefe and in pouerte Be shamefast any wyght to accuse Which in such case thy selfe can not excuse To Agripyne thou dyddest great outrage As Romayne stories well reherce can Whan she for socour to the great ymage Ran to be saued of Octauian Myd the temple a place called than Whiche halpe her not y â she lyst thyder wende Put out by force for hunger made an ende Thyne owne brother called Germanicus Which in his tyme was so good a knyght Thy brother also called eke Drusus Both were poysoned slayne agaynst ryght By false coÌspiring of thine imperial might Texcuse the murdre thy selfe at the leest Were clad in blacke at their funerall feest I haue no connyng spech nor langage To reherce nor make mencion Specially of y e great outrage And sacrilege thou dyddest in Rome toun By violence whan thou drewe doun The ymage of Janus after in all hast In to Tibre thou madest him to be cast And thou Caligula among thy vices all Of surquedye and false presumpcion Wouldest that men a god the shoulde call Twen Pollux Castor to haue thy mancioÌ Fro which place thou art nowe throwe doun Whych helde thy selfe amoÌg the goddes seuen Egall to Jupiter for to syt in heauen Answere to me here beyng in presence Which of these four Mars Janus Minerue Or Mercurie god of eloquence Hath rent the downe as thou dydest deserue Fro Jupiter in mischefe for to sterue That thou herafter wher so y â laugh or froune Shalt haue no fauour more w t him to rown With these defautes and many other Afore reherced in hindring of thy name Howe thou ordaynest fyrst to sle thy brother w t meÌ of armes which was to thi gret shame To Tholome thou didest also the same Sonne and heire
al the people standing enuyron Thought it so bright in their inspection Passing the sonne as it did seme But what it ment no man coude deme As the preestes dyd their busy cure To offre a calfe anone or they toke hede The same calfe a thing agayne nature Brought forth a lambe y e same time I rede An vgly token which put them in gret drede A contrary pronosticacion Shewed vnto them of their subuersion With other tokens frowarde and contrarye The same time were shewed euer amonge The brasen dores of the inwarde sentwarye With yron barres shit that wer most strong Brode of entayle rounde and wondre longe That might nat meue w t .xxx. mennes might Opened by them selfe twyse on a night There were sene also chares in the eyre Men of armes with bright swordes clere Of plate and maile the armure was so faire Bright as Phebus where it did appere ⪠And as the storie also doth vs lere With their sheltrons and their apparayle A profer made their cyte for tassayle To the Iewes it dyd sygnifye A pronostyke of theyr distruction Preestes to the temple as they dyd hie Vpon a night to do oblacion Amid the temple was herde a dredfull foun Of which noyse this was y â dredeful ende Ryse vp echone and let vs hence wende And ful four yere tofore the siege gan One Ananias yonge and tendre of age Of his byrthe sonne of a rude man By disposicion dul of his corage Lyke as he had fall in a rage Ran in the cite by a maner frensye Spared nat with open mouthe to crye Vnto this noyse was made none obstacle But obstinat euer to his entent Day of the feest holde in the tabernacle A voice quod he out of the orient Voice fro the southe fro northe occident Voice fro y â four wyndes y â blow so wyde Voice again IerusaleÌ crieth on euery syde Voice againe the teÌple agayn y â people also Voice againe husbaÌdes voice againe wiues Wo to Ierusalem with a treble wo Of hungre thurst lesing of their âiues Of sworde and fyre many sodayn striues This was the wretched lamentacion Which Ananie cried through the toun Beaten he was for his affray ful ofte Whipped scourged endlonge vpright Al were it so be felte it ful vnsofte Was by âeating made faint feble of might He stynt nat to crie so day and night A pronostike shewing to the cite Howe ryght sone it shoulde distroyed be By rehersayle also of Carnotence With that cite for sinne it stode so tho That if Romains by marciall vyolence Had nat come and done them all this wo The erthe should haue opened and vndo Deuoured the people voyde of al refuge Or drowned y e toun by some sodayne deluge Breuely to passe this vengeaÌce most terryble Done vpon Iewes for their transgression For their demerites y e punishing most horryble Of Ierusalem fynall subuersion Of the temple the tabernacle and the toun In Iosephus who lyst se al the dede De Bello Iudaico y â surplus he may rede â Thus endeth the seuenth boke and here after foloweth the prologue of the eyght ¶ The Prologue of the eyght Booke BOchas maketh here an exclamacion Agayn the iewes great vnkyndnesse Brought bi the romains their cite adoun Lyke as the story dyd here tofore expresse They disparcled to liue in wretchednesse By gods hand punished for theyr outrage For euer to liue in tribute and seruage Folowyng myne auctor I cast for to touch So as I can rehersyng the manere Howe Iohn Bochas lying on his couche Spake to himselfe sayd as ye shall here Why arte thou so dul of loke and chere Lyke a man thy face beareth wytnesse That him disposeth to lyue in ydlenesse Certes quod Iohn I take right good kepe Of muche trauayle that the outrage Hath by longe slombre caste me in a slepe My lymmes feble croked and faynt for age Caste in a drede for dulnesse of corage For to presume vpon me to take Of the eyght boke an end for to make Thou wenyst perauenture in thine opinyon By this labour to get the a name For to reherce the sodain falling doun And by some newe processe for to attame Of princes sitting hie in the house of fame In diuers bokes where thou dost them fynd Perpetually to put thy name in minde Thy dayes short put the in great drede Of suche a labour to take the passage The more feble the flower is the spede Thy sight darked and thou arte fal in age Among remembring thinke on this langage Whan men be buryed low in the earth doun Saue of good liuing farewell all guerdon Worldlye goodes shall passe right sone Tresour connyng and al shal out of mynde Frendship chasigeth as doth y â cloudy mone At a strayte nede fewe frendes men do finde But a good name whan it is left behind Passeth all ryches if it be well deserued And al golde in cofer locked and conserued Of thy labour the fame shall were derke Beware Bochas and herof take good hede Slouth snake to me and bad me leue warke For smal reward y â shalt haue for thy mede As by ensample thou mayste of other rede This was the langage I had therof routhe Atwene Iohn Bochas this ladye Slouthe Bochas astonied gan down his heed decline Vpon his pillowe hanging in a traunce Stode in gret doute coude not determyne Lyke a man hangynge in balauuce To what partye he shulde hys pen auaunce To procede as he vndertoke Or leue the labour of his eyght boke Atwene twayne abyding thus a while What was to do in doute he gan to flete Halfe within and half ouer the stile Coude not discerne to him what was moste mete ⪠Tyll Fraunces Petrark ⪠the laureate poete Crowned wyth laurer Grace was his gide Came and set him downe by his beddes side And as Bochas out of hys slombre abrayde And gan adawen somwhat of hys chere And sawe Petrarke lowly to him he sayd Welcome mayster crowned wyth laurere whiche haue Itayle lyke a sonne clere with poetry plainly to discriue Most soueraynly enlumined by your liue I haue desyred as it is well couthe Of rightfull herte by humble attendaunce To do you worship fro my tendre youth And so shall I euer voyde of all varyaunce Duryng my lyfe for trewly in substaunce Ye haue ben lanterne lyght and dyrection Aye to support myne occupation As in wrytyng bokes to compyle Chefe ensample to my great auauntage To refourme the rudenes of my stile with aureat colours of your fresshe langage But nowe for dulled by impotence of age Of Deccepitus marked with many a signe My labour vp of writing I resigne I cast me not forthe to procede Stande at a bay fordriuen for werynes Quod Fra. Petrark lese not thus thy mede Yeue me no cause to report nor expresse In thy last age thou hast found a maistres which the bridled in soth that is routhe And holdeth
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 âue 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 âââayle Let no tempest of thundre nor of âeum Nor no wyndes of the cloudye heuen Nor no fals âaÌglers 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 âayle 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 fouÌders 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 SaÌpson 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 ⪠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 ⪠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 weâe 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 coÌmaunded in his estate vp stalled Of all the worlde he shulde a God be called Thrugh hye presuÌpcion 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 sâewe 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 âlame in his ginning After whom
the boke maketh mencion By no title of succession But an intrusour one called Iulyan The state vsurping to reigne there began But of the noble lynage Affrican Borne in Tripolis a mighty great citye One Seuerus that was a knightly man Gadred of romayns a wondre great meyne Bothe made stronge Iulian met and he At Pont miluin a citie of Itayle And there was Iulyan slaine in batayl Seuerus after entred the empyre And toke vpon him the dominacion Vpon cristen of malice set a fyre Began againe them a persecucion Of tyrannye and false ambicion But one of Egipt called Poscennius Againe Seuerus gan to worke thus Gadred meyny Seuerus for to assaile In purpose fully and theron did hys payne First with him to haue a great batayle Next of th empyre the crowne for to attayne But ye shal heare what fel on these twayne On Poscennius fill the discomfiture And Seuerus th empyre dothe recure In his purpose or he might auaile with one Albinus that was a manly knyght He had in Gaule a full great batayle Full great bloudshed in that mortall fyght Albinus slaine of very force and myght Seuerus after entred in Bretayne Caught sicknes and died of the paine After Seuerus next came Antonine Of whom the frowarde disposicion As all auctours of him determine His busines and occupacion Set holy in fleshly dilectacion So false a lust his corage did assayle Amonge Parthois flayne in batayle Macrinus after tofore Bochas came down Whylom a prefecte in Rome the cyte Of the pretoyr and by inuasion Came to the imperiall famous dignitye Occupyed a yere sate in hys imperyal se Tyl fortune lyst hym so disgrade Amonge his knightes flayne at Archelade Next came Aurelius surnamed Antonyne A great rybaude passyng lecherous Yet was he byshop as auctoures determine In the temple of Heliogabalus And in his time was one Sabellius A false heretike of whom gan the names Of a secte called Sabellianes This said Aurelius againe all nature Of false presumpcion in bokes it is told Wolde not purge his wombe by nature But in vessels that were made of golde And in dispyte whan that he was old Slaine of his knightes and not after longe His carayne was thrown in a gonge After this proude foresayde Antonine In to th empyre by iust election Of senatours as bokes determyne Came Aurelius and for his hye renoune Surnamed Alisaunder as made is mencioÌ Fought with Perciens like a manly knight And there king Xerxes was put vnto flyght This Aurelius this proud knyghtly man Whan he sate iudge in the consistory There sate one with him called Vlpian A great ciuilian notable of memory Of whome it is to his encreace of glory Reported thus by great auctorite He of digestes made bokes thre Full piteously this emperoure lost his lyfe Casuelly as made is mencion Among his knightes by a sodayne strife Where he was slaine in that discencion After whose ende for short conclusion Tofore Bochas the boke wel tel can Came Maximinus and with him Gordyan Maximinus the cronicle both expres Chose of his knightes and his soudiours For his victorious marcyall hye prowesse Done in Almayne and amonge Emperours Set vp in Rome maugre the senatours After strong enmy as mine autoure sayth With all his power vnto cristen fayth He was enemy his life who list to sene To cristen clerkes of auctorite And specially to olde Origene But in his moste furious cruelte In Aquyleya a mighty stronge countre Of a prefecte called Pupien he was slaine Of whose dethe cristen men were full fayne Next by the senate chosen was Gordyan First agaynste Parthois he cast hi to werrey Of Ianus temple whan the werre began He made the gates be opened wyth the keye Whiche was a token as old e bokes seye Tho gates opened to folkes nye and ferre That w t their fone y â romayns wold werre With Parthois first this said Gordian To holde werre fast he gan him spede And vpon them alway the felde he wan After he sped him in to Perce and Mede Alwaye victorious in batayle as I rede Vpon Eufrates slayne as I fynde By false treason y â cronicle maketh mynde Next in ordre came Philip by his name His sonne eke Philip came with him also Myn auctour Bochas reherceth y â same The father the sonne baptised bothe two Right sad and wyse in that they had to do And were the first cristen of echone Emperors rekened for ther tofore was none By Poncius the martyr as I rede In Meya a famous great cyte They were baptysed afterwarde in dede Slayne in batayle for they lyst not fle Tofore their dethe bothe of assent parde Their treasour hole that were imperiall To christes church I fynde they gaue it all The Bishop Sixtus toke possession Vertuously assigned it to Laurence Therof to make distribucion To poore folke in their indigence For whiche dede by cruell violence The tyrauÌt Decius agayn theÌ toke a stryfe Caused holy LaureÌce by breÌning lose his life This same Decius cursed and cruell Caused y â slaughter of these Philips twayn And for he was subtell false and fell By sleight falshed he dyd hys busy paine To the empyre by force for to attayne The seuenth tyraunt by persecucion which agayn christen folk toke first occasion Myne auctour writeth time of this Deciue The holy Hermyte example of perfytenesse By dayes old called Antonyus Liued in deserte ferre out in wildernes As an Hermyte dispysing al ryches Lyued by frute and rotes as men tell And of perfection dranke water of the well Vpon Decius for his cursednes Again christen which gaue so hard sentence Thrugh Rome Itayle myne auctor bereth witnesse In euery cyte was grete pestileÌce That by the sodaine deadly violence The hertes of men dependinge in a traunce To saue their liues coude no cheuisaunce Of this mater write nomorc I can To this emperour I wyll resorte agayne Speke of Gallus and Volucian That busy were their laboure was in vaine Their time short as some bokes saine For Martyn writeth an olde cronyculere In th empyre they reigned but two yere But bothe were slayne by the procuring And by the purchace of one Emelyan A romayne knight whiche by slye workinge To occupye th empyre tho began By tyrannye the Lordshyp there he wan Whose lordship for hap and lacke of grace No lenger last then two monthes space This lytell chapter as tofore is sene Reherced hath and tolde in wordes playne Of emperours almost full fourtene And of all were good none but twayne whiche to reherce I haue do my paine And to procede further as I began I must wryte of one Valeryan HIs sonne and he called Galiene To all christen bare great enmyte Slew al tho their legend men mai sene That serued Christ in trouth and equytie whose persecusion and hateful crueite Abated was as I can well reherce By one Sapor that was kyng of Perce By force of armes Sapor this mighty king
after hys batayle On Perciens gan wexe gloryous Gouerned Affrike and lordshyp of Itayle Throughout the Orient he was victorious Tyll he for age gan wexe tedious His last dayes maligned as men saith Of false hatred agayne christen fayth And him to healpe in these false maters It is remembred to his confusion In his empyre he set two vicats Gaue them power in euery region The lawe of Christ to oppres and put downe To punyshe matters and put them to deathe And in this whyle ful manye one he fleeth By this sayd truell Galerius which of th empyre had al the gouernaunce Of cursed hart and corage dispiteous By his vsurped imperyal puissaunce Gaue auctorite for to do vengaunce Vnto twaine Seuerus and Maxence On al cristen by mortal vyolence A certayne space bothe of one accorde To the state of emperour chose was MaxeÌce Tyl Seuerus and he fell at dyscorde And after by vengable pestylence within a city of noble preeminence Called Rauenue Seuerus ther was flayne Of whiche Galerius was nothynge faine For whyche in haste thys Galerius Him to support and stand in hys defence Chase out of Denmarke a knight Lucinius To be emperour through knightly excelleÌce For to withstand and fight agayn Maxence But Maxence of romayne knightes all was chosen emperour and set vp in his stall with which election Galerius wext wode Fil in a maner of froward frensy His entraile brent corrupt was his bloude And of his froward vengable malady In euery membre gan rotte and putrifye Tyll the eyre aboute him enuiron To al that felt it was venim and poison Like a Lazar corbed backe and chine In this while on cristen most vengeable To him auailed no maner medicyne But there was in Christes faythful stable That spake vnto him w t langage ful notable In wordes fewe concludinge in substaunce The gret Jupiter hath take on y â veÌgaunce And euermore for shorte conclusion with a bolde spyrite to him gan abrayde It is nat Jupiter worshipped in thys towne In the capitoyle set sothly as I sayd But Jupiter that was borne of a mayde ⪠which list not suffer of that thou dost endure That anye medecynes shulde therecure Lyke atyraunt by vengaunce furious At mischefe dieth as bokes tell Perpetually with cruell Cerberus Vpon the whele of Ixion to dwell For His demerites wyth tantalus in hell There to receiue his finall guerdon which coude on martyrs haue no compassion It was hys ioy for to shed their bloud Sent out letters to diuers regions Like a slye wolf rauynous and wode To slee martirs by diuers passyons Lyke his desert receiued his guerdons Horrible death did them first confounde with furies infernall lyeth in hell bounde The .ix. Chapiter ¶ Howe Maxence the emperour enemy to Christes faithe mischeuously ended After Galerisu cruell vyolence Gayne christen blode as Bochas hath tolde with piteous there the Emperour Maxence Came tofore Bochas of age not ful olde Famous in armes sturdy freshe and bolde Albe he entred notlike an heritoure Coke vpon him to reigne as gouernoure To Christes fayth he was also enemy After sone he lost his gouernaunce Of infortune slayne sodainly God on tyrauÌtes vnwarely taketh vengasice Of whose burying was made no remeÌbrauÌce For he was nat receiued of the ground But caste in Tibre like a rotten hounds The .x. Chapiter Howe Lucinius enemy to Christes faythe was slayne Next tofore Bochas came Lucynius A knighte of Denmarke borne of good lyne whiche had an ennemy the boke saith thus ⪠An hardy knighte called Maximine Chose a captaine w t the mperour CoÌstantyne To the faith of Christ he bare gret enmyte Slayne anone after in Trace the cyte Of whose death Lucinius was glad Gan agayne christen persecucion In his procedyng sodainly wext mad which commaunded of false presumpcyon whan he began to do execucion That nochristen nowhere him beside By no condicion shulde in his house abide This Lucinius which falsly did erre Againe our faith christen men to assasle Gaine Constantine of newe he gan warre But of his purpose in sothe he did fail For he was twise discomfited in batayle By Constantine ones in Hungrye Next in Grece besyde Eualye Thus CoÌstantyne through his hye renoune Gate nye Gcece and euerye great countre Alde Lucinius flode in rebellion Gayne Constantine both on land and sea But when he sawe it wolde none otherbe He might not escape in no place Put holy him selfe in Constantyns grace But Constantine for his hie rebellion Gaue iudgement in hast that he be dead Leaste in the citie were made diuision By Lucinius wherof he stode in drede This same while as Bochas toke hede There came before him w t chere ful piteous ⪠Brethern twayne Constantine and Crispus The .xi. Chapter Of Constantyne and Crispus and howe Damalcus was slayne To coÌstantine of whom I spake toforne They were sonnes CoÌstantine and Crispus The same twayne of one mother borne CaÌe tofore Bochas his boke reherceth thus with them came eke Lucinius Sonne of Lucinius which in Rome toun Afore was slayne for hys rebellyon Constantine his werres to gouerne Made them vicars the self same thre Echone rightwise and coude wel discerne What mighte auaile moste to their citye To encrese the profit of the commonte Their names tolde CoÌstantine and Crispus Tofore remembred with them Lucinius while these thre vicars vnder the emperour Gouerned Rome as Knightes most famous In Alisaundre rose vp a great errour By a false preest called Arryus To our beleue a thing contrarious And for he did again our fayth so wyrche By a decre was put out of the chyrche By assent at Bithinye full notable In Nicea a famous great citye This errour was proued ful dampnable Thre C. bishops were present there parde And eightene the cronicle who list se And all these of one sentence âlike Preued Arrius a false heretike This same time bokes doth specifye Howe Constantine of hasty crueltye The sayd vicars nigh of alye Fayned a cause to slee them all thre No cause rehersed nor told of equitye Saue only this in which he gan procede To make his cosyn Dalmacius to succede But his fauour was not fortunate Towarde Dalmacius nor gracious in sentence Among whose knightes fell a sodeyn debate Constantine there being in presence Dalmacius withoute reuerence with sharp swordes to speke in wordes fewe ⪠Vnto the death was wounded and phewe The .xii. chapter ¶ Of the brethern Constaunce Constancius and how Magnentius and Decius murdred them selfe THan came Constaunce Constancius yong brethren thus writeth min autour To Constantine in time of Arrius And eche of them by ful great labour Did his payne to reygne as emperoure Tyl at the last breuely for to say Eueryche of the in gan other to werrey This said Constaunce is entred Perce land Nyne times he fought agayne Sapore The same king as ye shal vnderstand That with romaynes had foughten afore But finally Constaunce hath
their shields roue a soÌdre Eugenius take after and lost his hed And Arbogast slough him selfe for drede Thus gan the Lord of his eternal might Chastice tyrantes and their malice represse Saued Theodosy hys owne chosen knyght who trusteth him of parfite stablenes Gothe fre fro daunger escapeth fro duresse Bokes record howe Theodosius Was in his time called Catholicus The cace was this as I reherce can In Thessalonyca a famous great cyte Being Bishop saint Ambrose in Millan Certayne Jewes for to do equite And sytte in dome hauyng auctorite Notwithstanding their commission Were slayn by commons entryng the toun Therof the Emperour was nothynge faine But commaunded of hasty wilfulnes whan he knew the iudges so were slayn That his knightes shuld them thider dresse Entred the cyte by cruell sturdinesse With swerde pollax daggers sharpe whet Indifferently to sle al that they met By whose biddinge the cite to encombre That day was slaine many an innocent Fyue thousand deed remembring in nombre Murdred in host without iudgement By them that were in to the cite sent But whan Ambrose herd of this cruell dede Like a iust prelate thus he gan procede Ye haue herde how this vengaunce gan By Theodosy to chastice the cyte The same emperour came after to Myllan Wolde haue entred at a sole mpnite The cathedrall church in his most royalte Byshoppe Ambrose at the porche him met And of purpose manly him with set Quod the bis shop I counsayl the wythdraw In to this churche thou haue none entre Thou hast offended God and eke his law Be not so hardy nor bolde I charge the To sette thy fote nor entre in no degree Because thou art a cruel homicide That maugre thy might thou shalt abide Vnto thy palaes home agayne retourne This eyght monthes loke thou be not sein Passe not thy bonds do mekely there soiorn For trust me wel and be rightwel certayne All such murdrers god hath them in disdain Blode falsly shed haue this in remembrauÌce Calleth day and night to him to do veÌgasice Against the for this great offence Innocentes bloude shed agayn right By iust auctorie I giue this sentence This eight monthes accompted day nyght ⪠To entre the church y â shalt not com in sight Reason shal hold so iust the balaunce Tyl thou haue fully accoÌplished thy penauÌce what I haue said take therof good hede For this time thou gettest no more of me withdraw thy haÌd innocentes blode to shede For any rancour or hasty cruelte Than beholde the great humilitie Of the Emperour and consydre wele For it wolde haue peersed a hert of stele with heed enclyned no word he spake again Fyll in wepinge w t subbyng vnstaunehable His purple wede bedewed as with rayne Returning home with chere most lameÌtable So continued in his purpose stable with al the tokens of faithfull repentaunce In lowly wyse accomplished hys penaunce He gaue ensample to princes euery chone In case semblable that worke of wylfulnes To execusion to procede anon Mentain their errour froward cursednes DefeÌd their trespas meintein their wodnes Farre out of ioint if it shal be declared To Theodosy for to be compared To the earth he mekely did obey Goddes knight did lowly his penaunce Where there be some that wrongly it warrei Holde ther again by froward maintenance Touching this mater set here in remeÌbraÌce As mendeserue let euery wight take hede He that seeth al quiteth them their mede Theodosius list nothyng abredge To short the yard of his correction Forsoke the platte of rigour toke the edge Mekely to suffre his castygacion To bowe his chine was no rebellion By meke confession knowing his trespace By saynt Ambrose restored agayne to grace Vertuous princes may ensample take Of Theodosy how they the lord shal queme He nat froward amendes for to make His ceptre his swerde and his diademe Subiect to Ambrose what him list deme Obeied al thing and for his great offence To holy churche to make recompence He knew that God was his souerayn Lorde To holy church how greatly he was bound ⪠Grutched neuer in wyll thought nor word Holy on Christ his empyre for to found where vertu reigneth vertu will ay rebound And for this prince obeyed to al vertue Hath now his mede aboue with Christ Jesu The .xviii. Chapter ¶ Howe knightes and gentilmen chase Alerike king and the commons chase Radagasus whyche ended in myschefe IT is remembred of antiquite In the Byble after Noes floud Howe by discent of his sonnes thre Of their linege plainly and theyr bloud All kinreddes dylated ben abrode And myne authour as it is made mynde Of Japhet seuen nacions he did finde The people fyrste of Gaule and Galathe Of Magoth Gothes and folke of Itayle Tyre Cithia with many a great countre Standing in Asia as by rehersayle But in Europe stant Trace it is no fayle Gothes Cithiens of purpose did ordaine ⪠Among them selfe gouernours twayne Knyghtes and gentelmen chase Alericus To be their prince and haue the souerayntie Where the commons chase Radagasus The Gothes fyrst for greate suerte With king Alerike entring the cyte In to Rome to finde there socour That time Honorius being their emperoure By graunt of whome al the hole countre Gaue to Alerike Gaule Spayn and FrauÌce There to abide and thereto holde his see Gothes spaynolfes vnder his obeisaunce Takyng on hym al the gouernaunce Tyl Stillicon out of the Occident To mete with him was from Rome sent That time Honorius beyng Emperoure Stillicon gan Alerike enchace With many a sturdy proud soudioure For to fight they chose haue their place But Aleryke stode so in the grace Of fortune that by very might Stillicon he put vnto the flyght Radagasus and Alerike of assent Haue concluded and full accorded be Thrugh Itaile for to make their went Toward Rome and to entre that cyte Maugre romains to haue the souerainte Tofore their entring gan the town manace The name of Rome to chaunge and difface The towne for euermore to do a shame Their purpose was as ye haue heard deuise Fyrst of al to chaunge the townes name Dempt them selfe able to that emprise But for tune thought all otherwyse Like her maners to do most domage Whan she to men sheweth fresh her vysage Her condicions be not alway one Stondmele of custome she can vary For she was fyrst froward to Stilicon And to Radagasus efte agayne contrary In one poynt she list neuer tarye To Radagasus her fauoure did fayle By Stillicon he vanquished in batayle All his pride might not make him spede For fortune lyst so for him ordaine That he was fayne at so strayt a nede To fl ye for socour to an hye mountayne Of all vitaile naked and baraine Weere for hunger he felt so great greefe Nigh al his people dyed at mischefe Of all socour destitute and baraine Sawe no remedy toke him to flyght By the romayns he was so ouerlaine
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 â 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 taccoÌplysh vp his boke AssurauÌce made hym do his busines Which thinge remeÌbred 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 percieÌs 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 marchandiÌses 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 coÌmyng 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 Hysmaeâytes folke of Perce mede He gadered people gan wexe a warriour Agayne Eraclius the myghty emperour And vsurped to ride in the contrees ⪠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 couÌtrees 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 dronkeÌnes 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 â Howe Brounchylde a quene of Fraunce slewe her kin brought the land in diuision and after was hanged hewen
in peces small _âShe came arayed nothynge lyke a quene Her heer vntressed Bochas toke good hede In al his booke he had afore not sene A more wofull creature in dede With weping eyen to torne was al her wede Rebuking Bochas cause he had left behynde Her wretchednes for to put in mynde Vnto myne auctour sodaynly she abrayde Like a woman that were with wo chekmate First of al thus to him she saide Sometyme I was a quene of great estate Crowned in Fraunce but nowe all disolate I stand forsoth BrouÌshilde was my name Which to reherse I haue a maner shame Thou were busy to write the wofull caas Within thy boke of Arcinoe Dyddest seruice to quene Cleopatras Of Rosamonde thou wrote also parde And amonge al thou hast forgoten me Whereby it semeth thou doest at me disdayne List no parcell to write of my paine Whan Bochas herd this of chere he wext sad Knowyng nothyng of that she dyd endure Iwysse quod he afore I haue not rad In no cronicle nor in no scripture Of your frowarde wofull auenture No quod she I pray you take good hede So as they fyll I wil reherce in dede Bochas with Brounchilde gan debate anon Sothly quod he this is the condicion Of you women almost euerychone Ye haue thys maner wythout excepcion Of your naturall inclinacion Of youre declaring thys obseruaunce to kepe Nothynge to say contrary to your worshepe Nature hath taught you all that is wroÌge to excuse Vnder a curtaine al thig for to hyde With litel graine your chaffe ye can abuse On your defautes ye lyst not for to abide The gaule touched al that ye set asyde Shewe roses freshe wedes ye let passe And fairest chere there ye most trespasse And if ye shall tel your owne tale Howe ye fil fro fortunes whele Ye wyl vnclose but a litel male Shewe of your vyces but a smal percele Brotle glasse sheweth brighter than stele And though of vertue ye shew a faire preteÌce He is a fole that yeueth to you credence Quod Brounchilde I do ryght well espye Thou haste of women a false opinion Howe they can flatter wele and lye And ben diuers of disposicion Thou myghtest haue made an excepcion Of hie estates and them that gentle bene Namely of me that was so great a quene Your hye estate by kynd hath no power To chaunge in nature nouther cold nor hete But let vs passe and leaue this matter Theron to abyde or any more to plete Of your complaint say to me the greate By way of seruyce to you I shall me quyte As ye declare take my penne and write Take hede quod she and with good auice Fro the trouthe beware that thou ne varye Whilom in Fraunce reigned kyng Clowise Had a sonne that named was Clothary Clothar had an heire y t named was Lotarye And this Lotary named the seconde Had sonnes four in story it is founde To the cronicle who can take hede As it is put in remembraunce Whan their father the mighty kig was dead Atwene these foure was parted all Fraunce Eche by him selfe to haue gouernaunce By one assent as brother vnto brother Wearing their crownes ech quit theÌ to other The same time I called Brounchylde Me lyst not varye from the olde writinge Had a father named Leuechylde Of all Spayne soueraine lorde and kynge My sayd father to ful great hyndring Of bothe realmes the fame ranne so ferre Twene Spaine FrauÌce gan mortal werre The brethern four in FrauÌce crowned kings Agayne my father made strong defence Of marcial pride and fortunat chaungynges Whan they met by mortall violence Of sodayne slaughter fyll such pestilence On outher partye the felde like a great flode With the tirrible effusion of blode To both realmes y â werres were importable Causyng of deth passyng great domage Sought meanes wext by assent tretable Of blode shedyng to appease the wofull rage By one accorde I was yeue in mariage To Sigebert reignyng tho in Fraunce Twene both realmes to make aliaunce Nay quod Bochas I deme it was not so Twene you me there must begyn a strife Be aduised take good hede therto The first assuraunce of mariage in your lyfe Of Chilperik ye were the wedded wyfe Cronicles sene what euerye expresse In this matter wil beare w t me wytnes Though some bokes reherce and so sayne Lyke as ye haue made here mencion Their rehersaile stande in no certaine For by the assent of outher region Spaine and Fraunce in their conuencion Ordained so in my tendre age To Sigebert I was yeue in mariage Imeneus was not there present Whan he toke our chambre towarde nyght For Thesiphone her susterne of assent Infernall goddesses bare the torches lyght And as the torches shewed derke and brighte Thereby the people present one and al Dempt of the mariage what should befal This custome vsed of antiquite From their temples of goddes goddesse At mariage of folke of hye degree Torches were borne of whom men toke witnes As they were dercke or shewed their bryghtnes The difference sene in eche estate If it were towarde or infortunate Of this mariage short processe to make The torches brent yet they were not bright Shewed out combrous smokes blake Of consolacion lost was al the lyght Thus in derknes wasted the fyrst nyght Their verse songe of goddes and goddesses Were all togither of sorow and heuynesses These were the tokeÌs the night of mariage Pronostikes of great aduersyte Yet of nature I had this auauntage Of womanhead and excellent beaute And like a quene in stones and perre I was arayed clad in purple wede With a crowne of golde vpon my head Solempnely crowned quene of Fraunce Which for to se folke fast gan repayre Of all welfare I had suffysaunce Clombe on fortune full hie vpon the stayre A sonne I had called Clotayre By Sygebert by recorde of writing Thyrde of the name in FrauÌce crowned kiÌg So wolde god that day that he was borne He had be put in his Sepulture In saluacion of blode shede here toforne Caused the death of many a creature As diuers bokes reporte in scripture Ground ginning as made is mencion Within this lande of great diuision He with his brethern of whom I spake late At him began the first occasion Nat so quod Bochas ye fayled of your date Who was chefe cause of diuision Sothly quod she in myne opinion Among them selfe I dare well specify Chefe ginnyng was fateruall enuy Kepe you more close in this matter ye do faile Folowing the traces of your condicion Ye halte foule in your rehersaile For of your owne ymaginacion Ye sewe the sede of this dissencion Amonge these kynges if ye take hede By which in Fraunce many man was deade Than Brounchilde gan to chaunge chere To Bochas sayde with face full cruel Not long agon thou knewest not the manere Of my liuing but a small parcell Me semeth nowe thou knowest euery del So that ye may
with perle legge stocked to the kne Playnynge to Bochas of their aduersite Their shone were raced freshly to the tone Richely transuersed with gold wyre And theron set many a stronge stone Gayne Phebus light shone bright and clere These lombarde kinges gan taproch nere The fyrst of al the king Lupus Vnto Bochas gan to complaine thus Bochas quod he as for my party For to reherce by short conclusion One Grymaldus a prince of Lombardy Hath me enclosed out of my region And cruelly enchayned me in prison And after that did a sergeaunt sende Smyt of myne head there I made an ende The .xi. Chapter ¶ Howe the heade of Alexius was smit of by Comperton AFter this end reherced of Lupus For to declare his mortall heuynesse Next in ordre there came Alexius A loÌbard king famous of richesse Which toke on him of surquedous prowesse For to compasse the distruction Of a prince called Comperton Which ware also a crowne in Lombardye Atwyxt both was werre and great distauÌce But all the people and lordes of Pauie With mighty hande marciall gouernaunce The said Alexius brought vnto mischaunce And Comperton escaped from all drede Of mortal vengeaunce let smite of his heade The xii Chapiter ⧠How Ariperton was drowned with his ryches AFter whose death pitously playning Tofore Bochas came Ariperton Of Lombardy whilom lord and king Whiche like a fole of high presumpcion All causelesse toke occasion Of volunte there is no more to say Againe the duke of Bagaroys to werrey These princes twayne taken haue the felde And of Ariperton the party gan apayre His aduersary anone as he behelde His cowarde herte gan fall in dispayre Into Pauie for feare he gan repayre Toke his treasour in purpose anonright For uery drede to take him to the flight Toke a vessell and entred is the see With sodaine tempest assailed derknesse His barge perished by great aduersite And was drowned w t al his great rychesse Lo here the fyne of worldly wretchydnesse Namely of them to get great treasours That gyn werre agayn their neighbours The xiii Chapter ¶ Howe Dediere by Pope Adrian and Charles of Fraunce was put to flight died at mischefe NExte to Bochas with heuye loke and chere King of Lombardy shewed his preseÌce Called in his time noble Dediere Notable in armes and of great excellence And where his father had done offence To the Pope and full great duresse This king cast the domages to redresse Agistolphe was his fathers name Whiche to the Pope did great aduersite For whiche his sonne to encreace his fame Of royall fredom and magnanimite And of benygne lyberalite Gaue to the Pope with humble reuerence A stately cite that called is Fagence Therwith he gaue treasour and great good As he that list of fredome nat to spare A mighty castell whiche on Tybrestod Within the boundes lordshyp of Ferrare Whiche is a cyte playnly to declare Of antiquite myne auctour telleth so And stant vpon the ryuer of the Poo This Dediere reigning in Lombardy Gan wexe famous at his beginning Had a great name vpon eche party But in the erthe is nothing abyding All stant on chaunge fortune in workyng Is founde vnstable double of her vysage Which of this king chaunged the corage There he was large on euery side Lyberal founde in many sondrye wyfe His goodlyhede was chaunged in to pryde And his largesse in to couetyse Of doublenesse he gan anone deuyse To clayme agayne as ye shall vnderstand His saide gyftes out of the Popes hande Whiche Dediere had made aliaunce As the cronicle maketh mencion With king Pepin reignyng tho in Fraunce After whose death to haue possession And full lordshyp of all that region He gan of newe fall at distaunce Both w t the Pope with the king of FrauÌce Of presumpcion these werres he began Againe his promise of double variaunce Pope in tho daies was holy Adrian Which to stynt the troble gret mischauÌce Required helpe of the king of Fraunce And great Charles in Bochas as I rede Came to the Pope to helpe him in this nede Charles that time was chefe protectoure To holy churche their pauis and defence Whiche of hole hert and dyligent labour With Dediere by manly violence He met in Tuskie of knightly excellence Had a batayle to preue their might Charles victor Dediere put to flyght As I fynde he fled in to Pauie Worthy Charles layde a siege aforne Constrayned them vpon eche partye For lacke of vitaile they were almost lorne They wanted licour grayne and corne By sodayne constraynt great aduersyte To king Charles they yelded vp the cyte Kyng Dediere was sent in to Fraunce With mighty chaynes fettred in prison Like a wretche in sorow great penaunce Died at mischefe there gayned no raunson Which had afore so great possession After whose day by olde writing Among loÌbardes was neuer crowned king The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ Of Pope Johan a woman with childe and put downe AFter the Princes reherced here toforne Drowned in teares came a creature Like a byshop rounded and yshorne And as a priest he had abrode tonsure Her apparayle outwarde and vesture Being a woman wherof Bochas toke hede Lyke a prelate shape was her wede She was the same that of yore agon Vnworthely sate in Peters place Was afterwarde called Pope John Aberdlesse prelate no heare sene on her face Of her birth named was the place Maxence a cite standing in Itaile Vpon the Keen full famous of vitayle In her youth and in her tendre age Forsoke her kyn and in especiall Cast she would for her auauntage Geue her to conning body hert and all And in the sciences called lyberall In all seuin by famous excellence By great study she had experience Her name couthe in many a diuers lande To shew her coÌning first whan she began Serchyng prouinces came to Englande No wight supposing but y â she was a man Came to Rome her story tell can Taught Grammer Sophistry and Logike Red in scholes openly rethorike In the tyme of themperour Lotarye After the death as made is mencion Fro mine auctour if I shall nat varie Of the Pope which called was Leon The said woman by election I stalled was no wight supposing than By no token but that she was a man The boke of Sortes after that anon Of auenture tourned vp so doun She was named and called Pope John Of whose naturall disposicon Fyll by processe in to temptacion Quicke w t childe the hour came on her than Was deliuered at saynt Jhon Lateran After put downe for her great outrage I wyll on her spende no more labour But passe ouer all the surplusage Of her liuing and of her great errour Turne my stile vnto the emperour Called Arnolde write his pitous chaunce Sonne to Charles y â great king of Fraunce To this Charles as bokes determine He was sonne nat borne in maryage But begotten on a concubine Toke
Belset Tarquiniaine Fro him by force toke many a region Mesopotamie to his possession Toke by strong hand through his chiualry Maugre Diogenes almost all Surrye Belset TarquiniaÌ made him selfe so stronge By manly force Diogenes to assayle And for Diogenes thought he did him wrong He gan ordaine great stuffe and apparayle A day assigned they met in batayle Diogenes of froward auenture He his knightes brought to discomfyture Take he was brought by great disdayne In whom as tho there was no resistence To kinge Belset called Tarqumiaine And whan he came to his presence Against him was yeue this sentence To lie downe plat and that king Belset Should take his fote and on his throte set This was done for an hie dispite Diogenes brought forthe on a chayne Without reuerence fauour or respyte At great feastes assigned was his payne And alder last put out his eyen twayne The whele of fortune tourneth as a ball Sodayne clymbing asketh a sodayne fall The .xix. Chapiter ¶ How Robert duke of Normandy foughte with the Turkes was named to the crowne of Jerusalem and died at mischefe AWorthye Prynce spoken of in manye reem Noble Robert duke of Normandy Chose to the crowne of Jerusaleem But for cause he did it deny Fortune vnto him had enuy The same Robert next in ordre was That came to playne his fall vnto Bochas For Christes fayth this mighty champion This duke Robert armed in plate and maile With manly Godfray Godfray de Bollion Againe turkes fought a great batayle For Christes faythe that it should auaile To sustene the lawe in their entent To all the kinges of the Occident Of Turkes Sarazins was so gret a noÌbre Gaine Christes law gadred in puissaunce The fayth of Christ falsly to encombre But there were made hasty ordinaunce By kinges of England Normandy FrauÌce First to socour did their busy paine Godfray de Bollion y t was duke of Loraine Which on Sarazins made a discomfyture Maugre Turkes for all their great might In which battaile Christ made him recure The felde that day to supporte his right Where Robert was found so good a knight That for his noblesse by recorde of writyng Of Jerusalem was named to be king He assented nat to the election Bycause of new that he did vnderstande His elder brother for short conclusion Y called Willyam was dead in Englande Wolde in no wyse take y â crowne on hande Of Jerusalem but like a manly knight Came to Englande for to clayme his right And yet or he came he had knowledging His yonger brother called Henry Had vpon him take to be crowned kyng Tolde his lordes and princes fynally He was next heyre entred rightfully As enheritour to succede in that reem His brother being king of Jherusalem God wot the cause stode all in other wyse The said Robert duke of Normandye Purposed him by marciall emprise From his brother to take the regalye Toke his princes and his chyualrye Thought he wold like a manly knighte Arryue in England and reioyse his righte Both in one felde assembled on a day The brethren twayne ech w t strong party To darraine and make no delay Eche with other to holde champarty But whan these lordes the mischefe did espy They busied them and were nat recheles Atwene the bretherne to refourme pees The said bretherne were fully condiscended Vpon this poynt for shorte conclusien As in the accorde was iustly comprehended Henry to holde and haue possession During his life of al this region And Robert should haue for his party A summe of golde with all Normandy Thre thousande pouÌde put in remembraunce Eche yere to Robert sent fro his region Of which payment to make full assuraunce Was layde hostages as made is mencion But yet of new fyll a discencion Atwene the bretherne of hatred and enuy For a certaine castell y â stode in Normandy Which castell longed of heritage Vnto the kinges iurisdiction Of which the duke toke his auauntage Maugre the king and held possession Turned after to his confusion And whan the king this thing did espye With stronge hand came to Normandy Where the duke was layde a siege about Made ordinaunce to recure his right Gate the castell toke his brother out Emprisoned him of very force and might Left him alone out of all mennes sight Fourtene yere the cronicle writeth so There he died in mischefe and in wo. Whyle Bochas was busy in his labour His boke tacomplyshe with great diligence To him appered the great emperour Called Henry shewed his presence Gan complaine vpon great offence Done to him the mischefe and distresse By his sonnes great vnkyndnesse The which sonne was called eke Henry Greatly accused of ingratytude Cause he wrought so disnaturally Toke his father with force and multitude Entreated him boysteously and rude And afterward there gayned no raunson At great mischefe he dyed in pryson The .xx. Chapiter How Joceline prince of Rages for pryde slouth and lechery dyed in pouerte NExt in ordre with trist ded visage ⪠Vnto Bochas to shew his heuines Came Jocelyne lord and prince of Rage Which is a cite famous of ryches And this prince mine auctor bereth witnesse Was greatly yeue to slouth and slogardy And all his lust he set in lechery Left his lordshyp out of gouernaunce For lacke of wisdome and discrecion In fleshly lust set all his plesaunce And of the countreis about him enuyron He was nat had in reputacion Certayne princes mine auctor doth discryue Of his lordshyp cast him to depriue Amonge whiche the prince of Alapy Called Sanguyne the story who lyst se To Joceline hauing great enuy Layde a siege to Rages the cite He beyng absent ferre from that countre And thus for slouthe wylful neglygence Rages was take by mighty violence And Joceline commaunded to prison To him fortune was so coutrarious Lost his lordshyp and dominacion Lo here the fyne of folkes vicious Slowe delicat proude and lecherous Dyed in pouerte in mischefe and in nede Of vicious princes lo here the fynall mede The .xxi. Chapiter ¶ Howe the emperour Andronicus slewe all that were of the blode royal cheryshed vicious people and after was hanged AS very heire here and trewe successour By election and also by lynage Came Andronicus lorde and emperour Of Constantinople crowned king of age Next to Bochas with trist and pale vysage Beseching him to do his busy cure To remembre his woful auenture Amonge grekes by story and scripture This Andronicus gouerned nat aright Againe lawe and eke agayne nature Founde with his suster fleshly on a night Bothe of assent toke them to the flight Agayne him his cosyn was so fell Lorde of that countre called Emanuell For a time stode as a man exiled For his disceÌcions many an vncouth strife By his princes after reconsiled Standing in hope he should amende his lyfe But in the tyme that he was fugitife He was made lorde stode so for a whyle Reignyng
Henry hys father gan counsayle Agayne the churche to do no violence But him submit wyth humble obedience The strife enduringe atwene these estates Frederik made his sonne to be accused To hym of crymelese magestatis Woulde not suffer he should be excused But lyke a man maliciously refused By his fathers cursed false treason He was coÌmaunded to dye in prison Some bokes say he was taken brought To his father of dome to haue sentence But lyke a man passed sorow thought Whych to hys lyfe had none aduertence Furiously and wyth great vyolence As he was lad alas on horsbake Hys horse fyl downe so hys necke he brake Some bokes reherse of hym and sayne Hys father toke agayne hym occasion And whan he had longe in cheynes layne At great mischefe he dyed in prison And some saye that he fyl doun Of a bridge as Bochas reherseth herâ And drowned was in a depe ryuere â A commendacion of Bochas of suche as be kynde to their kynred NExte in ordre myne auctour dyd hys cure To make a speciall commendacion Of such as be disposed by nature And by their kyndly inclinacion As blode requireth and generacion To acquite theÌ selfe in thought wyll dede Without fayning vnto theyr kinred Specially that none vnkindnesse Be founde in them for none aduersite To consider of naturall gentylnes To them appropred is mercy and pyte And to auoyde the false duplicite That was in Frederik whyche so vnkyndly Let slee hys sonne that called was Henry Pyte is appropred to kynrede Father and mother by disposicion To cherysh theyr chyldren and eke fede Tyl seuen yere passe lawe maketh mencion And as they be bounde of naturall reason That tyme passed their tendernes tenâlyne Vnto fortune by vertuous dyscipline Than afterwarde in theyr adolescence Vertuously to tech them and chastise Norish them in doctrine and Science Fostre in vertue vices to dyspyse To be curteyse prudent sad and eke wyse For whan they gyn wyth vertue in that age Gladly after they do no great outrage As it longeth to euery gentle lygne And blode royall by kyndly influence To father mother shewe them selfe benigne Of humble hertes to do them reuerence Aye to remembre in their aduertence On syxe princes that wrought the contrarye For whyche fortune was their aduersarye Eueriche to other founde was vnkinde In cursed blode may be no kindnesse Of one tarage sauoureth tree and rynde The frute also beareth of the tre wytnes And semblably the fathers cursednes Wyth mortall sworde in nature reprouable Againe the childe is ofte sene vengeable Among whych Brutus is rekened one Next in order folowed Manlius Slewe their chyldren by recorde euerychone Philip Manlius and also Cassius And cruell Herode fel and malicious Frederik also most vengeably Slewe his sonne that called was Henry This Frederik aye frowarde and contrary Towarde his son not gracious nor benygne From holy churche vngoodly he gan vary And theragayne frowardly maligne And lyke a man obstinate and vndigne Dyed accursed thrugh misgouernaunce Wythout confession or repentaunce The .xxiiii. chapter â Howe Manfroye kyng of Poyle was slayne NExte too Bochas of Poyle came the kynge Began hys fall and complaynte to specify Called Manfroy and for hys false workyng Put downe and slayne cause of his tiranuy Lo what auayleth septr or regaly To a tyraunt which of violence List to god warde haue none aduertence The .xxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Ences kyng of Sardiny dyed in prison WYth loke downe cast deadly pale of chere Of Sardinya Ences nexte came doun Kyng of that lande to tell the manere Howe he werrayed agayne the myghty toun Called Bononâa to his confusion By them veÌquished wyth chaynes rouÌde Dyed in prison so long he lay there bounde FolowiÌg myne auctour called Bocas Jhon In Sardinia as he maketh mynde Serpent nor wolfe in that lande was none Hauyng a well whych of very kynde Theues eyen the water maketh blynd To true folke as he doth deuine Water thereof was helth and Medicine There groweth also an herbe as bokes sey Which that is so diuers of nature Who tasteth therof laughyng he shal dey No medicine may helpe them nor succour The touche therof stante eke in auenture If it enter his mouth on any syde He shal alyue for laughter not abyde The .xxvi. chapter ⧠Howe an other Frederyke was slayne by iudgemente of hys brother THere was another frowarde Frederike Sonne of Alphonce that was king of Castyle Of corage wode and eke franâyke His owne brother falsly to begyle Began a werre lastynge but a whyle Whose purpose was his brother to dysceiue And the crowne of Castile to receyue This Frederike came with a greate battaile Agayne his brother for the same entent Of his purpose yet he dyd fayle God nor fortune were not of assent Take in the felde and by iudgement Of his brother for his great trespace Slayne openly he had no better grace The .xxvii. Chapter â Howe Manimettus and Argones dyed at mischefe MAnymettus of Perce lorde and kyng Came next in preace distressed in gret payne Vpon fortune pitiously playnyng His aduersite dyd him so constrayne For there was one whych at him did disdaine Called Argones voide of title or ligne Gayne Manimettus proudlye gan malinge Whych Argones for his presumpcion Take at mischete by sodayne violence His dome was giuen to dye in prison Of no power to make resistence But fortune that can no difference Of her chaunges atwene frende and fo Caused them dye at mischefe both two ⧠The .xxviii. Chapter â Howe Charles Kynge of Jerusalem and of Cecile for auarice and auoutry died at mischefe AFter these forsayde rehersed in sentence As Bochas remembreth in hys style Came Noble Charles vnto presence Kyng of Jerusalem and also of Cecile Of whose coÌming myn auctour a great while Astoyned was to se his knyghtly face With such chere come in to the place For by hys porte who behelde hym wele Considred fyrst his loke and hys vysage It sempt he trad vpon fortunes whele And of his noble marciall corage Had of her power gotten auauntage Shewyng him selfe on eche partye Her and her might dyd vtterly defye First to commende his royall hye lynage And of his vertuous famous alyaunce And by writing and praysing of langage The name of him specially to auaunce Sayth he was borne of the blode of FrauÌce And to encreace most soueraynlye his prise Writeth he was brother vnto saynt Le wyse Gaue to Fraunce this commendacion So as Phebus passeth eche other sterre Right so that kingdom in comparison Passeth euery lande both nie and ferre In policy be it peace or werre For it transcendeth in peace by prouydence And in werre by knightly excellence These wordes be nat take of myne auctour Entytled here for a remembraunce By one Laurence whiche was translatour Of this processe to commende Fraunce To prayse that lande was all his plesaunce Sayth influence of that royall lande Made Charles so worthy of
gret penaunce Stable of their chere visage couÌtenaunce Neuer to vary for none auenture Like Christes chaÌpions perpetually teÌdure Whose foundacion by notable prouidence Grounded on Christ their soules to auaunce Graue in their hertes and in theyr conscience Voiding all trouble of worldly perturbauÌce Chaunges of fortune w t her double chaunce Loued god and dred aboue eche creature In hope with him perpetually to endure The .xxxiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Philip le Bele king of Fraunce was slaine with a wilde Bore and of his thre sonnes and their wedding Whan Bochas had written of pacieÌce And commended the vertue of suffraunce Philip le Bele came to his presence Fift of the name crowned king of Fraunce Gan complaine his vnhappy chaunce And on fortune of custome that can vary Which was to him cruell aduersary Wounded he was with a greuous sore Gan his complaynt to Bochas determyne How he was slaine with a wilde bore In a forest which called was Compyne Tolde howe he was sclaundred al hys line Ones in FlauÌders w t many a worthy knight VeÌquished of fleÌminges felly put to flight Proceding ferther gan touche of his lynage Howe in his time he had sonnes three Lewes Philip Charles yonge of age The fourth Robert also a doughter had he Called Isabell right excellent of beaute The sayde Robert the storie is well kouthe Whiche that died in his tender youthe To this story who liât haue good regarde The circumstaunce wysely to discerne His doughter Isabell was wedded to Edward Carneruan the boke so doth vs lerne This yonge Philip wedded in Nauerne The kinges doughter a stately mariage Called Jane whyle she was tendre of age The same Philip after crowned king Of Nauerne his father of assent Fyue sonnes he had than liuing Of which fiue as in sentyment Thre in nombre be right pertyn ent The matter who so list to loke And the processe of the same boke The eldest sonne called was Lewise To whome his father gaue possession Of Nauerne bycause that he was wyse For to gouerne that noble region Philip his brother for his high renoun Was afterwarde by iust enheritaunce And rightful title crowned king of Fraunce The thyrde brother was by title of right Made erle of march named was Charles Eche of them in the peoples syght Were famous holde passing of great prise And for they were right manly right wyse Philip and Charles toke in tendre age The erles doughters of Burgoin in mariage But as the storye reherseth in certayne To their noblesse fortune had enuy And by a maner of malice and disdayne Brought in a processe vpon the party Of their two wyues frowarde auoutry Causing the death of these wyues thre Whan they most floured in their felicite After these three princes glorious Tofore Bochas had shew theyr entent A mighty duke notable and famous Came to complaine Charles of Tarent Which in his time to Florence went To make peace in his royall estate Twene Guerâte Gemellius standing at debate The said Charles borne of the blod of frauÌce A manly knight the story doth deuise By whose vnhappy fatall froward chaunce In the werres twene Florence and Pyse On horsbacke sittinge in knightly wyse Hurt w t an arowful lowe down to grounde Wherby he caught his last fatal wounde A man of armes beyng a soudyour With the pisanes were it wronge or right Of false disdaine did his busy labour To treade on Charles in the peoples syght Whan he laye gruffe wherfore he was made knight By theyr captain for a maner pryde Which gouerned the Sybelines syde And in his study wyth full heuy chere While John Bochas bode styll on his sete To him appered and gan approche nere Daunt of Florence the laureate Poete With his dities and rethoriques swete Demure of loke fulfilled with pacience With a vysage notable of reuerence Whan Bochas saw him vpoÌ his fete he stod And to mete him he toke his pase full right with great reuerence auailed cappe and hod To him said with humble chere and sight O clerest sonne O very sothfast lyght Of our cite which called is Florence Laude be to the honour and reuerence Thou hast enlumined Itaile Lombardy With Laureate ditees in thy flouring dayes Grounde and ginning of prudent policy Monge Florentines suffred great affrayes As golde pure proued at al assayes In trouth madest mekely thy selfe stronge For commoÌ profite to suffre paine wronge O noble Poete touching this matter How Florentines to the were vnkynde I wyll remember write with good chere Thy pytous exile and put here in mynde Fray quod Daunt here stante one behinde Duke of Athens turne to him thy style His vncouth story breuely to compyle And if thou lyst do me this plesaunce To discryue his knightly excellence I wyll thou put his life in remembraunce How he oppressed by mighty violence This famous cite called Florence By which story plainly thou shalt se Whiche were frendes and foes to the cite And which were able to be excused If the trouth be clerely apperceyued And which were worthy to be refused By whome the cite ful falsly was disceiued The cyrcumstaunce notably conceiued To reken in order by euery syde Which shoulde be chaced and whiche shoulde abyde The .xxxiiii. Chapter ¶ How duke Gaulter of Florence for his tirannye lechery and couetyse ended in myschefe ANd whan Bochas knewe all thentencion Of the saide Daunt he caste him anone ryght To obey his mayster as it was reason Toke his penne and as he cast his sight Alite aside he sawe no maner wight Saue duke Gaulter of all the longe day For Daunt vnwarely vanished was away This said Gaulter bruely to perocede Lyke as it is put in remembraunce Touching his line and his royall kynrede He was discended of the blode of Fraunce By longe processe and knightly purueyaunce His father fyrst by diligent labour Of Athenes was lorde and gouernour Stode but a while in clere possession Grekes to him had full great enuy Cast of assent to put him doun And de priue him of his famous duchy To their entent a layser they did espy Toke him at mischefe quaking in his drede Of hie dispyte in haste smyt of his heade Vpon whose death auenged for to be This said Gaulter with mighty apparayle Cast he wolde asiege that cite But of his purpose longe he did faile And in this while w t many stronge batayle Two mighty prices were coÌe down of Pise Laide a siege to Luke in full knightly wyse Florentines to Luke were fauourable And to delyuer the siege from the toun With multytude almost innumerable Made ordinaunce and knightly came doun Which tourned after to their distruction For it fell so of mortall auenture On Florentines fyl the discomfiture The noyse and fame of this great batayle Gan sprede ferre by reporte of langage In Lombardy and in Itayle Monge soudiours lusty of corage And among other fayning a pylgrimage The said
tofore Gaulter his iudgemeÌt to shew With sharp swordes he was all to hewe The execucion done vpon these thrâ In Tuskan borne the rancour did apease Of Florentines to staunche the cruelte Againe Gaulter to his life great ease He glad to escape out of his disease Fled away in full secrete wyse The towne restored again to their frauÌchyse Thus he lost by his insolence All his power and dominacion Bothe of Tuskan and also of Florence And as mine auctour maketh mencion Fro Lombardy he is discended doun Drew to king Iohn reigning tho in FrauÌce And of byrth full nigh of alyaunce As I fynde he was on that partye With king Ihon this Gaulter like a knight Whan that the king with all his chiualry Was take him selfe his lordes put to flighte Into Englande lad after anone righte The said Gaulter hauing no regarde To his worshyp fled like a cowarde Met in his flyght with diuerse soudyours Of Lombardy abiding with king Iohn Which that time as brygantes pyllours Toke this Gaulter led him forthe anone His force his corage his herte was agone Of auenture a certaine Florentine Smit of his head this was his fatall fyne The .xxxv. Chapter ¶ Of Philipot Cathenoise borne of lowe birth which came vnto great estate and after she her sonne her doughter were brent BEspraynt with teares and wofull noyse Tofore Bochas quaking in sorow and drede Next in order came Philipot Cathenoyse Poore of degree borne of lowe kynrede Which rose after to great estate in dede And gan with sorow complaint ful mortal Seriously to tell her woful fall Touching her byrth derke was her linage Of poore bed borne on outher syde Bochas was lothe to spende great langage On her history longe theron to abyde Purposed him nothing for to hide Of the substaunce but tell all the great And superfluite of the remenaunt to leat Whiche was reherced by him in his youth Whan he was toward Robert of Cecyle Kyng of Ierusalem the storye is nat couth Yet in his boke he list it compyle And it reherce by full soueraine stile Lyke in that courte as it was to him tolde By one Bulgare called in slauaine olde The sayd Bulgare was a marynere With him also was a Calabrien Called Constantine which full many a yere Trauailed had and sondry thinges sene In diuers countreis there he had bene Monge other thinges sene in dayes olde This was a storie which Bulgare tolde Duke of Calabre Robert by his name By his father Charles the mighty kyng Had in coÌmauÌdement y â storye saith the same Gayne Frederike to make a stronge ryding Which by force proudly vsurping Toke vpon him to be lorde of that yle Which called was the kingdome of Cicyle Depranne in sothe called was the towne Where duke Robert his pauyllions pight Rode armed through his hie renowne Gaine Frederike for the lande to fight And to withstande him plainly if he might And so be fyll the morowe before prime The dukes wife of childing bode her tyme. Violaunt men did that lady call In her time a famous great duchesse Destitute of other women al Whan her childe was borne in that distresse To yeue it souke the story doth expresse Saue for mischefe Philipot was fet nere Of Cathenoyse the dukes chefe laundere By a fysher which was her husbande A childe she had lyuing by theyr trauaile Which fro the sea vnto the courte by lande Day by day caried vitaile And in this case be cause it might auayle Philipot was brought in this greate straytnesse To be norice vnto the duchesse Where she was cherished after her desyres Eche thing redy whan that euer she sent With the duchesse amonge other chambrers In to Naples I fynde that she went Tyll Atropose frowarde of entent Made of this childe there is no more to say The lyues threde for to breke in tway With king Charles of whoÌ I spake toforne As mine auâtour remembreth in his boke Was one Raymond of Champayne borne Whiche w t the king was called mayster coke And on a day his iourney he toke Towarde the sea a pyrate as I finde Solde him a child which was borneiÌ Inde Lyke Ethiopiens was his colour For whoÌ this coke Raymonde hath deuysed For in his notable diligent labour Made him christen and so he was baptised Gaue him the name and also practysed Him to promote that he vpon him toke By his doctrine to be mayster coke For he sone after toke the order of a knight The Ethiopien wext a good officere Gate suche grace in the kinges sight To be about him more nere By processe he was made wardyopere And though he was blacke of his visage To Cathenoyse he was ioyned in maryage Wexte malyperte and of presumpcion To be made knight y â king he gan requere Which of fredom and great affection Is condiscended to graunt his prayere But to declare plainly the manere In this time Violaunt the duchesse Afore remembred dyed of sicknesse After whose death bokes dothe certifye Howe duke Robert of Naples the cite Wedded a Lady that called was Sausye To whom Philipot as fyll to her degre With diligence and great humilite To please her dyd so her deuer That of counsayle there was none so nere Euer redy at her commaundement Wrought atyres plesaunt of delite With holsom waters that were redolent To make her skyn by washing sote white Made confections to serue her appetyte By her husbande the story who lyst se The same Philipot had chyldren three She was connyng of her porte prudent Chosen by fauour for to be maystresse To fayre Iane yonge and innocent Which doughter was to the great duchesse Of Calabre and furthermore to expresse Her husbande the Ethyopyen withall Of Charles houshold was made seneschall O lorde quod Bochas spake of hie disdain What meneth this fortune for to make chere With her fauour to rayse vp a forayne Vpon her whele with bright fethers clere But of custome it is aye her manere Fayrest to appere with chere countenauÌce Whan she wyll bryng a maÌ vnto mischauÌce For he that was a boy the last day An Ethiopien borne horrible of sight And afore time in the kechyn lay Amonge the pottes with baudy cote anight Nowe of newe hath take the ordre of knight With king Charles is now seneschall Such sodayne climbing asketh a sodain fal He and Philipot his wyfe fro pouerte Be enhaunced and rissen to great richesse Two of their sonnes stately maryed be And he for fauour more than worthynesse To order of knight in his most highnesse Their father died whose feast funerall Was solempnysed and holde full royall Thus can fortune chaunge as the mone Her bright face derked with a skye His eldest sonne dyed after sone The seconde left vp his clergie To be made knightlgan him selfe apply Stode of his father plainly as I rede In his office by fauour to succede Thus by processe fro Philipot anonright Deathe of
her husbande her sonnes twaine Fortune in party eclypsed hath the light Of her welfare and gan at her disdayne Yet euen like as whan it doth rayne Phebus after sheweth more clerenesse So she fro trouble rose to more nobles I meane as thus rehersyng no vertue In her person that men coude espye But onely this by tytle of this issue Whan Charles doughter on that partye Was to the king wedded of Hungrye Called Andree a man of great corage He sayed his wyfe but right tendre of age The same Iane nat without vice As is rehersed somwhat by myne auctour To whome Phylipot whylom was norice As ye haue herde and by full great labour Of the said Iane Robert made gouernour Sonne of Phylipot for a great rewarde Made of Cecyle and of that lande stewarde This fauour done to Philipot Cathenoyse Caused in that lande great indignacion Whose doughters weddiÌg caused gret noyse Maryed to charles the gret erle of Marchon whiche gaue to folke greate occasion To deme amysse aboute in eche countre That all y â lande was gouerned by tho thre By quene Iane and Phylipot Cathenoyes And the said Robert stewarde of Cecyle Son to Philipot this was the common vois The Quene and Robert by their subtil wyle Had of assent vsed a longe while The hateful synne of aduoutry Rose in Cecyle and went vp to Hungry For Quene Iane began no maner thing But Cathenoyse assented were therto The execucion and fully the working Brought to conclucion by Robert al was do And in this time rose a great stryfe also Disclaunderous and a froward discorde Atwene the quene him that was her lorde Harde to procede vpon suspection Sclaunder is swift lightly taketh his flight For which men shoulde eschue the occasion Of fame and noyse of euery maner wight By prouidence remembred in his sight Whan the report is through a lande ronne Harde it is to stint it whan it is begonne Withstand principles occasions to decline Lest vnwarely ther folow great domage To late commeth the salue of medicine To festred sores whan they be vncurable ⪠And in case very resemblable To eschew sclauÌder who list nat for to spare Maye nat fayle to fal into the snare Thus for a time the slaunder was kept close Albeit so it did for a while abyde Another mischiefe ful pitously arose Which afterward spred abrode ful wyde Aduoutry to murder is a very gyde Set at a priefe mine auctour doth recorde The king Andre was strangled with a corde Out of his chambre raysed a great heyght By a coniected false conspiracion He was entreated brought downe by sleyght After strangled as made is mencion Whose death to punish by commission Hugh erle of Anelyne by a patent large To be iudge toke vpon him the charge Of this murder rose vp a great noyse By euidence full abhominable Philipot called Cathenoyse Her sonne doughter that they were culpable Dome was yeue by Iudges ful notable And to conclude shortly their iudgement With chaines bouÌd at stakes they wer brent ¶ Lenuoy ⪠THys Tragedy afore rehersed here Telleth the domage of presumption By experience rehersyng the manere Whan beggers rise to dominacion Is none so dredeful execucion Of cruelte yf it be wel out sought Than of such one as came vp of nought Recorde on Philipot that with huÌble chere By sodayne fauour and supportacion Which was to fore a simple smal landere Of no value nor reputacion By fortunes gery traÌsmutacion Shed out her malyce testate whan she was brought List not consider how she came vp of nought Where is more disdayne or more daungere Or more frowarde communicacion More vengeable venim doth appere Nor more sleyghty false supplantacion Nor more conspired vnware collusion Nor vndermining done couertly wrought Than of such folke as come vp of nought Fortunes chaunges meuinges circulere With her most stormy transmutacion Now one set vp ful hie in the sphere Enhaunceth vices and vertues put down Record on Philipot whose venemous treasoÌ Compassed aforne in her secret thought The dede sheweth y t she came vp of nought Noble princes with your bright eyen clere Aduertise in your discretion That no flaterer come in your court so nere By no fraude of false disception Alway remembring afore in your reason On this tragedy on this treason wrought By a false flatter that came vp of nought The .xxxvi. Chapter Howe kyng Sauses was slayne by his cosin which was brother vnto the king of Aragon THe that time came of this trauayle Bochas dempt holding for the best This noble Poete of Florente and Itayle To make his penne a while for to rest Closed his boke and shut it in his chest But or he might sparre it with the key Came thre princes mekely gan him prey Amonges other remembred in his boke Theyr greuaunces briefly to declare Wherwith Bochas gan cast vp his loke And of coÌpassion behelde theyr pitous fare Thought he would for no slouthe spare To theyr requestes goodly condiscende And of his boke so for to make an ende Here gan first reherse by writyng In his complaynt ful pitously he made Touching the fall of the great king Called Sauses which his soiour had The place named was Astrociade And as he writ a lytle there beside Was alytle I le called Emaside Bothe these Iles together knit in one Wher Sauses had his dominacion Liuing in peace enemy had he none In longe quyet had possession Whose kyngdom hole as made is mencion In the vulgar myne auctour write the same Of Malliogres plainly bare the name There is also another smaller yle Called Maylorge and of both twayn The said king was lord a great while Kepyng his estate notable and souerayne Hauyng a cosyn gan at him disdayne Which was brother as made is mencion Vnto the king that tyme of Aragon In the yles remembred by wryghtinges Whan the people went in to batayle Was the vsage founde vp first of stinges With cast of stones their enemies to assayle They had of shot none other apparayle In that tyme arblast nouther bowe Perauenture was tho but lytell knowe All these countreis were called but one lande Where Sawses helde possession Till his cosyn with strong and mighty hande With great power sodaynly came doun Brought people out of Arragon Fyll on kyng Sawses feble of diffence Gate that kingdome by knightly violence The balaunce was nat of euyn peys Atwene these cosyns who lyst take hede For in hys conquest the Arragoneys Of cruelte hath smytten of the hede Of kyng Sawses quakinge in his drede Though it stode so they were nygh of alye There was that day shewed no curtesy The .xxxvii. chapter â Howe Lewes king of Jerusalem and Cecile was put downe AFter thys Story tolde in wordes fewe And kyng Sawses slayne by tyranny There came a prince and gan his face shewe Called Lewes lorde of Trynacry The same yle in that party Called Cythane the story telleth thus After
he loued God and dradde him and was obedient to his lawes and ruled by good counsayle had manye greate victories But at the laste for his pride presumpcion and greate disobey saunce lost his crown and was slaine by Philistees ⪠with a Lenuoy of the translatoure A commendacion of Bochas vpon the vertue of Obedyence Loke the leafe .xli. Howe kynge Roboam for gyuynge faythe to yonge counsayle loste the beneuolence of his people and at the last dyed a fole With a lenuoy The second chapter A chapiter discryuinge howe Princes beyng hedes of theyr commontees should haue noble chiualry and true Iudges to gouerne the commons The third chap. Howe Mucius Sceuola slewe an innocente in stede of kynge Porcenna that layde siege to Rome The fourthe chapter Howe Lucrece oppressed by Tarquine slewe her selfe The fyfth chapter Howe Rome was gouerned after the deth of Lucrece and how Virginia was by her father slayne with a Lenuoy The sixte chapter Howe Ieroboam kynge of Israell for ydolatry and disobedience came to a myscheuous ende The seuenth chapter Howe zareas kynge of Ethyope was slayne in battayle The eyght chapter Howe Nadab kynge of Ierusalem lost both sceptre and crowne The ninth chap. How the vengeable prince zambrias set a towre on fyre and brente him selfe The tenth chapter Of kyng Achab and Iesabel his wyfe The leuenth chapter Howe the quene Athalia for her tyranny was slayne The .xii. chapter Howe Dydo Quene of Cartage slewe her selfe for the conseruacion of her chastitie With a Lenuoy The .xiii. chapter A Lenuoy dyrecte to wydowes of the translatour loke the leafe .l. Howe the vycious Sardanapalus king of Assirie brent him selfe and his tresoure The fourtene chapter A commendacion of Iohn Bochas of vertuous busynesse rehersyng the names of dyuers founders of scyences in reprefe of ydelnesse With a Lenuoy The fyftene Chapter Howe Amazias in Iuda kyng for his pryde and presumpcion was venquisâhed in battayle and after slayne The sixtene chapter Howe Osias succeadynge kynge nexte in Iuda was smytten with lepre The seuentene chapter An exortacion for Princes to take hede that they do nat againe the commaundementes of God The eyghtene chapter Howe kyng Ozeas was taken by king Salmanaser and dyed in prison The. xix chapter Howe Senacheryb kynge of Assyrie was slayne The twenty chapter Howe kyng Sedechyas for false forswearing was made blinde and slayne in pryson with a Lenuoy The .xxi. chapter Howe kynge Astiages laboured to disheryte Cyrus but God woulde nat suffre him in his malyce to preuayle with a LeÌuoy The two and twenty chapter Howe Candaâus kinge of Lyde was made cockold The thre and twenty chap. How all thyng that king Mydas touched was tourned to golde and yet at the last he dyed in mysery and wretchednesse The four and twenty chapter Of Balthazar kynge of Babylone and howe Daniell expowned Mane Techell Phares The fiue and twenty chapter How Cresus and Balthasar were veÌquished by Cyrus and how the son of Cresus was slayne at the huntyng of a wilde boore The .xxvi. chapter Howe the cruell tyraunt Cirus delyted euer in slaughter and sheding of blode and so ended With a Lenuoy The .xxvii. chapiter Howe Amilius for couetise slewe hys brother and how Remus and Romulus were noryshed by a she Wolfe The eighte and twenty chapiter Howe Mecius kynge of Albanoys for bycause he was false of his othe and promyse was drawen all in pieces The nine and twenty chapiter Howe all Prynces shoulde be true of theyr othes and promyse in auoyding all doublenesse and discepcion The .xxx. cha Of kinge Hostilius the fyrst that ware purple coloure was consumed with fyrie leuyn with a Lenuoy The .xxxi. chapter ¶ Thus endeth the table with the Chapters of the second boke ⪠and here foloweth the table of the third boke which contayneth .xxvii. Chapters The Prologue of the translatour The fyrste chapiter of the thyrde boke âreteth how Andalus doctour of Astronomy sheweth that princes shoulde nat at wite their constellaâion nor fortune of their vnhappy falling but their owne demerites and vicious lyuyng Loke leafe .lxv. A disputacion bytwene Fortune and gladde pouerte Loke leafe .lxv. Howe kyng Hostilius for worshypping of false goddes was consumed wyth fyrie leuyn The fyrst chapter Howe Anchus kynge of Rome was murdred by Lucinyo by the assente of hys wyfe The .ii. chapter Howe Lucinio that murdred Anchus was after murdred him selfe with a Lenuoy The thyrde chapiter Howe after the offence doone to Lucrece by Tarquin there was neuer kynge crowned in Rome The fourth chapter The greuous complaynt of Lucrece for her oppressyon The fyfth chapter A complaynt of Bochas vpon Luxurie of Princes as by ensample of manye dyuers mischaunces declareth with a Lenuoy Loke leafe .lxxi. How Cambyses assentyng to the murdre of his brother Mergus at y â last slewe him self and how Oropastes occupied the crowne of Perce by vniust tytell and how he was slaine The sixte chapiter Howe Dary obtaynyng the kingdome of Perce by sleyghte ended with shame The seuenth chapter How Corolyan was by Romaynes exiled and of the warre he made agaynste them and howe whan he besieged theym they sente oute his mother and his wyfe wyth other to treate for a peace whiche they optayned and howe he was after exiled agayne and slaine The .viii. chapter Howe Melciades Duke of Athenes with a smal nombre venquished sixe hundred thousand Perciens and after by hys commens that aye of custome desireth chaunge of Princes was chayned in pryson and so dyed With a Lenuoy The .ix. chapter Howe Xerxses kynge of Perce for hys rauin and couetyse was dysmembred in smal pieces with a Lenuoy The .x. chap. How Artabanus murdred kyng Xerxses and howe he was after murdred him selfe The leuenth chapter Of duke Palantes and the Spartenoies that warred on them of Messene for âauyshyng of theyr maydens The twelfth chapter Howe Ceson Quincius out of Rome was exyled ⪠and ho wt Graccus Cloellyus prince of Equoyes was take prysoner The .xiii. chapter Bochas reherseth the tyranny of Appyus and falsnesse of Judges With a Lenuoy The fourtene chapter Bochas againe the vntruthe of Judges Loke the leafe .lxxxi. An exclamacion of Bochas agaynste the extorcion of the officers of Rome The fyftene Chapter Howe Alcibyades was exiled and after brent in his bedde The sixtene chapter An exclamacyon of John Bochas vpon the deathe of Alcibiades with a Lenuoy The seuentene chapter Bochas writeth agayne the desyres of worldly people The .xviii. chapter Bochas spekynge againe ydelnesse reherseth howe some men haue pleasure in one Science and some in another The. xix chapter Howe Malleus Duke of Cartage for hys oppression and tyranny was hewen to peces with a Lenuoy The .xx. chapiter â Howe the substaunce of the hooste of Hymilcho duke of Cartage as they went to conquere Cecile dyed of the Pestilence and howe he was after slayne him selfe The .xxi. chapiter Howe Heynon Duke of Cartage was dismembred with a Lenuoy The two twenty
time and space Fro superfluite kepe his due place The third armure named in sentence Is Elocucion with wordes many or fewe Matters conueyed by iust conuenience Diposed in order coÌuenably to shewe Like a caruer that fyrst doth tymbre hewe Sqware and compasse cast fetures vysage With caruing tole maketh vp a fayre ymage Pronunciacion is the fourth armure Necessary to euery oratour In such case whan craft vnto nature Joyned is by diligent labour With elocucion and that there be fauour In declaring with euery circumstaunce Folowing the mater in chere countenaunce An heuy mater requireth an heuy chere To a gladde matter longeth well gladnesse Man in pronounsing must folow the matere Olde oratours can beare herof wytnesse A furious complaint vttred in distresse This was y e maner as poetes do discriue In his tragedies whan Senec was a liue The fifte armure called Remembraunce With quicke memorie by prouidence to se So auisely to groce vp in substaunce Holy his maters that nought forgoten be Lest forgetfulnesse derke nat the liberte Of clere report eche thing to haue in mynde That in pronounsing nothing be left behind Afore prouided so that forgetfulnesse Be no hindrer to inuencion And in proceding no foreyne rechelesnesse Trouble nat the order of disposicion And for taccomplishe all vp with reason That pronounsing by clere remembraunce Be well fauoured with chere countenauÌce These said thinges be inly necessary To euery prudent notable oratour Nat to hasty nor ouerlong to tary But to conuey his processe by measure In chere according stant all the fauor For in pronounsing who lacketh chere or face Of Tullius schole standeth far out of grace All erthely bestes be muet of nature Saue onely man which hath auauntage By a prerogatiue aboue eche creature To vtter his conceite onely by langage The soule by grace represseth all outrage Namely whan reason hath the soueraynte To bridel passions of sensualite Kinde vnto man hath giuen eloquence A thing conuenable en especial Whan that it is conueied by prudence To talke of matters that be natural And secretes hyd aboue celestiall Doth entreat of sonne mone starres Thinââuent power sent of pees and warres God of all this hath graunted knowleging Onely to man by wysedom and reason And through langage giue to him shewyng Outwarde to make declaracion Of the heuenly course and sondrie mocion Diuers chaunges and plainly to diffine The reuolucion of the spheres nyne Men by langage shewe out their ententes The naturall meuing and mutacions Accorde and discorde of the four elamentes Kyndly variaunce of four complexions The generacion and the corrupcions Of erthely thinges contrary eche to other Corrupcion of one engendring of another This is the power and the precellence Which is giue to man reasonable That by langage and by eloquence A man is taught in vertue to be stable Of soule eternall of body corrumpable Taught with his tong while he is aline Of his defautes howe he shall him shryue Bochas eke telleth touching rethorike There be two maners one is of nature Lerned in youth which doth one speke lyke As he hereth or lerneth by scripture Craft of rethorike is giue to no creature Saue to man which by great diligence By study cometh to craft of eloquence Crafte of langage and of prudent speche Causeth prechours by spyrituall doctrine Vertuously the people for to teche Howe they shall liue by moral discipline Langage techeth men to plant wine Enformeth folke to worshyp holy churche The artificer truely for to wurche Yet there be some y â plainly teche and prâche Haue of langage this opinion God hath nat most regard vnto speche But to the heart and to the affection Best gan guerdon the inwarde intencion Of euery man nat after the visage But like the meuing of their inward corage To our langage is great diuersite Whan men shew theffect of their mening Beit of ioye or of aduersite Chere for taccorde therwith in vttring Nowe debonayre som while rebuking And in rehersing like chere alway tapply Be it of rudenesse be it of curtesy Of discrecion sette a difference In his pronounsinge to perce or vndermine To drawe the iudge vnto his sentence Or to his purpose to make him to encline Se wheder he be melancolike or benigne Or his matere be vttred or vnclosed Consider afore howe that he is disposed Peised all this thing by a rethoricien With other thiges which apperteine of right To craft of speche he must conceiue and sene Maters of substaunce matters y â be light Dispose him selfe tentreate euery wight Like to purpose and fine of his matiere As for the time rethorike dothe require As by ensample myne auctor dothe recorde Men set at warre in hert farre a sonder The rethoricien to make them for taccorde Must seche wayes meanes here yonder Of olde rancour tappeise y e boystous thunder By wise examples prouerbes pertinent Tenduce the parties to be of one assent A man also that stant in heuinesse Dispeired and disconsolate The rethoricien must do his busynesse The grounde considred felt of his estate The cause serched why he stant dissolate Which to reforme by diligent labour Is the true office of euery oratour Of rethoriciens whilom that were olde The sugred langage vertuous daliauÌce By good ensample prouerbes y â they tolde Wordes pesible enbelished with plesaunce Appesed of tyrantes the great veÌgeaunce Sette aside their furious sentence By vertue onely of prudent eloquence And contrary plainly to conclude Men se all day by clere experience Folke vnauised and hasty foles rude And braynlesse people of wylfull negligence Bycause they were barraine of eloquence Vttryng their speche as naked men bare For lacke of rethorike their matter to declare By clere exaÌple as purple who taketh hede LoÌgeth to kinges in storie ye may finde With clothes of golde and riche veluet wede Fret with Rubies and other stones Inde Saphirs emeraudes peerles of their kynde As all these thinges appropred be of right Plesaunt obiectes to a mannes sight So the langage of rethoriciens Is a gladde obiecte to mannes audience With song melodious of musiciens Whiche doth great coÌfort to euery presence As by example Amphion w t song eloquence Buylded the walles of Thebes the cite He had of rethorike so great subtilite In his langage there was so gret plesaunce Finding therby so inly great profite That all the countre came to his obeysaunce To here him speke they had so great delite The people enuyron had such an appetite In his person in peace and in bataile Here me may se what rethorike doth aueile â The .xvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Sextus warreied againe Triumuir and of the death of great Antonie and Cleopatras FOlowing thorder of Bochas in his boke Wyth penne in hande as he caste vp his eie Tofore him came pale of chere loke A mighty prince sonne vnto Pompeye Called Sextus whiche as bokes saye