dronke myghty wynes To fyll their paūches they were so desyrous That they forgate their marciall doctrines To ascēd y ◠moūtayne feble were their chines Their heades totter their braine gan faile The temple aloft to spoyle or to assayle In their assending by wayes that they chees Vpon the roche they were beat doune Priestes of the temple put thē selues in prees One bare a standard another a penoune Clad in chesibles for hye deuocion And with their other vncouth apparayles Bothe on the roche lowe in their battayles The people of Brennus was incomperable Spred all the felde the story beareth witnes But it is sayd of olde and is no fable That no defence is in dronkennes And wisdome fayleth where is greate excesse And in a felde playnly to conclude Victory alwayes standeth not in multitude For they were set as Bochas dothe deuise Not to knighthode but to false outrage To spoyle and robbe by gredy couetise And stuffe their somters with great pillage Furious rauine hath brought thē in a rage And farewell knighthode marciall noblesse Where couetise is lady and maistresse Two mighty dukes were with Brennus Whiche that were chefe of his counsayle Euridanus that one that other Thessalonus Which as they thought to their great auaile Began a purpose and it was disauayle To robbe the people the countrey ech toun Whiche turned after to their confusion Thus auarice w t stomake vnstaūcheable Hath strāgled y ◠power of many a worthy knight And couetise her sister vntretable Hath of high nobles full oft quaint the lyght Wher Tātalus raigneth a lion hath no might This to meane honger and couetousnes Turneth all nobles into cowardnes For by the counsayle of these dukes twayne Brennus set all his opinion To spoyle and robbe dyd his busy payne To pyll the cities of all that region But in this while as made is mencion Myd their battayles Bochas dothe me lere The God Appollo and Pallas did appere Appollo first shewed his presence Freshe yonge lusty as any sunne shene Armed all with golde with great vyolence Entred the felde as it was well sene And Diana came with her arowes kene And Mynerua in a bright haberion Which in their cōminge made a terible soun The noyse was herd of their bright armure Which made their enemyes almost to raue That they might afore them not endure Fled the felde for drede them selfe to saue And there was herde an hidous erthquaue And from heauen in this mortal batayle Of colde constreyning great stones do hayle Their aduersaries beate downe grounded And afore them durst not abide And Brennus so mortally was wounded Both brest heed hurt through eyther syde Lo here the ende of couetise and pride For Brennus for constraynt of his smert Roue with a dagger him selfe to the herte This was his ende vēgeable merueylous And his dukes slayne both twayne Called Euridanus and Thessalonus The grekish goddes gan at him so disdayne Of sacrilege se here the greuous payne For to goddes who lyst do no obseruaunce Shall vnwarly be punished wyth vēgeaūce It is not holsome with goddes to play Nor their puissaunce presūptously to attame For where as they by vengeaūce lyst werray who lyst assay shall fynde it no game For his presūpcion Brennus founde the same For Appollo Diana and Mynerue For his outrage vnwarly made hym sterue ⧠Lenuoye THis tragedy declareth who lyst here Of duke Brennus many great batayle His extorte conquest and holy the maner Howe by force he rode through al Itayle After how he the Romayns dyd assaile His fall in Grece by vengeable violence For he to goddes would do no reuerence Toke al the treasours iuels most entere Out of their temples and richest apparayle Golde and perle and al that yfere To his encrease whych that myght auayle The rich he robbed oppressed the porayle Of verye pompe and frowarde insolence And lyst to goddes do no reuerence This mighty tiraūt most surquedous of chere With couetyse brent in hys entrayle Whose gredy fret ther might no mesure stere Tyll that fortune at mischefe dyd hym fayle He lacked might her variant whele to nayle Agayne whose fall there was no resistence For he to goddes lyst do no reuerence Noble prynces conceyue and do lere The fall of Brennus for misgouernayle And prudently paysyng thys matere Vertue is strōger than outher plate or maile Afore considred what Brennus doth coūsayle Chefe preseruatyfe of your magnificence Is to god to do due reuerence The .xxiiii. Chapter ⧠Howe Pyrrus kynge of Pyrothe lyst nat lyue in peace but of pryde and presumption in warre came vnto mischaunce IN Bochas boke next folowīg on y ◠rig Came yong Pirrus sonne of Earides Borne by discent to reigne be kyng And to enherite the lande of Pyrothes Yet in his youth and his tender encrees The frowarde people dwellynge in y ◠place Without his gylte gan his dethe purchace But to preserue hym as made is mencion He was committed and take in kepyng Certayne yeres for hys sauacion To one Glaucus of Illirie king Whose wife was cosyn by record of writing To the sayde famous Earides And she in story called Beronices He nye of blode to thys noble queene Bothe twayne borne of one lynage Wonder gracious to all that did him sene And well fauoured of fetures and visage And in the whyle of his tender age One Cassander of Macedone kyng Compassed his deth by subtel false workyng And his purpose for to bryng aboute He sent for hym by false collusion Puttyng Glaucus playnlye out of doute But yf he came lyke hys entencion He wolde worke to hys destruction Gather people bothe nye and farre And on Glaucus gyn a mortall warre But kyng Glaucus toke herof no hede Hauyng to Pyrrus so great affection Of him receyued verely in dede To be his sonne by adoption Purposyng of whole entencion To make Pyrrus plainly if he may To be his heyre and raigne after his day Pyrrus alway vp growyng by encrees Full amiable bothe of there and face And in this while the people of Pyrothes Knowyng that he stode in Glaucus grace Chaunged their hartes cast thē in short space For to restore all of one courage The sayd Pyrrus to his heritage Thus by assent he was crowned kyng Yonge freshe and lusty semely ther withal Wonders well thewed in his vp growyng Like his lynage of courage wext royall The whiche was cause in especiall He was beloued offrendes about And of his enemyes greatly had in doubt The name of him gan to sprede farre Through all Grece about in eche countrey The lande of Tarent gan in his tyme warre Agayne the Romaynes as ye may se Requiryng Pyrrus that he woulde be Fauourable and helpyng of entent To the party of them of Tarent To their request he can condiscende And of purpose cast him not to fayle If that fortune woulde him grace sende With myghty hande marciall apparayle For
tributes in all his region From him departyng by rebellion Wherof astonied to auenge his vnryght Into Jerusalem toke anone his flyght And whan they were parted from Roboam The ten kynredes by diuision Chase them a kyng called Jeroboam And Roboam within his royall toun To be auenged of their rebellion And for to do on them cruell iustice An hundred thousande he made anone to rise With Jeroboam he cast him for to mete And all at ones set in ieopardy But Sameas the prophete bade him lete And fro the warre withdrawe his party And more the quarell for to iustifye Of his peoples frowarde departyng It was gods wyll done for a punishyng Touchyng the surplus of his gouernaunce His royall buyldyng of many a fayre city His great ryche famous suffisaunce Of wyne and oyle hauyng great plenty And how his empyre encreased yeres thre Eke how that time he ryghtfull was in dede In Josephus his story ye may rede Of his children borne in ryght lyne Eyghtene wyues as made is mencion I fynde he had and many a concubyne Sonnes and daughters by procreation And how his riches and great possession That tyme encreased as it is well knowe To god aboue while that he bare him lowe But as mine auctour maketh rehearsaile In his encrease and augmentacion Mekenes in hert in him gan waste and faile And pryde entred with false presumption Vertue despisyng and all religion After whose vyces as sayth the same boke Wicked examples of him the people toke After the maners where they be good or yll Vsed of prynces in diuers regions The people is ready to vse and fulfill Fully the traces of their condicions For lordes may in their subiections So as them list who so can take hede To vyce or vertue their subiectes lede Thus Roboam for his transgressions In Josephus as it is deuised And for his frowarde false opinions Onely for he all vertue hath despised Of God he was rightfully chastised In Jerusalem his chiefe royall towne Of his enemyes besieged enuyroun The kyng of Egypt a siege about him layed With so great people y t socour was ther none All be it so that Roboam abrayed And prayed to god to deliuer hun frō his sone To auoyde of mercy his enemyes euerichoue But god list not graunt his prayere But him chastised like as ye shall here Fyrst his citye and his royall towne Deliuered was he knewe no better succour Vnder a fayned false composicioun For at their entryng voyde of all fauoure Kepyng no couenaunt toke all the treasoure Within the temple hauyng no pitye But ladde it home to Egypt their countrey And to rehearse it is a great dole How Roboam as Josephus dothe declare Was inly proude and therwithal a foule And of all wysdome destitute and bare Vnmerciable hys people for to spare Hatyng good counsayle and so in his regaly Raygnyng a foole and so I let hym dye ¶ Lenuoy PHilosophers conclude and deuise In theyr bokes of good experience That counsaylours sadde expert and wyse True of their worde stable of their sentence Hasty nor retchles for no vyolence Kepe and preserue the trouth I dare attame Noblesse of princes fro mischefe and dyffame Hasty youth and rancour in contrarywyse Whyche haue to wyll all theyr aduertence Except them selues all other men despyse Through their vnbrydeled furious insolence Nothyng aquainted w t wisdome nor prudēce Bryng ayenward wherof they be to blame Puttyng his nobles in mischefe and diffame Kyng Roboam agaynst ryght and iustice To yonge foles yaue fayth and most credence Cruelly his subiectes to chastyce Whiche put his people from his beneuolence Threw ten kynredes from his obedience Which was to him by record full great shame Puttyng his nobles in mischefe and diffame Noble princes do wisely aduertise In perseueryng of your magnificence Of olde expert not blent with couetise Take your counsayle and do them reuerence Eyed as Argus in their high prouidence Whiche conserue by report of good name Noblesse of prynces from mischefe diffame ¶ The .iii. Chapter ☞ The office and retinue of a Kynge What erthly thing is more deceiuable Thē of prīces the pōpe vainglory ▪ Which wene to stand in their estates stable As thei the world had conquered by vyctory And sodaynly be put out of memory Their fame clouded alas and their nobles With a darke shadowe of foryetfulnes Wherof cometh the famous clere shinyng Of emperous in their consistories Or wherof cometh their laude in reportynge Saue that clarks haue writē their histories Or where be now conquestes transitories Or their triūphes where should men thē find Nad writers their prowes put in mynd Reken vp al and first the worthy nyne In high nobles whiche had neuer peers The marciall actes which clearly did shyne Their fame vp borne aboue al the nine sters With loude soundes of famous clarioners Their glorious palmes if thei be well paysed By lowe labours of cōmons was first raised Make a likenes of these great ymages Curiously corue out by entayle Head armes body and their freshe vysages Without fete or legges may not auayle To stand vpryght or nedes they must fayle And semblably subiectes in commontees Rayse vp the nobles of princes in their sees As head and membres in ymages be of stone Other on stocke by compasse vndeuided And by proporcion their fetures euerychone Set in true order as nature hath prouided So y ◠all errours through craft be circūcided The head highest by custome as men knowe The body amidde the fete beneth lowe Myghty princes for their high renoun As most worthy shall occupy the heade With wytte memory and eyen of reason To kepe their membres frō mischefe dread Like their degrees take of them good hede With clere foresyght of a prudent thought Their fete preserue that they erre nought There must be hands and armes of defence Whiche shall the ymage manly kepe and gye From all assautes of forayne vyolence Whiche shal be named noblest of chiualry Their true office iustly to magnify Sustaine the church make thē selfe stronge To se y ◠widowes maydēs haue no wronge Prudent iudges as it is skyll and ryght To punishe wronge surfets to redresse In this ymage shall occupy the syght For loue or hate by dome of rightwisenes For frende or fo his iudgementes dresse So egally the lawes to susteyne In their workes that none errour be seyne Amidde this ymage there is a body set An aggregate of people and degrees By perfite peace and vnity yknet By the estates that gouerne commonties As mayres prouostes and burgeis in cities Marchauntes also whiche seke sundry lādes With other craftes which liue by their hādes And as a body whiche stant in health Feleth no grefe of no froward humours So euery cōmonte continueth in great welth Whiche is demeaned w t prudent gouernours That can appese debates and errours The people kepe from all controuersy Causyng the welfare to encrease multiply This body must haue a
Of all his stuffe and people incomperable And of his nombre and his great rout The whiche table couered was without Full subtelly withe wexe yplaned playne That of his sonde there was no letter seyne Thus was th entent of Xerxses first discured Vnto the grekes and all his false workyng But in one thinge they greatly were assured Of trust they had by expert knowlegyng In Leonidas their noble famous kyng Whych amōg grekes of prowes foresight Was in tho dayes holde for the best knyght Of chyualry called the lode sterre The sonne of knighthod y t shone so bryghte shene The bearer vp both in peace and warre And strongest pyller his party to mayntene The grekes ryght hande their noblesse to sustene Carboncle of armes myrror of policie And surest capitayne a felde to rule and gye And as myne auctour remēbreth in his boke Howe in this case he was nat recheles But in all haste four thousand men he toke To let the wayes and comyng of Xerxses And by an hyll called Thermophiles Where Perciens began first their voyage He knyghtly cast to stoppe their passage And secretly espyeng the comyng Of kyng Xerxses with stronge apparayle He lyke a knyght made no tarying Chase out .vi. hūdred armed in plate maile Whiche in suche case might moste auayle And in defence and helpe of their countre Wolde rather dye than from the felde to fle And couertly they toke their lodgyng And kept them close tyll it drough to nyght And at their dyner them selfe refresshyng So as they sate in steele armed bright The kyng abrayde lyke a manly knyght In to the felde afore they shulde gone Ryght thus he sayd amonge them euerychon Syrs quod he nowe dyne merely And with good wyne afforce your corage Lyke good knyghtes in porpose fynally For lyfe nor dethe nat turning your vysage But of assent caste in your passage As ye here dyne nowe in especiall To suppe at night with goddes infernall This to meane ye shal your selfe ieoparte As hardy knightes proudly to prouide Within the felde asondre nat departe But kepe close and for no drede deuide Desyre of worshyp make to be your gyde Your expert noblesse eternally to auaunce By quicke reporte of newe remembraunce And haue thys day nothyng in memory Nother your ryches blode ne your kinrede Saue only hope and good trust of victory And hardi prowesse you to conducte and lede And thinke knightli what shal be your mede With marcial palmes your renome name In the highest place set in the house of fame And though ye be but a fewe in nombre Let in your hertes one thyng be fantasyed While diuision do the you nat encombre Victory in armes may you nat be denied For nothyng is to conquest more applied Than true accord amōg your self to shew Though you in nombre be but verey few But by this counsayle syngulerly notable And by this knightes kingly good langage They recomforted held them selfe able Agayne their fomen to hold their passage And fyrst of al of hertelye proude corage The Perciens more mortally to greue Within their tentes they fyll on them at eue They of Perce ydrowned were with wyne This to say through their great excesse They lay and slept lyke as dronkenswyne Their watche nat kept lo how y ◠drōkēnesse Causeth oft of very rechelesnesse Ful many a man that wyl nat take kepe For to be murdred a nightes whan thei slepe And as this kyng dyd his knyghtes lede The Perciens tentes assayling sodaynlye Or they were ware or toke any hede Them for to affray they made an hidous cri Defence was none vpon their party For men may knowe by olde experyence In folkes dronke may be no resistence Out of nombre they slough of their fone And ceased nat of all the longe nyght Tyll on the morowe that the sonne shone That to beholde it was an vgly syght And proude Xerxses put anone to flyght Euer the last that wold his fone assayle And aye the first that fledde in batayle In his flight so fast away he ran For therin was holy all his trust And of great trauayle anon this Xerxes gan Of coward drede to haue so great a thurste So dry he was of salte sond and dust And by the way serching ferre and nere He nother founde wel ne riuere Of auenture amyery ground he fand The water troubled and blody of colour And Xerxses there drāke water w t his hande Him to refresh in his deedly labour And as he thought he neuer dranke lycour To him more holsom so strayt stode the case Confecte with spices pyment nor ypocras This was the first mischefe and the drede In which Xerxes the mighti prince stode Here men may se such as lyst take hede Howe gery fortune furyous and wode Wil not spare for riches nor for goode Mighty princes which lyst not God to know From their estates to bring them ful lowe O hatefull serpent of hygh presumpcion Aye vnstable with gredy vsurpyng By newe trouble of false sedicion Which lyst of pryde receiue no warnyng For nowe Xerxses of Perce Mede kyng Purposed hath with odyous apparaile The temple of gods contagiously tassayle For as him thought it myght nat suffise To great example of his contrarious pryde Howe here toforne god did him chastyse By mannes hande to set his pompe asyde But nowe of newe he gan agayne prouyde By sacrylege his mighty hand to dresse To spoyle Appollo reue hym his richesse There was in Delos a temple thylke day Moste stately builded and set vp by masons Great ymages relyques and ryche aray Of golde and stones in sondry mansyons And there Appollo to sondry questyous Yaue redy answere the story telleth thus And he was called Appollo Delphicus Four thousand men Xerxses thyder sent By his auice chose out for the nones Ful clenly armed and as they thether went To spoyle the temple of gold and rich stones with sodain leuin thei wer brēt flesh bones With tempest thundre hayl hydous rein Consumpt echone and neuer after seyne The great Apollo whiche shineth bryghte in heuin Had of this Xerxes great indignaciō Which made his people be consūpt w t leuin In cruel punishing of his presumpcion Yet he purposed to his confusion Syth on the land he nothyng myght wyn Vpon the see a new werre to begin Gan to make so great an ordynaunce That his nauy couered all the see Yet Neptunus thought him not to enhaunce Within her boundes to haue no lyberte For Themystocles with a small meyny Besyde a cytie called Salamine Him and his shyppes brought vnto ruyne Yet as I fynde this proud kyng Xerxses Had on his party Themydora the quene Of Halcarnois which put her self in prees Armed in plates that shone ful bright shene And thenarme of Xerxses to sustene This woman faught lyke a fell woluesse And many a greke that day she did oppresse It was a straunge meruayle for to here
tyrant in hys most crueltie To gyn a warre on Samos the citye And whan his glory was most clere of lyght And hys nobles shone hyghest at the full Fortune gan through her changeable myght Of his prosperitie the fethers for to pull And than at erst his courage gan to dull And all his pryde vnwarely for to appall Whan he was spoyled of his ryches all First whan Orontes his countrey gan assaile This Pollicrate of sodaine auenture Outrayed was and taken in battayle By a full perillous mortall disconfiture Thus fortune coulde brynge him to her lure Through her vnware vgly false disdaynes Led into pryson bouÌ„de in stronge chaynes The people dwellyng within his region Reioysed in hart to se him suffer payne His tyranny his false extorcion Caused that they did at him disdayne For of his death no man lyst complayne Men through the world haue great plesauÌ„ce To se a tyrant brought vnto mischaunce Foure thinges his tormentes did augment Sodayne departyng from his riches And that he sawe eche man in his entent Of his mischefe haue so great gladnes Hanged he was mine auctour dothe witnes And honge so long in teÌ„pest rayne thunder Till euery ioynt from other went a sunder To beastes wilde and foules rauenous Naked he henge suche was his auenture To all folkes he was so odyous Had in despite of euery creature At his departyng denyed sepulture Guerdon for tyrantes veÌ„geable retcheles That can not suffer the people to liue in pees Thus many tyrantes excede far their bouÌ„des By false outrage and well resembled be To cruel wolues or to furious houndes Frette with an etyke of gredy cruelte To staunche their honger aueyleth no piente Whiche for their surfets froward to rede w t Policrates in hell shall haue their mede ☞ The .ix. Chapter ☞ Howe the tyraunt Alexander sloughe his Philosopher Calistenes wyth other for saiynge trouth AMonge all stories to tell the pyteous caas Of wofull playntyfes that put theim selues in prees With wepyng eyen myne auctour Bochas Was moued in hart not to be retchles To write the fall of Calystenes Whiche alas as it is remembred Was for his trouth on pieces all dismeÌ„bred For whan Bochas his story gan aduert He dempt anone in his fantasy No man had so harde a stoned hart That might of ryght his eyen kepe drye To se the processe of hys tormentry Yet gan myne auctour his wofull pen prefer To write the wrong done to this philosopher This Calystenes in youth right well thewed His grene age promoted to doctrine By influence of heauenly fate endued Greatly to profite in morall disciplyne Disposed of nature by grace which is deuyne To conquere as bokes do specify The noble surname of philosophy Of his merites famous and notable Philosophy did her busy payne To geue him suâ—ke because that he was able The sote mylke of her breastes twayne most precious licour who might therto attain For baume is none the vertue well declared Of worldly riches may be therto compared This precious pyment is geue to no foles Aboue all lycours it dothe so farre excell Whose originall sprange in the holy scholes Of Athenes as famous bokes tell For of philosophy there sprange first the well Where Calystenes thexperience is couthe With fulsum plenty was fostred in his youth Though he was borne of a good lynage Vertue made him more high for to assende To be enhaunced for nobles of courage More than for bloude who can comprehend For philosophers clarkes more commende The morall vertues entresured by writings Then all the treasures of worldly kynges Of gentle stockes recken out the issues That be discended downe from a royall lyne If they be vycious voyde of all vertues And haue no tarage of vertuous disciplyne With temporall treasure though they shyne As for a tyme sittyng on hye stages Without vertue they are but dead ymages For though prynces haue coÌ„quered by battail This world in roundnes by their chyualry What may their triuÌ„phes or nobles auayle Without that vertue by ryght their titles gye To be compared vnto phylosophy â–ª For philosophers apply all their ententes To knowe heauen and cours of elementes They set no store of thinges transitory Nor of fortunes expert doublenes To heauenly thynges is set all their memory How the .vii. planets in their course theÌ„ dresse Meuing the stars sparking in their brighnes With reuolutions of the spheres nyne Mother of musyke as auctours determyne And in the noble twaye famous houses Flouryng in Grece rychest of euerychone Called by olde date the fayre true spouses Of philosophers many mo then one In Achademie and Athenes shone The bryght lanterns of most reuerences This world tenlumine by lyberall scyences And among other this Calystenes Was in his youth put for to scholey In the two scholes of prudent Socrates And of Plato whiche that bare the key Of lecre misteries and of diuine Idey In whiche two scholes of great abilitee Was noâ—e profited halfe so muche as he These old clarkes these olde philosophers Were in tho dayes for doctrine souerayne Called in this world y e riche precious coffers And treasures that kept the chestes twayne Amyd their brestes wherin god did ordayne Most clere possession put in their depose Of all sciences vnder a key close This Calistenes scholer and auditour Of Aristoteles by cunning conqueryng The noble gemine and most precious floure Of philosophy all floures surmountyng Wherthrough he was chosen in his liuyng As his master lyst for him prouide On Alexander to awayte and abide For Alexander of kynges most entere And most worthy to speake of hye prowes Did Aristoteles humble requere To prouide and do his busines By expert knowyng and auisenes To sende him one whiche of philosophy Might by good couÌ„saile his coÌ„quest magnify To write also his tryuÌ„phes digne of glory And to remember his actes marciall Put his palmes of knighthode in memory And to direct in especiall His royall nobles in vertue morall That no erroure be sene here nor there In hym that should all the worlde conquere But it fell so of knightly aduenture Whan of fortunes high promocion That he by armes proudly gan recure Of Perce Mede the mighty region Brought kyng Dary vnto subiection Gate hole his tresure y â— no man might expres To accompt the nuÌ„ber of his great riches Whiche vnsure tresure slydyng abundasice With wasting shadowes of goods traÌ„sitorye In surquedous pride gan so his hart auauÌ„ce By false ambicion outragious vaynglory That made him lese mynde and eke memory To knowe of nature he was man mortall But lyke to goddes that were celestiall Aboue the palme of olde conquerours Knightly triumphes conquestes marciall He vsurped by title of his labours To heauenly goddes for to be egall And through his merites most imperiall He gan presume by fyne he was aâ—yed With the seuen goddes for to be deified Through all his palaice and his royall hall A lawe ne set vpon
in his mortall rage Thus fare tyrantes whan they lyst be wode To seke occasion for to shede blode Calystenes slayne for morall disciplyne And Lisymachus for his compassion Eke this tyrant of false gredy rauyne Slewe gentle Clytus agayne all reason As ye haue hearde for commendacion Of king Philyp the story well conceyued Who trusteth tyraÌ„tes shal sonest be deceyued ¶ Lenuoy THis tragedy of Calistenes Declareth vs by notable remembrauÌ„ce He was with Plato and olde Socrates In his youth put vnder gouernaunce Dranke of the milke of plenteous abouÌ„dauÌ„ce Of their two scholes euer deuoyde of slouth Last by Alexander dismeÌ„bred for his trouth First he was sent by Aristoteles For to awayte by prudente purueyaunce On Alexander lest he were retcheles By presumption in his royall puissaunce To take vpon him by goodly attendaunce Whiche he w tstode alas it was great ruthe To be so slayne because he sayd the truth Who w t tyrantes list put him selfe in prees To haue their fauour and acquayntaunce He must flatter and fage doubtles Be double of hart with fayned countenaunce With there contryued done his obseruaunce For faythfull meanyng slayne y â— was ruth Was Calystenes bicause he sayd truth Noble princes your subiectes kepe in pees Be not to hasâ—y for to do vengeaunce For to tyrantes that be merciles God sent short life sodayne mischaunce Who sayeth trouth haue no displeasaunce Prynt in your hart how it was great ruth That Calystenes was slayne for his truth ☞ The .x. chapter ⧠How Alexander kynge of Pyrothe auenturyng to passe the floude of AcheroÌ„t there at his backe by his moste trustye was deadly wounded AFter the complaynt of Calystenes Slayne tyrantly and did no trespas Came Alexander kyng of Pyrothes His woundes bleadyng vnto John Bochas To him declared how he drowned was In Acheronte a riuer of great fame Besyde a towne Pandosia was the name And as it is remembred and ytolde Of this notable mighty stronge cite It was in Grece buylte of dayes olde And after Pyrrus called Pyrothe Where as the kyng helde his royall se And as bokes also determyne This Alexander came of the same lyne Of whose kynred is made playne mencion Sonne to Achilles was kyng Pyrrus And next in order by succession Father to Alexander was Neoptolomus Whiche had also mine auctour telleth thus A full fayre daughter the story ye may sene Olympiades of Macedony quene And she was wedded to Philip of Macedo Whilom mother this quene of most renoun To Alexander the story telleth so Whiche all the worlde brought in subiection Whose father Philyp of great affection Let crowne the brother of Olympiades Called Alexander to raygne in Pyrothes To whom Philyp for his great beautie Because he was so fayre a creature Had suche affection and specialtie As it is remembred in scripture Of false foule luste against nature As sayth Bochas I can him not excuse Vnlefully he did his beauty vse And by meane of that horrible dede Whiche to rehearce is to foule a thing This said Philyp in Bochas thus I rede In Epirothes he made him to be kyng And of extorcion by recorde of writyng Causeles from thence he did enchace The kyng Arabba tho raignyng in y t place And it fell after the story telleth so Of this Alexander by serious rehearsayle Vpon the death of Philyp of Macedo With a great host came into Itayle Supposyng greatly for to auayle To occupy after his proude entent Wholly the boundes of all the occident And though so be y t fortune be chaungeable Double also by course of her nature At his ginnyng he founde her fauourable Made him twise proudly to recure Gayne them of Luke to their disconfiture To haue the felde maugre al their might Of very force to put them vnto flyght Agaynst Itaile when he gan this warre Fully in purpose the Romayns to assayle Of hye presumption procede he gan so farre With many a prince that was in his battayle To knowe afore by certaine diuinaile Of his conquest the boundes for to cast And of his life how longe it should last And in the temple of Jupiter the grete By diuinours that expert were and olde Seruyng this god w tin the lande of Crete This was the answere which thei to him told And it affirmed by tokens manifolde How he ne should eschue the dredefull date Ouer the day assigned to his last fate And they also assigned a place Therby to haue knowlegyng more clere Vnder a citie longe and large of space Called Pandosia and for to go more nere By Acheront a famous great riuere Tolde him playnly could no farder sey But of necessitie there he must nedes dey And though it were an earnest and no iape Of god ordeyned not to be set asyde He thought of wisdome his desteny to escape And otherwise for him selfe prouide Cast in Grece no lenger to abyde Wenyng this riuer nor that faire citye Saue in Grece should no where els haue be And for to set him selfe in assuraunce Of entent to eschue his destinie Into thre battayles departyng his puissauÌ„ce Came to Itayle tofore Luke the citie They with helpe of Samoys the countrye With a great power came out anone ryght Slew all his knyghtes put hym to flyght At the backe they pursued hym so nere That hys enemyes were almost on hym fall Vnto a brydge broke wyth the ryuere And ouerturned with hys plankes all And Acheronte men dyd that ryuer call As was tolde him by a certayn knyght Whyche rode before him the ryuer in his sight For by a rayne that fyll the same nyght The ryuer waxt to a dredefull floude And not farre thens in the kynges syght Vpon the water a little towne there stode Whiche made the kyng to chaunge his bloud And specially his pryde gan attame Whan he wyst Pandosia was the name And than he gan most dredfully remembre Callyng to mynde the priestes diuinayle Whiche made him quake in euery membre For very feare and his breathe to fayle No man coulde him wishe nor counsayle On euery party he stode so on the wracke The floude tofore hi his enemies at his backe To take the riuer he stode in mortall drede And if that he his enemies did abyde He wyst well that he was but deade Passage was none for to turne asyde Thus dissolate he stode withouten gyde Thought it better to ieoparde the ryuere Than w t his enemies y â— folowed him so nere These mortal dredes his hart gan coÌ„strayne Drede of the floude for to haue passage Behinde his enemies y â— gan at him disoaine Lest he were slayne in that mortall rage His fate approchyng he but yong of age The toun Pandosia the tokens did expresse With â—cheronte that bare therof witnesse And whan that he put in auenture To passe the floude or els to be deade One whom he most trusted of any creature Toke a spere square and sharpe the heade And at his backe he quakyng
Called Seleuchus which was a wonder Fil frō his courser brake his necke asōder The .iii. Chapter ¶ Howe the noble Queene Laodomya was in the temple slayne and vengeaunce take vpon hym that slewe her SYxe of estates prynces and pryncesses Shewed them to Bochas pitouslye playnyng To hym declarynge theyr mortall heuynesses And first of all there came to hym wepyng The noble queene her sorow rehersyng Called Laodomya which with heuy chere Complayned the mischefe of her suster dere Called Nereis yonge and tender of age That wedded was of Cycile to the kyng And on the daye of that great mariage There fyll a stryfe and a great meuyng Amonge the commons by a maner rysyng And when the quene therof had a syght To Dianes temple anone she toke her flyght The people was party rose againe y ◠kyng For whiche rumore and sodayne stryfe Laodomya full fearfully quakyng Ran to the temple for to saue her lyfe Supposyng in her ymaginatyfe That for the temples chaste reuerence Men woulde spare to do there violence But there was one by whom the strife began And was first grounde of this great motion Called Milo a false Cecylian Voyde of all reuerence and deuocion Ran to the temple feirser than a Lyon And where the queene the auter dyd enbrace With a sharpe sworde slew her in the place This sacrilege was punished by vēgeaunce Gods were wrothe through this gret offēce And Diana by full great displeasaunce Made in the courte a sodayne pestylence And Mylo was by vnware violence Tourned bestiall made wode in that affray And slewe hym selfe suyng the twelft daye The .iiii. Chapter ☞ How Cleomenes king of Macedone was slayne with his wife and children AFter this vengeaūce taken on Mylo Came Cleomenes of Macedoyne king And to Bochas gan shew his deadly wo His great iniuries of enemies assaylyng His hye emprises his kyngdome defendyng And alderlast how he in his citee Was by the sonne slayne of Tholome First in his countrey the story doth deuise Againe his enemyes he had a great battayle Of his people defendyng the fraunchyse Of knightly prowesse as he y t list not fayle For his ryght to fyght in plate and mayle His lieges echone beyng of one assente To lyue and dye with him in their entent Men women and children yonge of age Were in one hart as in that mattere Whiche made them stronge gate auaūtage That vndeuided they stode echone yfere Of one corage of one will of one chere Greatly assured in their opinion Because among them was no diuision Their cōmon profite they did more prefarre Than they did treasure lyfe or good For their fredome aye ready to the warre Not afrayed to spende their owne bloude And fynallye so together they stode That of one thought eche gan him redy make To lyue and dye for his brothers sake He had an enemy borne of that region The name of whom was Antigonus And he had wedded the boke maketh mencion The olde quene of kyng Demetrius And had her sonne the story telleth thus Called Phylyp fro youth in hys kepyng Therby pretendyng a tytle to be kyng Of Lacedemonoys claymed agayne ryght There to raigne and take possession Lyke a tiraunt vsurpyng of great myght For to be crowned in that region But for all his false presumption He was put of and yset a farre Though he with thē helde a mortal warre And Cleomenes that was rightfull kyng Was in the felde armed euery day Hardy as Lyon drede hym nothyng Gayne his enemyes he stode s◠at a bay That fro the felde he made them flye away His dredefull sworde grounde was so kene That to abyde hym they myght nat sustene And on a daye descendyng from his cite Helde in the felde a full stronge battayle With lytle people made his fone to fle Retournyng home ful wery of trauayle Thought in his heart that it should auayle To stynt the werre hangyng in no certayne Tyll y t his people refreshed were agayne Set ordinaunce through all the countre Gayne all enemyes to make resistence And into Egypt he goth to Tholome With wife children w tdrawing hys presēce There receyued with great beneuolence Lyke his estate out of care and drede And there abode tyl Thotome was dede But the sonne of kyng Tholome Whiche raygned after by succession Of false enuy and vengeable cruelte Slew Cleomenes in that region His wife his children voyde of compassion Alas it was to straunge a cruel thyng Within a kyngdome to murder so a kyng The .v. Chapter ☞ Of kynge Nero Cornely and Hanyball AFter whose deathe thus wrought by violence The story remembreth procedyng Forth came Nero and shewed hys presence Of Siracuse the myghty stronge kyng Tofore Bothas full pitously playnyng Besechynge hym with a full pitous chere Of his mischefe to wryte the manere The whiche Nero wylfull and furious Lyst to presume of false rebellion For to debate with Appius Claudius And to maligne agayne Rome toun But he anone for his presumptioun Constrayned was in all his most pride Lyke a cowarde to flye and nat abyde No more of hym myne auctour writeth here But in his boke as he dothe procede There came Cornely of Rome a consulere Hym selfe complaynyng of y ◠great falshede Whiche vnto hym accomplished was in dede By assuraunce broke of Haniball Which of Cartage was chefe admirall To thys Cornely Haniball was sworne With the Affricans by a maner flatery To succour hym as we haue tolde toforne With the Romains to holde vp his party But whan they met the boke doth specify Cornely was take and fettred in prison At mischefe dyed there gayned no raunson Than Haniball entred of entent With his knightes into a great cite Of Cicile called Agrigent Where Julius Silua of olde enmyte Layde a siege with a great meyne That he constrayned the sayde Hanyball For very hungre to leape ouer the wall By a posterne he toke hym to the fliyght Gathered shyppes and toke the large see And Julius Silua lyke a manly knyght Faught with him and made hym for to flee Vpon the water anone after he Was of his knyghtes stoned to the dethe And so constrayned he yelded vp the brethe The .vi. Chapter ⧠Of the duke zantipas cast into the see AFter that Hanyball was stayne thus And putte to flyght as made is mencion Tofore Bochas came worthy zantipus A famous duke full notable of renoun And he was lorde of the stronge region Lacedemoyne and was come a ferre Into Cartage to helpe them in the werre By whose prowesse to his encreace of glory The proude Romayns were put to flyght Cartaginences had of them victory And there was take the wyse manly knyght Marcus Regulus and brought anonryght Into Cartage and led as prysonere By zantipus as Bochas writeth here Thys noble duke for all his hye prowesse Done in Cartage and shewed to their toun And for all hys notable kyndnesse They most vnkyndly quit hym his guerdon For
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 ScithieÌ„s 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 â—ynges 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 coÌ„mons 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 coÌ„spired 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
with wynde afore the son bright Yet in effect it leseth nat his light So Bochas dempte that his dul writing Eclypsed nat of Tullius the shining With rude langage a man may well reporte The laude of triūphs cōquestes maruelus Which thing remembring gretly gā confort The herte of Bochas to him selfe said thus Two colours sene that be contrarious As white and blacke it may be none other Eche in his kinde she weth more for other In Phebus presens starres lese their light Clere at midday appereth nat Lucine The fame of Tulli whilom shone so bright Prince of fayre speche father of y ◠doctrine Whose bright bemes vnto this houre shine Sothly quod Bochas of whō whā I endite My hande I fele quaking while I write But for to giue folke occasion Which in rethorike haue more experience Than haue I and more inspection In the colours and crafte of eloquence Them texite to do their diligence Vnto my writing whan they may attende Of compassion my rudenesse to amende Vnto him selfe hauing this langage Bochas to write gan his pen dresse Vnder supporte afforced his corage To remembee thexcellent noblesse Of this oratour which with the swetnesse Of his ditees abrode as they haue shyned Hath this worlde moste clerely enlumined This Tullius this singuler famous man Fyrste to remembre of his natiuite Borne at Arpinas a cite of Tuscan Of blode royal discended who lyst se Grekyshe bokes of olde antiquite Made of rethorike in their vulgar song He translated in to the latin tong In tendre youth his countre he forsoke And fro Tuscan his passage he gan dresse Towarde Rome the right way he toke Entring the citie the renomed noblesse Hydde in his person she wed the brightnesse Of diuers vertues time while he abode That like the son hys fame sprede abrode For his vertues made a citezaine The good reporte of him shone so clere Like as he had be borne a romaine In their fauour his name was so entere Among them chose for a Consulere Agayne the cite time of his Consulate Whan Cateline was with them at debate By the prudence of this Tullius And his manhode rekened bothe in fere Catelina most cruel and yrous Frowarde of porte frowarde of his chere Busy euer to finde out the manere Howe he might by any token or signe Agayne the citie couertly maligne Sixe hūdred yere fourscore tolde and nine Rekened of Rome fro the foundacion This cruel tyrant this proude Cateline Made with other a coniuracion Againe franchises and fredame of the toun First discured as bokes tell can In the parties and boundes of Tuscan The purpose holy of this Cateline Imagined on false couetyse Was to bryng Rome vnto ruine And therupon in many sondry wise Found out meanes and waies gan deuise To his entent by diligent labour In the cite to gette him great fauour But finally his coniuracion Discured was by one Quincius Which was afore false vnto the toun Told at the case vnto Tullius By whose prudence working marueilus By helpe of Antony that was his felawe The coniuracion was broken and w tdrawe By wytte of Tulli all the coniuratours Espied were and brought vnto mischaunce Their names red tofore the Senatours Of their falshead tolde all the gouernaunce Manly ordained through his purueiaunce With al his people as made is mencion Catelina departed from the toun With Antony the said Cateline Besyde Pistoy had a great bataile Slaine in the felde he myght nat decline For he abode whan the felde gan fayle Power of one littel may aueile Namely whan falshed of malice of pride Againe trouth dare the bront abyde There was another called Lentulus Of his felowes that named was Fabine The third of them eke called Cetegus All assented and sworne to Cateline Strangled in prison at mischefe did fyne Cause Tullius did execucion Tulliane was called the prisone Thus coude he punishe traitors of the toun Outray their enemies of manhod prudence Called of their cite gouernour patron Sent from aboue to be their defence Their champion most digne of reuerence Chose of their goddes their cite for to gye By two prerogatiues knighthode clergy Lyke the sonne he did them enlumyne By hie prowes of knightly excellence And through the world his bemes dyd shyne Of his rethorike and of his eloquence In whiche he had so great experience By circūstaunces that nothyng did lacke He transcended Plocius and Gracke Of oratours it is put in memorye This Tullius through his hie renoun Of all echone the honour and the glorie Was giue to him as made is mencion Surmounted al and in conclusion The golden trumpe of the house of Fame Through the world blew abrode his name He knewe secretes of philosophy Came to Athens to scole for doctrine Where he profited so greatly in clergy In all sciences heuenly and diuyne That he was called as aucthors determyne Amonge Romayns of very due right Of eloquence the lanterne and the light It is remembred among oratours Howe Tullius pleted causes twayne In the romaine courte afore the Senatours The cause defending by langage souerain Of two accused againe them that did playn On their defautes them sauyng fro mischefe The court escapyng fro dangere reprefe These causes twayne he pleted in latin With so excellent flouring fayre langage With such reasons concluded at the fine That he by wysedome caught thauauntage In his maters with all the surplusage That might aueile vnto his partie What he said there coud no man denie Among Grekes at Athens the cite So great he was of reputacion So famous holde of auctorite To be compared by their opinion To the Philosopher that called was Platō To whose cradell bees dyd abrayde And hony sote they on his lyppes layde Apronostike like as bokes tell Plato should by famous excellence Of rethorike be very sours and well For his langage myrrour of eloquence Yet the Grekes recorden in sentence Howe Tullius in party and in all Was vnto Plato in rethorike egall Through his langage this said Tullius Reconciled by his sote orisons To the lordshyp and grace of Julius Princes and kinges of diuers regions That suspecte stode by accusacions Bicause they did Julius disobey Wer enclined with romains to Pompey He coude appease by his prudent langage Folkes that stode in discencion By crafte he had a speciall auauntage Fauour synguler in pronunciacion In his demenyng great prudence and reasō For the pronounsing of matters in substaūce His thanke receiueth by chere countenāce To a gladde mater longeth a gladde chere Men treat of wysdom w t wordes of sadnesse Pleintes requyre after the matere Greuous or morall a chere of heuines Lyke as the cause outher the proces Gyueth occasion to hinder or to spede The doctrine in Tullius men may rede The name of Tulli was couth in many place His eloquence in euery lande was ryfe His langage made him stand in grace And be preferred
thyrein and she is called slouth An euident token of frowarde slogardye Vpon thy bed thy limmes so to dresse Ryse vp for shame for I can well espy Folke that can grone and fele no sycknesse Their chamberlayne is called ydlenes which layth thy pyllow at â—ue and morrowe Voyd her from the and let her go with forow To all vertue froward and contrary Is ydlenesse here in this present life which hath the draw away fro thy lybrarye Wyll the not suffer to be contemplatyfâ— For her condycion is to holde stryfe With euery vertuous occupacion which men shuld voyde of wysdom and resoÌ„ In this mater what shuld I long tary Thyslombre leaue and vp thine eine dresse The boke I made of life solytarye Remembre theron the which in sykernes Teacheth the way of vertuous busynes By and by who list rede euery lyne Of contemplacion moral and diuyne As I sayd erst yet lyft vp thy loke Forsake thy bed ryse vp anone for shame Woldest y â— rest nowe vpon thy seuenth boke And leaue the eight in soth thou art to blame Procede forth and get thy self a name And with one thyng do thy self comforte As thou deseruest men after shal reporte Make a comparison twene derknes lyght Twene ydlenes and occupacion Twene fayre dayes and the cloudy nighte Twene a cowards prowesse and hye renoun Twene vertuous speche false detraction And to conclude all vices to represse Contrary to slouthe is vertuous busynesse Vertuous busines O Bochas take hede Reneweth all thynges of olde antiquite Maketh men to lyue after they be dead Remember the nobles of many a great citye And ne were writers al were gone parde Wherfore Bochas syth y â— art nere the lande Suffre not thy shyp to stomble on the sande I meane as thus the shyp of thy trauayle Which hath passed the se of bokes seuen Cast not ankre tyll thou haue good â—â—â—ayle Let no tempest of thundre nor of â—eum Nor no wyndes of the cloudye heuen Nor no fals â—aÌ„glers of demers the will bliue Depraue thy laboure and let thy ship to ariue Haste on thy way let grace crosse thy sayl Fall on no lande of wilful neglygence Let good wyll be chefe of thy counsayle To gye thy rother set entyre diligence If vitayle â—ayle and wine to thy dispence yet at the last thynke forth y â— socour Some royal prince shal quite the thy labour Thinke by writing auctors did theyr payne To yeue princes theyr commendations To Remuâ— Romulus called fouÌ„ders twain Of Rome towne and of two Scipions The kinghthode Prudence of two Catons Of Iulius Pompey and Hanybal eke also By ensample of whome loke that thou do so Of Prophetes they wrote the prophesies And the noblesse of olde Moyses Of poetes the laure at poesies The force of SaÌ„pson y â— strength of Hercules Of two grekes Pyrrus and Achylles By their wryting bokes say the same Vnto this day yet endureth the name And he that can and ceaseth for to wryte Notable ensamples of our predecessours Of enuye men wyll him atwite That he in gardayns let peryshe the holsome floures In sondry wyse that might do great socours Labour for other and spare not thy trauayle For vertuous labor agayn slouth doth auaile â–ª A thing remembred of antiquite Is whan there is set a fayre ymage Of a prince of hye or lowe degre Or of a person a prynte of his visage Gladdeth his frende quicketh his corage And semblably by example men may fynde Things forgotten by writing come to minde â–ª And for to make our names perdurable And our merites to put in memory Vices to eschewe in vertue to be stable That labour may of slouth haue the victorye To clayme a see in the heuenly consistory Dispyte of ydlenes and forthering of vertue Fyne of our labour be yeue to Christ Iesu. Whan Petrark had reherced this lesson In rebuking of vicious ydelnes Bochas supprised and moued of reason Rose from his couche and gan his pen dresse well ouercame the impotent feblenes Of croked age that Bochas vndertoke For to accomplyshe vp his eight boke I following after for dulled for rudenesse More than thre score yeres set my date Luste of youthe passed his freshnes Colours of rethorike to helpe me translate were faded away I was borne in Lydgate Wher Bacchus lycour doth full scarsly flete My drye foule for to dewe and weâ—e Though passed age hath fordulled me Tremblynge ioyntes let my hande to wryte And fro me take all the subtylte Of curious makyng in englyshe to endyte yet in this labour truelyme to acquite I shal procede as it is to me due In these two bokes Bochas for to sue FINIS ¶ The firste Chapter ¶ Howe the proude tiraunte Domician Emperoure of Rome and manye other Emperoures and Nobles for their outrages and wretchednes mischeuouslye ended BBrother to Titus sonne of Vaspacian Came next iordre as writeth mine autour The proude ambicious called Domician That was in Rome crowned Emperour An extorcioner and a false pillour Proudly coÌ„maunded in his estate vp stalled Of all the worlde he shulde a God be called Thrugh hye presuÌ„pcion of him it is eke tolde Nether of tymber koruin nor of stone Set vp images of syluer and of golde In token there was no God but he alone In to Pathmos he exyled eke saynt Iohn And agayne cristen the seconde next Neron That began first the persecucion This same tyraunt reignyng in his estate To all the citye was passinge odyous Best and most worthy he sâ—ewe of the senate And vnto all that were vertuous Mortall enemy and moste malicious And for slaughter of senatours in the toune Asked the triumph as made is mencyon Made amonge iewes by ful great outrage where as he had greatest suspicion To slee al tho that were of the lynage Of Dauids kinred and of kinge Salomon Least he were put out of dominacion Amonge iewes this was hys meanynge Slewe all tho that was borne to be kyng Amyd the palays as God wolde of right Punysh a tyraunt and quite him hys mede This Domician was slayne vpon a nyght His caraine after vnburyed as Irede And Comodus doth after him succede whiche was all yeue by fleshly appetite To leaue all vertue and folowe his delyte Theatre playes of custome he did vse As was the custome there and the vsage His life in vices he falslye did abuse In lecherous lustes spent al hys yonge age To the romaynes did ful great domage For of the senate that were moste vertuous were falslye slayne by this Comodus In his time by stroke of thunder dente And firye lightning y â— came down fro heuen The common lybrary was of the cyte brente Wyth royall bokes of all the craftes seuen Bokes of poetes mo then I can neuyn And Comodus breuely to termyne was slayn and strangled by hys concubyne Helinus Pertynax came nexte on the ringe Ordained after Emperour of that toun Olde and vnweldy â—lame in his ginning After whom
Venandre and of three other kinges and howe they were distroied AFter all these straunge vncouthe thynges Tofore Jhon Bochas as made is mencion There came foure myghtye kynges For to complayne their desolacion Fyrst Gisiuill kyng of the region Called Venandre in werres ful contraire Vnto a prince called Belisaire And to this saide noble Belisaire Full renomed that tyme in chiualry The kyng of Gothes was also aduersayre And both atones of hatred and enuy Assented fully to holde champerty Gayne Belisaire which throughe his hie renoun Toke theÌ„ both cast theÌ„ in prison There is no more of theÌ„ in Bochas founde But after them in order by writyng Came Amarales wyth many blody wound Which in his tyme was of Mawres kynge Without cause or title of any thynge Vpon Jane Sanguin gan werray agayne right Which through Affrik was one y â— best knight The sayde Jane armed in plate and mayle Met Amarales in Affrike on a sande And helde with him a mighty strong bataile And lyke a knight slewe hym wyth his hand Droue al his people proudly frâ— that lande And in my boke there is none other mynde To be remembred oâ— him that I can fynde Than Synduall of Bretaine lorde kyng Tofore Bochas put him selfe in prees Gan shewe his mischefe pitiously wepyng Whan he helde werre wylfull recheles Agayne a prince called Narsates A Romayne knight feirse hardy stronge In his defence whaÌ„ men wold do hun wroÌ„g This Narsates of case or auenture Though he in dede was a manly knyght He fayled membres in sothe of engendrure His aduersaries echon he put to flight Toke their king forthwith anone ryght As the cronicle playnly doth recorde Hye on a galowes he hinge him with a corde Of Narsates after this victory Kyng Totila had full great disdaine With a great host most poÌ„pous in his glory Came vpon him and met hym in a playne With multitude though he were ouerlayne Turnyng Totila which many man behelde Of Narsates was slayne in the felde In order next Bochas doth write Of Gepidoys howe king Trusmonde Required him that he woulde endite The gret aduersites in which he dyd habouÌ„d And of his doughter called Rosamounde The vnhappy chaunce to make discryue To whom fortune was contrary al her lyue Albuinus king of Lombardy Which many a laude helde in subiection Conquered Beme Prage and Hungery The land of Gepedois with manye a region Fought with their king as made is mencion Slewe in battaile the said Trusmonde Wedded after his doughter Rosamonde Myne auctour gretly comendeth her beaute And wryteth also she was but young of age Whose story first whan I dyd se Howe vngracious also was her mariage I gan were pale and dead in my visage Greatly astoined confuse of very shame To write the story in hindring of her name I wyll forbeare and lightly passe here The surplusage lightlye ouerpasse For by and by to tel all the manere Of felonies that dyd in hertes brace It shoulde blot this boke and eke deface For which I cast truely and not fayle Touching her story to make rehersaile The .xxvii. Chapter ☞ Howe Albuinus was murdred by hys wife and howe she moste vycious was after murdred also KInge Albuinus as ye shall vnderstande After many a conquest and victorye Whyche he hadde bothe on see and lande To put his triumphes in memory Let crye a feast to his encrese of glory At whiche feest solempne and principall So as he sate in his estate royall Parcell for pride parcel for gladnesse The quene present the sayd Rosamonde Take supprised he was wyth dronkenes Of stronge wynes whych y t day did haboâ—d Sent a Goblet of golde as it is founde Vnto the quene with licour full pleasaunt Bad to her father she shoulde drinke a taunt She dempt it was a maner mokery First her name and worshyp to confounde To byd her drinke ataunt for her party To her father this sayd Trusmounde Slaine afore wyth many blody wounde By Albuinus through his vnhappy chaunce Of whych rebuke she cast to do vengeaunce She bare the rancour ful long in her entent Whiche day by day gan renewe encrease A certayne squier she made of her assent It to accomply she she woulde neuer cease And on another squier she gan preace Called Perdius accorded all in one This false murdre to execute anone The daye was set whyle he lay a slepe Fyll vpon him w t sharpe swordes grounde Her lorde was slayne alas he toke no kepe Or he died of fortune he hath founde A speares head to a tronchon bounde Him selfe defending in that mortall strife But slaine he was by treason of his wife After this murdre to escape fro daunger This Rosamonde fled awaye by night With her went Melchis her squier Toke a shyp sayled by sterre light To Rauenne they toke the waye ryghte Led with them for refute and socour Of Albuinus al the hole treasour After she was wedded to Melchise Man of this worlde stode most in her grace Her loue appalled set of him no prise For she not coude be content in one place Her ioye was euer newe thing to purchace To assaye many neuer pleased with one Tyll by experience she preued had echone Prouost of Rauenne and chefe gouernour For the excellence of her great beaute Aboue al women loued her peramour Whan she entred fyrst that cite And through her fraude and duplicite She cast to murdre in her frowarde auyce Her newe husband that called was Melchis The hote sommer in lusty freshe May The same Melchis for hete and werines Him selfe to bathe went a certayne day Caught a great thurst of very fayntnes And Rosamonde of infernall falsnes Toke a goblet with licour great foâ—son Gaue him to drinke wine medled with poisoÌ„ He dranke vp halfe and therwithal he gan Brest and belly to swell and to aryse Intoxicate wext deadely pale and wan And whan he dyd her treason aduertise He made her drinke in the same wise Maugre her wyll she might it not restrayne Guerdon for murder they died bothe twayne In this chapter but litle fruite I fynde Saue onely thys to put in remembraunce That folke shoulde call agayne to mynde Murdre afore god requyreth aye veÌ„geaunce This funeral story wayed in balaunce Wrought by Melchis compassed and founde By false treason of cursed Rosamounde Slewe first her lorde Albuinus as I sayde Two of her squiers dyd execucion Out of his slepe whan he dyd abrayde Let counterpayse what was her guerdon Ech murdred other by drinking of poison Melchis drank first next draÌ„k RosamouÌ„de At them it gan to theÌ„ it dyd rebounde Counterpaysed one murder for an other Albuinus slayne by Rosamounde hys wyfe By assent of Melchis after eche to other The poison parted there gan a fatall strife Murder for murder they both lost their life Who vseth falsnes ful wel affirme I dare Shal with falsnes be quit or he be
ware As they departed such part againe they toke As men deserue suche shall be their mede This frowarde storye ende of the eight boke Of Rosamonde Melchis wrought in dede For short conclusion byddeth men take hede They shall agayne receiue such measour As they measure vnto their neighbour ☞ Thus endeth the eyght boke and herafter foloweth the nynthe ¶ Hovve the Emperoure Mauricius hys wyfe and hys children were slayne at Calcidony ¶ The Fyrst Chapter TO Frances Petrark as Bochas vndertoke In eschewyng of slouthful ydelnes As he began taccoÌ„plysh vp his boke AssurauÌ„ce made hym do his busines Which thinge remeÌ„bred gan his pen dresse The nynth boke so god wold gyue him grace It to performe if he had lyfe and space At the beginnyng sothly of his labour In his study there dyd to hym appeare Mauricius the myghty Emperour Which complayned rehersynge the manere Howe he by Phocas cruell of loke chere Distroied was wyfe childreÌ„ and kinrede The slaughter couth who lyst the storie rede The sayd Maurice as write Bochas Jhon Was by Phocas brought to distruccion His wyfe and children were slaine echone At Calcidony as made is mencion After whose deth he toke possession The sayd Phocas as put is in memory Gaue Pantheon to saynt Gregorye Whyche was a temple of olde foundacion Ful of ydols vp set on hye stages There throughe the worlde of euery nacion Were of theyr goddes set vp great ymages To euery kingdom direct were their visages As Poetes and Fuigens by hys liue In bokes olde plainely doth dyscriue Euery ymage had in his hande a bell As apparteyneth to euery nacion Which by craft some token shoulde tel Whan any kingdome fil in rebellion Or gan maligne agayne Rome toun Which to redresse w t strong myghty hande Sent a prince to chastice al that lande The saide temple builded of lime and stone Pope Boniface as bookes specify Wher it was first called Pantheon Set vp crosses vpon eche partye Halowed it to martirs and to Mary Yere by yere gynnyng of Nouembre The feast hold the martiloge doth remembre In Asia this Emperour Maurice was slain In the cite that called is Calcidony Al his housholde and many good Romaine By Phocas percieÌ„s as had is in memorye And Phocas after for his vaynglory Slaine by Heraclius he thaÌ„ was Emperour Four twenty wynter he was gouernour The .ii. Chapter ¶ Of Machomet the false prophet and how he beyng dronke was deuoured amonge swine AFter the deth of Phocas as I tolde WhaÌ„ Heraclius to raine first began Came Mahomet in his time yhold A false prophet and a magician As bokes olde well reherce can Borne in Arabia but of low kynred All his life worshipped ydols in dede And whan that he grewe in to great age Disceyuable in many sondrie wyses with Camels vsed fyrst his cariage False and double and subtle in his diuises He went to Egipt and fette marchandiÌ„ses To Jewes christen he sondrie times sent Learned the olde and the newe testament As bokes olde recorde in that partie Thys Mahomet this cursed false man Out of Egipte fast gan hym hye Towarde a countre called Corosan With a lady that hight Cordian Through his subtill false daliaunce By crafte he fyll in to her acquaintaunce He wrought by his enchauntementes And by false meanes of nygromancy Her enclyning towarde his ententes For both he coude flatter wel and lye Sayd openly that he was Messy Jewes abiding vpon his coÌ„myng As greattest prophet their souerayne kyng Thus the people he brought in great errour By his techyng and his false doctryne He wext among them a great gouernour The saide lady also dyd to him enclyne As to a prophet whych that was diuine Sent from aboue as she dyd vnderstande For whyche she toke him to her husbande His lynage gan at Hismaell Had a syckenesse full ofte sithe fyll doun In his excuse saied that Gabriell Was sent to him fro the heauenly mancion By the holy gost to his instruction And for the Angell shewed him selfe so shene To stande vpright he myght not sustene On his shoulder were oft tymes seyne Whan he to folke shewed his presence Milke white doues which that piked greine Out of his eares affirmyng in sentence They came by grace of gostly influence Him to visite to shewe and specifye He was the prophet that called was Messy Newe lawes also he dyd ordaine Shewed signes by false apparence Lyke Moises him selfe he dyd feyne A prophet of most excellence And thervpon to shewe an euidence Smal portes wyth mylke and hony borne On a great bull were hanged on eche horne He made the people gyue credulite To his doctrine and froward teachyng By mylke and hony figured was plente By the merite of his gostly workyng And thus he was at his beginnyng Take of Sarasis as they gan to him draw Whych by false errour bounde theÌ„ to his law A clerke of his called Sergius Wrote his lawes and these miracles thre First of the doues howe they came to hiÌ„ thus As here tofore rehersed was by me Howe mylke hony were tokens of plente And of the Bull afore by craft made tame By false disceytes to gete hym a name Of Arabiens and Sarasins as I rede And of Turkes made prince gouernour With Hysmaeâ—ytes folke of Perce mede He gadered people gan wexe a warriour Agayne Eraclius the myghty emperour And vsurped to ride in the contrees â–ª Gate Alisandry wyth many mo citees Of tho parties desirous to be kynge Of that purpose whan he was set asyde The people falsly dyssimulynge Tolde he was sent prophetes to prouyde For tho couÌ„trees for to be their gyde And for he was lecherous of corage He made of Venus to set vp an ymage Made Sarazins to worship the friday Semblably hys story dothe expresse So as the Jewes halowed the saturday All his workes concluding in falsnes Whan he dranke wyne fyl in dronkeÌ„nes Taught the people like a false prophet To drinke water and good wyne to lete As I sayd the heretyke Sergius With him of counsaile frowarde contrary Fone to our fayeth he and Nestorius From holy churche greatly they gan vary On whose errours Bochas list not tary More to write of this Machomete Any gromancian and a false prophete Who list to se his lawes euerychon Yeue to Sarazins his boke caÌ„ bere wytnes As they be set in his Alkeron Echone in ordre grounded on falsnesse Lyke a glotton dyed in dronkennesse By excesse of drinkynge moch wyne Fyll in a podell deuoured among swyne Thys was the ende of false Machomete For all his craftes of nigromancy The funerall fine of this saide prophete Dronklewe of kynde called him selfe Messie Whom Sarazins so gretly magnifye Jhon Bochas let be for a quene of Fraunce More of his errour to put in remembraunce The .iii. Chapter ☞ Howe Brounchylde a quene of Fraunce slewe her kin brought the land in diuision and after was hanged hewen
euery table And in his meanyng passyng disceyuable Lyke as he had in maner dredful be Toke al his host and gan anone to fle This yonge prince of meanyng innocent Nothyng demyng as by supposayle But y ◠Cirus was with his meyny went And sled for feare he durst hym not assayle And whan he founde such plente of vytayle He his knightes through misgouernaūce To eate and drinke set al their plesaunce They had of knyghthode lost the disciplyne Forsoke Mars put hym out of syght And to Bachus their heades gan enclyne Gorge vpon gorge tyl it drough to nyght And proude Cirus came on thē anonryght With all hys hoost they out of their armure On beastial folke made a discomfiture Cruel Cirus left none alyue Of hygh nor lowe made none excepcion They were to feble again his might to striue For chefe cause of their distruction Was drōkennesse whych voydeth al reason And wyse men rehercen in sentence Where folke be dronken there is no resistence And whan thys slaughter by relacion Reported was brought to the presence Of Thomiris quene of that region Vnto her hert it dyd ful great offence But of ire and great impacience Seyng her sonne slayne in tendre age For sorow almost she fyll in to a rage But for al her woful deedly payne She shewed no token of feminite But of prudence her weping gan restrayne And cast her playnly auenged for to be Vpon kyng Cirus and on his cruelte Sente out meyny to espyen his passage If she hym fynde myght at auauntage And with her meyny gā feyne a maner flight Vp to the mountayns dredful terrible And Cirus after gan haste hym anon ryghte In hope to take her if it were possible Among whiche hilles more than it is credible Ben craggy roches most hideous of entayle Perilous of passage voyde of al vitayle And Cirus ther fyl in greate daunger Al vnpurueyed of drogemen or of gyde To fostre his people vitaile was none ther Erryng as beastes vpon euery syde And they of Cithie gan for hym so prouyde Wherof their quene god wote was ful fayne At great mischefe y t al his men were slaine None of al was taken to raunson Nor he hym selfe escaped not her boundes Such wayte was layde to theyr distruction And he through perced with mortal woundes On peces rent as beares ben with hoūdes The quene cōmaūding whā he lay thus torne To her presence his body to be borne Fyrst she hath charged to smyte of his heade Whan she hath thus the victory of hym won And in a bath that was all blode red She gan it throwe within a litel tonne And of dispite ryght thus she hath begonne Most tirauntly in her woful rage To dead Cirus to haue this langage O thou Cirus that whylom were so wode And so thrustlewe in thy tiranny Agayne nature so to shede mannes bloud So woluyshe was thyne hateful dropsy That mercy none myght it modefye Thine etyke ioyned gredy and vnstable With thrust of slaughter aye to be vengeable It is an horrour in maner for to thynke So great a prince rebuked for to be Of a woman mannes blode to drinke For to disclaundre his roial maieste But gladly euer vengeable cruelte Of ryght requireth wyth vnware violence Blod shede for blode iustly to recompence Of myghty Cirus the imperiall noblesse Was by a woman vēquyshed borne doune God made her chastise his furious wodnes And for toppresse his famous high renoun For where vengeaunce hath dominacion In worldly princes playnly to deuyse With vnware stroke god can thē chastise Th ende of Cirus can bere ful wel recorde How god w t standeth folke y ◠ben vengeable Lordshyp mercy whan they ben at discorde Right wyll not suffer their state to be stable And for this Cirus was so vnmerciable He with vnmercy punished was in dede Deth quyt for deth lo here his final mede In slaughter blode he dyd greately delyte For in tho twayne was his repast in dede He founde no mercy his vēgeaunce to respyte Where he founde matter any blode to shede Such ioy he had by deth to se folke blede ▪ And for the syght did him so much good His fatal ende was for to swym in blode Lo here thexequies of this mighty king Lo here the ende of his estate royal There were no flames nor brondes shinynge To bren his body with fires funeral Nor obseruaunces nor offringes marciall Nor tombe of golde with stones rych fyne Was none ordained to make with his shrine Epitaphie ther was none red nor songe By no poete wyth their poetries Nor of his triūphes there was no bell ronge Nor no wepers with sobbynge tragedies None attendaunce but of hys enemies Which of hatred in their cruell rage Cast out his carayne to beastes most sauage Lo here of Cirus the finall auenture Which of al Asie was whylom emperour Now lieth he abiect without sepulture Of high nor low he founde no better fauoure Lo here the fyne of al worldly labour Namely of tiraunts which lyst not god drede But set their lust to slaughter blodeshede Lenuoye RYghte noble prynces considre in youre syghte The fine of Cirus pitous lamētable How god punisheth of equitie ryght Tirauntes echone cruel and vengeable For in his syght it is abhominable That a prince as philosophers write In slaughter of men shoulde hym selfe delyte This saide Cirus was a full manly knight In begynning ryght famous and notable Nature yaue him semelinesse myght For in conquest was none sene more able Tyl tiranny the serpent disceyuable Merciles his corage dyd atwite In slaughter of men whan him gan delite Wherefore ye princes remēbre day nyght Tafforce your nobles make it pardurable To get you fauour loue of euery wyght Which shal your states cōserue kepe stable For there is conquest none so honourable In governaunce as vengeaunce to respite Mercy preferring in slaughter not delite The .xv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Amilius for couetyse slough his brother and Remus and Rumulus nourished by a wolfes AFter king Cirus Bochas did espy Two worthy brethern wyth faces pitous Borne by discent to reigne in Albanye Both of one father the story telleth vs The one of them called Amulius And to remembre the name of that other Numitor ycalled was his brother They had a fader whyche named was Prochas Kyng of y ◠land the story doth deuise After whose deth playnely thys is the case Amulius for false couetise His brother slough in ful cruel wyse That he vniustly by false tiranny Might haue the kingdom alone of Albany This Albany by discripcion Like as Bochas affirmeth in certeine Is a citye not ferre fro Rome toun Set on an hyl beside a large pleine The building stately rych well beseine Stronge walles with many a high toure And Ascanius was fyrste thereof foundour Which called was in his foundacion Albania for the great whytnes There kynges after
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 kiÌ„de 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 obseruauÌ„ce 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 wâ—lâ—esse 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 fouÌ„de at all Clerely remeÌ„bred for a memorial Their begynning grewe of such incoÌ„tinence 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 â—lee marchauÌ„tes 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 asâ—ended 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 ordinauÌ„ce 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
robbers for their great offence Sluggy truauntes for theyr negligence And fayned beggers that greatly disauayle Constrayneth them to labour and trauayle Founders of lawe by antiquitie Caused in landes was suffred none erroute And made of prynces the royall magestie To shyne in worshyp by diligent labour Wrested courages of many conquerour That their tryuÌ„phes no further shuld attaine Than lawe of god and nature dyd ordaine Wyll was that tyme vnder subiection Of ryght wisnes by trouth full wel coÌ„ceiued Sensualitye was seruaunt to reason And froward lust was vnder locke ykeyed Sentence of statutes was not disobeyed The ryche did ryght through euery lande Pore folke lyued by labour of their hande Lordshyp y â— tyme anoyded mayntenaunce Holy churche lyued in perfitnesse Knighthode tho dayes for trouth whette his lauÌ„ce And false extorcion had none entresse MarchauÌ„tes winning came al of rightwisnes Artificers the worke day were not ydell And busines of labour helde the brydell Women that age farced were nor horned Nor theyr tayles were not serpentyne Wise men of foly nor clarkes wer not scorned Whyche in scyence most freshely dyd shyne Lawe disherited none heyres from theyr lyne Lesyngmongers found y â— time no socours And flaterers were made thaÌ„ no coÌ„fessours This golden world flouryng in vertue Borne vp by loue grounded on stablenes Of auoutry sprange out none issue Prices w t doctrine established their nobles Preesthod in praier knighthod in worthines Ech thing by law stode vnder gouernaunce MarchauÌ„ts by mesure iust peis of balauÌ„ce First Phoroneus by dyligent laboure Fonde out lawes y â— kyng was of Argyues The grekes study he giit w t great honoure This politick priÌ„ce auoided theÌ„ from striues His statutes kept duryng all their lyues Found first the maner Bochas doth deuyse Howe to Jupyter was made sacrifyse Eke mighty Minos whilom kinge of Crete Ordayned lawes agayne transgressions To feare by rygour foles that were vnmete And staunche of surfetes all occasyons Made for robbers mightye stronge prisons And Dedalus his chefe artificere Made laborinthes by diligence entere And Mercurie borne by the stode of Nyle As writeth Lactance was of Egipt kynge Vnto marchauntes dyd lawe firste compyle Of weight and mesure to vse in chaffaryng And for his wisdome and excellent connyng Of olde poetes that whilom were so wyse He called was God of marchaundyse Solon also the best lawes made As Valery writeth him self to magnify Athenienses therof were full glad His great wysdome whan they did espy They fonde therin so muche policy And euer he was redy for to debate Agayne tyrauntes so sore he dyd them hate Kyng Lygurgus yet whilom dyd his cure To make lawes to comon auauntage And that they shuld perpetually endure He made his people be sworne of euery age While that he went out on pilgrimage Fro point to point to kepe them in certaine Vnto time that he came home agayne And for his lawes wer of great substaunce And profitable to euery comonte He chase to liue in exile and penaunce Neuer to resort againe to his cite That his statutes by eternite Shuld nat be broke as ye haue herd toforne By the coÌ„uencion to which they were sworn To comon profite had he such tendernesse That he forsoke his kingdome and kinrede To liue in exile his story beareth witnes But or he dyed as he lay bedrede He bad his bones shuld be cast in lede Amid the see fer out from the strande That his statutes might in their streÌ„gth staÌ„d He eschued eueryche occasyon As a thyng hatefull which was not fayre That his forsayd royall mighty toun Shuld breke their oth because of his repair But touching that he put them in dispayre Cast him neuer resort in their dayes Lest they wold breke the seÌ„teÌ„ce of his lawes The .xv. chapter ¶ Here Bochas maketh an exclamacion of the extorcion of the officers of Rome JOhn Bochas here maketh a digressioÌ„ And by rebuking cast him to assayle Thylke officers y e wer in Rome toun Which by extorcion oppressed the porayle And agayne iudges also of Itayle And namely them that for lucre or mede Set trouth asyde and toke of it none hede He maketh agayne them an exclamacion Such as to vertue were contrarious And vnder colour and occasyon Of their offyce lyst to be lecherous Like condicioned vnto Apius And fynally as it was after sene False in their domes of their life vnclene O quod Bochas O trouth o thou iustise Whych in your nobles whilom dyd excel Where in effect is now your exercyse Wher is your wonning alas wher do ye dwel Of your practike ful few men can tel So fer put backe is nowe your disciplyne Your kyn exyled and your noble lyne Aduocates that nowe done occupye Your olde sees and places full royall All to falshede their wyttes they apply Suche couetyse now reigneth ouer all Causes of ciuile and causes crymynall Their domes take wher they be fals or true All after wyll by statutes chaunged newe There ben eke other called accessours Syttyng by iudges to yeue them counsayle Which may full well be called rauenours For they nat labour but for theyr auayle A nombre of robbers folow at theyr tayle To pylle the people as ye haue hard to forne Bare as a shepe that is but newe shorne There is no more in this matter to sayne Saue onely this trouth stant desolate And rightwisnes dare to no wight coÌ„playne With wrong oppressed weping desolate Wherfore ye prynces that syt in high estate Such thing to meÌ„de but ye better hede take God shal w t you a full harde rekenyng make Your office is in your magnificence Twene man man all wronges to redresse And wher a matter is agayne conscience It to refourme onely of ryghtwysenesse To staÌ„de by trueth mayntayne no falsenesse And let wise counsayl such matters examine Or ye of haste theron determine Haue suche thynges in your mynde amonge Thynke god wyll quyte lyke as ye deserue Ye spot your noblesse yf that ye do wrong His sworde of punishyng drede or it kerue Let your reason and conscience conserue Your noble estates thinke like your werkiÌ„g The lord of you wyl aske a rekenyng The .xvi. Chapiter ⧠Of Alcibiades exyled and after brent in hys bedde AFter other that put them selfe in prees Tofore Bochas their coÌ„playntes to discure Came of Athenes Alcibiades That time alyue the fayrest creature And as it is remembred by scripture He was discrete and was at all assayes One the strongest and manly in hys dayes He was first borne of full high linage Aboue all other of most semelynesse Well proporcioned and hardy of corage Loued and fauoured for his great fayrenesse Famouse in knyghthode for hys worthinesse Subtyll witted and coude by cloquenâ—â— Boche comprehende vnder shorte sentence His wyt enclined to manyfolde sciences Had of conyng a passyng retentife Loued clerkes fond them theyr dispences Suche as in practife he saw most inuentife To rede in bokes
reioysed all hys life Kept what he redde in his memoriall And of wyse counsaile was none to hym egal An vncle he had ycalled Perycles Which stode in daunger of excessife spendyng Yet in hys youth thys Alcibiades Seyng hys vncle pensiefe in lokyng Cast of wisdom to remedy that thyng And for to aswage hys heartes heuynesse Gaue hym this counsail by great auisenesse Fyrst to rehearse how the matter stode And of hys vncles wofull hygh distresse Ther was to him delynered a sūme of goode To repayre the temple of a goddesse Called Minerna but for the great excesse Of hys dispences he stode somwhat in drede Touching thacoūpt y ◠he muste yelde in dede Alcibiades here vpon musyng To hys vncle gaue counsayle in sentence Vncle quod he let be your thynkyng And for your selfe shape thys diffence Nat for tacoūpt by meane of your prudence Afore prouided with face chere vnfayned To suche duresse that ye be nat constrayned And whan Pericles his coūsaile aduertiseth Fonde to his worshyp it was resonable And by good layser him selfe ful wel auiseth And by prouision prudent and notable Saued hys estate frō eche thyng reprouable So that he stode touching thys matter As for accomptes out of all daunger Alcibiades of Athens chefe capteyne From day to day waxt vp to great encres Suche another was ther no where seyne Them to gouerne bothe in werre pees And all the citye by assent hym chees Of theyr nauy in especiall Vpon the see to be theyr admyrall For his knighthod they sent hym out aferre To Cathenoys to be theyr gouernour Gayne Cyracusenes for to gin a werre First there receiued w t glory gret honoure But in the end of his great laboure Fortune that is aye varyaunt and vnstable Was to this duke nat founde fauourable He was accused to them of the toun Which in Athenes had gouernaunce That he was gilty in party of treason By thē reuoked for al his great puissaunce Of Capitaynship and by their ordinaunce And fortunes false mutabylitie Vnwarely depriued from all dignitie But for him selfe thus he gan prouide Went into exyle not fer from that countre In to a cytie that called was Elyde There for to haue fredom and lyberte And of hys lyfe to stand in suerte For in Athenes they wolde haue him deed Vnto their goddes to offre vp his heed But whan he was of their entent certayne To Lacedemone he toke the ryght way And by relacion there he herd sayne Howe Cathemenses were put to afraye In a batayle vpon a certayne daye Which that they held to their aduersytee Gayne Cathenoys as they fought on the see But the cause of this discomfyture As was tolde Alcibiades Was by thre captayns through misauenture Which in their leading were found recheles The chefe of them named Demosthenes The tother called the story telleth vs The tone Niceas the tother Eurilocus Alcibiades hauyng herof tiding To auenge his wrong put him selfe in prees Of Lacedemon he gothe fyrst to the kyng Which of trouth was called Agydes Beseching him to graunte to his encres Certayne soudyours out of hys countre For to werrey of Athenoys the cyte Thus he waxte stronge of noble prouydence Had great people vnder his gouernaunce And lyke a duke made strong in hys defence The people gadred to his obeysaunce That other princes that wer of hye puisaūce Gan haue enuy of wylful frowardnesse And to malygne agayne hys hyghe noblesse For selde or neuer in any regyon Prowesse of armes noblesse of chyualry Encrease of ryches report of high renoun Fame of connyng in craft or in clergy May no wher dwell without some enuy From whose malyce as folke expert may se Saue only wretches no man hath lyberte For which this prince as put is in memory Escaped nat for all his hygh parage But that some enuyed at his glory For in this life no man hath auauntage Agayne tonges nor odyous false langage To stop such venym this is the best obstacle That mē with suffraūce tempre their triacle The clere prowesse of Alcibiades Stayned the nobles of other prynces al His eure hym raised vp to so great encres To the highest trone of fortunes hall Such fatal grace is vnto hym fal That in tho dayes playnlye this is no fable There was no knight to him resemblable In his exyle so clere his renome shone And through Grece gaue as gret bryghtnes As doth a ruby aboue eche other stone Yet for to clips and shadow his worthynes Lacedemonois dyd their busynesse Such as nat myght to his nobles attayne By false report his renome to restraine Awayt was layd to take him at mischefe And many traynes wer serched out sought Of entent to put him at reprefe But al y ◠euer agayn him they haue wrought At the end the purpose came to nought For God prouideth of his magnificence Agayne such malice to saue innocence He was lykely to fal in great daungere Lacedemonois gan so at hym dysdayne Because his honour nobles shone so clere That to his fone it was a deedlye payne And thus his lyfe stode in no certayne For all be it he manly was and wyse He knew nothinge their purpose nor malyce Hee had almoste ywarned be to late And lyke to haue stand in great perplexitie And more his grace and fortune to abate By thoccasion of hys great beaute He wyth the quene was woxen full priue For in her grace so well stode there none Whiche gaue to him warnyng of his fone And by the counsayle onely of the queene Fro Lacedemon he wysely toke his flight Towarde Athenes thought he wolde sene His owne countre full lyke a manly knyght And though thei had nat gouerned thē a right Towardes hym beyng in distresse To auenge his wronge he dyd thē no duresse For he thought it was agaynst nature To be vengeable or shewe his cruelte By thoccasion of any auenture Or ginne a werre vpon his countre His natiue bloud meued him to pyte And of very naturall gentlynesse Was debonayre agayne their vnkindnesse The case was this for short conclusion How king Dary with great apparayle Thought to werrey of indignation Them of Athenes their towne tassayle And in purpose proudely to preuayle Thessifernes a prince of great puissaunce Of Daries power had al the gouernaunce Final cause and grounde of all this werre That Darius gan on them so hastelye And that he sent his puissaunce from so ferre For to destroy Athenes vtterly Was to holde vp and sustayne the party Of Lacedomone whiche of olde hatrede Were euer enuyous thē to oppresse in dede But by meane of Alcibiades And his treatie founded on prudence Thessifernes enclined to the pees Therby in party to appease his violence And all was done of noble prouidence And fro the place to which he was exiled He to Athenes shoulde be reconciled Vnto the citie he dyd signify How Darius had made his ordinaunce And by his letters he