with ful great reuerence All be the bytche made resistence Complayninge stode fully at a bay The lytel chylde whan she sawe led away Ful pitiously she gan to houle and crye At their departynge dolefully complayne And after them ful fast gan to hye The childe to let she felt so great a payne Lo howe that god of mercy can ordayne A cruel beast such sorowe for to make And so to mourne for a chyldes sake But euery thyng y â— god wyll haue preserued May not fayle to stand in siâ—ernesse His secrete domes ben to hym selfe reserued There can no man expowne theÌ„ as I gesse For he shope fyrst that this sheperdesse Of Sparagos the true pore wyfe For to be meane to saue the childes lyfe Home to her house the childe she led anone And it to fostre dyd her busines Of other salary god wote knewe she none Saue that her hert thereto dyd her dresse And more entierly y e story beareth wytnesse She tendred hâ—m wyth more busy cure Than him y â— was her chylde borne of nature And as the story plainly doth expresse This yonge chylde as he wext in age Fro day to day encreased in noblesse Lyke for to be ryght manly of corage Cyrus he was called in that langage To say in latyn playnly in substaâ—â—câ— A man yborne to great enheritaunce And whan the renowne of his excellence By longe processe of hys great encres Came by reporte vnto the audience Of his ayel the great â—stiages And how the kyng was found rechles Called Harpagus for to do vengeaunce On yong Cirus he fyll in displesaunce This is to meane Astiages was wroth That Harpagus was founde merciable Cyrus to saue and for that he was lothe Agaynst all ryght for to be vengeable To slee a chylde a thyng not commendable Demyng of trouth in his conscience God was not payed to murdre innocence Astiages cast hym to be wreke On Harpagus by false collusion Because that his bidding he did breke And was contrary to his entencion Cyrus to slee agayne all reason And for that cause Astiages I rede Of Harpagus let sley the chylde in dede This is to say by false compassyng And couert murder wrought by Astiages The sonne was slayne of Harpagus the king And after rosted alas ful causeles And syth presented amonge all the prees Tofore his father a thynge most lameÌ„table With Astiages as he sate at the table But whan this kyng called Harpagus Conceyued hath this murdre most terrible And howe his sonne heire was slaine thus In his ire most furious and odible In al the hast that it was possible He is repayred home to his housholde And al the case to Cyrus he hath tolde And how his sonne was slayne for his sake In the most hateful odious cruelte Exciting him with him to vndertake On this false murdre auenged for to be To him declaringe of trouth equite Howe he was borne by discent in dede As ryght heire to reigne in Perce Mede To him declaryng the story by and by First of the dreme of Astiages And howe that he by fraude ful falsly Made his doughter called Mundanes Porely to be wedded vnto Cambises Which was his mother how in tedre age He was out cast to beastes ful fauage â–ª By a shepherde and sheperdesse Fostred he was in great pouerte And brought from beastes out of wyldernes Bycause god woulde he saued should be For thilke lorde which euery thynge may se Whan that he hath a thyng afore disposed Nedes it must fal may not be deposed This said Cirus at his natiuite Ordeyned was by reuolucion Of the heuenly spheres in numbre thrise thre So stode that tyme his constellacion That he shoulde haue the dominacion Ouer al Asye by influence deuyne Afore fygured by spredyng of the vyne What may y â— fraude of sleyghty folke auayle Innocentes to put out of their ryght Though trouth be hyd amonges the poraile Harde brought forth dare nor shewe lyghte Yet god wyl ordayne that the beames bryght Shal some one day shewe out his clerenes Maugre al tho that wold his title oppresse For this Cirus as clerkes of him write Was by the tytle of his mothers syde Borne to be kyng al Asye to enherite Al be his ayel from him woulde it deuide But god that can for trouth best prouide Hath for Cirus by processe so ordayned That he of Asye the lordship hath attained Cirus y â— time was growen vp wel of length Wel proporcioned of membres stature Wonder deliuer passynge of great strength Straunge emprises proudly to endure And to ieoparte and put in auenture His owne person the fame was of hym so Was none more lykely where men had ado And by the counsayle of kyng Harpagus Whan this Cirus was wel woxe in age With Perciens proude and surquedous And Archanites cruel of corage For to recure his ryghtful heritage Began w t Cyrus armed wyth plate mayle Wyth Astiages to holde batayle And he agaynewarde gan to take hede And with him toke many a worthy knyght With al the puissaunce of the land of Mede Hath take the felde the same day forth righte To disherite Cyrus of his ryght But god trouth was atwene theÌ„ twayne Egal iuge their quarel to darayne The felde ordayned splaied their baneres On eyther party ful proudly on they set At thassemblyng lyke lyons of their cheres In the face as they freshly met With round speares sharpe grouÌ„de whet Tyl y â— Cirus of grace more than nombre Of his ayel the party dyd encombre This mighty Cirus this yonge champion Throughout y â— felde gan such slaughter make With his knightes as he went vp downe That as the deth his fomen hym forsake Astiages vnder his baner take The felde veÌ„quished for al his veynglorye To shewe that right hath alway the victory A man of malice may a thyng purpose By a maner frowarde prouidence But god aboue can graciously dispose Agayne such malice to make resistence Men for a while may suffer violence And wronges great where so y t they wende But trouth alway venquisheth at the ende Astiages fouÌ„de ful soth his dreame Though he agayne it made purueyaunce To haue depriued Cirus of his reame He was disceyued of his ordinaunce For where that god through his puisaunce Lyst for heires iustly to prouyde Sleyght of man in such case is set aside Maugre the myght of Astiages Cyrus on hym made a discomfiture And al Asye reioysed eke in pees Of very right as was his aduenture And by iust title he dyd also recure The land of Mede lyke as was his fate And in to Perce he dyd it hole translate Agayne his ayel he was not vengeable Which had wrought to his distruction But was to him benygne and merciable And graunted hym of hole affection The fourth part of the region Of Archany of whych afore I tolde Hym to sustayne in his dayes
melancoly and froward pouertie Ended his life in great aduersitye For of ire and impacience Fynally thus with hym it stode Furiously in his great indigence As writeth Bochas howe he dranke the blode Of a bul sauagine and wode With loue enchaufed made no delaies Most be stially ended thus his dayes ¶ The .xxv. Chapter ¶ Of Balthasar Kynge of Babylone and howe Daniell expowned Mane Techell Phares NExt to Bocas or that he was ware As he sate wrytyng wyth full great laboure Of Babilon cam great Balthasar To declare his sorowe and his langour Whych had misused ful falsly the tresour And the vessels brought from Jerusalem Into Babilone chefe citye of his reme For at a souper with his lordes al Whan of the vessels he dranke mighty wines And solemply sate in his roial stal And rounde aboute al his concubines Phylosophers magiciens and diuynes There came an hand the byble doth assure And on the wall gan wryte this scripture Mane techel phares wrytten in hys sight Though he the mening coÌ„ceiued neuer a dele Which on the wal shewed fayre bryght For whose sentence auailed none appele But the prophet holy Daniel Fully expowned to Balthasar the kynge The mistery of this derke writyng This worde Mane playnly not to tary In latyn tonge betokeneth in sustance The dayes counted rekened the numbrarye Of thy reigning of thy great substance And Techell sowneth a wayenge in balauÌ„ce In token thy power kyngdome by meâ—ure God hath paysed they shal no whyle endure Phares also betokeneth a breakyng In romaine tong in to peces smale For thy power and frowarde rebellynge Shal from the hie be brought in to the vale This is holy writ and no fained tale For whan princes wil not their life redresse God wyl vnwarely their surquedy represse Thou wert by tokens warned longe afore By many examples the story ye maye rede By the fallyng of Nabugodonosore And thou thereof toke ful litel hede The lord to thank haue his name in drede For whych thou shalt within a litel throwe Lose scepter crowne be brought ful lowe Let princes al thys story haue in mynde And for them selfe notably prouyde And namely tho that ben to god vnkynde Their concubynes for to set a syde And make vertue for to be theyr gyde Voyde lechery and false presumpcion Which hath brought so many to distruction Nabugodonosor had repentaunce And was restored to his possessions But god of ryght toke sodaynly vengeaunce On Balthasar for his trausgressions Wherefore ye princes dispose your reasons After your merites to haue god merciable For your demerites do fynde hym veÌ„geable Agaynst holy churche take no quarels But aduertise in your inward syght For Balthasar that dranke of tho vessels Stale fro the temple of very force myght He lost lorshyp and lyfe vpon a night So that the kyngdome of Assirieus Translated was to Medes PercieÌ„s The .xxvi. Chapter ¶ Home Cresus and Balthasar were vanquyshed by Cyrus and the sonne of Cresus slayne at the huntynge of a bore NExt to Ihon Bocas within a throw Wrytyng of princes many a pitous fate He sawe king Cresus with other on the row Lowly besechyng his fallyng to translate And howe fortune agayne hym gan debate And of his mischefe doleful for to rede For to discriue anone he gan procede For as it is remembred in writyng As god and kynde lyst for hym ordayne Of Lide he was gouernour and kynge And lordshyp had the storye can not fayne Of many kingdoms more than one or twain Fame in that tyme so dyd hym magnify That he was called floure of al chiualry And he was also in hys tyme founde The most expert in werre in batayle And of richesse was the most habounde And most excellynge in conquest to preuayle Plenty of people wyth royal apparayle And with al this to his great auauntage Numbre of childre tenblysse hys lynage In the most highest of his royal see And at was well nothyng stode amis Yet to amenuse his felicite A dreme he had and truely that was thys How that his sonne which called was Athis Was take from hym by mortal outrage Slayne sodenlye in his tendre age This woful dreme dyd him great distres And put his hert in great dispayre Standyng in feare great heauines Bycause hys chylde rendre yonge fayre Which that was borne for to be hys heyre Shoulde causelesse in suche myschefe die So as his dreame afore dyd specifye Of this processe to declare more How Cresus dreme fulfylled was in dede From Olimpus there came a wylde bore Most furious and sauagine of drede Wyth fomy tuskes which fast gan him spede Downe discendyng no where lyst abyde Tyl that he came in to the laude of Lyde And gan distroy their frutes their vines Where euer he came in any maner place Brake the nettes the stronge lynes Of the hunters that dyd at hym enchace But vnder supporte of the kynges grace Hys sonne of whom I spake tofore Gate him licence to hunt at this bore Hys father Cresus demynge of this ease There was no cause of drede in no maner Though hys sonne were present at the chase With other hunters suche game for to lere But aye fortune wyth her double there Is redy euer by some fatall trayne At such disportes some mischefe to ordayne For one there was whych had gouernance Vpon this chylde to wayte and to se Chasyng y â— bore to saue hym fro myschauÌ„ce From al domage and aduersite With many lusty folke of that countre With hornes houÌ„des sharpe speres grouÌ„de Sekyng the bore tyl they had hym founde And as they gan fiersly the bore enchace He that was charged to be the chyldes gyde As with his speare he gan the bore manace The head not entred but forth gan to glyde And on the chylde whych that stode besyde The stroke a lyght and or he dyd auerte The speres heade rofe hym through the hert But of this chylde whan y â— deth was couth Tolde and reported holy the manere How he was slayne in hys tendre youth Borne to be heire vnto his father dere Cresus for sorow chaunged loke chere And for constraint of dole in his vysage He resembled a very deade ymage But euery sorowe by long continuaunce At the last it sumwhat must aswage For ther is none so furious greuance Nor so mortal importable rage But long processe yeueth him auantage I meane thus there is none so great a sorow But it mought cese outher eue or morowe Philosophers concluden and discerne And by their reasons recorden by scripture Thyng vyolent may not be eterne Not in one poynt abydeth none auenture Nor a sorowe may not alwaye endure For stouÌ„demele through fortunes variaunce There foloweth ioy after great greuaunce The sorow of Cresus tho it were intollerable And at his hert the greuaunce sate so sore Syth that his dole was irrecuperable And meane was none
presumpsion condempned by Honorius and hys head smyt of The xix chapter Howe Stillicon and other of lyke condicion ended mischeuously The xx chap. A goodly processe of y e aucthor why Rome was destroyed for the same or like cause were diuers other realmes distroyed The xxi Chapter Howe the kynges Trabstila and Bâ—surus wer brought vnto subiection made tributaries to Theodorike The xxii cha Howe Philitheus loste his kingdome The xxiii Chapter Howe Symacke and Boes hys sonne in law were banished and after iudged to die The .xxiiii. chapter Of kynge Arthur and hys conquestes and of the commodities of Englande and how he was disceyued by his cosyn Mordrede with a Lenuoy The xxv chapter An exclamacion of Bochas agayne folkes y â— be vnkinde to theyr kynred Fo .xvii. Of Gisiuill kyng of Venandre of thre other kinges and how they were distroyed The xxvi chapter Howe Albuinus was murdred by hys wife Rosamonde and howe she for her abhominable dealynge and vicious lyfe was slayne also The xxvii chapter Thus endeth the table with the chapters of the eight boke and here foloweth the table of the nynth boke whyche contayneth .xxxviii. chapters ¶ The table of the nynth boke THe first chapter of the ninth boke sheweth howe the Emperour Mauricius his wyfe and his chyldren were slayne at Calcidony Of Machomet the false prophet and howe he beynge dronke was deuoured amonge swyne The seconde chapter Howe Brounchylde a quene of Fraunce slewe her kynne and brought the lande in deuision after was hanged hewen in smal peces with a Lenuoy The iii. chap. Bochas marueyleth of the great malice and cruelte of Brunchylde Fol .xxviii. Howe Eraclius the Emperour sustayned heresy fyll into dropsye and sickenesse vncurable and so died The fourth chapter Howe Constantine the sonne of Eraclius for supportyng of errours and heresies was murdred in a stewe by hys owne knightes The fyfth chapter Howe Gisulphus was slayne and howe hys wife for her vicious liuyng ended mischeuously The syxt chapter Of Justinian y e false extorcioner which was exiled by Patrician and after that his nose cut fro his head and both his eyen put out The seuenth chapter Howe Philip the emperour dyed at mischefe The eyght chapter Howe Anastase was compelled to leaue the empire and lyue in pouerte The ix cap. How the head of Lupus kyng of Lombardy was smyt of by Grymbaldus The tenth chapter Howe the head of Alexius was smyt of by Compeâ—â—on The eleuenth chapter How Ariperton was drowned with his rychesse The twelfth chapter Howe Dedyre by pope Andrian Charles of Fraunce was put to flight and dyed at mischefe The. The .xiii. chapter Of Pope John a woman and howe she was put downe â–ª The fourtenth Chapter Bochas counsayleth prynces to remembre on Arnolde Fol .xxvi. Of Charles of Lorayne that was confounded for hungre The fyftene Chapter Howe kynge Salamon whilom kynge of Hungry was put to flyght The .xvi. ca. How Petro kyng of Hungry was slaine The .xvii. chapter Howe Diogenes the emperour was taken and hys eyen put out The .xviii. chap. How Robert duke of Normandy fought with the turkes and shoulde haue had the crowne of Jerusalem and how he dyed at mischefe The .xix. Chapter How Joceline prince of Rages for pride slouth and lecherye died in pouerte The twenty chapter Howe the Emperoure Andronicus slewe all that were of the noble bloude cheryshed vicious people and howe he was after hanged with a Lenuoy The .xxi. chapter Of Jsacius made blynde and take at mischefe The .xxii. chapter Of Henry the eldest sonne of Frederike the second mischeued by hys father The. xxiii chapter A commendacion of Bochas to suche as be kinde to their kinsfolke Fol .xxx. How Manfroye kyng of Poile was slaine The .xxiiii. chapter Howe Ences kinge of Sardiny dyed in pryson The .xxv. chapter Of a nother Frederike that was slaine by the iudgement of his brother The .xxvi. chapter How Manimettus and Argones dyed at mischefe The .xxvii. chapter How Charles king of Jerusalem and Cicyle for his auarice and aduoutrye dyed at mischefe with a Lenuoy The .xxviii. chapter Of Hugoline Erle of Pise slayne in prison The .xxix. Chapter Howe Pope Boniface the eyght was take by the lynage of Columpnes and howe he eate his handes and died in prison The thyrty chapter How the order of templers was founded and Jaques with other of the order brente The xxxi Chapter Bochas commendeth Theodorus wyth other two Philosophers for their great pacience The .xxxii. Chapter Bochas here commendeth humilite Folli .xxxiii. Howe Philippe le Bele of Fraunce was slayne with a wilde Bore and of his three sonnes and theyr wedding The .xxxiii. chapt How duke Gaulter of Florence for his tiranny lecherye and couetyse ended in mischefe The .xxxiiii. chapter Of Philipot Cathenoise born of low birth which came to high estate and after how she her sonne and her doughter were brent The xxxv chapter How kynge Sauses was slayne by hys cosyn which was brother to the kinge of Arragon The .xxxvi. chapter Howe Lewes kynge of Jerusalem â—nd Cicyle was put downe The .xxxvii. chapter Howe kynge John of Fraunce was take prysoner at Poyters by prynce Edward and brought into England with a Lenuoy The xxxviii chapter Bochas reherseth howe Fortune hathe made many hygh estates vnwarelye discend Fol .xxxviii. The wordes of the translatoure wherewith he endeth hys boke ⧠Thus endeth the table with the chapters of the ninth and last boke and here after foloweth the prologue of the translatour The Prologue of John Lydgate monke of Burye translatoure of this worke HE that sumtime did his diligeÌ„ce The boke of Bochas in FreÌ„ch to traÌ„slate Out of latin he called was LaureÌ„ce The tyme remembred truely and the date Is wheÌ„ kyng John through his mortal fate Was prisoner brought vnto this region Than he began first on this translation In his Prologue affirmyng of reason That artifirers hauyng exercise May chaunge and turne by good discresion Shapes and formes newly them deuise Make and vnmake in many a sundry wise As Potters whiche to that craft entende Breake and renue their vessels to amende Thus men of craft may of due right That ben inuentife and haue experience Fantasien in their inwarde syght Deuices newe through their excellence Expert masters haue therto licence Fro good to better for to chaunge a thinge And semblably these clarkes in writyng Thing that was made of auctors theÌ„ beforn They may of newe finde and fantasy Out of olde chaffe trye out full fayre corne Make it more freshe and iusty to the eye Their subtile witte their labour apply With their colours agreable of hue To make olde thinges for to seme newe Afore prouided that no presumption In their chaunging haue none aucthoritie And that mekenes haue domination Ouer false Enuy that she not present be But that their grounde w t perfite charitie Conueyed be to their aduauntage Truely roted amidde their courage Thus Laurence from him
enterchangiÌ„g y â— eche should reigne a yere The tother absent to play come no nere This concluded by their both assent And by accorde of that region Polynices rode forth and was absent Ethiocles toke fyrst possession But whan the ye re by reuolucion Was come about he false of his entent Vnto the accorde denied to assent Thys was a cause of theyr both striues Polynices was thus put out of his ryght Tyll Adrastus that kyng was of Argyues which thorow al Grece gretest was of might Sent vnto Thebes Tideus a knyght Hys sonne in lawe to treat of thys matter And the cause finally to lere Wher through the kyng called Ethiocles Would condiscende of truth and of reason To stynt warre and to cherishe pece After the accorde and composicion Vp to deliuer Thebes that mighty towne Vnto his brother whych abseÌ„t was without Now that his yere was fully come about But he was false and frowardly gan vary Ethiocles from hys conuenciâ—n For whych Adrastus no lenger would tary Whan Tideus had made relacion But called anone throughout his region All the worthy both nere and farre Ayenst Thebes for to begyn a warre For thys cause lyke as ye shal lere Polynices to force hys partie Ywedded had the kynges doughter dere I meane of Adrastus floure of chyualry Whan Tideus dyd him certifye Touchinge the answere of Ethiocles And of his truth how he was recheles False of hys promyse cursedly forsworne For to hys truth none aduertence had he Neyther to the accord y t was made beforne Touchyng y â— deliuerauÌ„ce of Thebes the citie But who that lyst the storye clerely se Of these two bretherne and their discencion And howe Adrastus lay to fore the toun And howe Tideus through his high prowes Fought by the way going on message And how of Grece all the worthines Wyth kyng Adrastus went in this viage And of the mischefe that fyll in that passage For lacke of water tyll that I siphile Norishe of Ligurgus so fayre vpon to se Taught Tideus to fynde out a riuer She that dyd in fayrnesse so excell Ne howe the serpent most vgly of his chere Of â—ig Ligurgus y â— childe slough at the well Neyther howe Amphiorax fyll doun to hel All to declare me semed was no nede For in the siege of Thebes ye may it rede The storye hole and made there is mencion Of either parte their puissauÌ„ce their might And how Adrastus lay tofore the toun And how they inette euery daye in fyght And howe Tideus the famous knyght So reâ—omed in actes marcial Was slayne alas as he fought on the wal And howe the bretherne met among the prese Lyke two Tigres or lions that were wode With sharpe speres this is doutlesse Eueryche of them shed others hert bloud This was the fyne thus with theÌ„ itstode Saue at their feestes called funerall There fell a marueyle which I tel shal Whan they were brent in to ashes dede Of their enuy there fyll a ful great wonder Amonge the brondes and the coles rede Hyghe in the ayre the smokes went a sunder The one to one party and that other yonder To declare the storye me list not fayne The gret hatered y â— was bitwixt hem twayn Thus for their yre and false discention All the lordes and all the chiualrye Were slayne of Grece and also of the towne And rote of all myne aucthour list not lye Was false alyaunce and fraternall enuy And chefe grounde with all the surplusage Who serche aright was vnkyndly maryage The quene Iocasta felt her part of payne To se her chylder eche of them slea other Her son her lorde blynde on his eyen twayne Which to his sons was father also brother Fortune would it shoulde be none other Also Parchas sisters which be in nuÌ„ber thre Spanne so the threde at their natiuitie Also whan Iocasta stode thus disconsolate And sawe of Thebes the subuersion The countrey destroyed and made desolate The gentle bloude shedde of that region Without comfort or consolacion Thought she myght be no more appeyred But of all hope fully loe dispayred Trist and heauy pensyfe and spake no word Her sorowes olde and newe she gan aduert Toke the sworde of hym that was her lorde w t which Edippus smot Layus to the hart She to â—inyshe all her paynes smarte And fro the body her soule to deuide Roâ—e her selfe throughout euery syde She wery was of her wofull life Seyng of Fortune the great frowardnes How her diffame and slaunder was so rife And of Edippus the great wretchednes Also of her sonnes the great vnkindnes All these thinges weyed on her so sore That for distresse she list to liue no more Bochas writeth concernyng her fayrenes Constraynt of sorow caused it to fade The famous light also of her noblesse And all the clearenes of her dayes glade With vnware harmes she was so ouer lade Of very anguyshe that she her selfe did hate So inly contrary disposed was her fate Thus death deuoureth with his bitter gall Ioye and sorow auoyde of all mercy And with his dart he maketh downe to fall Riche and pore them markyng sodaynly His vnware stroke smiteth indifferently From him refusyng fauour and all mede Of all estates he taketh so little hede Better is to dye than liue in wretchednes Better is to dye than euer lyue in payne Better is an ende than deadly heauines Better is to dye than euer in wo remayne And where y â— mischefe doth folke to coÌ„plaine By wofull coÌ„straynt of long coÌ„tinuaunce Better it is to dye thaÌ„ liue in suche greuauÌ„ce Taketh ensample hereof and a priefe Of kyng Edyppus that was so long ago Of quene Iocasta that felt so great mischiefe And of their children remember also Whiche euer liued in enuy sorow and wo. Fortune alas duryng all their dayes Was so frowarde to them at all assayes Touching Edippus processe finde I none What ende he made in conclusion Saue Bochas writ howe that kyng Creon Cosen and heyre by succession Exiled him chayned farre out of the towne Where he endured mischefe sorow and drede Tyll Attropos vntwyned his liues threde ☞ Lenuoy IN this tragedy thre thinges ye may se The pryde of Iabin false presumption Of quene Iocasta the great aduersitie Of kyng Edippus the inclinacion To vyces all and the diuision Of the two brethren playnly vs to assure Kyngdomes deuided may no while endure ☞ Omne regnum in se diuisum desolabitur For who sawe euer kyngdome or countrey Stande in quiete of possession But if there were ryght peace and equitie And iust accorde without discention Voyde of vntruth and false collusion â–ª Plainly declaryng by ensample and scripture Kingdomes deuided may no while endure Seeth here example of Thebes the citye And how that noble myghty region Through their frowarde false duplicitie With warre were brought to destruction Their promise broken their couert treason Shewed by their harmes ipossible to recure
the felde ysoyled Cause of another vnhappy heuynesse And of her deedly desolacion Was the people felly dyd them dresse Of Arabye in their rebellion Agayne her husband of entencion To robbe his treasour to their auauntage And take his richesse by outragious pillage Some of his meyny they put in prison There was agaynst theÌ„ made no defence Spared nother citie borough ne toun Slough man chyld through sturdy violeÌ„ce Her lorde enfect wyth sodaine pestilence Conceyued fully by his malady There was no gayne but he must nede dye After his deth most wretched odible His body corrupt his bowelles fyl doun Of his carayne the stench was so horible The ayre enfect about hym enuyron With so great horrour and putrifaction That no man myght abyde nor endure To bryng his body vnto sepulture Her third vnhap whereof she was ful fayne That fortune lyst her efte assayle Made her vncle kyng Joram to be slayne With an arow as he fled in batayle She supposyng greatly it should auayle Lyke a woman most furious wode She of king Dauid slough al y e rial blode Her purpose was to gouerne al the realme Alone her selfe to haue dominacion To reigne in Juda and Jerusalem This Athalia by vsurpacion And for that cause in her entencion With mortal sworde she made tho fyne That were disceÌ„ded froÌ„ Dauid doun by lyne Except one Joas she left not one a lyue Chyld of a yere sonne of kyng Ochâ—sy Whom Josaketh the story do the disctiue Of very pitie caught a fantasy The childe to saue that he shal not dye From the malice of Athalia And she was wyfe to byshop Joiada She this byshop with hole hert entere Kept this chylde in ful secret wyse Within the temple the space of seuen yere And in the seuenth the storye doth deuise Joiada toke on him this emprise Yonge Joas vpon a certayne day By iust title to crowne him if he may His messangers he sendeth out anone Of princes tribunes gan a counsaile cal Of preestes eke and leuites euerychone And whan he had discured to them al Hole his entent thus it is befal Sworne and assented as it was sytting That yonge Joas shal be crowned kyng For by promise which y â— is diuine Quod Joiada if ye take hede God hath behested to Dauid his lyne And assured vnto his kynred In Jerusalem how they shal succede And though Joas be yong teÌ„dre of might He to the crowne hath neuer the lasse ryghte In this matter I wyl not that ye slepe But to shewe your true diligence On four parties the temple for to kepe That no man entre by no violence And in the myddes by royal excellence Quod this byshop no man shal vs let On Joas heade a crowne for to set And whan ech thing was brought to poynt Hys hygh estate to encrease and magnify The people anone whan he was anoynt Viuat rex they began to cry And whan Athalia gan this thyng espye For very ire and the sodayne wonder Of melancoly her clothes cut asonder Ran to the temple and gan make a fray With her meyny and to crye aloude Bad them go sle make no delay The yong kyng in al the hast they coude Her venym hid vnder a couerte cloude Al at ones her purpose to recure By sodaine malice she gan y e day dyscure The temple was kept entre had she none People ordayned awaytyng for the nones And or she might any further gone Clenly armed the Centuriones The cruel quene assayled al at ones And of her malice to wryte a short tale They slough her after at Cedron in the vale Lo here the ende of murdre tiranny Lo here the ende of vsurpacion Lo here the ende of false conspiracy Lo here y â— ende of false presumcion Borne rightfull heyres wrongly to put them doun O noble princes though god make you stroÌ„g To ryghtful heyres beware ye do no wrong ¶ Lenuoye THese tragedies to estates degrees Fully declareth the decepcions Of fortunes false mutabilitees Shewed in prouinces cities and eke touns Princes vnwarely lost their possessions Which for their synnes in diuerse wyse Had of god warnyng lyst not for to ryse Mighty princes cast downe from their sees Lost their liues and their regions Vnwarely throw from their felicitees Jeroboam for his oppressions And for his frowarde false oblacions Done to Idols his story doth deuyse Had of god warning lyst not for to ryse Achab also had great aduersities Through false couÌ„saile and exhortacions Of Iezabel rote of iniquities Dyd to his people great extorcions She slough prophets goddes champions Both he and she most cursed in their gyse Had of god warnyng lyst not for to ryse Athalia with her duplicitees And conspired false intrusions Slouh Dauids sede to entre their dignitees And possede their dominacions But for her hateful false collusions Vnwarely slayne for her great couetise Had of god warnyng lyst not for to ryse Princes remembre in your prosperitees And se afore in your discrecions Wrong clyming vp of states or degrees Outher by murdre or by false treasons Asketh a fal for their final guerdons Namely of them that the lord dispise And for his warnyng lyst not for to rise The .xiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Dydo quene of Cartage slough her selfe for conseruacion of her chastitie NOwe muste I put my rude stile in prees To queene Dido makynge my passage Her Lorde Siche was priest to Hercules Her father Belus fal in great age Kyng of Tire she quene of Carthage And it is red in bokes that ben true How fyrst in Tire was found purple hewe Chadmus founde fyrst letters for to write Gaue them to Grekes as made is mencion Whose brother Fenix as clerkes eke endite Founde first the colour of vermilion And of Cartage the famous mighty toun This sayd Dido her story doth expres How she was quene and founderesse But her husband was chefe lorde fyre Called Sicheus full famous of renoun Of this noble citie called Tyre Had great treasour great possession And for enuy kyng Pigmalion Broder to Dido this Siche slough in dede Of false entent his richesse to possede Dido this slaughter toke greuously to hert Sore complayning this vnhappy chaunce Cast she would if she might asterte Flye out of Tire and her lyfe auaunce With al the treasour the haboundaunce Behynde left whan her lorde was dede Her shyppes entryng went awaye for drede She knewe and drede the gredy auarice Of her brother kyng Pigmalion And how that hateful vnstauncheable vice Was grounde and rote and chefe occasion Why y â— her lord was slayne in that toun For whome she cried ful oft wel away Whose deth was cause why she fled away She had also this opinion Which caused most her hertly heuinesse That sith her brother Pigmalion Had slayne her lorde for his great ryches If she abode that he woulde hym dresse Parcel for malice
But through fortunes mutabilite That blind lady so made her power stretche As he began to ende lyke as a wretche Reken the estates of worldly regaly NoÌ„bre of meyny golde treasour richesse Stately castels paleys on eche party CoÌ„quest by fortune cumbinge to hie noblesse Cruel sworde conueyed by wyifuinesse Power extort with couetyse oppressyng Causeth destruccion of many earthly kyng But in contrary who lyst hym selfe knowe And is by grace inclined to mekenesse Though he in pouerte be brought vp lowe And is by vertue enclined to worthynesse With scepter of peace sword of rightwisnes Indifferently his domes demeanyng Suche one is able to be cleped a kyng What is chefe cause grounde and occasion That princes ofte stande in ieopardy Of worldly chaunges in suche diuision Reygnyng amonge them y t serpent of enuyâ— Symulacion faynyng flatery The south out serched who so lyst to loke By many tragedy expert in thys boke The .xxxi. Chapter ¶ Howe Bitynctus kyng of Auergnoyes by the Romains was taken and died in prison BItynctus next of Auergnoyes kyng Came tofore Bochas ginnig his coÌ„plaint Of his distresse thordre rehersyng And howe that he was made feble and faint Againe the Romains mischeuously attaint Nat withstanding to maintayne his quarel He cast of pride agayne them to rebell But it is first put in remembraunce How Auergnoyes is a nacion Hanging on Gaule longeth vnto Fraunce Of which Bityncte stode in possession Hauing dispite in his opinion To the Romains in any wise to obey But proudly cast againe them to werrey His labour was to stande in franchise And be at large from their subiection Gau of pride their lordship to dispise Gadred people of presumption Whom for to mete Fabius was sent doun A mighty consul which knightly toke on haÌ„de For theyr party Bitynctus to withstande Of whose coÌ„myng Bytictus toke dysdayne By cause the folke whyche Fabius dyd lede Were but fewe and whan he hath them seyne He sayd of scoru this people who taketh hede May not suffise my houndes for to fede WhaÌ„ they be slayne to fewe they be in noÌ„bre With multitude y t I shall them encombre An hundred thousaÌ„d in hys vaoward he had That passe shoulde of Auuergne the ryuere And fowerscore thousande beside that he lad the Consul Fabius met him with good chere Whan he was passed of Rodanus y â— daâ—gere Fought al the day tyll it drewe to night The Romayns wan their fone put to flyght At the ryuere lyke as saieth the boke There were drowned brought to mischauÌ„ce Fyfty thousande as they water toke Through fortunes frowarde variaunce And by attaynt tencrease of his greuaunce Bitiâ—â—tus take was of the Romayns Dampned to prison there to dye in chayns ☞ The .xxxii. Chap. How the tyrant Euergetes wedded quene Cleopatra slewe her eldest sonne exyled hys wyfe and wedded her doughter AFter whose deth pitously to rede sene Of Epiphanes the great Tholome Came the doughter Cleopatras the quene Gan complayne her greate aduersitie Her sorowe furious diffaced her beaute Her chekes whyte of blode teares meynt Rent w t her haÌ„des were pitously bespreint To Philometor she wedded was aforne Whylom sonne to Tholome the kynge And by her lorde in true wedlocke borne Two sonnes she had as by olde wrytyng After whose deth anone vp suynge To Euergetes a prince yonge of age She was agayne ioyned in mariage By title of her in Egipt lorde and syre Kyng of that lande cruel and dyspytous Whose story sheweth no kigdom nor Empire May of them selfe make no man vertuous For lyke a tygre this tiraunt furious Her eldest sonne day of their mariage Borne to be heire he slewe of mortal rage Not longe after this extorte cruelte Albe they had children atwene theÌ„ twaine Out of Egypt he made her for to fle And of malyce he gan at her disdaine I trowe she had matter for to plaine He toke her doughter whan y t she was gon Agayne nature and wedded her anon She called was Cleopatras also But Euergetes to she we him more veÌ„geable Againe her mother that was fro Egipt go The citie which was to her fauourable The people exyled he wode vntretable In her dispyte gaue that notable toun Of hateful malyce to a straunge nacion But whan he know through his cruel dedes And gan conceyue howe he was culpable Sawe againe hym y â— many folde hatredes And conspiracion of states honorable He at large to be more vengeable Game Cleopatras to gyn an vncouth stryfe Went in to exyle wyth hys newe wyfe Gadred people his olde wyfe to assayle On her chyldren to shewe more vengeaunce A day assigned helde with her battaile But which of them was driuen to vttraunce Myne auctour plainly put not in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce But suyng after thus of him I rede Howe of malice he wrought a cruel dede Which to reherce is nouther good ne fayre But terible and abhominable He dismembred her sonne and hys hayre On peces smal this tirauÌ„t most vengeable And whan the mother sate at her royal table With body and heed at a solempnite Let her be serued of frowarde cruelte Wherof al Egipt had indignacion And for to auenge his cruel great outrage They toke his plates basnet haberion And his cote armure wrought of gret costage Fro their temples rent out his ymage In token he was a tiraunt most attaint Eche thing diffaced y t was of him depaint Whose hateful story replete of wretchednes Full of vengeaunce fro warde mischeues Therfore I deme Bochas lyst not expresse More of his life fulfylled of al repreues Of Cleopatra wrote not the fynal greues In this chaptre what fatal way she toke Lest y â— matter shoulde difface his boke ¶ The .xxxiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Jugurtha by entrusion was kynge of Numedy slew y â— rightful heires after he hym self was drowned AFter thys woful deadly auenture Of Cleopatras whose storye is full olde Came Jugurtha the manly man to lure And to Jhon Bochas hath his tale told Of his conquestes and dedes manyfolde Subtyl of wyt as myne auctour sayeth Gaue lytel force for to breake his fayth But in ordre the story to conuay Of Jugurtha and of hys kinted Massmissa kyng of Numedy soth to say His vncle was and also as I tede The sayd kyng had a sonne in dede Called Mysipsa eldest in wrytinge After his day to reigne as kynge This Massinissa ordayned afterwarde Tofore his deth of hole entencion By cause Jugurtha was borne a bastarde To depriue him of al succession In his Testament but in conclusion His sonne Mysipsa afterwarde made kynge Was to Jugurtha frendly and louynge Mysipsa had two sonnes as I fynde The tone of them called Adherbales The seconde the story maketh mencion Was that tyme named Hyempsaies Wyth whom Jugurtha put him selfe in prees For to abyde dwell in especial Lyke as their cosyn in their corte royal Cherished full wel bycause y e he was wyse And right
Cesar was deified Of whō by Romains was set vp an ymage But whan he sawe he was espied He ran to Julius hie vpon a stage Gan him to enbrace in his piteous rage He rent away by sodaine violence Vnwarely slaine there gained no defence Next in order came Cesarius Of whom there fill a wondre pitous caas Whilom beget of Cesar Julius Vpon the yong fayre Cleopatras Slaine in his youth thus writeth Bochas As Octauian dyd him selfe assigne For he gaine Romains should nat maligne Folowing in order Julia began Hir greuous complaint to Bochas specify Whilom doughter to great Octauian With weping gan to houle and crie Which by her father to punish her lechery Exiled was out of her countre For lacke of socour died in pouerte Her son Agrippa yong and tendre of age Borne of hie blode Bochas doth expresse Came next in order pale of his visage Which spent his time in slombre idelnesse Froward to vertue for his wretchednesse Octauian which was great touthe Suffred him die at mischef for his slouth After Agrippa came forth anone right Cassius of Parme a famous great countre Which in Itaile was holde a māly knight With Marke Antony wele cherished secre Bode in his court and there withall parde Greatly alowed fyrst for his chiualry And for his notable famous policy And there withall he had in existence A right great name stode in great fauour For his knighthode for his hie prudence After accused vnto the Emperour Octauian for a coniuratour He should haue be of frowarde false entent To Julius death fully of assent For whiche by bidding of Octauian Take he was being but yong of age And as mine auctor well remembre can Brought tofore Julius hie vpon a stage There offred vp vnto his ymage By cruell death ▪ the storie telleth thus For the false murdre of Cesar Julius After the death of the saide Cassius Another came of Rome the cite Which as I rede called was Galbus Of a Pretour hauing the dignite And for suspection slaine eke was he His eyen fyrst out of his head were rent For Julius death than in to exile sent Toward his exile by brigantes he was slaine And After that within a litel while Of his labour nouther gladde ne faine Bochas began to dyrecte his stile To great Herodes breuely to compile His greuous fal and holy the manere To set in order next as ye shall here The .ii. Chapter ⧠How the tyraūt Herodes slough his wyfe and chyldren and after died at myschefe REmembrynge fyrste in Jurye he was kyng Antipater his father who lyst se In Arabia mightely reignyng Ouer the prouynce called Idume This same Herodes gardeyne of Galile Ordayned was fyrste for his hye prudence And for his notable knyghtly excellence Famous in manhode famous of his lyne Famous also by procreacion I rede also he had wyues nyne And amonge all as made is mencion To hys pleasaunce and his opinion Maister of stories reherseth there was one Mariannes fayrest of echone By whom he had worthy sonnes twayne Alysander and Aristobolus But for his suster dyd at her disdaine Called Saloma the storie telleth thus He vnto her wext suspicious Bycause she was accused of enuy By Saloma touchyng auoutry Agayne her of rancour sodaynly He gan of herte greuously disdayne With rigorous hert he slewe her furiously But as the storie doth vs ascertayne He for her deth after felte great paine Euer whan it came to his remembraunce Her porte her chere her womāly plesaunce Lo what it is a prince to be hasty To euery tale of rancour to assent And counsaylles to procede wilfully To execucion of frowarde false entent For Herodes so sore he dyd repent That he for thought fyl in to an noy Of hertely sorowe and malencoly Rest had he none nouther day ne nyght Troubled with fury that he wext frantyke w t dremes vexed many an vncouth syght Of chere nor colour to no man he was lyke And euery moneth ones lunatike A great whyle he had this wofull lyfe For sorowe onely he had slayne his wyfe And as the storye wel reherce can In the Capitoyle mydde Rome the cite By Antonye and by Octauian He crowned was and made kyng of Jude By the Senate made theron a decree And registred that he and his kynred Shulde in that lande lineally procede In Rome was made the confirmacion To this Herodes bokes specifye Beyng afore the translacion Was made of Juda and of Jurye Septer and crowne with all the regaly By hym vsurped as ye haue herde toforne Vpon the tyme whan Christ was borne This same Herodes by procuracion Of Antonye dyd also occupy By Augustus plener remission The great estate called Tretrarchy In two kyngdoms with al the regaly Of Traconitides Jtury eke also By the Romains made lorde of bothe two Mayster of stories reherseth of hym thus For commendacion in especiall In Aschalon he buylded a stately hous Of right great cost a palayes ful royal Was none so riche for to reken all After whych myne authoure doth so wryte He called was Herode Aschalonite This same Herodes cruell of nature Of chere and porte passyng ambicious Aye to be venged dyd his busy cure On al that were to hym contrarious Hys wyues brother Aristobolus In Jerusalem chefe byshoppe as I rede Falsely he slough of malyce and hatered Vniustly reigned borne through his realme His hert fret and cankred wyth enuy Another byshoppe in Jerusalem Called Hircanus myne authour lyst not lye This same Herodes in his malencoly Slewe hym vnwarely by rācour vengeable Setting at dyner at his owne table There was no man of corrage more cxuel Nor more desirous to be magnified To make his name also perpetual Four statelye cities he hath edified Of which the names be here specified Cesaria Sebastin citees souerayne Antipadra Cipre that other twayne He had also a false condition He trusted none that was of his kynrede His sonnes twaine he had in suspectiō Their purpose was to sley him of hatred Whan he were deade hopyng to succede And causelesse as father most vnkynde Made thē be slayne in story thus I fynde In al his workyng he was founde double A great tirant hold throgh his realme Neuer thinge so greatly dyd him trouble As whan thre kinges came to Jerusalem Jesu to seche that was borne in Bethelem Boldly affirmynge cause of their commynge Was to worshyp that blessed yonge kyng The which thynge whan he dyd aduertise Prophecies remembringe and writinges Within hym selfe a meane he gan deuise First to distroy these famous holy kynges Namely whan he knewe of their offrynges Imaginyng gan suppose blyue The child was borne that shuld him depriue Newly discended fro Dauid doun by line Cast almost Herodes in a rage Of cursed hert gan frowardly maligne Lyke a tirant of venomous outrage Slewe al the children within two yere of age About Bethelem a ful large space He spared none for fauour nor for grace One
liege men of Thebes citezynes Made ayenst him conspiration Put him in exile and his wife also His sons daughters brought to destruction And to the encrease of his mortall wo He and his wife compelled bothe two For very pouerte and very indigence In their last age to purchace their dispence Thus of Cadmus the sorowes to discriue And his mischiefe to put in remembraunce He banished was twise by his lyue First by his fathers cruell ordinaunce Of his sister to make enquiraunce And alder last in his vnweldy age He was compelled to holde his passage Out of Thebes his wife and he alone In sorow wepyng to accomplishe their daies Into Illery togither they be gone Their pacience put at fell assayes Whose bitternes felt none alaies Also of their ende and vnhappy fate Ne of their death I finde none other date Saue that Ouide maketh mencion And Iohn Bochas the poete excellent Say that two brethren zethus and Amphion Out of Thebes by one assent Haue this Cadmus into exile sent His wyfe also after their high noblesse To ende their life in sorow and wretchednes But the Gods of mercy and pitye WhaÌ„ they theÌ„ saw by fortune thus cast doun From their estates into great pouertie Hauyng of them full great compassion They made of them a transformacion Of bothe twayne them yeuyng a likenesse Of serpentes to liue in wyldernes ¶ Lenuoye OWhat estate may him selfe assure For to conserue his life in sikernes What worldly ioy may here long endure Or where shall men finde now stablenes Sithe kinges princes froÌ„ their high nobles Record of Cadmus ben sodeÌ„ly brought low And from the whele of fortune ouerthrow Who may susteyne the pyteous aduenture Of this tragedy by writyng to expresse It is like to the chaunte plure Beginnyng with ioy endyng in wretchednes All worldly blisse is meinte with bitternes The sodayn chauÌ„g therof may no man know For who sytteth highest is sonest ouerthrow Was in this world yet neuer creature Reken vp princes for all their hygh noblesse But fortune coulde enclyne them to her lure And them enperishe through her frowardnes Wherfore ye lordes w t all your great riches Beware afore or ye daunce in the rowe Of such as fortune hath froÌ„ her whele throw The .viii. Chapter ☞ A processe of Oetes kyng of Colchos Iason Medea Theseus Scilla Nisus and other mo WHan Iohn Bochas was most diligent To consider the successions Of lynages withall his entent In his writyng and discriptions To compyle the generations Of many noble famous of estate I meane of suche as were infortunate In his serchyng he founde not out a fewe That were vnhappy founde in their liuynge To his preseÌ„ce anone there gan hym shewe A multitude full piteously wepynge Among whiche full dolefully playnyng Came forthe Oetes hath coÌ„playnt beguÌ„ne Kyng of Colchos and sonne vnto the sunne For of Phebus which is bryght and clere Poetes write that he was sonne and heyre Because he was so myghty of power So freshe so lusty so manly and ryght fayre But of fortune he fell in great dispayre Cursyng his fate and his destayne When Iason first entred his countrey againe By Pelleus sent from Tessaly There to accomplishe by diligent labour The great emprises through his chiualry If God and fortune list do to him fauoure That they might winne the excellent treasour This is to meane that he were so bolde The ram to assail which bare y â— flece of gold This Iason through counsaile of Medee By sorcery and incantacion The bulle slough horrible for to se And vainquished the venimous dragon The kyng dispoyled of his possession Accomplished with carectis and figures Of Colchos the dreadful aduentures And afterwarde when he his purpose had He left Oetes in full great dispayre And Medea forth with him he lad And her brother which was the kyngs heyre But as I finde howe in his repayre Out of Colchos whan they gan remue Kinge Oetes after them gan sue Vpon Iason auenged for to be Without tariyng he folowed proudly The whiche thing when Iason did se This Medea gan shape a remedy She toke her brother and slewe him cruelly And him dismeÌ„bred as bokes make minde And piecemele in a felde behinde She gan him cast all bespreint with bloude Wherof his father when he had a syght Full pale of chere still in the felde he stode While she and Iason toke them vnto flyght I trowe that tyme the most wofull wyght That was on liue whan he did know His childe dismembred and abrode ysowe Whiche cause was alas and welaway That he so stout as man disconsolate While that Iason fro Colches went away And Medea most infortunate Was rote and ground of this mortall debate For who saw euer or redde of suche another To saue a straunger list to slea her brother Forsoke her father her countrey and kinred The lande emperished through her robbery Of her worshyp toke none other hede Loue hath her brought in suche a fantasy And while that she abode in Tessaly And with Iason did there soiourne She made Eson to youth returne A yarde she toke that was drie and olde And with her herbes and commiâ—tions She made it boyle in Ouide it is tolde And by charectes and incantacious And with the craft of her coniurations The yarde began to bud and blossome newe And to beare frute and leaues freshe of hew And semblably with her confections His olde humours the hath deputed cleane And with her lusty freshe pocions His empty skynne tremblyng and right leane Pale and wanne that no bloude was sene But as it were a deadly creature All this hath she transformed by nature Made him lusty and fresh of his courage Glad of hart liuely of cheare and syght Right well chered and clere of his vysage Wonders deliuer both of force and myght In all his members as weldy and as lyght As euer he was in the same estate By craft of Medee he was lo alterate After all this ayenst kyng Pelleus She began to maligne vncle vnto Iason And of enuy she proceadeth thus The kings daughters she draweth to her anoÌ„ Them counsaylyng that they should gone Vnto their father playnly vnto him sayne If he desired to be yong agayne Full restored his force to recure And therwithall in lusty age floure She behight to do her busy cure Lyke his desire to helpe and socoure And in this matter so crafty laboure Fynally stande in the same case To be made yonge as his brother was Touchyng whiche thing for more euidence This Medea hath to the daughters tolde Of entent to yeue the more credence She bade theÌ„ take a ramme y â— was right old And wyth a knyfe for to be so bolde To slea the beast before them there he stode And in a vessell drawe out the olde bloude Fullye affirmyng like as it were true That he should be a lambe agayne For she by craft would his bloude remue In such wise by
thys brond among the coles reed Be ful consumed into ashes dead But whan Althea espied their entent And conceyued the fyne of their sentence She rose vp and the brond she hent Out of the fyre wyth ful great diligence Quenched anone the fyres violence The dome of Parche she gan thus disobey The brond reseruinge vnder locke key Touchyng the father of this Melliager Oeneus of hym thus I rede Howe that he sought nighe and ferre Goddes goddesses whose lyst take hede In hope onely for to haue great mede For to them al poetes thus deuyse Saue to Diana he dyd sacrifyce Wherof she caught an indignacion Cast she woulde on hym auenged be Sent a Boore in to his region Full sauage and full of cruelte Which deuoured the frute of many a tree And distroyed his cornes and his vynes That such scarsnesse of vitayles of wynes Was in his land vpon euery syde That the people of necessite Compelled were among to prouyde Some meane or way to saue their countre And at the last they condiscended be That Melliager lusty of his corage Shoulde chose w t him folkes fresh yonge of age This dredeful Boore mightely to enchace And forth they went echon deuoyde of drede With round speres they gan him to manace But Melliager made fyrst his sydes blede And wyth a swerde than smote of his hede Wherof the countre was glad and fayne And in this wyse the tuskye bore was slaine Some bokes tell of this huntyng That a lady whych was borne in Irge Called Athalanta doughter to the kyng To slee this Boore toke on her the charge And wyth an arowe made his wouÌ„des large Also in Ouide lyke as it is founde Because that she gaue the fyrst wounde Melliager anone for a memorye As he that was her owne chosen knight Gaue her the heed in token of this victory But his two vncles ayenst al skyl and tyghte Raft her the head of very force and myght Hauyng dispite that she in her auyse Of this victory shoulde beare away the price With which iniury Melliager was wroth Agaynst them proudly gan disdayne Pulled out a swerde vpon theÌ„ goeth And throughe hys manhode slewe his vncles twaine And after y t dyd his busy payne To take the heed and wyth humble entent To Athalanta agayne to be present One of his vncles was called Flexippus A manly knyght but yonge of age That other brother named Theseus But whan their suster herde of that outrage Howe they were slayne she gan in her visage Wexe deed and pale alas for her bloud Whan she espyed the cause howe it stode She had no matter god wote to be fayne Quene Althea to stand and beholde Her bretherne twayne of her son slayne At the huntyng of whych tofore I tolde Fyrst thynges twayne she gan peise vnfold Of her bretherne the loue and nigh kynted And of her sonne the hasty cruel dede And remembring she casteth in balaunce Of hertely wo that she dyd endure Thought if she dyd vpoÌ„ their deth vengeauÌ„ce To slee her son it were ayenst nature Thus in a warre longe tyme she dyd endure Her deedly sorowe peysyng euery dell Wheder she shal be tender or eruel Thus tender I meane her son for to spare Or punishe the dethe of her brether twayne Thus confortlesse al destitute and bare In languishing she endured forthe her payne And temedy can she none ordayne Saue faine she would auenge her if she may But than came forth nature and sayd nay It was her sonne agaynst all kyndly ryghte Of whom she cast auenged for to be To women al an vgly straunge syghte That a mother deuoyde of all pitie Shoulde slee her childe so merciles parde Naye not so nature wyl not assent For if she dyd full sore she should repent But O alas al fatal purueyance Kepeth his course as some clerkes sayne But the wrytyng of doctours in substaunce And these diuynes reply there agayne And affirme the opinion is in vayne Of them that trust in fate or desteny For God aboue hath the soueraintie And of fortune the power may restrayne To saue and spyl lyke as folke deserue Ayenst his wyl they may nothynge ordayne Of necessite what course that they conserue But this matter al holy I reserue Vnto diuines to determyne and conclude Whych nat partayneth vnto folkes rude But Althea of Calcidony quene Began sore muse and henge in balaunce Her bretherne deed whan she dyd them sene Than was she meued anon to do vengeanÌ„ce Vpon her son by ful great displeasance But as poetes lyst for to compile Nature her made w tdrawe her hand a while Thus betwene yre and affection She helde her long of euery partie stable Tyll that she caught in her opinion A soden rancor which made her be vengeable And hasty worth which is not coÌ„mendable Ayenst her son made her with her hande Out of her chest to take the fatall brande â—nd sodaynly she cast it in the fyre And wexed cruell agaynst all womanhede To execute her venomous desyre The fatall bronde among the coles rede Consumed was into ashes dede And furiously in her melancoly The vengeaunce done she thus gan to cry O ye Parce froward susters three Which of Joue kepe the library And of children at their natiuite Awayte the sentence whych may not vary Wherso it be wylful or contrary Vpon his domes alwaye takyng hede How that ye shall dispose the fatal threde Thou Cloto takest thy rocke on hand And Lachesis after doth begyn By great auise who so can vnderstande The threde of length to drawe and to spyn But whan the spirite shal froÌ„ the bodye twin Thou Atropos doest thy busy payne Ful frowardly to parte the thred in twayne I may wel playne in such perdicion Not for a day but wo alas for euer Ye haue vntwyned and made deuision Of my two bretherne caused theÌ„ disceuer That here on lyue I shal se them neuer And I of haste alas why dyd I so Tauenge their deth haue slayn my son also O ye doughters of Cerberus the fell Whose vgly moder was the blacke nyght Al your kyndred and linage lyue in hell And for to aueÌ„ge the wrong great vuryght Which I haue accomplished in your syght I wyl wyth you perpetually complayne Like my desert tendure sorow and payne And whyle she gan w t her selfe thus stryue Vpon her sorowes that were endlesse She made a swerde through her hert to riue Of her selfe she was here recheles And Bochas after among al the prese Sawe as hym thoughte wyth a full hidious chere Deed of visage Hercules appere Whose father was Jupiter the greate His mother doughter of Amphitrion Called Alcumena sumtyme borne in Crete And as poetes reherce one by one So excellent was there neuer none To speke of conquest of victory and fame Here in thys world that had so great a name Dredful of loke he was and ryght terible His berde also blacke which hing
their fortune complaining Among other that put them selfe in prâ—ase Of mighty Pirrus fyrst he had a tight That was the son of worthy Achilles Among Grekes the most famous knight Most commended of manhode of might Son and next heire as bokes specifye Of Pelleus kynge of Thessalie This Achilles ful manly of his herte Hurt of Hector and his wounde grene Slough Hector after or he dyd aduert The whiche Achilles for loue of Pollicene By compassing of Heccuba the quene Vnder treaty this grekes champion Was slayne of Paris within Troy toun Whose deth to auenge Pyrrus in his tene Furiously with face deed and pale Slough afterward the sayde Pollicene And dismembred her on peices smale Whiche for to heare is a piteous tale That a knight so vengeable was in dede To slee a mayde quakynge in her drede He coude for Ire on her no mercy haue But with his swerde most furious wode Merciles vpon his fathers graue Lyke a tiraunt he shed her chaste bloud The dede horrible diffaced his knighthode That to this day the sclaunder and diffame By newe report reboundeth on his name Poetes say and specially Ouide Writes whan Grekes fro Troy shuld saile Howe their shyppes by an anker dyd ryde Of their purpose which long dyd theÌ„ faile But in this whyle he maketh re hersayle Out of the erth manacynge of chere Of Achilles an ymage dyd appere To grekes sayde wyth a deedly face I fele well mine honour and my glory And my nobles ful lyghtly forth doth pace Vnkynde people out of your memory Whych by me had your conquest and vyctory Your deuoyre doth Pollicene to take And on my graue a sacrifice to make Wyth her blode loke ye spare nought To spring it about my sepulture Thus blode for blode wyth vengeance shal be bought And for my death the death she must endure And hole the maner of thys auenture And howe she dyed in her maydenhead Methamorphoseos y â— processe ye may rede In hasty vengeaunce set was al hys ioye w t thurst vnstauÌ„ched Troyan blode to shede He slough Priam the worthy kyng of Troy And into Grece wyth hym he dyd lede Andromada the story ye may rede Weded her and after in certaine By him she had worthy sonnes twayne But in repayryng home to his couÌ„tre As Eolus dyd hys shyppes dryue I fynde he was a pirat of the se And into Grece whan he dyd aryue Fortune vnwarely gan agayne him stryue Forsoke hys wyfe let her lyue alone Toke another called Hermione Which was that tyme in mariage To Horestes son of Agamemnon And he alas of loues wylful rage Toke her by force to hys possession But of auoutry foloweth this guerdoÌ„ Sodayne deth pouerte or shame Open disclauÌ„der great mischefe or diffame Eke in hys tyme thys Pirrus as I rede Fyll into mischefe and great pouerte And wyth such meyny as he dyd lede He was a rouer and robbed on the see And as poetes reherse ye may se Of such robbyng by sclauÌ„der and diffame This worde Pirate of Pirrus toke y â— name And as the storye after doth deuise The sayde Horestes gan sykerly espye Wher that Pyrrus dyd sacrifyce Tofore Appollo that god to magnify Full vnwarely Horestes of enuy Toke a sharpe sherde or Pyrrus coud aduert Wher that he stode rofe hym to the hert This was the fyne of Pyrrus in substance For al his pryde and great presumcion Of false auoutry foloweth thys vengeauÌ„ce Losse of some membre pouerte or prison Or hateful sclaundre by some occasion Or sodayne deth shortly in sentence Complete in Pyrrus by ful clere euydence The .xxiii. Chapiter ¶ Of Machayre and of hys suster Canace AFter thys Pyrrus came Canace the faire Teares dystyllynge fro her eyen twayne And her brother that called was Machaire And both they pitiously gan playne That fortune gan at them so disdayne Hyndryng their fate by woful aduenture Touchig their loue which was ayen nature He was her brother and her loue also As the storie plainely doth declare And in a bedde they laye eke bothe two Reason was none why they would spare But loue that causeth wo and eke welfare Gan agayne kynde so straungely deuyse That he her wombe made sodenly to ryse And finally myne authour beareth wytnes A childe she had by her owne brother Which excelled in fauour and fayrenes For lyke to hym of beaute was none other But of their loue so gyded was the rother That Caribdis twene windes ful contrayre Hath Canace distroied and Machayre For whan their father the maner dyd espie Of their workyng whych was so horible For yre almost he fel in frensy Whych for to appese was an impossible For the mater was frowarde and odible For whiche plainely deuoyde of al pite Vpon their trespas he would auenged be The cause knowen the father anone right Cast for their deth of rigour to prouide For whych Machaire fledde out of his sight And from his face his presence gan to hide But wo alas his suster must abide Mercilesse for their hateful trespase And suffre deth there was none other grace First her father a sharpe swerde to her sent In token of deth for a remembraunce And whan she wist plainely what he ment And conceiued his rigorous ordinaunce Whyth whole purpose to obey his plesaunce She grutched not but lowly of entent Lyke a meke doughter to his desire assent But or she dyed she cast for to write A lytell letter to her brother dere A deedly complaynt to shewe endite With pale fate and a mortal there The salt teares from her eyen clere With pitous sobbing fet fro her herts brinke Distillyng downe to teÌ„pre with her ynke ☞ The .xxv. Chapiter ¶ The letter of complaynt of Canace to her brother Machayre OVt of her sowne whan she abreyde Knowyng no meane but deth in her distres Too her brother full pytouslye she sayde Cause of my sorowe rote of my heuynesse That whiloÌ„ was chefe sours of my gladnes WhaÌ„ both our ioyes by wyl were so disposed Vnder one key our herts to be vnclosed Whilom thou were supporte and sykernes Chefe reioysyng of my worldly plesaunce But now thou art ground of my sicknes Wel of wanhope and my deedly penaunce Which haue of sorow grettest habuÌ„dauÌ„ce That euer yet had any creature Which must for loue the deth alas endure Thou were whyloÌ„ my blysse al my trust Souerayne confort my sorowes to appese Spring and wel of all my hertes lust And nowe alas chefe rote of my disease But if my deth myght do the any ease O brother myne in remembrauÌ„ce of twaine Deth shall to me be pleasure no payne My cruel father most vnmerciable Ordayned hath it nedes must be so In his rigour he is so vntretable Al mercilesse he wyll that it be do That we algate shall dye both two But I am glad sith it may be none other Thou art escaped my best beloued brother This is myne ende I
Gentle bloude of his royall nature Is euer enclyned to mercy and pite Where of custome these vyllains do their cure By their vsurped and extort false poste To be vengeable by mortall cruelte Through hasty fumes of furious courage Folowyng the tetches of their vyle lynage O mighty prynces your nobles do assure Your passions rest with tranquilitie Se how there is no meane of measure Where a tyrant catcheth the souerayntie Let Agathocles your worldly myrrour be To eschue the traces of hys froward passage As royall bloude requyreth of your lynage The .xvi. Chapiter ☞ Howe Cassander slewe the wyfe of Alexander and Hercules her sonne and how Antipater slew his mother of other murders THE greate mischiefe of Fortunes myght The wofull falles fr◠her whele in dede Of prynces pryncesses who so loke aright Ben lamentable and doleful for to rede But for all that Bochas dothe procede In his rehearsayl remēbryng thus him selue To him appeared of men and women twelue After the death of kyng Agathocles There cāe tofore him worthy quenes twain The first of them was called Bersanes And of her mischefe gan to him complayne Wife of Alexander the story lyst not fayne The mighty kyng greatest vnder sonne Whiche by conquest all this world hath won Wife to Alexander was this Barsanes By his lyue as made is mencion Whiche with her sonne named Hercules Wereby Cassander brought to destruction And of her death thys was the occasion Cassander dradde y ◠Bersanes the quene Woulde with her sonne on him auenged bene For his treasons whiche he tofore wrought On Alexander and on hys lynage And specially if that she were brought To Macedone for her auauntage Wyth her sonne that was but yonge of age Cassander thought and drede as I haue told They wold auenge his tresōs wrought of old He cast afore of malice causeles This Cassander most falsely workyng That if this knyght this yonge Hercules Son of Alexander by recorde of wrytyng In Maredone were take and crowned kyng How that he woulde of equitie and ryght His fathers death auenge lyke a knyght Whiche thing to eschue Cassāder gan prouide And by false fraude was not retchles But on a day he list not longe abide Slew first the quene this sayd Bersanes And than her sonne ycalled Hercules Thus by Cassander of murder crop and rote They murdred wer there was nonother bete This crueltie myght not suffice Vnto Alexander by recorde of scripture But lyke a tyrant in vengeable wise He did them bury by froward auenture Where no man should know their sepulture And thus alas whiche pity is to rede He murdred foure out of one kynrede To Alexander he ministred the poyson Slewe the quene called Olympiades And of hatred by full false treason As I haue tolde he slew quene Bersanes Wife to Alexander mother to Hercules Whiche in his youthe by Bochas rehearsyng In Macedoyne was like to haue be kyng After all this he could not liue in pees But euer ready some treason for to do Slewe eke the quene called Roxanes Vpon a day and her yonge sonne to And she was wyfe to Alexander also Cassander dreadyng in his opinion Lest they would venge thē vpon his treason Thus euer he liued in murder sorow strife By way of fraude came all his encrees And as I finde how he had a wife And she was called Thessalonices And this story remembreth doubtles A sonne they had borne atwene them twayne To stea his mother which after did his paine Shortly to passe mine auctor writeth nono-ther Antipater was her sonnes name And bicause that she loued his brother Better then him he to his great defame Cōpassed her death the story sayth the same Notwithstandyng to appese his crueltee She asked mercy knelyng on her knee Her breastes open white and soft as silke All bedewed with teares her vysage Requyred mekely at reuerence of the milke With whiche he was fostred in yong age For to haue mercy and to appease his rage And to accept goodly her prayere To saue the life of his mother dere But all for nought he heard her neuer adele He was to her surmountyng all measure Like his father bengeable and cruell I trowe it was youe him of nature For by recorde of kynde and eke scripture Selde or neuer no braunche that is goode Spryngeth of custome out of cruel bloude Of her death cause there was none other That Antipater slough his mother dere But for she loued Alexander his brother Better than him the cronicle doth vs lere Whiche Alexander if ye lyst to here Had in his succour I finde by writyng Demetrius that was of Asye kyng Thessalonices was in this while dead By Antipater he most infortunate Bathed in her bloud her sides wer made red Without compassion of her hye estate And her two sonnes liuyng at debate Til Lisymachus y t prefect was of Trace Them reconsyled eche to others grace Whan Demetrius knew of their accorde God wot the sothe he nothing was fayne But by his fraude the story beareth record That Alexander maliciously was slayne This while Antipater stādyng in no certayne Tyll he by sleyght of Lisymachus Was murdred after the story telleth thus To write the proces and the maner hough That Lisymachus by fraudulent workyng His sonne in lawe Antipater thus slough False couetise was cause of all this thing And Demetrius toke on him to be kyng Of Macedone remembred tyme and date Whan both brethren were passed into fate Duryng this murder all this mortal strife In this proces like as it is founde Of Antipater Erudice the wyfe Daughter of Elenchus was in chains boūde Cast in pryson darke hydous and profound And for a whyle I leaue her there soiourne And to Demetrius I wyll agayne returne Which made him selfe to be crowned kyng Of Macedone through his great puissaunce But to destroy his purpose in workyng There were thre princes notable in substaūce Confederate and of allyaunce Echone assented for short conclusion To bryng Demetrius to destruction One the first was worthy Tholome Kyng of Egypt in armes full famous Other twayne the story ye may se Called Seleuchus and next Lisymachus And of Cypre came the kyng Pyrrhus Lorde of Prouynce as it is eke founde They made thē strong Demetrius to cōfoūd Shortly to tell with their apparayls Of Macedoue they did him fyrst depryue Game vpon hym with four strong battayles That he was neuer so ouerset in his lyue Take of Lisymachus the story doth discryue Cheyned in pryson of his life in dout For I not finde that euer he issued out ☞ The .xvii. chapter ¶ Of the two prefectes Perdicas and Amintas NExt in order Perdicas did appere Whilom prefect of great Babilon And w t him came Amintas eke yfere An other prefect as made is mencion Whiche Bactry had in his subiection A great prouince youe him by iudgement Midde of Alia towarde the occident These sayd twayne for their worthines And for
or rede Of this forsayde manly Hanyball My penne quoke my herte I felt blede For to beholde the wofull pytous fall Of hym that was the defensable wall Of Cartage the myghty strong toun Which slewe him selfe by drinkyng of poyson It was to him he thought more manhede To sle him selfe by vengeaunce most mortal Than his enemies by constraynt should hym lede In chaynes bounde he to be thrall So great dispite he had of them at all That leuer he had than byde in theyr pryson To murder him selfe by drynkyng of poyson As me semeth in thys horrible dede He resembled the furies infernall Of cruel Pluto I trowe he toke his mede Voyde of all reason became bestiall It whose terrible feast funerall Goddesse Proserpina came w t Manes doun The same tyme whan he dranke poyson Noble prynces consider and take hede Leauyng the surplus hys dedes marcyall Knyghtly remembre haue in herte hatrede Of his enpoysonyng in especiall Abhominable to god and man withall That a prynce so famous of renoun Shoulde murder him selfe by drinking of poyson The .xxi. Chapter ☞ Howe Prusias kyng of Bithinye that betrayed Hanybal woulde haue disherited his sonne and heyre went a beggyng in straunge landes FOlowyng in order there came to Bochas Of Bithinye the great myghty kyng Whiche in his tyme was called Prusias Greatly sclaundred and noysed of one thyng That he was false and double in workyng Agayne the noblesse of his estate royall Because that he betrayshed Hanyball This diffaute derked the bryghtnesse Of hys fame and his knyghtly renoun And eclipsed hys passed olde prowesse By reporte in many a region Alas that euer the condition Of doublenesse by falsenesse or faynyng Shoulde be founde and namely in a kyng Of this Prusias further to procede Which agayne Hanyball wrought thys treason A sonne he had called Nychomede Borne to be heyre by iust succession But hys father by false collusion Purposed hym for he was yonge of age To put hym out of hys heritage In this matter ther grewe vp a great stryfe By Prusias agayne thys Nychomede Cause that he by hys seconde wyfe Had a yonge sonne in bokes thus I rede Whome he purposed to preferre in dede For whyche he caste by shorte conclusion Of Nychomede the destruction And for tacomplyshe this frowarde falsematere By full great delyberation Kyng Prusyas gan shew heuy chere Gayne Nychomede sekyng occasion To depriue hym of possession After hys dayes by subtell false workyng In Betheny he shal nat reygne as kyng The people seynge thys great iniquite Wrought by the king gayne good conscience Through all the lande of hye and lowe degre To Nychomede all of one sentence Gaue theyr good wyll theyr beneuolence For euery lorde and euery great baron Stode whole w t him through all the region Thus by iust tytle he was crowned kyng Prusias for shame and heuynesse In straunge countreys lyued by beggyng All desolate cryed for almesse Loe here the ende of treason and falsnesse Left at mischefe myne auctour sayth y ◠same Of pouerte forsoke hys owne name Se here two thynges take ryght good hede Of Prusias the vnware sodain mischaunce The disherytyng done to Nychomede After folowyng on him the great vengeaūce As the story putteth in remembraunce For treason done odyble and mortall Agayne the foresayde famous Hanyball The .xxii. Chapter ⧠Howe Perses of Macedone kynge that enpoisoned his brother was by Emilyus outrayed and died in pryson BEspreynt with teares pitouslye wepyng As Bochas sate in hys studye alone Next came Perses of Macedone kyng And mortally he gan sygh and grone And furiously for to make hys mone That he was whylom of so great renoun Constrayned after to dye in pryson This sayd Perses of nature was frowarde Yuyll disposed eke of hys condicion Though he of byrth was but a bastarde He compassed by false collusion After hys father to haue possession As myne auctour remembreth by writyng Of Macedone to be crowned kyng His father Philip the story telleth thus Had a sonne whiche was yonge of age Wyse and redy called Demetrius Borne and begot trewly in mariage But Perses cast by furious outrage Hym to destroy and murdre by poyson He of that kyngdome to haue possession Falsely compassed to hys auauntage In his entent Demetrius to depriue Of Macedone whiche was his heritage And thervpon he letters gan contriue To preue him traytour while he was alyue Wherof kyng Philip greatly was anoyed That he and Perses should be distroyed By Demetrius that thought no domage Ment no harme in hys opinion Yet his father suspicious of corage For Perses gaue hym false information Made him be slayne by drinkyng of poyson Vpon a daye a thyng abhominable Sittyng at meate at his fathers table King Philip after when he knew the trouth Had of his dethe great compassion But all to late and that was great routh Whiche caused after hys owne destruction For sorowe dyed and of presumption Perses after falsly vsurpyng In Macedone was crowned for the kyng With diuers countreys made his alyaunce In Grece Trace gate frendes nere ferre And of pride and wylfull gouernaunce Cast with Romayns for to holde werre Vngrace and youth made him for to erre Tyll a Consul sent fro Rome toun Brought thys Perses vnto distruction Called Emilius was thys Consulere Sent again Perses to haue a great batayle Seynge his doughter heuy of her chere When he went out hys enemies to assayle Made vnto her this vncouth apposayle Why wepe ye so what thyng doth you agreue At my departyng takynge of meleue Father quod she and ye take good hede A whelpe I had that dyd great pleasaunce Called Perses the which right now is dede And this chefe cause is only of my greuaūce Her father than gan chaunge countenaunce This is a token to myne encreace of glory That I of Perses shall haue the victory In Macedone he and Perses mette And quit hym there lyke a manly knyght Cōquered the lande none might him withlet And manly put Perses to the flyght After to Trace he toke the way ryght Of whiche conquest short processe to make With his two sonnes Perses was ther take Emilius after thys victory Asketh the triumphe to hys guerdon And as it is remembred in hys story Perses foloweth his chayre throughe Rome toun Condempned after to dye in pryson The whiche dethe he dyd well deserue For he by poyson made hys brother sterue Thus can fortune erly and eke late Downe from her whele and hye stage Of proude prynces the surquedy abate Whan to her lust she seeth moste auauntage She frowardly gan tourne her vysage And sodaynly the estate of them consume Aboue their office that wrongly lyst presume Amonges whiche a kyng of Israell Agayne the precept and lawe of Moyses Called Ozias the byble can well tell Of presumption wylfull and recheles To sacrifice put hym selfe in prees Lyke a byshop in the temple arayed But or he passed greatly he was affrayed
wyth a sad visage Certes quod she I coude neuer kepe To saue my selfe a woful creature I haue great cause to complayne cry wepe My sclaūdrous lyfe which I may not recure But I suppose I had it of nature To be such one for by dayes olde An astronomer so my father tolde At my byrthe takyng the ascendent Tolde longe afore of my misgouernaunce The sonne the mone towarde the orient Were in the signe that beareth the balaūce And sayde also more for assuraunce The same signe had by discripcion His fote in Virgyn armes in Scorpion Amid the heuen was Venus exaltate w t Mars cōioyned the boke maketh mēcion And Jupiter was also infortunate To my sayd disposicion Within the fyshe helde tho his mancion Thus by the lordshyp plainely of Venus I was disposed for to be lecherous In her excuse the sayde Messalyne Gan alledge her constellacion But prudent clerkes plainly determine Of heuenly course the disposicion Is obeysaunt and subiecte to reason That euery man which well gouerned is Is not constrayned of force to do amys Nor byndeth no man of necessitie Vicious lustes frowardly to sue A vertuous man stante at liberte False inclinacions by prudence to remewe Euery man by grace may eschewe Al thynge to vertue that founde is contrary For there is no synne but it be voluntarye Yet for all this the sayde Messalyne In her excuse woulde not be in pees The heuyn quod she as Poetes determyne Was borne vp whylom by myghty Hercules Yet coude he neuer of nature haue relees For al his knighthod and his chiualry To ouercome the vyce of lechery But thou Calligula and thou Tiberius What euer ye say I take thereof none hede For thou Calligula called eke Gaius Thy selfe diffouled with lechery in dede To rebuke other y ◠shouldest stande in drede But thy rebukes in party for to quyte Who is defouled none other shoulde atwyte By fames trūpe thy sclaūdre is out blowe Through all the worlde reported shamefully Thy thre susters fleshely thou dydest knowe Wexe rede for shame and for thy party For the vice of hateful lecherye Durynge thy life putme no more in blame Whiche art thy selfe defouled in the same It sitteth not in no maner wyse A thefe for theft to syt in iudgement A lecherous man a lechour to chastise Nor he that hath al his lyfe spent In waste riote forfeted and miswent To be a iudge other to redresse Nor leprous leches to cure men of sickenes I woulde haue suffred take in pacience If of Affricke the chaste Scipion Had me rebuked for my great offence I would haue suffred his worde of iust reson Or if the famous prudent olde Caton Had agayne me in such case made abrayde I would haue suffred what euer h ehad saide Or if Lucrece for my correction Had layd to me by vertuous doctrine All my forfetes myd of Rome toun I would haue bowed both backe chine To haue obeyed vnto her discipline Shame for a creple to stād y ◠hath no mighte To rebuke other for they go not vpright Agaynst the also I may reply Many an other false conspiracion Touchyng maters of nygromancy And many an other contriued false poyson Foūde in two bokes Bochas maketh menciō One called Pugio most supersticious And the seconde named Gladius Able all this worlde tenuenyme encloy Againe thre states dwelling in Rome toun Their names write of them thou cast distroy Which to remembre is a great abuston A chest also fulfilled of poyson After thy dethe cast in thee see I rede By which an hundred M. fishes were deade On this mater is tedious for to abyde Namely to princes princesses borne of hie estate It sitteth not gentle bloud to chide By furious rancour to stande at debate And for these maters ben infortunate I wyl passe ouer and no more of them write Saue of their ende cōpendiously to endite To the Tiberye I haue somwhat to sayne Knowe and reported by many a creature How in Chāpaine folke had of the dysdayne For thy most hateful lecherous ordure In thilke vice whych is agayne nature Whiche taccōplish voyde of al hap and grace Thine abydyng was in a suspicious place To such false lustes duringe all thy lyfe Lyst not forbeare in thy latter age Thou vsidst many rich restoratife In such vnthrift to encreace thy corrage Of ribaudy thou fyll in suche dotage Howe mayst thou than rebuke me for shame Which in such case art blotted with diffame I dyd amysse but it was in my youth Horrible thinges which Gaius hath tolde But thine outrage the reporte is yet couthe Thou dydest them vse both yonge and olde And for tafforce your vices manifolde Thou Caligula in all such ribaudy Dyd greatest surfet in frowarde glotony Also Tiberye thou beyng Emperour Cruel causelesse and most malicious Diddest murdre in Rome the famous orator Called in his tyme prudent Asinius Which thrugh thempire Romains tolde thus Was light lanterne founde at all assayes Of rethorike called in his dayes Thou were eke cause that werthy Nonomus Kyng of Parthois through thy cruelte Exyled was thou were so couetous To haue possession of his treasour parde Died in mischefe and in pouerte Be shamefast any wyght to accuse Which in such case thy selfe can not excuse To Agripyne thou dyddest great outrage As Romayne stories well reherce can Whan she for socour to the great ymage Ran to be saued of Octauian Myd the temple a place called than Whiche halpe her not y ◠she lyst thyder wende Put out by force for hunger made an ende Thyne owne brother called Germanicus Which in his tyme was so good a knyght Thy brother also called eke Drusus Both were poysoned slayne agaynst ryght By false cōspiring of thine imperial might Texcuse the murdre thy selfe at the leest Were clad in blacke at their funerall feest I haue no connyng spech nor langage To reherce nor make mencion Specially of y e great outrage And sacrilege thou dyddest in Rome toun By violence whan thou drewe doun The ymage of Janus after in all hast In to Tibre thou madest him to be cast And thou Caligula among thy vices all Of surquedye and false presumpcion Wouldest that men a god the shoulde call Twen Pollux Castor to haue thy manciō Fro which place thou art nowe throwe doun Whych helde thy selfe amōg the goddes seuen Egall to Jupiter for to syt in heauen Answere to me here beyng in presence Which of these four Mars Janus Minerue Or Mercurie god of eloquence Hath rent the downe as thou dydest deserue Fro Jupiter in mischefe for to sterue That thou herafter wher so y ◠laugh or froune Shalt haue no fauour more w t him to rown With these defautes and many other Afore reherced in hindring of thy name Howe thou ordaynest fyrst to sle thy brother w t mē of armes which was to thi gret shame To Tholome thou didest also the same Sonne and heire
him so bore To holde the felde he might not endure For vppon him fyll the discomfiture His fortune gan chaunge anonryght Whan that he left to be vertuous He was in Spain slain like a knighte In a castel strong called Maxencius Than was none left but Constancius The romaine knights destitute euerichone Chase them an emperoure one Vetramone This Vetramone was ferre ronne in age Barraine of wit and coud no letture Nor in knighthode had no great corage Nor was not able to study in scripture Nor like anemperour no while to endure For which Cōstācius of whom I spake now late With this Vetramone cast hi to debate This Vetramone hath left his estate List not werrey againe Constancius Forsoke the felde loued no debate But of Spaine min auctour writeth thus As I wrote late how that Magnencius Gayne Cōstācius w t sword spere and shielde Presumed proudly for to holde a field To great domage and hindring of the toun For many romayns thilke day was dede Besyde a cite which called was Leon. Tyl at the last of very coward drede Magnencius which captain was and head Agayne Constantius hath the felde forsake Lo howe fortune can her chaunges make Magnencius for very sorow and shame Bode no lenger but gate him a sharp knyfe Sole b◠him selfe wherein he was to blame Roue thrugh his herte and so lost his life His brother Decius partable of the strife About his necke cast a mighty corde And hynge him self bokes so record Constancius thase after him Gallus His vncles brother to gouerne Fraunce Was a false tyraunt cruell and outragious Sone after slayne for his misgouernaunce Another vicar for his disobeysaunce Called Syluanus by iudgment was slayne For which in Fraūce many a man was fayn The .xiii. chapter Howe Constantine baptised by Siluester was recured of his lepre OF this mater stynt I will a while And folowing min own straūg opinion Fro Constancius turn away my style And to his father make a digression Cause Bochas maketh short mencion Of Cōstantine which by record of clerkes Was so notable found in al his werkes This mightyprince was borne in Bretayne So as the Brute plainly doth vs lere His holy mother was called Helayn He in his dayes most knightly and entere Of mercial actes he knew al the manere Chosen emperour for his hye nobles Fyl in to lepre cronicles doth expresse His sore so greuous that no medicine Might auayle his sicknesse to recure He was coūsayled to make a great pyscyne With innocentblud of children y ◠wer pure Make him cleane of that he did endure Thrugh Itayle children anon were sought And to the palais by their mothers broughte It was great routhe to beholde and se Of tender mothers to here the sobbing By furious constraint of their aduersiti Their clothes to rent be dewed with weping The straunge noise of their hidous cryinge Assended vp in their piteous clamour Came to the eares of the emperour Of which noise themperour was agrysed Whan he knewe grounde and occasion Of this mater afore tolde and deuysed This noble prince gan haue compassion And for to stynt the lamentacion Of all the women there beyng in presence Of mercifull pity hath graūted his sentēce This glorious this gracious emperour Is clombe of mercy so hye vpon the stayre Spared nouther vitayle nor his treasour Nor his langour that did him so appayre with full glad there made them to repayre where they came sory to Rome the cyte They haue retourned glad to their countrie Royall compassion did in his herte mine Chase to be sicke rather then bloud to shede His brest enlumined by grace that is deuine Which fro the heauen did vpon him sprede He wold not suffre innocentes to blede Preseruing pity and mercy more than right He was visited vpon the next night Peter and Paule to him did appere Sent from the Lord as heuenly messāgers Bad Constantine be of good chere For he that sitteth aboue the nine speres The Lord of Lords the lord of lengest yeres Wyll that thou haue it wel in minde In mount Sarapty y ◠shalt thy leche fynde God of his grace list the to visite To shed bloud because that thou dost spare He hath vs sent thy labour for to quite Tidinges brought of helth and thy welfare Pope Siluester to the shal declare As we haue told be ryghtwel assured Of thy sicknes how thou shalt be recured To mount Sarapty in al hast that thousēd Suffre Siluestre to come to thy presence Sought and found breuely to make an end Receiued after due reuerence Did his deuoyre of entyre diligence Like as the life of Siluester hathe deuysed By grace made hole whan he was baptysed His flesh his synewes made sodenly white By thrise washynge in that pystyne Of holy baptym welle of most delyte where the holy gost did him enlumine Enfourming after by teching of doctryne Of Siluestre like as myne auctour saithe Of all artycles that longe vnto our faythe The font was made of Porphyrie stone which was after by cost of Constantine with a round bye that did aboute gone Of golde and perre stones that were fyne Myd of the font right vp as alyne Vpon a piller of golde a lampe bright Full of fyne bawme that brent all the nighte A lambe of golde he did also prouide Set vpon this fonte vpon a smal pyllere which like a condyte vpon eueryside Shad out water as any cristal clere On whose right side an ymage moste entere was richly forged of our sauyour All of pure gold that cost great treasour And on this lambe on the otherside An ymage set longe to endure Of Baptist John with letters for to abide Graue curiously and this was the scripture Ecce agnus dei that did for man endure On good friday offred vp his blode To saue mankynde died vpon the rode He let also make a great censere All of golde fret with perles fine which by night as Phebus in his spere Thrugh al y ◠church most freshly did shine ▪ There fourty stones Jacinctine Appollos tēple min auctor writeth the same was hallowed newe in saynt Peters name The romayn tēples that werbuilded of olde He hath fordone withal their maumetry Their false goddes of syluer and of gold He hath to broke in eche partye This goodly prince of gostly policy Set newe statutes of great vertue To be obserued in the name of Christ Jesu The first lawe as I reherse can In ordre set with ful great reuerence That Christ Jesu was sothfast god and m◠Lord of Lordes lord of most excellence which hath this daye of his beniuolence Cured my lepre as ye haue herde deuised By blessed Siluestre whan I was baptysed This gracious Lord my souerain lord Jesu From bence forthe for shorte conclusion I wyl that he as Lord most of vertue Of faythfull herte and hole affection Be worshipped in euery region No man so hardy my byddyng to disdayne Least he