as bokes specifie And poetes also of him endite He was connynge in astronomy And therin did ful greatly him delite And many a boke he made and dyd write With great labour and great diligence In hys time vpon that science The which were more precious than golde And more rich in his opinion But Hercules in soth as it is tolde Gate all the bokes through hys hie renoun Bare them by force out of that region And to Grece lyke a conquerour With him he brought theÌ„ for a great treasour Of Trace he slough the giant outragious That sumtime was called Diomede Which murdred al that came to his house And with their fleshe his horse he dyd fede And through his witte labour and manhede Of Achelous whych was a great wondre He made the stremes for to departe a sondre And by his wisdome dyd theÌ„ so deuide In two parties disceueringe his passage For afore no man myght abyde Of his course the furious fel outrage For in countreis it dyd so great domage Turning vpward there was non other bote Where euer it flowed of trees crop and rote A great emprise he did also vndertake Whan that the messe hidious and horible Ariued vp of Archadies the lake Called Lerne the beastes ful odible Which with their teeth mouthes terrible Frute grayne corne dyd mortally deuour But Hercules the countre to sucour Came lyke a knyght their malice for to let And by his prudence destroyed theÌ„ euerichon With in the lake the wormes vp he shet Saue among all behind was left one And against him this Hercules anone Of knighthod raught so great auauntage That to the couÌ„tre he dyd no more domage Thus all that euer may rehersed â—e Touching knighthode prowes or prudence Or glorious fame or long felicitie This knyghtly man had most excellence And in armes longest experience And for his triumphes and actes marciall He set vp pillers for a memoriall Whiche remembred his coÌ„quest most notable And his dedes by grauyng did expresse Beyonde whiche no lande is habitable So farre abrode spred his noblesse But as the sunne leaueth his bryghtnes Sumtime whan he is fresshest in hys sphere With vnware cloudes that sodaynly appere Semblably the nobles and the glory Of Hercules in this vnstable lyfe Eclipsed was and shadowed his memory By Dianyra that sumtyme was his wyfe For by her fraude came in the mortall stryfe As ye shal heare the maner and the caas Wherby that he lost his lyfe alas Yet for her sake this most manly man Fought as I fynde in singuler battayle With Acheloes sonne of the Occian Lyke as Poetes make rehearsayle And as eche other proudly did assayle This Hercules of knyghthode souerayne Sent from his head one of his hornes twain Of kyng Oene she was the daughter dere To Hercules ioyned by mariage And as they came to a great riuere With sturdy waues where was no passage Nessus the gyaunt vgly of vysage To Hercules profered his seruyce And full falsely against him gan deuyse Made his promise to Hercules in dede To put his life in great aduenture Ouer the streme Dianyra to lâ—de Because he was large of his stature And for she was a ryght fayre creature Whan they passed and came to londe Nessus falsely woulde vpon the strâ—nd Haue know her fleshly like as write Ouide Hercules hauyng therof a syght As he abode vpon that otherside And for to auenge him of his great vnright â—ake his howe and â—ent it aâ—one ryght â–ª And wyth an arrowe fyled sharpe and grouÌ„d Gaue to Nessus his deadly fatall â—â—unde Like a condyte gusshed out the bloude And whan he sawe that he must dye To Dianyra before him there she stode With all his hart he her gan pray That in one thing his lust she would obey To take his shert and be not retcheles With bloud distayned and sende it Hercules There through with him to be reconsiled And she to him anone the shert hath sent Through whose venim alas he was begiled For what by touching and by enchauntment His fleshe and bones were all to brent And among his deadly paynes all Into a rage he sodaynly is fall And as a beast furiously he ranne On valeys hylles among craggy stones Semblably as doth a woodeman Pulled vp trees and rotes all at ones Brake beasts hornes al to gnew her bones Was it not pitie that a knyght so good Shold amoÌ„g bestes runne sauage woode Thus ouerwhelmed was all his worthines And to deâ—iyne went his prosperitie Cause and roote of al his wretchednes Was for that he set all his felicitie To trust so much the mutabilitie Of these women whyche early and soone Of their nature brayed vpon the moone Alas alas all nobles and prudence Prowes of nature force and chyualry Forsyght of wisdome discrecion and science Vertuous study profityng in cleargy And the clere shynyng of Philosophy Hath through false lustes here be manaced By sleyght of women darked and defaced O Hercules I fele my penne quake Mine ynke full filled with bitter teares salt This piteons tragedy to write for thy sake Whom all Poetes glorifye and exalt But fraude of women made thy renome halt And froward muses thy triuÌ„phes all to â—end For to discryue alas thy fatal ende ¶ Lenuoy THe sole ve 〈…〉 sauory pâ—ysoâ— The dredfulâ— ioyâ— the dolorous pleasauÌ„ce The 〈…〉 the furious 〈◊〉 Fayth dispayâ—â—d 〈…〉 â–ª Vertue exilyng where lust hath gouernauÌ„ce Through false luxury diffasen all nobles As this tragedy can beare full well witnes Where froward Venus hath domination And blinde Cupide his subiects doth auaunce And wilfull lust through indiscrecion Is chosen iudge to holde the balaunce Their choyse vnlefull hath through yll chauÌ„ce Derked of prynces the famous nobles As this tragedy beareth full well witnes O thou Hercules for all thy high renoun For all thy conquest knyghtly suffisaunce Thou were by women brought to confusion And by their fraude thy renoumed puissauÌ„ce Disclaundred was brought to mischaunce I were ashamed to write it or expresse Except this tragedy can beare well witnesse Prynces princesses of high discretion This thing imprinte in your remembraunce Of others fallyng make your protection You to preserue through prudent purueiauÌ„ce Afore prouided that your perseueraunce Be not perturbed by no false sorceresse As this tragedy of other bereth witnesse ¶ The .xv. Chapter ☞ A processe of Narcissus Byblis Myrra and of other their infortunes to Bochas complaynyng NArcissus Byblis and Myrra all thre Tofore Bochas pyteously did appeare Their infortunes their infelicitie To him complaynyng with a deadly cheare And of their commyng to tell the manere Narcissus with sorow and dole attaynt Began first to declare his complaynt He was the sonne of Cephisus the flode And his mother called Lyriope And by discent borne of gentle blode Of creatures fayrest on to se. And as I finde at his natiuitie Tyresias by spirite of prophecy Touchyng his fate thus gan specify The goddes haue prouided
heuen proudly to assaile That namely God whiche gouerneth al He thought he woulde proudely take on hād Ayenst deluges if any come shall Of prouidence plainely them withstande Him selfe to assure make a place on lande That should him kepe and be to a defence Both ayenst god and waters violence And that they might accomplishe their intent Lyke their desire they did their labour Toke their counseil al by one assent Chose Nembroth their duke gouernoure Them to conuey and do them socour To be their gyde to forne as they were ware Towarde a countre called Sinear In compasse wise rounde about yclosed With a great stode named Eufrates Their strong foly whych they haue purposed For to fulfil they were not rechelesse This is to saye they put them selfe in prese So high a toure for to edifye whiche shoulde surmoūt aboue the sterry skie That they shoulde greued be nomore With no deluge brought to distruction Neither that no waters may thē greue sore This was the fine of their intencion And of that tower a mightie stronge dongion Ayenst God and flodes themselfe to assure The hight and largenesse both of a measure Thus in Nembroth encrese began the name And in the peoples reputacion Of golde and richesse he had so great a fame They called him God in their opinion Most eurous most mighty of renowne The worlde also hole vnder his obeisaunce As God and lord he toke the gouernance Vnder whose might the people gan procede He as a lord hauinge inspection Percinge the bowelles of the earth in dede To make mighty their foundacion And of false glorye and vaine false ambicion This proude Nembroth in his appetite To se them worche hath ful great delite His ioy was and his inwarde gladnesse To beholde so great a company Persen the erth by so great depenesse To make the ground stronge by masonry The worke vpwarde for to fortifye With many a stone huge large of weight They haue it reysed vp into y ◠ayre on height And finally by mediacion Of this great werke Nēbroth was famous Takinge in hert great consolacion That by report he was so glorious Of so great might and port so pompous That he was so myghty ryche and stronge To rease a towre so high so large and longe For to this daye touchynge the great myghte Of this towre whych Babell men it cal Men fro ferre may haue thereof a sight It surmounteth other toures all Of whych werke thus it is befal Of serpentes and many a great dragon It is nowe called chefe habitacion That no man dare as they it se For wycked eyre and for corrupcion By a great space and in a great countre Approche no nere y e meruaylous dongion So venemous was that mansion And so horible that no man dare approche Lyke to a mountayne builded on a roche And as men say that had thereto repaire This tower attaineth vnto the sterres clere And transcendeth the region of the eire The stones and the siment were made of such mater And the ioyninge so stedfast entier Though fyre and water both dyd it assaile Litle or nought their power shoulde auayle It was made so mighty to endure So well assured by disposicion That in this worlde no liuynge creature Sawe neuer none like in comparison Whose reryng vp was chefe occasion And the ryches of the masonrye Were through Nēbroth of pride surquedy Demed proudely as in his auise He transcended all other in noblesse Thought him selfe most myghty and wyse Felowe to God as in lykenes But God that can all worldly pryde oppresse And make princes eclypsen in their glory Suche as trust in thinges transitory The same lorde of his eternall myghte Thys tower whyche Nembroth list to edifye He made wyth thunder and leuyn lighte Thereof to fall a full greate partie The boystous wyndes and the ragy skye And goddes power on that other syde Began thus abate a percell of his pryde And in discent and fallynge of the stones Of the werkemen ful many a man was deed And oppressed their backe broken and bones The masonry wyth their bloude was reed Yet proude Nēbroth that of all this was hed With al these signes his lorde list not knowe For whiche his pomp was after broughte fullowe But in hys errour procedeth furth of newe Thought he would get him selfe a name Of melancoly can chaunge loke and hewe And began also to attempte and atame For to encrease and magnify hys fame A newe tower to edify ayen Lyke as God had ben blynde nothing seen He would haue raught vp to the sterres seuen By thassēt of them that can him first coūsail Robbed god and from him raught the heuen But who presumeth the lorde aboue tassayle It were no reason that he shoulde auayle Prynces may well ayenst hym cry loude But his power may clipse wyth no cloude For in the myddes of his great emprises This proude Nembroth makynge his masōs For to compas and cast their deuises Geometries in their diuisions But God that hath his aspections Seynge thententes of euery erthly man As he that is most mighty and best can Ayenst their malice make resistence Their worldly power their dominacion Of his vengeable and most magnificence He can chastice and ouer whelme downe The pride of princes in euery region By ensample of Nembroth as ye shal here Whose pompe raught aboue the sterres clere For whan his workemen stode at auantage And most were busy to hys intencion And before that time spake al on langage All sodenly by transmutacion There was of tounges made a diuision That in their workynge as they can obrayde ▪ No man wyst what that other sayde And it is lyke accordynge wyth reason So as chaunge was made of their langages So of their hertes was made diuision Both of their wyll and of their corrages And in ascendynge of their workynge stages Ther was such chan̄ge of broder vnto broder Like straungers none knew th entēt of other Myne auctour troweth that this aduersitie Was for their gilt caused by vègaunce Or els God of tyght and equitie Disposed hath in his ordinaunce To be amonge them so great a variaunce That through y e world they shuld thēselfe deuide And fro Nembroth disceuer not abide They gan anone among thēselfe disdeyne To accept this Nembroth for their kynge And amonge forsoth there was not twayne One of another that had clere knowynge Ne of their speche knewe the plaine meanyng For whyche y ◠coūtre of Senaar they forsoke And eche of them a sondry countrey toke They departed and made no lenger space Folowyng the fortune of their diuision And begā to chese thē a newe dwellinge place In the parties of many a region And thus Nembroth was priued put doun And of Babel the mighty famous toure He was called no lenger possessour For ayenst the pryde of this Nembroth Froward fortune gan her cours to vary And God also was in maner worth
anoue That towarde Grece he should gone Vnto a mountaine that Phocis bare y e name And there he shoulde of his kynred here Also lyke his fate the answere was the same He shoulde slee hys owne father dere And after that to Thebes drawe hym nere Wedde his mother of very ignoraunce Called Iocasta throgh hys vnhappy chanÌ„ce He list no lenger tary ne abyde Thys sayd Edippus but forth goeth he And on hys way he began anone to ryde Tyi he the mount of Phocis did se Vnder the which stode a great countre Called Cetoyens whiche that time certayne Werreyed them that were on the mouÌ„taine His father Layus through his chiualry With Citoyens is entred into battaile And Edippus came wyth the partie Of the hyll armed in plate and mayle And as they began eche other to assaile Among the prese at the encountrynge Of auenture Edippus flewe the kyng Vnknowen to hym that he his father was Hauyng thereof no suspection Passed his way platly thys is the case And also vnknowen he came to the toun Of mighty Thebes wher for his hie renoun He was receyued wyth ful great reuerence Bycause that he slough in their defence Sphinx the serpent horible for to se Sometyme ordained by incantacions For to distroy the towne and the countre By his compassed sleightly questions Sloughe man and chylde in all the regions Such as not coude by wysdome or reason Make of his probleme playne exposicion Who so passed by he coude hym not excuse But the serpent woulde hym felly assaile With a problem make hym for to muse Called of some men an vncouth deuinayle Whych for to expowne who that did assaile Ther was none helpe neither other remedy By the statute but that he must dye And for all folke haue not knowledgyng Of this demaunde what it was in dede I wyll reherce it here in my wrytyng Compendiously that men may it rede First this serpent who that list take hede Was monstruous and spake ayenst nature And if it fyll that any creature Man or woman should forth by passe Highe or lowe of all that region As I sayde erst there was none other grace But if he made an exposicion Of this serpentes frowarde question He must dye and make no defence The whych demaunde was thus in sentence The serpent asked what thyng may that be Beast or foule whan it is forth brought That hath no power to stand go nor flee And afterwarde if it be well ysought Goth fyrst on foure or els gothe he nought After by precesse on thre than on twayne And eft agayne as nature doth ordayne He goth on thre and efte on four agayne Also kyndly right nature disposeth it so And in a whyle it foloweth in certaine To the matter which that he came fro He must of kynde resort ayen therto And who can not the meanynge clerely se He of this serpent shall deuoured be Which Edippus ful sobre in his entent Not to rekell or to hasty of langage But in his hert wyth great auy sement And full demure of loke and of vysage Considred fyrst thys perilous fel passage Sawe wel tofore that it was no iape And ful prouided y â— no worde should escape At good leysar wyth hole mynde memorye Seyng the ernest of this mortal emprise Hys life depending bitwixe deth victory Thys quod he plainly to deuyse Is fyrst a child whych may not suffyce Whan it is borne the truth is al day sene Wythout helpe him selfe to sustene After on four he naturally doth crepe For impotence and grene tendernesse Norices can tell that do them kepe But afterwarde vp he doth hym dresse With his two fete the thirde to expresse Is hand or benche or support of some wal To holde hym vp lest he catche a fall And afterward encresyng of his myght To great age whan he doth attayne Of his nature than he goth vpryght Mightily vpon his legges twayne Than cometh age his power to restrayne Croked lame lyke as men may se With a staffe or potent to make vp his legges thre But whan feblenesse or syckenes do assayle On handes and fete he must bow and lout For croche or potentes may not than auayle Whan lusty youth is banished and shet out Than eft agayne hereof maye be no dout With four fete to erth he doth retourne Fro wheâ—s he came there styl to soiourne All came fro erth and all to the erth shal Agaynst nature may be no protection Worldly estates echone they be mortal There may no treasour make redempcion Who clymeth hiest his fal is lowest doun A meane estate is best who coude it knowe Betwene hye presumynge bowing to lowe For who sit hyest stand in ieopardye Vnder daunger of fortune lyke for to fall Mischefe and pouerte as for their party Ben lowest brought among these people al. Some folke tast sugre and sum tast call Salomon therfore myrrour of sapience Bytwene great riches and great indigence Asked a meane called suffysance To hold hym content of coÌ„petent dispence Not to reioyce of to great haboundaunce And euer in pouerte to send him pacience Sobre w t his plenty in scarsnesse non offence As of grutching but bitwene ioye and smart Thanke god of all and euer be glad of hert Erth is the ende of euery maner man For the rich wyth great possession Dyeth as soone as I reherce can As doth the poore in tribulacion For deth ne maketh no diuision By syngler fauour but bitwene both ylich Of the poorest of hym that is most rich This said problem concluded in this case Whych y â— serpent began sleighly to propose That whan a childe is fyrst borne alas â—ynde to his dethwarde anon doth 〈◊〉 dispose Eche day a iourney there is none other glose Experience can tech in euery age Howe thys worlde is here but a pilgrimage Thys sayde Edippus fyrste in Thebes borne Sent to a forest deuouâ—ed for to be Founde brought forth as ye haue herde toforne And after drawynge home to his countre Slough hys father so infortunate was he Of frowarde happes followynge al hys lyue As this tragedy hys fortune shal discriue But for that he through his hye prudence Vnto the serpent declared euery dele He slough hym after by knightly vyolence More by wysdome than by armure or stele Stace of Thebes can tell you thys ful wele Whych was one cause if ye list to sene Whâ—â—through Edippus wedded hath y â— quene Called Iocasta princesse of that countre Hys owne mother vnknowen to them bothe And though she were ryghte fayre vpon to se With this mariage y â— goddes wereful wroth For their aliaunce nature gan to loth That a mother as ye shal vnderstande Shoulde her son take to be her husbande There was therin no conuenience To be supported by kynde ne by reason But if it so be the heuenly influence Disposed it by the inclinacion Of some false froward constellacion Caused by Saturne or
wēt For vnder a colour of liberalite Vnto his palys gladly he would cal Straūgers echone y ◠came through his cūtre And solemly receyue thē one and al And lyke a kynge both in chambre and hal Make them such chere in all maner thynge As apperteyned to a worthy kyng But whyle his gestes lay a nyght to slepe This false tirant in ful cruel wyse Murdred them ethone or they toke kepe And after that thys was also his gise With their bloud to make a sacrifice To Jupiter god of that countre Of hole entent to please his deite That in his kyngdome of frutes grayne The land encresed by great habundaunce Doun from heuin he would send thē rayne This meane he made this cheuisaunce To murdre and slee he had so great plesaūce For of al thing him thought it did him good To murdre his gestes and to shede their blod Whā this murdre of Busiris was couth That no strāgers myght passe his lād i pees This manly knyght yet flowryng in youthe Thys noble famous thys worthy Hercules Among other he put hym selfe in prees And lyke a gest outwarde in shewyng Came to the palys of Busiris the kyng Rebuked hym of his great outrage Done to hys gestes by cruel violence And for to make pesible that passage And for to auenge y ◠his importable offence And of his murdre to make a recompence Thys Hercules slewe Busiris in dede And toke the bloud whych he dyd blede Offred it vp Jupiter to please For thys victory hym to magnifye And al Egipt thus was set in ease Their landes and frutes gan also multiply Theyr grayne encresed about on eche partye And to habounde by influence of rayne Whych afore time of vitayle was barayne Another giaunt called Antheus Kyng of Libye and gouerned al the land Whom Hercules most strong and coragious Sūtime outraid slewe hym with his hand For as they wrastled by experience he fand Touching the erth this giant it is trewe His force his myght dyd alway renewe But whan Hercules the maner dyd espye Howe his strength renewed agayne so ofte Theragaynst he shope a remedy Hye in the ayre he peysed hym vp a lofte And with strokes harde and nothynge softe Backe and bone so sore he did embrace That he fyll deed tofore hym in the place But some bokes of thys giant tell Within his kyngdome who dyd him assaile He would of newe his chiualry compel Efte agayne to mete hym in battayle And in this wyse full selde he dyd fayle To aforce of newe as ye shal vnderstand His strength his myght all enemis to w t stād But Hercules of hye discrecion The felde on him manly to recure Had hym by sleyght out of hys region And as they met there of auenture The sayd Anthens might not endure But was disconfited by Hercules anone Maugre his myght and his men echone After this conquest Hercules is gone For exercise his prowes for to vse Agaynst the myghty stronge Gereon Kyng of Spayne of Melleager and Ebuse The whych tiraunt myght hym not excuse That all his labour as poetes lyst compyle Was from these realmes his people to exile Hys tiranny myght not long endure For Hercules that noble worthy knyght Made vpon hym a great disconfiture And slough the tyraunt as they met in fyghte And after that through his great myght Of highe prowes and magnanimyte Sloughe Cerberus with his heades thre The famous bull of the lande of Crete Whych that distroyed all that region He sloughe also whan that they dyd mete And in Nemea he slough a feirse lyon And for a recorde of hys high renoun Of manly force his skyn away he toke And to his body a cote thereof he shope To his enemis to shewe hym more dredeful Therfore he ware that hidious garment And for he was in armes neuer founde dul But ylike freshe euer in his entent In to a mountaine anone he made hys went Called Erimanthus there in his passage He slewe a boar most wylde most sauage Besyde a ryuer called Styphalus Of furious byrdes he slewe a great nombre Within the kyngdome of kyng Pheneus All the countre they dyd encombre For wyth their shadowe cōtagious vmbre On sede on frutes where euer they alight Al was deuoured in euery mannes sight Vpon the mountayne called Auentyne Which is not far from Rome the citye There is a wode as cronicles determyne Right freshe of light and goodly on to se And Hercules passyng by that countre Fro Spaynward passyng by Itayle Cachus the giant dyd hym there assaile While Hercules among the leues grene Layde him to slepe by sodayne auenture And his beastes against the sonne shyne While that he slepte went in their pasture Came Cachus forth ful hidious of stature Thought he would these beastes w t him haue Stale them echone and hyd thē in a caue And lyke a thefe he made them go backward That no man should y ◠traces of them know Neyther of their passage haue no regarde For by their tailes he ledde them on a rowe In to his caue which that stode full lowe And for they were of excellent fayrnes To kepe them close he did his businesse Out of his slepe whan Hercules awoke And parceyued his oxen were away He rose vp and cast about his loke Began to aspye in all the hast he may To what partie the traces of them lay And while he stode thus musyng in the shade He herd the lowyng that his oxen made And by their lowing he gan anone aproche Toward the parte wher they were kept close Fonde the caue vnder a myghty roche And proud Cachus which had thē in depose Agaynst Hercules he sturdely arose But for al that he myghte hym selfe not saue For he hym sloughe at thentring of the caue And thus his beastes he hath ayen recured That sempte afore inrecuperable After the mountaine byforce he hath assured Which for brigātes afore was full doutable But by his knyghthod it was made habitable That men myght for drede of any foe Whan euer they would frely come and go Touchyng his conquest vpon Feminye Agaynst Amasones with Theseus he went The quene Ipolyta through his chiualry For his praye anone to hym he hent And Ipolita of ful true entent Gaue vnto hym in token of victory A girdel of golde to haue her in memorie After to Affrike he went a full great pace Onely of purpose the gardin for to se Which apperteyned to kynge Athlas That brother was to the kynge Promothee In astrology full wel expert was he And of this gardyn of whych I haue tolde The riche braūches apples were of gold Through magike made by great auisement Ful streyte kepte and closed enuyron And y watched with a fell serpent That no man entred that ryche mancion But Hercules most mighty of renoun The serpēt slough through his māly pursute And fro the gradeyn he bare away the frute This said Athlas
Oropastes quaking in his drede Full vnwarely or that he toke hede Was slayn ther guerdoned for al his might Of pretence kinges y t reigne haue no right The .vii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Dary obteynyng the kingdom of Perce by sleyght ended with shame AFter the deth of these Magicyens Was left no king to haue y ◠gouernaūce Nor for to rule the lande of Perciens Saue fyue princes full famous of puissaunce Whyche made a statute and an ordinaunce Of one accorde by recorde of writyng Theron concluding who shuld be chose king Their sort their hap and all their auenture Was yeue to fortune of thys eleccion And thus the prince the crowne shall recure Among these fyue by theyr conuencion For to gouern the mighty regyon And in that lande to reigne and contune Lyke as the fauour lyst ordeyn of fortune Thys was the statute vpon a mornyng All atones erly for to ryde Atwene Aurora and Phebus vprisyng Vp to a hyll to houe and to abyde All rancour dyscorde set asyde Whose horse among them was first herde neying Without grutching shulde be crowned kyng Vpon this mater what shoulde I leger tary Hereon was made an othe in sykernesse Among these prīces one which was called Da Aprince of Perce excellyng of noblesse Whych had a seruaunt y ◠story bereth witnessery That kept hys horse thought in very dede Hys lorde he wolde preferre at suche a nede The sayd seruant full sleyghtly in werkyng His dilygence lyst nothyng to spare The day to fore set of their metynge At a place smothe playne and bare Hys lordes horse he made leape a mare And on the morowe when the princes met On horsbacke there hys lorde he set And whan the horse thyder came agayne Nature anone afforced his corage To neye loude vpon the same playne Where as the mare had vsed her passage Kynde in suche case had great auauntage By whiche sleyght playnly to reherse The sayd Dary was crowned kig of Perce The prynces all lyke theyr conuencion Or Phebus shewed his firy beames bryght Without stryfe or contradiccion From their horse sodaynly alyght And vnto Dary as lowly as they myght Sayd in greke or they vp rose Policromtudo Basileos Which is in latyn to spake in wordes playne And in englyshe by expowning of scripture After the Greke as moche for to sayne As longe tyme myght the kyng endure And lyue in helth with good auenture By the grace and fauour of fortune Vpon all Perce to reigne and contune Who wyll consydre euery cyrcumstaunce It is a meruayle nat grounded on prudence By such sleyght a king to haue gouernaunce Through tytle or clayme as of iust euidence So to be raysed to kyngly excellence But whan fortune fauoureth suche assay Tyll y ◠she chaunge ther can no man say nay Thus was kyng Dary borne of lowe linage Set vp by sleyght in estate honorable Thought y ◠he wolde for his auauntage To make his kyngdom his reigne stable Wed such a wyfe as to hym was most able Demyng of trouth hys clayme were well amēded Of Cirus lyne if she were discēded To wede suche one was all his couetyse Stable for to reigne vpon the Perciens And as I fynde in full cruell wyse By the counsayle of false magicyens A werre he gan vpon the Egipciens Eke folily he gan for to werrey Them of Athenes whiche lyst hym nat obey And as myne auctor maketh rehersayle He for his pride and false presumpcion Was discomfyted twyes in batayle And neuer after as made is mencyon He was nat had in reputacyon Among Perciens so gan his honoure fade Wyth sleyght he gan with shame an ende he made ¶ The .viii. Chapter ¶ How Corolian by Romaynes exiled gan warre agaynst them and how after they sent out his mother withother for peace which had they eft him exiled and after was slayne AFter this Dary as I rehearce can And mine auctour liketh to conclude To Iohn Bochas came Corolian The most wofull of that multitude Which gan complaine vpon the ingratitude Of the Romayns how they whilom in dede Exiled his person of rancour and hatrede Whiche in his time would neuer ceace Through his noblesse hys hygh renoun Their common profite to augment encrece And for to bringe to their subiection Many a citye and many a noble toun Yet they agaynward for all his chyualry Him exiled of malyce and enuy But whan this Marcus called Corolian Saw of Romayns the great vnkindnes Toward a countrey that called was Tuskan Of high disdayne anone he did him dresse And them entreated of manly fell prowes To gyn a warre sythe they so manly be Through his cōueiyng againe Rome y ◠citye And for to put them more in assuraunce To haue victory through their high renoun He tolde them playnly of a great distaunce Of a false strife and a discencion That was of newe fall in Rome towne Wherfore they should if it be prouided Cōquere thē lightly because thei wer deuided By their assent they made a great armye With stuffe for war richely apparayled Pyght his tentes tofore that great citye And in the fielde stode proudly battayled But the hartes of Romayns haue thē fayled And durst not passe the gates of their toun There was among thē so great deuision Their citye stode that time destitute With feare supprised for lacke of gouernaūce Them to defende they founde no refute So farre enfeblished was their old puissaūce For euer gladly where stryfe and variaunce In any kingdome haue an enteresse Touchyng a defence adue all hardinesse Within them selfe they stode at debate Afore their enemies ready for to assayle Comfort was none in hygh nor lowe estate For where discord is what auayleth coūsail Their fone w tout within them selfe battayle Brought in alas to their confusion By the false serpent of dissencion But at the last afforced and constrayned They were coact after peace to seke The case stode so of nede they were payned Maugre their might their harts for to meke And their mischefe more to encrese and eke In augmentyng of their cruell fates They saw their enmies armed at their gates They sent out first priestes of the toun With their enemies for to entrete of pees With humble profers lowe subiection But Corolian this is doubtles Againe the Romayns was so merciles That grace none myght in his hart myne To their request his eares to enclyne Than the Romayns the story tell can To Venturia made their prayere Whiche was the mother of Corolian And to Volumnia his faithfull wife entere That they should both go in fere Vnto that prynce besechyng at the lest Benignly to heare their request His mother first full prudently abrayde Vnto her sonne makyng this question At their metyng to hym thus she sayde Shall I quod she for short conclusion Of faythfull harte and true affection To thy presence declare finally Be now receyued as mother or enemy After thine aunswere I must
By long absence which eche man shold drede Thrugh diuers sicknes y â— fal in womanhede The tyde abydeth nat for no maner man Nor stynt her course for no creature And harde it is as we reherce can Thynge to withstand that cometh of nature Harme done by kynde is froward to recure And there is founde full lytell sykernes Where as nature afforceth brotylnesse This lytell sonde ought ynough suffyse To declare domage that may fall By longe absence folkes that ben wise Somtime departed agayn men may nat cal That seldome is sene in loue doth appall And nothing maketh more wyues erre Than disceuerauÌ„ce of folke that be in werre This was theffect plainly insubstaunce Sent to their hasbandes which at y â— sege lai Complayning they had had no plesaunce Space of ten yere as in loues play But desolate in sorowe and great affray Their lyfe they lad affyrmyng in sentence Cause of their csÌ„traiÌ„t was their loÌ„g abseÌ„ce And whan the letters were at the siege rad Tofore the cytie in all their mortal stryues They were astonied and gan to waxe sad And very wery almost of their lyues For to considre the complaint of their wiues Tyl their captayne a remedy out sought By whose counsayl euen thus they wrought First old knightes that the siege sworne It for to accomplish and cast them to be true His counsayl was as they had hight beforn To hold their promise therfor nothing rue But yonge knightes that were come of new Myght as they lyst frely at their wyll Those whether they wold go or byde styll And herupon for their most auayle In haste their captayne as made is remembrauÌ„ce Of high prudence gaue them this counsaile hat knyghtes old lyâ—h their assuraunce Shuld of the siege haue the gouernaunce And yong knightes most fresh welbeseyne Shuld from the siege home be sent ageyne They made among theÌ„ a strauÌ„ge ordinaunce At their home comyng without difference To enterchauÌ„ge their wyues for plesaunce And take her first that came to his presence This was thaccorde among them in senteÌ„ce Moste redy way to their opinion To engendrute and procreacion There was amonge theÌ„ quarel nother stryfe In this mater nor no varyaunce For eueryman misused others wyfe To their desyres as was to them pleasaunce And thus children thrugh this ordynaunce That were engendred the case is thus befal Parthenois men did them after cal Which in our tong to speke in words plain After the greke who lyst consydre and se Is no more playnly for to sayne Than thilk chyldren which engendred be In auoutry wherfore in that countre Parthenois of custome they were named Borne of wombes which that were diffamed The false occasion of thys auoutry Caused after great mischefe and domage That no man coude as for his partye By succession whan he came to age By tytle of right clayme his herytage For where a lyne falsly dothe procede Hard is to know by right who shal succede The disturbaunce of false succession And tytels claimed afforced w t great myght Where that auoutry hath domynacion And is supported of wyl and not of tyght And claym of trouth hath lost his clere light Though their parties mighti be and strong God wyll nat suffre they shall endure longe And Parthenois paysing all these thynges Howe false assuraunce was in their lynage The gentle bloud troubled first of kynges For no man knew of high nor lowe parage His owne father by lykelynesse of vysage Nor father none by his great erroure Coude yeue no tytle to his successour Whervpon folowed a great mischaunce Hateful to heare through the countre Echeman troubled in his countenaunce Who shulde clayme by any lyberte To entre his lande or to stande fre Such doute they had echeman for his party So importable was their auoutry This great mischefe who so taketh hede By longe proces made theÌ„ to know and se How they were able as by likelihede For their outrages to fall in pouertie And of assent they cast them for to flie Vnder a captain by strong and mighty hand For that countrey to wyn some other lande And as I rede they chase duke Palantus Of whom I spake to gouerne the passage Takyng no leaue the storye telleth thus At their departyng begynnyng their vyage They were so confuse of chere and of vysage For there was none of that great route To chose his father but y â— he stode in dout They helde them selues very ashamed And for shame out of the lande they went Like people disclaundered and diffamed Through the auoutry to which they did asseÌ„t And to a citye that called was Tarent Which stant in Poile a mighty stronge couÌ„try This duke Palantus came with his meyny And there he put through his great myght The citizyns out of that citye And gate Tarent full lyke a manly knyght And there abode in long prosperitie As gouernour and duke of that countrey Tyll that his people by false collusion Him to depriue sought out occasion They him exiled whan he was fall in age Lo what it is in commons to assure Stormy of hart vnsure of their courage That selde or neuer their frendshyp dothe endure â–ª Men may to day their fauour recure And to morow let set it at a prefe They rathest hinder whaÌ„ men be at mischefe ¶ The .xiiii. Chapter ☞ Of Ceson Quincius exiled and Graccus taken prysoner I Can no more rehearce of Palantes Duke and leader of Parthenois But I wyll tell how Ceson Quincius Came before Bochas w t a full piteous voyce His tale gan how Graccus prince of Equois Bothe at ones gan their songe entune Most dolefully to playne on fortune This myghty prynce Ceson Quincius Complayned first as made is mencion How they of Rome wer contrarious And felly wrought to his destruction And full vniustly banished him the toun And not withstandyng he was a dictatour Him to coÌ„founde they did their busy laboure Cause of his exyle compassed as I rede That he was slowe they sayd and negligent Him to defende touchyng appeale in dede Which again him was brought of falce entet Yet Cyncinatus his father by assent Payde for amendes as sayth cronyclers Met out of lande draught of thre arblasters Yet his enemies would not be content But procede that he was exiled Did extorcion of his iudgement As in his story full playnly is compyled He after neuer myght be reconcyled Whiche I haue pitye to put in remembrauÌ„ce So litle offeÌ„ce should haue so great veÌ„geauÌ„ce Graccus of Rome called Cloellus Prince of Equois mine auctour saith y e same Was in his time notable and glorious And a great duke full renoumed of fame But how y e people of Equois toke their name Vnder support that no man haue disdayne I will the processe here declare in certaine John Bochas sayth there is a nacion Whiche that first were called Hunoys And secondly also by succession Of full long tyme named Anathois And alderlast men
brake The .iiii. Chapiter ⧠Howe Pausanias duke of Lacedemon was exyled by them of Athenes THys was his end after this Bochas Gan in hast hys style auaunce Of Pausanias to tel the pitous caas And all the maner of hys wofull chaunce Whiche was a duke had in gouernaunce Lacedemone there foundyng a cite Which of olde tyme was called Bysaunce They of Athenes that cite gate with might And it conquered by theyr chiualry And afterwarde were it wronge or ryght They exyled the same Pausany And thus fortune through her false enuy Caused that duke without more delayes In payne pouerte for to ende his dayes ☞ The .v. chapter ⧠How Heliarchus the tyrant for extorcion and oppression was slaine by the knyght Leonides AFter the fall sothly of these twayne Iohn Bochas was moued of courage For to rehearse with all his busy payne The great fury and the odious rage Of Helyarchus whiche by great outrage Though he ne were famous in chiualry He noyed all Perce with his tyranny Wherfore Bochas gan at him disdayne Cast he woulde onely for his sake Touche of tyrantes mo than one or twaine And by writyng agayn theÌ„ a warre make And in his hande he gan a penne take Tolde in order the perillous pestilence Whiche they wrought by mortall vyolence First he declareth how fortune of right Againe tyrantes furious and wode Hath full cause for to shew her myght To appal their dignities in which they stode Suche as reioyce for to shede blode Do nought els but labour and deuise To spoyle the temple in many sundry wyse And Helyarchus through hys cruelte And his contryued false extorcions Was mortall enemy to a fayre citee Called Heraclye and many other townes And by extort false oppressions As the dede concluded at a prefe All that countrey he brought to mischefe Turnyng his grace and fauour to hatrede Mercy and pitie vnto crueltie Franchise of people to seruitude and drede Oppressed their fredome and olde lybertie And all their statutes by which they wer fre He interrupted of force and not of right Whiche made him odious in all mennes sight But to restrayne his great extorcions Fortune this while was not retchles For his horrible abhominacions She gan to auale him this goddesse merciles By a good knyght called Leonides Whiche with a felow borne of that countrye Cast on this tyrant auenged for to be They dempt it was an almesse dede To set their lande in quiete and in ease Of a tyrant the furious bloude to shede His importable malyce for to appese Whyche to their citye did so great disease And of assent with their swerdes kene They slew the tyrant in their mortall tene Of whose death many a man was fayne And specially of Heraclie the cite Dempt it was medefull y t he was so slayne To set in quyete all a commonte Lo here men may the rightfull guerdon se Of tyrantes whiche by their vyolence To oppresse the people haue no conscience The .vi. Chapiter ☞ How the vycious Dyonis kyng of Cycyle slewe his brethren and kynrede and after exiled dyed at mischefe AFter this tyrant with a full heauy chere And countenaunce piteous lamentable Vnto Bochas Dionys dyd appere Whiche in tyranny most was importable Through his lande hatefull and reprouable But for all that he gan myne auctour pray Of his maners sumwhat to write and say Bochas lyst not rehearse his lynage Nor make no processe of his genealogy Because he was with all hys great outrage Full of all vyces pryde and lechery Of auarice ofyre and of enuy In Cicyle helde his royall see At Cyracusis a mighty stronge citee Thys Dyonis was cursed of nature Most malicious both of thought dede For as it is remembred in scripture He slewe his brethren his cosyns kynrede That he alone in peace might possede Wythout trouble or interruption Of all Cicyle the mighty region Among all vyces Bochas dothe specify He gan drawe vnto ydlenes Folowed his lustes of foule iechery And oft of custome he fell in dronkennes And thought it was most souerain blessednes Lyke as he had be master of fortune To solow his lustes and aye therin contune He waxt ryght fatte and right corcious And his eyen gan darke of his syght That vnneth this man most vycious Ne myght not well beholde the dayes light And of malyce thys tyrant agayne right With helpe of robbers of false foreyns Slough of his citte nye all the citâ—zeyns His vycious lyfe in order to rehearce Were contagious to the audience His extort pillages done in Grece Perce For to write or tell them in sentence Would infect the ayre with pestilence But I wyll briefelye remember and discriue The sacrileges whyche he dyd in hys lyue In Venus temple besyde Cytheron A great number of women he dyd call Fâ—ll well beâ—eue and by oppression He made his meyny vnwarely on theÌ„ fall Dispoyled them so that one and all By hys outrage and frowarde vyolence They naked stode echone in his presence And whan he sawe their shape and feytures He suche chose out as were to his pleasaunce Robbed the other and toke their vestures And let them go without ordinaunce And for this vncouth abhominable chaunce Their city Loâ—roys arose w t stronge hande For hys outrage banished hym their lande An other tyme also he dyd soiourne Wythin the temple lyke as it is tolde Of Jupiter sonne vnto Saturne There beholdyng his relykes manifolde Sawe among other a mantyll large of gold Wherupon whan he cast hys loke That ryche iewel vnto his vse he toke And thus he sayde him selfe to excuse It was to heauy and to comerous In somer season that mantyll for to vse Bicause it was to large and poâ—derous And ouermore he aledged for hym thus Sythe the garment forged was of golde For wynter season how it was to colde And whan he gan away thys mantel pulle Than ryght anone thys tyrant deceyuable Gaue hym another single made of wulle Affirmed sothely it was more conuenable To other season more meâ—e and agreable CoÌ„cludyng thus for somer it was â—yght And warme for wynter in the colde nyght An other tyme this tyrant eke also Whiche was of hart most auaricious Entred ones the temple of Appollo And of his sonne Esculapius And whan this tyrant fell and contrarious Beheide Appollo beardles that was olde And Esculapius with a long bearde of golde Quod Dionis than as semeth vnto me Here is a straunge froward coÌ„uenience That the father beardles should be The sonne bearded standyng in his presence Made anone by sturdy vyolence To take away the bearde which in his syght Of most fyne golde shone so clere and bright Through Grece Perce where he did gone In all the temples this was his vsaunce The stately relyques wyth many ryche stone And massy tables of full great substaunce To take them all that were to hys pleasauÌ„ce He spared none thus liuynge lyke a thefe Til he
aduersite And for his wordes of great authorite His noble langage and his fayre eloquence The people had him in ful great reuerence And for they were manly and coragious Able to assemble bothe plate and mayle He made them rise agaynst Antigonus By theyr prowes with hym to haue batayle But of fortune hys party gan to fayle Wher thilke people the story telleth thus Had afore ben full victorious Antigonus hath the felde recured That day his knightes fought lyke wodelyons In furious tene of hys corage assured Brake theyr tentes and pauilions Spoiled their castels robbed their dâ—geons Where that countre vnwarely thus affrayed Had neuer afore in batayle ben outrayed And of dispite this people recheles Caught in their hert great indignation Agayne their prynce this sayd Eumenides Which had theÌ„ brought to their destruction And all the people of one opinion Presented him it was nat after longe To Antigonus bounde in chaynes strong In this proces brefely to procede At great mischefehe dyed in prysone He found no mercy playnly as I rede For all his noblesse nor hys hye renoune Yet of hys manhode made is mencion Who that story lyst to loke aryght With Alysander there was no better knight In hys conquest euery hour and space He was most cheryshed for hys hye noblesse Aboue all other stode most in his grace To helpe and releue folke in their distresse All be that he dyed in wretchednesse To vs declaryng the great variaunces That all daye fall in fortunes chaunces ¶ Lenuoye THys tragedy of duke Eumenides She weth of fortune y e great doublenes How worldly princes that ben recheles With vnware chaunges fall into distresse And there may be no greater heuynesse After prosperite nor greater payne Than aduersite which that is sodayne Greatest enuy where is greatest preace Greatest awayte where is most rychesse And greatest ease where is rest and peace Where most discorde most is heuynesse And of all sorow sorow fullest excesse Is thylke sorow y â— dothe a man constrayne After prosperite with aduersite sodayne Princes in erthe of power peerles Which excelled all other in noblesse Had in this worlde by coÌ„quest most encrees As Alysander the story bereth wytnesse RemeÌ„bre the fyne of all theyr hye prowesse And the triuÌ„phes to which they dyd attayne After prosperite aduersite sodayne The strong enheritours which y t he out chees Sixe thirty the nombre to expresse Whiche hadde possession of kyngdoms doutles Eche thyng obeying to their worthynesse Tyl fortune through her wunted doublenesse Shewed her myght vnwarely to ordayne After prosperite aduersite sodayne Noble prynces to auoyde all disencrees Amonge your selues discordes to represse Be nat enuyous nor yrous causeles Worke nothyng of hasty wylfulnesse Let discretion be your gouerneresse For there must folow yf ye parte on twayne After prosperite aduersite sodayne The .xiiii. Chapiter ⧠Howe Queene Olympiades for she delyted in vyces murdre and vengeaunce dyed at mischefe NExt in order to Bochas dyd appere After the mischefe of Eumenides The great quene w t a full pitous chere Mother of Alysander Olympiades Borne of the lyne of Gaades Amonge quenes her story bereth wytnesse Excelled all other in beauty and rychesse She was doughter to Neoptolomus The mighty kyng of Epirothes And had suspecte how Neptanabus By enchauntment put hym selfe in prees Of wifely trouth to make her recheles But Bochas here for to saue her name Writeth but lytle of her disclaunderous fame This sayd quene right fayre of her visage Was first brought forth in thylke regions Where all the worthy of blode and of lynage Helde theyr scepters and their ryche crouns Through all Grece with full possessions So that this quene that tyme nere and farre Was of beaute called the lode starre But among al her great prosperitees Her youth flowig in most souerayne noblesse Her ioye was meddled w t great aduersitees Whan Philip Maredo in her great heuinesse Was mortally wounded in distresse In Cythia by a certayne nation Called Triboloys as made is mencion For in that countre vpon a certayne day Where as he faught and dyd hys best payne To gette a cite and at a siege lay And for thassaute dyd his stuffe ordayne He lost vnwarely one of his eyen twayne That whan the quene behelde hys wounde For sorow she fell platte vnto the grounde Another thyng bokes specifye Troubled her fame by great heuynesse The suspecte sclaunder of aduoutry Wrought by Neptauabus enchauntyng her fayrenes The light eciipsyng of hie nobles By swifte report for to hynder her name What flieth more swifte then wicked fame In womanhede as authours all wryte Most thing coÌ„mended is theyr chast honeste Thyng moste sclaundrous their nobles to atwite Is whan princesses of hasty freeite Excede the boundes of wifely chastyte For what auayleth linage or royall bloode Whan of theyr liuyng y e reporte is nat goode The holy bedde defoyled of maryage Or ones soyled may nat recured be The voyce goth forth the froward langage By many realmes and many a great cite Sclaunder hath a custome and that is pite Crew outher false by contagious sowne Ones reysed it goth nat lyghtly downe And to more hindryng of Olympiades Philippe away dyd from her deciyne And of the kyng of Epyrothes The wyfe he toke to hys concubine Called Cleopatra playnely to termine And thus in myschefe tencrease of her trouble Their false aduoutrie gan to wexe double Of this proces write wyll I no more Cause the matter is abhominable For kyng Philip the bargayne bought sore As is remembred by cronicles ful notable Slayne on a day syttyng at hys table Full sodaynly or he toke any hede Pausanias dyd that cruell dede Of which slaughter folowed a strange case As ye haue herde by Pausanias wrought Olympiades full glad and mery was Heuy outwarde her heart voyde of thought Yet faynyngly she hath wayes out sought For hym to holde solempne and royall Lyke Grekes rightes a feast funerall After whose dethe wrought of great cruelte Kyng Alysander made no lenger let Made Pansonias taken for to be And to be hanged vpon an hye gybet Vpon whose head there was a crowneset Of golde and peerle and riche stones Inde By Olympiades in story as I fynde For he stode greatly in the quenes grace And as folke dempt of suspection They met together in many priuy place Which greatly tourned to her confusion For noyse arose through all that region That by thoccasion of theyr mislyuyng How Pausanias slough Philyp the kyng But she anone in her malice feruent Fro the gybet made hym to be take doun Made his body solempnely to be brent Kept his exequies with great oblatâ—on After the ryghtes of that region Nat left behinde in partie nor in all That appertayned to feastes funerall Vpon kynge Philyp as it were for the nones To do her lorde a shame or a despyte Solempnely she made brenne the bones Of Pausanias for a false appetite Vnto no man she had so great
all Inde conquered in substaunce Atwene him and king Lisymachus Of whom tofore is made remembraunce Began a warre and a great distaunce And as they met with their apparayles In a great felde ordeyned their battayles On Lisymachus fyll the disconfiture Wherof Seleuchus glad in especiall Dempt his winnyng came not of nature But by influence very celestiall Gan waxe proude in his estate royall Not supposing in his victorious stall Of his mischeues that should after fall For as the processe declareth vnto vs How of Egypt the great Tholome Brother in lawe to Lysimachus Fyll on Seleuchus by full great cruelte Slew him at mischefe the story ye may se Loste his lyfe as made is mencion In Macedoyne the mighty region And it is know of antiquitee By rehearsayle of the olde auctours That this foresayd great Tholome Was to Alexander one of the enheritours Kyng of Egypt there raignyng in his flours After whose name descedyng downe by grees Were all the kinges called Tholomees As I fynde touchyng his lynage By procreacion he had children thre The first of them to speake in playne langage I named was Ceraunius Tholome Next Philadelphus a daughter Arcynoe That wedded was by her faders coÌ„sentyng To Lisymachus of Macedon kyng The .xx. Chapter ⧠Howe the two sonnes of Quene Arcynoe were by their mothers brother trayterouslye slayne and she exyled ANd thus remembred in bokes olde Death of Seleuchus wrought by Tholome Vnwarely slayne tofore as I haue tolde Next in order came Arcynoe To John Bochas by great aduersite All with teares bedewed her vysage And gan coÌ„playne the coÌ„straynt of her rage This mighty quene the sayd Arcynoe Had sonnes twaine full famous of renoun The tone Lisymachus excelling of beautye That other Philip as made is mencion And her ioye and dilectation In worldly blisse there is no more to sayne Was holy set vpon these children twayne For by the occasion of their great fayrenes Men delited greatly them to se Namely women the story dothe expresse And their mother this quene Arcynoe Stode in great hope that they should be Mighty kynges by iust succession In Macedony the mighty region Onely by the title of their fathers ryght Whiche to her hart gaue full great gladnes For she dempt that none other wight To succede should haue no entresse But Fortune the blynde false goddesse Disposed so for her children twayne That none of theÌ„ their purpose shold attayne For whaÌ„ their father Lisimachus was slaine The sayd quene called Arcinoe To saue her lyfe coulde none other gayne But with her sonnes fearfully to fle Into Cassander a mighty stronge citee Onely for drede of one Antigonus Whiche theÌ„ pursued the story telleth thus But the brother of quene Arcynoe Called Ceraunius rescued her party Agayne Antygonus ye may the story se Yet in his hart he had great enuy Albe that they were nere of one alye That her two sonnes should kynges â—e Of Macedoyne and raygne in that countre For he was set onely of couetise To be crowned in Macedoyne kyng And of his false treason the story doth deuise Them to disâ—â—yue this was his workyng First to the quene full humbly knelyng He made promise vnder great surete In Macedoyne she should crowned be And her children so fayre of their vysage Should be kept vnder gouernaunce Vnto time that they came to age And for to put her in more assuraunce Ceraunius swore god geue him sory chaunce He purposed for all his false workyng To crowne her quene make her soÌ„nes king Toke all the gods therunto witnes And swore agayne with a plaine vysage Vnto the quene of fraude and doublenes His purpose was to haue her in mariage Crowne her quene to her great aduauntage Thus he swore all be he was her brother Yet in hart god wot he thought another Vnder colour of this assuraunce She let him enter Cassandre the cite Came again him to do him more pleasaunce With all her lordes of hye and lowe degre Made the stretes hanged for to be With clothes of golde in solemne wise To all their goddes she did sacrifise And thus he was receyued solemnely The day was halowed and holde feastiual The quene for ioye ordeyned rychely Her two sonnes that were so faire in all To be crowned with crownes full royall Go afore her in the maister strete Gloriously their vncle for to mete With felonous hart vnder a frendly face This Ceraunius rote of all treason Gan his cosyns benâ—igly embrace Him purposyng by false collusion To procede to their destruction And fynally fyrst he did his payne The quene texyle slea her chyldren twayne But or this treason was brought to a prefe Whan the quene apperceiued his falsenes And saw her sonnes brought to mischefe She coniured him 〈◊〉 her mortall distresse To haue pitie of naturall gentilnes Spare his cosins afore him where they stode Of royall mercy so nere borne of his bloud And with a crye paâ—yng 〈…〉 She fyl afore him â—wownyng 〈◊〉 ground Like as she had be 〈◊〉 culpable Seing her sonnes bleadyng w t many wouÌ„de But all for nought there was no mercy fouÌ„d For with their bloud this story is not fayned Her garment was dolefully distayned Her face fayre was foyled with ordure Her golden heere was all to torne rent And like a thrall this wofull creature With mortall wepyng had her sight blent And after that I fynde how she was sent To bury her children for there was no space Into an yle called Samothrace Is any story whiche maketh mencion That a pryncesse of so hye degre Founde so great cause of lamentacion She beyng daughter to great Tholome Her children slayne by vengeable crueltie And to beholde the death most dolorous Of her husbande called Lisymachus â–ª She after banished in exyle made her ende w t sorowful coÌ„playnt her life thus draw aloÌ„g Tyll into fate her spirite did wende It is no drede her paynes were full stronge And if I shoulde rehearce all the wronge That she suffred it woulde greue me to sore Therfore of her now I write no more ¶ Lenuoy THis tragedy sheweth an apparence And a lykenesse of faythfull assuraunce Excyte men to yeue false credence Vnto fortunes false variaunce Which cast her baytes angles of pleasaunce An hoke hid vnder of vengeable crueltie As this chapiter put in remembraunce Of Lisymachus and of Arcynoe Is there any greater euidence Of worldly trouble or worldly constaunce Than to se prynces from their magnificence And from their mighty royall puissaunce Vnwarely brought by fortune to mischauÌ„ce And ouerwhelmed from their tranquilitie Se here a myrror full notable in substaunce Of Lisymachus and quene Arcynoe The ryng the anker of great excellence yeâ—â— to Seleuchus for marciall suffisaunce Whan Appâ—â—â— by heauenly influence Lyst with his mother make his alyaunce Sent hiÌ„ these relikes of singuler acquaintaÌ„ce To set his manhode in more surete But in al such quaueryng acquayntauÌ„ce Thinke on Lisimachus and Arcinoe The vncouth
to be lorde and conquere all Itayle As did his vncle whilom doubtles Kyng Alexander called Epirothes First he began his conquest in Itayle Toward Heraclye a mighty great citie Where with Brennus he had a great battaile Consull of Rome and lorde of that countrye And to the encrease of his felicitie As it is remembred in his story Vpon Romayns he gate that victory The Olyphantes with castels on their backe Caused Pyrrus the yong manly knyght With his wisdome wherin there was no lack To put his enemies that day to flyght And in this while it happened forthright The Sicilians Bochas beareth recorde Amonge them selues were fall at discorde There was atwene them great diuision Eche to other contrary in workyng But to reforme their false discention They praied Pyrrus to come be their king To whose request he fully assentyng By them made stronge lyst not to deferre Against the Romayns for to gyn a warre Beside a castel called Esculus Within Poyl his banner he gan splay The same day not happy nor eurous Contrarious fortune his power gan affray Woūded to the death gan greatly him dismay By whiche occasion this Pyrrus anone right Lept on his courser and toke him to flyght A sonne he had called Helenus Borne of the daughter of kyng Agathocles Whō he ordeyned mine auctor telleth thus For to be crowned to his great encrees Of Siciliens to raygne there in pees Wenyng therby to haue had auauntage And in this while came to him a message Out of Tarent whiche stode in auenture For his absence out of that region If he not came they might not endure Againe the power of them of Rome toun Whiche of assent were discended downe Agaynst them they standyng in dispayre Saue in abydyng vpon his repayre Pyrrus this while stode in full hard poynt Waxt abashed and dull in his corage Atwene twayne hangyng in disioynte Werreyed of Romayns hated in Cartage Had a battaile to his fynall domage Within a felde called Arusius There put to flyght by one Fabricius Destitute by Fortune and appayred Voyde of succour barrayne of rychesse Like a man of hope dispayred Towarde Epyre in haste he gan him dresse Where he was first his story doth expresse As ye haue heard rehearced by writyng By succession whilom lorde and kyng But whan he came to Epyre the citie He gan of new agaynst Antigonus Kyng of Macedoyne a full stronge countrie Hym to werrey he was so desierous And by conquest the story telleth thus Within a while there was no great lettyng By helpe of Fortune he was crowned kyng Not seuen monethes raignyng in quiete By Lisymachus maugre all his might He was put downe remoued from his sete Yet of presūption though there was no right He toke on him to gyn a newe fyght Gayne Lacedemonois felly them werrey Onely because they would him not obey Whose presumption whan they behelde Bothe of prudence and policy Women were armed to make a large felde With multitude to oppresse his party For cōmon profite put them in ieoparty And fynally suche was their ordynaunce That Pyrrus was brought to mischaunce His sonne there slayne called Tholome And many other lost there their liues And for all that of pride and crueltie He gan a warre agayne the Argyues And at the ende of his mortall striues For conclusion this was his last fall Slaine w t a stone as he came to their wall His head smit of in the same place And therof made an oblacion To Antygonus for a great solace Thus lyst fortune quite his presumption After his warres with many region Lo here the ende of folkes retchles That folowed warre list not liue in pees ¶ The .xxv. Chapter ☞ How the tyrāt Aristotimus by trecherous working set aside the right line and was crowned kyng of Epirothes and after slayne FOr the proceadyng folowyng John Bochas I wil reherce in ful playne lāgage How Aristotim a tyrāt this y ◠case Cast and compassed by full great outrage Hauyng no title of right nor heritage Of Epyrothes by trecherous workyng Voydyng the line there to be crowned kyng Liuyng two children the story telleth thus Borne by discent to raygne in that citee The eldest of them called was Pyrrus And the seconde named Tholome And bothe twayne by the cruelte Of Aristotym were falsely set aside He made kyng this tyrant through his pryde And while that he thus gan occupy Lyke a tyrant cruell and vengeable Of false rancour and melancoly Slewe all the citizyns y t were most notable And exyled this story is no fable Onely of malice within his hart close All that were contrary vnto his purpose Vnto the women by fraudulent sentence He made ordayne after that anone Of fained pitie gaue to them lycence To their frendes frely for to gone With their riches but they were euerychone By his biddyng and by his false treason Take by the way and fettred in pryson Or they were ware was set on them arrest And after that of vengeable crueltie The children slayne suckyng at their brest Maydens oppressed of their virginitie But in this while at Cypre the citie There was a knyght passyng of great age Whiche cast of purpose to auenge his outrage The same knyght mine auctour telleth thus In the story playnly as I rede Was in Greke tonge called Helematus Right wise manly both in word and dede And thinges twayne put him out of drede To execute his purpose in certayne Maugre all tho that would be him againe For cōmon profite he drad not to be dead A cause was this for he was fall in age And another that put him out of drede For he no children had of his lynage His quarell rightfull gaue him aduauntage And here vpon gathered him of newe Suche as he knew y ◠manly were and true This purpose helde w t circumspect auise And theron made full prudent ordinaunce This Helematus olde hardy and right wise Afore prouided by knyghtly purueyaunce The said tyrant brought vnto mischaunce By helpe of them that were to him assented Vnwarely slain whose deth was not repēted ¶ The .xxvi. Chapter ☞ How quene Arcinoe for the aduoutry done with Demetrius husbande of her daughter Beronices ended in sorowe AFter this story Bochas gan apply To turne his pen like as ye shall here To write and tell the frowarde lechery Of Arcynoe pleasaunt of loke and chere Whiche of her port and eke of her manere Was in her dayes like as it is founde For craft beauty called Venus the seconde For her fayrenes yeuen in mariage To noble Agas of Cyrenes kyng Atwene them while they were yonge of age They had a daughter by recorde of wrytyng Called Beronices the kyng at his endyng In his testament bad that she should be Wedded to the sonne of kyng Tholome And this was done of entencion To cease the warres y ◠had endured longe Atwene Egipt as made is mencion And the Cyrenes bothe realmes stronge By this
mariage y t he myght vnderfonge In his diyng to set a fynall peace Twene these .ii. realmes for their both ēcrece After whose death thus the matter stode Quene Arcynoe most subtyll in workyng Agayne this matter so cruell was and wode Maryed her daughter w t out more lettyng Called Beronices agaynst the biddyng Of her father that called was Agas As heretofore rehearsed is the caas She maried her to one Demetrius That brother was by Bochas rehearsynge Vnto the mighty great Antygonus Beyng in Grece of Macedoyne kyng But infortunate was she after her weddyng As in this story suyng ye shall se By the false workyng of quene Arcynoe And to conclude shortly this mattere Whan thys quene this double Arcynoe Sawe of Demetrius the vysage the there His loke his coloure his langage beautie His manly port and his liberalitie She was enamored of fleshly pleasaunce Lyke her desyre to haue his acquayntaūce Of her nature she was most lecherous And of her frowarde inclination She brought about that Demetrius Assented was by her suggestion For to accomplish lyke her opinion All her desyres of fleashly appetite Thus of accorde there folowed their delite Lefte his wyfe called Beronices The quenes doughter agayne all ryght In a place secret out of prees They lay together almost euery nyght Takyng no hede of god nor of no wyght Tyll of fortune the case is so befall That he was hated of hys knyghtes all Dispyte they had of Arcynoe The dede horrible whan they dede espy Hys wyfe Beronices eke whan she dyd se Holy the maner of theyr ribaudry In heart she caught a great melancoly Ordayned knightes in stele armed bryght In their aduoutry to take them on a nyght Lying a bedde slept and toke no kepe After false lustes whiche they had vsed They fel vp on them whyle they dyd slepe The dede open myght nat be excused To all the worlde thus they were accused With swordes draw y ◠knyghtes thilke night To slee thē both were purposed anone right Out on Beronices cryeth John Bochas Because she badde spare Arcynoe Grounde gynnyng of this horrible caas Sayth her mercy was very cruelte To saue suche one it was a false pite As sayth myne auctour a thyng cōtrarious Her to preserue and slee Demetrius O Beronices small is thy discretion To saue the quene y ◠hath the treason founde First to Demetrius she gaue occasion For which she shuld haue had the first woūde Take for them bothe and in cheynes bounde And after that thys false Arcynoe To example of other shuld haue punished be And whyle they were taken thus in close The sayd Arcynoe made no delay But fro her bedde anone she vp rose Without clothes naked as she lay Ran to their swordes in all theyr gret affray Went atwene them dyd her busy payne To beare of strokes with her armes twayne To saue Demetrius naked as she stode Voyde of all drede dyd her busy cure Her whyte body all bespreynt with blode Gan to cry out on euery creature Alas quod she let me alone endure Deth by my selfe ye be to dispitous To saue my lyfe and slee Demetrius To the erthe anone she fyll adowne To stande vpryght she might nat sustene Deed pale wan with many pitous sowne Dethe of Demetrius gan wofullye bemene Embrasyng him with all his woūdes grene And in her armes albe that he laye deed She kyssed his mouth blew nothyng reed In sorow cōplaynt thus she made an ende I write no more of thys Arcynoe But to Beronices agayne I wyl now wēde For Bochas sayeth in the story ye maye se She after wedded was to worthy Tholome Like as it was her fathers first entent When y ◠he dyed and made his testament ☞ Thus endeth the fourth boke and hereafter foloweth the fyfte Here Bochas vvryteth agaynste them that delyte in beaute and semelynesse callyng to purpose howe a man borne in Tuscan whiche excelled in beaute and fayrnesse and for hys beaute should nat geue other occasion to synne he disfigured hys visage and body wyth manye a great wounde and spotte The first Chapter HEre Bochas scorneth hath disdayne Of thre maner of folke he dyd se In this worlde whiche that in certayne Set at theyr ioy and all their felicite For to excell in fayrenesse and beaute Nat withstandyng as ye well tell can It hath vndone full many a worthy man Recorde he taketh of Demetrius Which in his tyme was fayrest in certeyne Which caused hym to be contrarious To al vertue his story ye haue seyne But of tho folke Bochas hath most disdeyne That busy ben to conquere and recure Beaute by craft which cometh nat of nature The thirde is he y t grutcheth agayne kynde For lacke of stature and of semelynesse And all these thre ben ignoraunt and blynde And agayne reason their corages they dresse Yet aboue beaute vertue is maystresse And lytle worthe is fayrnesse in certeyne In a person where no vertue is seyne Vnto purpose he telleth of a man That excelled all other in fayrenesse Called Spurnia borne was in Tuscan And folke had ioye and great gladnesse To beholde hym for his semelynesse Whose beaute brought women in dotage When they cast her loke on hys vysage Wyues maydens dwellyng in that countre Presed fast on hym to beholde By theccasion of hys great beaute Nat onelye yonge but some that were olde Wyth loues axcesse nowe were they hote nowe colde Thus was hys beaute to many a creature Founde in effecte a perylous lure Husbandes olde caught a fantasy And had a maner suspection Styred by the serpent of false Jelosye Towarde Spurnia as made is mencion But for to auoyde all cruell occasion Of any people that suche malyce thought Ye shall here howe wysely that he wrought To put awaye false dylectacion And all occasions of Cupides rage He of prudence and discretion With many wounde diffaced hys vysage For he dempt it was great domage That by thenchesen of excellent beaute Any creature hyndred shoulde be Philosophers and poetes that were wyse Gaue vnto hym a great commendation That he coude so notably deuyse To fynde a waye within hys reason To set asyde all occasion Of suche vnlefull fleshlye fantasye That might styre women vnto lecherye He knewe afore and saw by experience That all beaute shall waste away and fade Lyke somer flours in theyr moste excellence That growe on hylles or belowe in shade The rose the lyllye whan they be most glade Vpon theyr stalkes theyr prefe is dayly seyne Been beten downe with a stormye reyne And semblably in euery creature Of lowe degre or of hye estate Beauty abideth nat nor lenger doth endure Than youthes ceson w t age is ful checkmate Who thinketh hereon I holde hym fortunate And can afore in his reason caste No worldly beauty in erth mai alway laste ¶ Lenuoye YE worldlye folke that reioyse in beaute Se with the eyen of your aduertence
saylyng home towarde his region In a shyp stuffed of their countre Of false enuy they cast him in the see To his noblesse and famous chiualry Whan he of knighthod sate hiest i his flours They of Cartage by hatred enuy Maligned agayne hym chefe sun of their socours Taclipsed his lyght but theragayn auctours Haue by writyng perpetually set his name And it regestred in the house of fame The .vii. Chapter ☞ How Marcus Regulus of hys freewyll dyed for the common wele WHo can tell or reherse the grounde of werres The fyrst cause of suche mortall outrage Whether it began by influence of sterres Twene man and man or of wylfull rage Atwene Romayns and folkes of Cartage To great hyndryng consydred the manere Of both parties as Bochas doth vs lere Italiens therwith were greued oft Namely whan fortune was theyr aduersary And Affricans felt full vnsoft Whan she to them lyst be contrary Whose course of custome stouÌ„dmeale doth vary By experience it hath be proued wele In y e ouerwhelmynge of her vntrusty whele The most worthy and the most famous Afore remembred vpon eche party Fortune to day made them victorious And to morow she dyd theyr myght defye Now vp nowe downe all stode in ieoperdy Lyke as she lyst them fauour nye or ferre Their losse wining called fortune of werre To some well wylled happy and eurous To some also full straunge of acquayntauÌ„ce Reken amonge other Marcus Regulus On Romayne partye a Prynce of great substaunce To be preferred and put in remembraunce One the most worthy true founde in dede Of knyghtly policy that I can of rede To common profit was aye his aduertence Twene loue and hate standyng so vpryght To nouther syde declyned the balaunce Of his domes for fauour of no wyght Tyll that the eye of hys inwarde syght Conceyued had where the trouth stode Than gaue he sentence and theron he abode In all this world ther was no better knight Better named and borne of good linage A semely person delyuer of great might Hardy as Lyon right manly of visage Wal of Romains sharpe yarde to Cartage Demure nat hasty seynge all thyng toforne And in Papinia I fynde that he was borne And for he had so great discretion This worthye knyght thys Marcus Regulus Chosen he was a Consul of the toun And had a felow called Manlius In armes manly wyse and vertuous Whiche for theyr notable hye constaunce Of Romayne werres had the gouernaunce Theyr shyppes stuffed made a great armye Full prudently with knightly apparayle These princes twayne taken haue the see First with Ciciliens had a great batayle Discomfited them at their arriuayle Outrayed Amylchar the story is no fable That was of Affrike capitayne constable Wan in that countre castels many one Toke prisoners stuffe and great rychesse And all that party to Rome he sent anone By Manlius the story beareth witnesse And the Romayns for his worthynesse All of assent because he was so wyse Prolonged haue the terme of hys offyâ—e Of knyghtly noblesse was none to hym lyke Nouther in armes nor politike ordinaunce And for the conquest of Cartage and Affrike To hym they gaue whole the gouernaunce Brought cities townes to the obeysaunce Of the Romayns thys noble worthy knyght Wher euer he rode maugre their foes myght By his faythfull laborous dilygence Gate all the countreys to Cartage toun Tyll tidynges came vnto hys presence Besyde a ryuer there was a great dragon So horrible as made is mencion That al y â— countre of him stode in such doute No man durst neygh hym ferre aboute An hundred fote twayne was hys length Lyke as writeth Tytus Liuius Was none so hardy man nor of suche strength That durste approche he was so venomous But by the manhode of Marcus Regulus Slayne was this monstrous serpent And for a maruayle the skinne to Rome sent Thus in conquest whyle he dyd his payne To get castels myghty stronge towns Agayne hym were sent Asdruballes twayne Called of Affrike the hardy champions With al the power of their regions But as the story maketh rehersayle They were discomfited in battayle Amylchar after came with speare shelde In defence of Affrike and Cartage And he was also distroyed in the felde With all his host maugre his visage Thus Marcus hadde alwaye the vauntage Making y â— Romains this knyght vertuous Through his prowesse to be victorious And where that he in hys tender age Lyst do labour and tyll his owne lande For exercise and vertuous auauntage To hold the plough lede it with his hande Auoyding slouth as ye shall vnderstande Now through Affrike w t many noble knight In stele and mayle he rydeth armed bryght Thus noble Marke what euer he had ado He was in armes souerayne singulere And in the temple at Rome of Appollo For him was kept a crowne of fresh laurere Forged of golde fret ful of stones clere And in the temple of Ioue was reserued A robe of victory which he hath deserued To these goddes who can consider well Of olde custome the ryghtes to mayntene As for a thyng beyng perpetuell Which fadeth neuer of nature thus I mene Ysacred is the freshe laurere grene For causes twayne grauÌ„ted to conquerours In marcial actes by coÌ„quest made victours For the noblesse of this tre diuine Sheweth his odour in wisdome excellence By the grenesse whiche neuer dothe declyne Longe abydyng of vertuous prudence The rounde crowne betokeneth prouidence In signe onely of knyghtly gouernaunce Taketh his guerdon of longe continuaunce Their strength grauÌ„ted them nat the crowne Nor a proude ginninge stablysheth nat theyr But perseueraÌ„ce who list muse roun Graunteth to them and putteth in memory glory The triumphe and palme of theyr victory The crowne of laurer in story it is tolde And of Jupiter the ryche crowne of golde Who can discerne of all these gyftes thre Most appertayneth vnto chyualry Manly prowesse wisdome anone let se Strength hardynesse conquest and policy For the Romans caught a fantasy For his merites notable and glorious To magnifie this Marcus Regulus For this Marcus durynge his lusty yeres Prince of y â— werres gayn Affrike Cartage Toke all their yonge knightes prisoneres Sent them to Rome for common auauÌ„tage But o alas whan he was fall in age The gery goddesse among her chaunges all Agayne thys prince her fauoure dyd appall For to withstand the prowesse of this knyght In helpe of Affrike as made is mencion Came zantipus of whom I spake now right A mighty duke the whiche was sent doun Fro Lacedemone which through his renoun Whan the power of Marchus gan to fayle His meyny slayne toke hym in battayle Into Cartage sent hym prysonere And there he lay in stronge chaynes bounde Lo how fortune chaunge gan her chere Falsest of truste whan she is most iocounde First fauourable after frowarde founde This is her maner with her double face Folke y t syt hyest to chauÌ„ge
or euer dyd se Of any princes so stedfast and so stable As whylom were in Rome the cite Or in theyr conquest so longe perdurable Of vertue founde of corage vnstauncheable Reken vp all that euer were in that toun And to this Marcus make no comparison Reken Camillus Papyrius Scipions Notable worthy for many great victory Reken vp all the worthy champions Cursius Fabricius famous of memory But this Regulus eclipseth all theyr glory And surmounteth by reporte of renoun All these for sayde in comparison Reken vp y â— four that whylom were so rychâ— The first of them called Lucius Other twayne of condicion lyche As was Scaurus and Gayus Delius And forget nat the great Emilius But for all theyr great possession Make to Marcus no comparison Remembre of Crassus of whome it is tolde The Assiriens to staunche his couetyse Powred in his throte straÌ„gled him w t golde So he dyed the story dothe deuyse And though these foure wende haue be wyse Greatlye commended through false opinion Of them to Marcus make no comparison Touchyng this Marke let men beholde se He left his treasour fredome and rychesse And for the profite of the commonte Forsoke hys freÌ„des Bochas bereth witnesse To further his towne dyed in distresse To kepe hys fayth resorted to pryson Make of none other to hym comparison Myne auctour here putteth in remembrauÌ„ce Some that had golde stones and pierre Some that had of rychesse habundaunce And of other that stode in dignite And some that had worldly prosperite Set all asyde and conclude of reason Twene them and Marcus is no comparison Prynces may lyue after theyr ententes After theyr power frowardly in vices Of gold and purpure wear riche garmentes After theyr lustes and theyr delyces Graunt theyr ministers great offyces Twene all their pompe and vayne ambicion And atwene Marke make no comparison All these thynges remembred in certeyne Wel considred and yput in mynde There was in Rome but fewe suche seyne To common profit that found was so kynde And tyll I may suche another fynde In all thys boke turnynge vp so doun I wyll to hym make no comparison ¶ Lenuoye THys tragedye who that can take hede Is entermedled wyth wo and gladnesse Joye for worshyp and singuler manhede That was in Marke by excellent noblesse To rede his fall it is great heuynesse Whiche chase to dye where as he stode fre Onely for profite of the commonte To kepe hys othe playnely as I rede Made in Cartage there beyng in distresse Thys noble prynce constrayned of no nede But of frewyll myne auctour doth expresse Fro Rome agayne thyther gan hym dresse To suffer tourment of hys fre volunte Onely for the profyt of the commonte Thys story shoulde crowned be in dede With golden letters for to beare wytnesse Howe the sayde Marke hauynge of death no drede To set Rome fro werre in sykernesse Whose hie renome most soue rayn of prowesse May neuer eclypse by none antiquite Which chase to dye to forther the commonte He deserued for to haue the mede Of triumphe and marciall worthynesse And of Jupiter to weare the purple wede Fret full of stones most heueÌ„ly of brightnesse The laureat crowne coÌ„seruyng hys grenesse Graunted to victours who lyst consider se Which chase to dye for the commonte Noble princes whiche that gouerne lede All wordly people take hede in your hynesse To this story trew as is the crede Takyng example to do your busynesse Aye to support mayntayn ryght wysnesse And let Marcus to you a myrrour be Whiche chase to dye to forther the commonte The .viii. Chapter ¶ Howe Tholome kynge of Egypte called Philopater slewe father and mother and hys wyfe in lecherye spent hys lyfe and mischeuouslye ended NExt in order to Bochas complaynyng Vicious of lyfe there came Tholome Called Philopater was of Egypt kyng In tender age by horrible cruelte Slewe father mother suster ye maye se He to be crowned as it is made mencion To reygne alone in that region He was disposed vnto euery vyce Frowarde to vertue and to all doctryne Slewe hys wyfe called Erudice Left hys spouse and toke a concubyne Wasted hys lyfe and gan hym selfe enclyne To all ryote surfet and outrage And in this wyse he spent hys yonge age Thus was disclaundred hys royall maieste In lecherous lustes watched all nyght In bed tyll noone agayne all honeste Of false excesse shope hym anonryght When he arose to drynke agayne myght Gorge vpon gorge to afforce hys lechery The longe daye he spent in glotony I wexe wery the processe for to write Of this tyraunt vicious and wode It is contagious the processe to endite Because the example doth harme no goode And of vengeaunce thus with him it stoode Of sodayne mischefe I rede he dyd fyne Enbraced in armes of hys concubyne Agathoclia playnly was her name And had a sonne called Agathocles Vicious bothe and sclaundred by diffame Noysed by report they were so recheles Bothe at ones take in a sodayne prees With their alies all at ones fet And by iust dome led to the gybet The .ix. Chapter ¶ How Brythomarus and Viridomarus dukes of Fraunce after great batayls were by Romayns slayne NExte Philopater called Tholome Ther came in order a worthy duke of Frauâ—ce Brythomarus out of that couÌ„tre Rode into Grece with a great puysaunce And first he gan to make hys ordinaunce Agayne Romayns albe they were ferre Proudly with them for gynne a werre But they of Rome to theyr confusion By theyr bysâ— oppes and priestes gan deuise To vse a cursed false supersticion Vnto their goddes in full cruell wyse To offer vp men by a newe sacrifice To burye theÌ„ quike in Bochas thus I rede By a false hope the better for to spede Of frauÌ„ce Grece they toke ten in nombre Halfe men womeÌ„ togider twayn twaine And by false murder they dyd theÌ„ encombre Buried theÌ„ quike their dethe was sodayne At this sacrifice the goddes gan disdayne And to the Romayns wexte contrarious For theyr false ryghtes supersticious And by recorde of olde Croniculers The yere fyue hundred fro their foundacion And one and twenty tho beyng consulers Thre in numbre as made is mencion Whiche gouerned and ruled all the toun The first called Lucius Emilius And the seconde Catullus Gaius Actilius Regulus the thyrde consulere By al the senate ordayned were these thre As I haue tolde the selfe same yere For to gouerne and rule the cyte And to preserue them from all aduersite Agayne two peoples of Gaule Lumberâ—y Which them werred of malyce and enuy Of whiche werre y e Romayns stode in doute The Senatours all the citisayns Because agaynste them there came so great a route Of Lumbardes by this halfe the mouÌ„tayâ—s Joyned together with many fell forayns Which stode departed as made is remeÌ„brauÌ„ce Fro them of Rome and theyr obeysaunce The people rude bestiall and vnstable Together assembled
by great falsenesse His subtell sleyghtes and hys doublenesse Them to reherce ye get no more of me For in the byble the story ye maye se. The .xxix. Chapter ⧠Howe Demetrius the seconde lost at the last his head BVt I wyll returne to Demetrius That called was Demetrius the seconde Which by discent came fro Antiochus And by his manhode as it is well founde Dyd the pride of kyng Ballas confounde Called Alysander which by great out rage Had put his father fro his herytage This Demetrius famous and notable Vpon Parthoys had many great victory Tyll kyng Arsacides double and deceyuable Him selfe delytyng greatly in vaynglory By hys sleyghty fraudes deceptory Vnder a shadow of faynyng and false chere Toke Demetrius vnwarely prisonere And to great hindring sclauÌ„der of his name Arsacides by a maner mockery Made Demetrius for dispite and shame Poorly arayed of hate and great enuy For to be led through all Jury Made hym after by great auisement To wed hys doughter agayne hys owne entent This Demetrius was kepte out of prees That but fewe had of hym syght Vnto tyme that Arsacydes Was deed and passed for all his great might Than he cast to escape away by flyght And secretly to accomplishe his entent He gate hym couÌ„sayle that was of his assent Gallymandrus a lorde of that countre Which that was of hys assent in dede In their flight to kepe them more secre Made Demetrius for to chaunge his wede And preuy wayes forth he dyd him lede But all for nought his flight was in vayne For by strong pursute he was taken agayne After by constraynt presented to the kyng That he gan wexe wery of his life Kept more straytly folke on him waytyng And maugre him presented to hys wife With her to abide full heuy and pensyfe But wheÌ„ they had childreÌ„ atwene theÌ„ twaine To go more at large losed was his chayne And thus he had space and fre lycence To go and come at his auauntage For whyle his wife helde with him resydence They dempt hys chyldren were suffisaunt hostage But he was euer vnstable of hys corage With Gallymandrus the foresayde knyght Thre times take brought agayn by flyght And for he was so dyuers many folde Kyng Fâ—ahaâ—es in token he was vnstable Sent him thre dice forged square of golde To play raket as a chylde chaungeable Hys disposition was so varyable But for to restrayne hys condicion He was est take and fettred in pryson But whan fortune had geuen hym a pull By many a diuers straunge aduer site To punish him more Phrahates wexeth dul And Demetrius of pryson was made free Full restored agayne to his countre Wext proude agayne of new it is so fall That he was hated of his lieges all Cleopatra hys mother that was quene Of all Egypt and wyfe to Tholome Was with her lorde at stryfe who lyst sene Which turned after to great aduer sue But to strength her party thus wrought she Made her sonne for to take on hande For her to fyght agayne her husbande But Tholome called Euergetes Gayne Demetrius defended hys countre Made zebenna to put hym selfe in prees Sonne of a marchaunt borne of lowe degre To make a clayme by false subtylte Of all Surry to haue possession For hym allegyng tytle of adoption He to be sonne to Antiochus Claymyng therby the kyngdome of Surry Onely texclude the sayde Demetrius And Tholomeus to sustayne the party Of zebenna with all hys châ—ualry Gathered in Egypt and countreys enuyron Agayne Demetrius proudly is come doun And fortune wyth her double face Caused the countre ryse by rebellion That Demetrius stode clene out of grace Whereby the people of that region Were whole agayne hym in their opinion That by Tholomes wonderfull workyng zebenna there receyued was as kyng Thus zebenna by false intrusion Of all Surry was made lorde and kyng Tytle was there none but collusion Texclude Demetrius by subtle compassyng Yet as I fynde hys party defendyng Howe Demetrius zebenna gan assayle Theyr quarel darreyned w t a great batayle Great people slayne vpon outher syde Demetrius put from hys region And ouercome for hys great pryde At great mischefe to hys confusion Hauyng no succour nor consolacion But with a fewe chose of hys meyne Fled by water to Tyre the cite Lyke as he woulde haue lyued there in pees By a faynt maner of perfection Within the temple of myghty Hercules Vnder a shadowe of religion But sodainly at hys commyng doun Into Tyre and at hys arriuayle His heed smit of what dyd his pride auayle ⧠The .xxx. Chapter ¶ Howe zebenna kyng of Surry by entrusion entryng had mischeuous endyng TOuchyng zebenna of whome I spake toforne Poorely brought vp and of lowe lynage And of kynred but a begger borne Came tofore Bochas trist of hys visage Soore wepyng muet of langage Gan complayne hys wofull auenture Vnware and sodayne impossible to recure Hys condicions somwhat dull and rude Fyrst in pouerte proude and presumptious Appeched after of great ingratitude Shewed in hys lyfe to kyng Autiochus Hys first furtherer the story telleth thus For whyche Antiochus greatly was anoyed Cast a meane by whyche he was distroyed There was a cosyn y t called was Grispus To Antiochus and of the same lyne Whiche by title of Demetrius Claymed as heyre by many vncouth signe To reygne in Surry proudly gan maligne Agayne zebenna whose party to supporte Stode Antiochus chefe as I can reporte This sayd Grispus yonge and tender of age By the furtheryng and supportacion Of Antiochus had in maryage His owne doughter with great possession That zebenna for shorte conclusion Compelled was for all his great myght To Antioche for to take hys flyght And there he fyll in so great pouerte Fayled money for to paye wages The soudyous whyche in that countre Abyde vpon him of all maner ages Strange folke and sundrye of langages Theues inurdres mansteers pyllours First of Jupiter assaylyng the treasours To his disclaunder perpetuall of memory The diffame arose so many folde In Jouis temple the baner of victory He toke away that was of massâ—fe golde With a great ymage that stode there of olde Of golde also with other mo treasours With which pillage he payed the soudiours Of sacrilege hauyng no conscience To escape away he entred is the see But Eolus by great violence With winde and tempest as he dyd flee Dyd vnto hym full great aduersite And all his meyny forsoke hym of entent And he was take and to Grispus sent King of Surry to whoÌ„ wheÌ„ he was brought Gaue on hym by iudgement thys sentence For sacrilege that he had wrought Spoyâ—â—g temples by great violence Doyng to goddes no maner reuerence For which Grispus coÌ„mauÌ„deth hath as iuge He to be slayne there was no better refuge Of byrthe a boy clambe vp to royall stage Brought vp of nought and set in dignite Knew nat hym selfe wext cruell of corage Arose fro pouert to great prosperite
tripet And fro my whele I cast him low doun In his moste hyest domynacion Toke no hede where he dyd laugh or mourne For with no man I do alway soiourne Bochas quod fortune take good hede also Howe I can bothe further and disauayle For ensample se howe Athenyo That whylom was a shepherde in Itayle A brigaunt after marchauntes to assayle Laye in wayte besyde a great mountayne Of fugitiues he was made a captayne Slewe first his lorde a ryche Senatour By violence brake many a stronge prison And for a tyme I gaue hym great fauour To gather robbours about him enuyron All the churles of that region He assembled through his iniquite To holde a werre with Rome the cite Besieged castels brake doun mighty tours Slewe and robbed about in eche countre Spoyled palayses of worthy Senatours Tytle had he none saue tytle of volunte Toke vpon hym of pride and cruelte For to be clad in purple lyke a kyng Bare a scepter amonge his men ridyng Vpon his head ordayned for the nones His golden heare tressed lyke an emperour A â—oyfe enbrouded all of ryche stones Me lyst to laughe that a false robbour By supportacion of my gery fauour Which last nat longe for after in short whyle As is my custome I dyd hym begyle I suffred hym and made hym fayned chere As I haue doen to other mo full ofte Tyll downe fro Rome was sent a Consulere Which toke him proudly henge him alofte His churles slayne some of them nat softe In cheynes bounde for shorte conclusion Were dempt by lawe to die in prison By whiche story Bochas thou mayst lere A great party of my condicion But now in hast a story thou shalt here Howe in the yere fro the foundacion More than sixty C. I meane of Rome toun Was a gatheryng a great company Together sworne by false conspyracy Them to withdraw fro the obeysance Of a Tribune called Clodoue Which for knighthode had gouernaunce And was sent downe from Rome cyte With myghty hande to rule a great countre Called Champayne and playnlye for to say The people there lyst hym nat obay Thre score and four were of them in numbre That named were chefe conspyratours Whiche y â— cast theÌ„ their captayne to encoÌ„bre w t multitude of theues robbours Whiche chase amonge theÌ„ to be their supportours Thre mighty captaynes of which there was one Called Spartharcus chefest of echone Gadred churles made them selfe stronge On an hye hyll toke their dwellyng place Hauing no regarde were it right or wronge To spoyle the countre beastes to enchace I cherished them with a benigne face For a season and gaue them liberte By false rauyne to robbe the countre What thing is more cruel in comparison And more vengeable of wyll nat of ryght Than whan a churle hath domination â–ª Lacke of discretion blyndeth so the syght Of comuners for defaute of lyght When they haue power couÌ„treis to gouerne Fare lyke a beast that can nothyng discerne Gladiators folkes dyd them call For their swordes wer with stele made fyne For to fight gayne wilde beastes all As lyons beares bores and wylde swyne And the mountayne where they dyd lyne Called Venuse and through their cruelte Slewe and robbed about in eche countre Spartharchus was their chefe captayne Brought vp of nought borne of low degre But Claudius a mighty stronge Romayne Was sent with power fro Rome the cite For to defende and saue the countre The hyll besieged before them as he lay He was rebuked beate and driuen away Many of them that kept the mountayne Were hurte that day the story telleth thus AmoÌ„ges which was slaine a great captayne That was felow vnto Spartharchus As I fynde he hight Inomaus For whose deth was take so great veÌ„geauÌ„ce That all the countre felt therof greuaunce They of the mountayne all of one assent Without mercy or remission Most vengeable haue robbed and brent All the countre about them enuyron Tyll two Consulers came fro Rome doun The first of them called Lentulus Both put to flight by y â— sayd Spartharchus Wherof the romayns greatly dismayed The Senatours of indignacion Bothe ashamed in them selfe affrayed Sent one Crassus a great lorde of the toun With the nombre of a legion And whan y t he on Spartharcus fyrste set Slewe of his men sixe M. whan they met And afterwarde besyde a great ryuer Called Salayre they had a great batayle Where Spartharcus stode in great daunger For his chere and countenaunce gan fayle Thurty thousande clad in plate mayle Were slayne y t day there gayned no raunson All their capitayns assigned to prison Without all this as made is mencion Sixty thousande in the felde lay dede And sixe thousande were sent to prison The felde with bloude stayned made rede And fourscore M. quakyng in their drede Were thylke day after the romayne gyse Take to mercy receyued to fraunchyse And Spartharcus at mischefe put to flight Whan I from him turned my visage He loste chere he lost also his might Whan I appalled the fyne of his passage And for he was a churle of his lynage Of his encrees I lyked nothyng wele Therfore vnwarly I cast him fro my whele Of my maners to make a greatter prefe There was another famous greate robbour Which through Spayne was a disclaundred thefe And for he dred of iustice the rigour Trusting he shulde fynde in me socour Called Vrinatus he Spayne anon forsoke And to Rome the right way he toke Gadred meyny of his condyrion Of euery secte to make him selfe stronge Theues and robbours of euery region Many a churle was medied them amonge His name tencreace were it right or wronge What euer he gate in cyte or village With his soudyours he parted the pyllage Thus by my helpe he came to greate richesse Which brought in pride and presumpcion He nat prouyded of my doublenesse Gan to maligne agayne Rome toun But by the prudence of last Scipion Sonne of Lepidus makyng therof no boste He slayne was by them he trusted moste By whiche ensample notable of remeÌ„brauÌ„ce Shewed heretofore John Bochas vnto the Thou mayst know in party my puysaunce My sodayne chaunges my mutabylite And for to auoyde all ambuguite To declare the summe of myne entent Great Marius to thee I do present Blacke his wede and his habyte also His heed vnkempt his lockes hore and gray His loke downe cast in token of sorow wo On his chekes the salte teares lay Whiche bare recorde of his deadly affray Wherfore Bochas do thy penne dresse To discryue his mortall heuynesse His robe stayned was with romayne blode His sworde aye redy whet to do vengeaunce Lyke a tyraunt most furyous and wode In slaughter murdre set all his plesaunce Yet nat forthy I gaue him gouernaunce Ouer the people rose on my whele vp fast But as vnwarely downe I dyd him cast Twene him Scilla y â— woful deadly stryues At large herafter Bochas thou
shalt wryte How many romaynes lost by theÌ„ their liues I wyll also in ordre that thou endyte And if I shall rebuke them and atwyte As I fro nought made them in honour shine So I again warde made theÌ„ in mischef fine Forget nat also the deadly pytous fate Of him that was so notable in his lyfe I meane the great famous Mithridate Whose name is yet full couthe and ryfe To whom I gaue a great prerogatyfe Fourty wynter the dede was well sene Agayne Romayns the werre to sustene For whiche herafter I gyue it the in charge Of Mithridate the story set alonge Whan thou haste leyser a space large Remember his conquest his dedes stronge And howe that I medled me amonge For al his noblesse and his felicite To yeue him parte of great aduersite Next in ordre after her owne choys Fortune vntrusty vpon eche party To John Bochas bothe conuayed fro Parthoys Stronge Herodes reignyng in Parthy Lo John quod she take hede of this story All his kinred yf it be well out sought Wer by ScithieÌ„s chased brought to nought And yet for al my mutabylite Some of them whyle they stode dispayred I restored vnto their dignite Vnto which whan they were repayred This Herodes was hindred and apayred By chaunges for his hatefull pride Whan he lest wende vn warely set asyde Suyng after within a lytle whyle This geryshe lady of condicion Gan an yll laughing falsely for to smyle Lokyng on Bochas brought with her doun A mighty prince which in Rome toun Had in his dayes notable price and fame All be that she expressed nat his name Bochas than his head gan downe declyne Seyng that prynce of face disfigured Of suspection gan to ymagyne Whan he his mynde fully hath recured By certayne tokens sygnes well assured It was Pompey surquedous of estate Which with Cesar so longe was at debate Disconsolate through his vnhappye caas His face soyled with water of the see Tyme whan Fotynus and cruel Achyllas Drowned hys body of furyous enmyte His face disfigured at the solempnyte With smokes blake deadly and mortall Called of clerkes the feast funerall Codrus caused the corps was brent And consumed into ashes deed To Cesar after his head was borne and sent Vpon a pole hys story who lyst rede After all this Bochas toke good hede How fortune by a maner mockery In scorne of hym gan thus to specify Vp to the heauen after his deuyse I gan enhaunce and encrease hys glory By my fauour I gaue hym many a pryse Conquest of kynges w t many great victory And more to put his noblesse in memory By my support through his chiualry With Cesar Julius to holde champarty And while that I my fauour dyd applye Towarde him his victories to assure His fame arose tyll that in Thessalye I gan withdraw his party to succoure Sufferyng his enemies make discomfiture Vpon this Pompey hyndred in my syght When to Lesbos at mischefe toke hys flyght By the seruauntes of yonge Tholome Reygning in Egypt Pompey in his drede Was take slayne he founde no helpe in me I gaue him vp and so he lost his hede Yet of my chaunges no man taketh hede Nor how vnsurely I cast my dredefull loke Saue thou art busy to set them in thy boke Bochas astonied parcell of her presence Bothe of chere face and countenaunce And this whyle hauyng his aduertence Thought he sawe a maner resemblaunce Of a person which stode in great greuaunce Tyll at last fortune cast her syght Towarde Bochas and tolde what he hyght This is quod she playnly to termine The famous man prynce of eloquence That gaue to Latynes y â— scole the doctrine Of Rethorike as well of that science For whiche I wyll thou doe thy diligence To write with other of thys Tullius All the case and gyn at Marius These wordes sayde fortune made an ende She bete her â—ynges and toke her to flyght I can nat se what way she dyd wende Saue Bochas telleth like an angell bryght At her departyng she shewed a great lyght But assone as she gan disapere He toke his penne and wrote as ye shal here The .ii. Chapter ¶ Howe Gayus Marius of lowe byrth borne came to hie estate whiche blent with couetise after many great batayls dyed at myschefe HEre Bochas gynneth to tell of the man Called in hys tyme Gayus Marius Borne at Aprina a castell of Tuscan Sonne of a carpenter the storye telleth thus Pursued armes manly and vertuous Through all Rome nor in that countre Was there no man holde so stronge as he Discyplyne and great subtylite He had also as bokes specify Prudence manhode and habylite Bothe in armes and in chyualry Moste famous holde towarde the party w tin a while myne auctour saythe certayne Chose a Tribune and a great capitayne But fro the gynnyng of his tendre age As histories put in remembraunce He was pricked so sore in his corage By a gredy fret of longe contynuaunce Neuer to staunche with none habundaunce The worlde nor fortune w t all their richesse Suffyled nat to appease his gredynesse Entring a temple he founde a diuynour Counsayled him there by his diuynayle To entre Rome and holde there soiour By good auice and knightly apparayle Made him promyse that he shoulde nat fayle To attayne by fauour of the commonte To great office and state in the cyte Fauour of commons brought hi to hie estate By them receyued vnto dignyte Of Consulere albe that the Senate Had disdayne of his felicite Bycause he was borne of lowe degre Graunted to him after by the toun To conquere realmes by a commissyon He gate the prouince through his hie renoun Of Numedy as he dyd them assayle And toke the kyng of that region Called Jugurtha proudly in batayle For whiche emprise by marcial apparayle He gate y e triumphe through y â— town ryding Bycause onely for taking of that king And for he was a person so notable For many a famous sodayne victory Namely in conquest preued profitable To all the coÌ„mons as put is in memory And for thencreace of his renome glory By the opinyon hole of the cyte In his hande lay all their prosperite Agayne a people y â— called was Cymbroys TheÌ„ to conquere froÌ„ Rome he was sent doun Also agaynst the boystous Tigurnoys Gadred together of many nacion All them he brought to subiection Like as Romains had afore desyred Because thei had againe their town coÌ„spired They toke vpon them of false presumption To passe all the mountaines of Itayle First discomfited as made is mencion Thre Romayne dukes felly in batayle Fourscore thousand clad in plate and mayle Slayne of Romayns y â— story is well knowe Vnder the Alpes at mischefe ouerthrowe This Marius of marciall auenture In Germany had a great batayle With Tewtobochus a gyaunt of stature Put first to flyght with al his apparayle For Marius dyd hym so sore assayle At the chace
messangere To helpe Flaccus slayne by great aduersite As he entred in to that countre After whose dethe his party to auaunce Of Flaccus meyny toke the gouernaunce Of presumption without auctorite This Fymbria by dyligent labour Full ferre aboue his state and his degree Toke vpon 〈◊〉 by fortunes false fauour To be called capitaine and Emprour Through al that countre bokes specify Of whose presumpcion Scilla had enuy Pursued him through many a greate citye To a castel made him take hys flyght Where Fymbria of great necessite Constrained was maugre all hys myght Dyspayred for sake of euery maner wyght To slee hym selfe the storye telleth thus Wythin the temple of Esculapius The .vii. chapter ¶ Of Albinius that was slayne with stones ANother Consull stoode in case semblable In his tyme called Albinius Whose hareful pride was abhominable To al folkes lothsome and odious Whiche lyke a rebel wode and furious Agayne Romayns ofter than ones Whan he lest wende slayne was w t stones The .viii. chapter How Adriane borne of lowe degre falsly vsurped to be kyng of Rome whyche w t his chorles was after brent NExt cam Adrian which rose to hie estate Fyrst in Rome borne of lowe degre Chosen sent by the whole Senate To gouerne of Affrike the countre Where of hys owne pompous auctorite Toke vpon him by subtel false workynge Maugre Romayns ther to be crowned king Whom to support shortly to conclude Was a great numbre of the cōmonte Of chorles gadred a confuse multitude Title was none nor grounde but volunte Gentlemen than beyng in that countre All of assent and one opinion Assembled them to his distruction At Vtices a large great cyte Hym and his churles beset rounde aboute Of woode and fagot with large quantite In cōpas wise closed him without Gadred with him of vylayns a great rout Layd on fyre that with flames rede Echone consumed in to ashes deade The .ix. chapter Howe Sinthonius kinge of Trace y t much coueted al forwet died in pouerte NExt Adrian came Sinthonius Tofore Bocas w t teres spreint his face As the story reherseth vnto vs In hys tyme he was kynge of Trace Fal sodainly from fortunes grace Cast downe lowe from his estate royal Which came to Bochas to complayne his fal Whose purpose was if it woulde haue be Seuen realmes to haue cōquered w t his hād That were subget to Rome the cytie And all seuen were of grekes lande Who al coueteth ye shal vnderstande He al forgothe ful wel affyrme I dare At vnset houre wherof eche man beware Long or his conquest was brought to a prefe From her whele fortune cast hym doun The pretor Sēcius brought him to mischiefe Dyed in pouerte as made is mencion And Bochas here maketh a digression Compendiously within a lytell space To discriue the region of Trace The .x. Chapter ¶ Here Bochas in partye maketh a dyscripcion of the kyngdome of Trace and passeth ouer lyghtlye vnto the accōplyshment of his boke TRace whylom a countre of greate fame And contayneth a ful large space And of Tyras it toke fyrst y ◠name Son of Japhet and so was called Trace Whyche many a daye dwelled in that place Towarde Septemtrion plenteous of good Besyde Dynoe the large famous flode Southward Trace renneth the flode Egee Macedone standeth in the Occydent And the kyngdome called Propontide Stant in Trace towarde the Oryent Where great plente of blod was shed spente Whan Sencius through his hye prowesse Kyng Adrian there manly dyd oppresse Ebrus in Trace is the chefe citie As myne auctour maketh mencion I cast not long to tary but in breuite To make of Trace a discripcion And to procede in my translacion After myne auctor which wryteth a lōg proces Of great Pompeye his worthynes The .xi Chapiter ¶ Howe after many great conquestes of Duke Pompeye great warre began bytwene hym and Julyus in whiche thre hūdred thousād were slaine at the last the head of Pōpeye smytten of THys Pompeius of whom the name is couth Wise and worthy famous of prowesse Toke vpō hym in his tendre youth After his father by fortunate duresse Called Pōpeye the story beareth wytnesse Distressed was by sodaine deth commynge As sayeth y ◠story through thūdre lyghtning His host dystroyed by the violence Of vnware tempest lyke as saith the boke Fourty thousand slayne in that pestilence For feare the remenaunt the felde forsoke Til yonge Pōpeye of corage on him toke In his beginning proudely to procede Ful lyke a knyght his fathers host to lede Rome that tyme by theyr dyscencions Among them selfe nye brought to ruyne By the frowarde false diuysions Twene Marius Silla brefely to termine Tyl that a new sonne gan to shyne Of worthynes which shad his light In manly Pompeye the famous knyght This sayde Pompeye thys knyghtly man At his begynnyng through hys chyualrye The proude captayne slough whan he began Whych of Marius helde vp the party Called Brutus which in Lombardy Was by Pōpey thrugh knightly gouernaūce With al hys host brought to mischaunce In hys begynning Pompey eke also To set Romaynes in rest quiete One that was called Gneus Carbo He slew him knyghtly whan he did him mete Whych in Cicyle proudly helde his sete And all the countres about him enuyron Pompey made thē subiect to Rome toun After al this Pompeyus on the see Wyth many a shyp stuffed with vytaile Towarde Affrike made a great armee And there in hast after his arriuaile With Domicius had a great battayle Brought the coūtre throughe his hye renoun To be to Rome vnder subiection He pursued the great myghty kynge Called Jertha to Marius honorable And had also hys royall abydynge In Numidy a countre full notable Againe Pompey hys power was not able For at a Castel as they met in fyght He slewe kynge Jertha lyke a māly knyght Thus in brefe tyme holdyng his passage For cōmon profyte as made is mencion By hys wisedome and knightly hye corage Brought al Affrike to subiection Which stode afore in rebellion To the Romayns but all their sturdines The sayd Pompey dyd in haste redresse The greatest enemy agayne Rome toun Thylke dayes was one Sertorius And of fortune whych is nowe vp now doun On Pompeye ones was victorious But after soone of hym it happed thus Among his meyny fallynge at debate He slayne was in hys most hye estate After the deth of thys Sertorius Came Porpenna Pompeye to assayle And as they mette anone Pompeius Ful lyke a knyght slewe him in battaile Which victory greatly dyd auayle To the Romains after by gouernaunce He brought Spayne to their obeysaunce By auctorite gyue by the Senate This Noble Pompeye for vayle of the cite Vpon the sea would suffer no Pyrate Where euer he came fro hym they dyd flee For wyth his shyppes he scoured so the see And bare hym there so māly with hys hande That maugre thē he brought thē to the land Al
the pyrates and these false robbours I gadred out were of the region Called Sylla whych lyke to rauinours Made agayne Rome a conspiracion Robbed and spoyled saylyng vp and doun Romayne marchātes people of ech countre That none was so hardy to passe by the see After Pompey had made the see to obey That Pyrate none durst theron abyde He by the Senate was sent out to warrey Towarde thorient his knightes by his syde And where soeuer that he dyd abyde Mine auctour writeth by influence of heauē His conquest was swifte as fyre or leuin And to the encrease of his eternal glorye Perpetually to get hym a name Hys laude and renome to put in memorye He buylded a cite in Asia of great fame Called Nichopoly Bochas sayeth the same Twene two flodes that one Araxases And that other was called Eufrates He buylded this cite onely of entent That Romayne knyghtes y t were fall in age And such as were in the warres spent Shoulde of custome haue their herbergage Thys was the custome and vsage In that cite alway and not fayle Beddyng and clothes spendyng vytayle Pompeye after rode in to Armeny Rebell to Rome where Tigranes was king Fought w t him there through his chyualry Disconfyted hym there was none abidynge Where Tigranes hym selfe submyttynge Vnto Pompeye wyth euery circumstaunce Euer to abyde vnder hys obeysaunce Than in al haste Pompey gan hym hye To ryde to Asia where lyke a manly knyght He gate the kyngdome called Albanye Whych toke his name who so loke aryght Of whytnes for euery maner wyght That there is borne by recorde of writynge White as snowe hath his heer shynyng There ben houndes marueilous of nature For tassaile bulles and lyons No wylde beast may agayne them endure So Pompeye by many regions Rode thrugh Armeny with hys champions Where growen herbes y ◠may neuer faynt What euer colour man lyst wyth thē paynt Conquered realmes aboute in euery coost Of Hiberie he gate the region And Arsaces the kynge wyth al hys host Disconfited as made is mencion With his power to Surry he came doun Than to Fenice a kyngdome of great fame Whyche of Fenix whylome toke his name Brought al these countrees to subieccion Of Sidonye the myghty strong cyte Of Iturie he toke possessyon Chrugh Araby he came downe to Jude Whyche of Jewes was sometime the coūtre Of Libanus he passed the mountaine Where Ceders growe as authours sayne Sent tofore him entring in that realme One Gabinius a myghty stronge constable Reignyng that tyme in Jerusalem Aristobolus a prince ful notable And for the temple was strong pregnable Layde a siege about in bred and length Space of thre monthes gate it so by strength Three M. Jewes vnder y e wall were founde Dead at the assaut whych made resistence The wal after beaten downe to grounde Pompey than by sturdy violence Is entred in without reuerence Sancta sanctorum men that place call Made by Hyrcanus hyest preist of all The great byshoppe Aristobolus Sent to Rome in myghty cheynes boūde Towarde Septētrion I fynde wrytten thus Gate .vii. kingdōs with citees walled roūde Rebel to Rome he dyd them confounde Wyth myghty swerde gate all the countre Fro Caucasus downe to the reed see In his conquest it sempt verily As the goddes had done theyr cure And that fortune was wyth them eke busy This mighty Pompey prince of Assure What euer hym list by conquest to recure In Spayne he gate whan they were rebels Thre C. cytees and .lx. stronge castels Harde to remembre his conquestes echone Al the prowesses of thys knyghtly man Towarde the partie of Septentrion A thousande castels I fynde that he wan Sixe hundred mo fro tyme that be began Eight and thirty citees out of dout With mighty walles closed rounde aboute Peyse his dedes his conquestes marciall Thrise Consul chose for his encrees Rede ye shall fynde howe he was egall To Alysandre or to Hercules Where that euer he put hym selfe in prees Al came to hande concludyng ye maye se To commen profite of Rome the cyte His marcial dedes to put in remembraunce One was chose to do his diligence To enacte his conquestes in substaunce And his knighthode to singuler excellence And Trifanes famous of eloquence Assigned was vnto that labour Toke his guerdon of the common treasour Pompey of Rome was chefe gouernour Cesar absente in Gaule a far countre Which time Pompey stode in great fauour Both of Fortune and Rome the citye Somwhat made blynde of hys prosperite Purposyng in his clymbing not stable He would haue none y ◠were to hym sēblable Vnto purpose was sayd ful yore agone Howe that loue nouther hye lordshyppe Prefe hath bene made in many mo than one Nouther of thē would haue no felowshyppe Eche by his own would hys partie kepe In these two cases brother vnto brother Fayleth at a poynt eche wyll put out other To Pompey resortynge nowe agayne He toke on him al the gouernaile Of y ◠Romains as ye haue herde me sayne Both of estates commons and porayle And for his parte al that myght auaile In makinge lawes statutes or decre Al vp engrosed by hys aucthoritie Folke this while which that had enuy Towarde Cesar in his long absence Let make a lawe by conspiracy And a statute concluding in sentence Without excepcion fauoure or reuerenc◠No man should by wil of the Senate In his absence be chose to none estate Nor be admitted by no procuratoure To haue aucthorite of dignite or office In court of Tribune nor of Senatoure To be promoted this was theyr aduice Wer he neuer so manly nor so wise This lawe ordained by folke enuious For hyndring onely of Cesar Julius Whan Julius knewe their false working Fro Gaule sent vp to the cite Al the Senate requiring by wrytyng To graunt him by their auctorite Of triumphe the notable dignite To haue also the offyce and estate Called in Rome the second Consulate For hym allegyng many a great vyctorye In diuers countrees done for the cite Many conquestes notable of memorye Wrought by the knyghthode of his equite Requiringe them guerdoned for to be But contrary vnto his entent They denied him al by one assent Which was chefe grounde rote occasion That brought in fyrst the controuersye Ciuil discordes and frowarde deuision Whan euery man drought to hys partie Of olde hatered to kyndel newe enuy Causing princes Julius and Pomey To theyr confucion eche other to warrey The triumphe denied to Cesar Fraude of Pōpey made him therof fayle Of whose disceite Julius was ware Made him redy wyth many a strong battaile Passed ouer the Aipes of Itayle Fully in purpose playnely if he might With the Romains and Pōpey for to fight Thus gan the warres atwene these princes twayne Pōpey chose for partie of the toun To be their duke and captayne souerayne Agayne Cesar as made is mencion And thus alas the desolacion Sued of the cite by many a strange
during al his life Maried he was had a right fayre wyfe Children many seruauntes yong and olde And as I finde he helde a good houshoulde De Officiis he wrote bokes thre De Amicitia I fynde how he wrote one Of age another notable for to se Of morall vertue they treated euerychone And as Vyncent wrote full yore agone In his myrrour called Hystoriall Nombre of his bokes be there remeÌ„bred all He wrote also the dreme of Scipion Of rethorike compiled bokes twayne And twayne he wrote of diuinacion Of titell of land to write he did his paine A large boke of glorie that is vaine Dere Publica and he saith him selue Of his oracions he wrote bokes twelue And of his dities that called be morall Is remembred notably in dede In the said myrrour Historiall And yet this said Tullius as I rede Myd his worshyps stode alway in drede Of fortune for in conclusion He by enuy was banished Rome toun Beyng in exile this famous Tullius At Campania in Atiue the cite Receiued he was of one Plaucius A man that time of great authorite And while that he abode in that countre Sleping a night the boke maketh mencion How that he had a wonders vision He thought thus as he laie sleping In a desert and great wildernesse Finding no pathe but to and fro romyng Howe he mette cladde in great richesse Gaius Marius a prince of great noblesse Askyng Tulli with a sadde countenaunce What was chefe and cause of his greuaunce Whan Tullius had him the cause tolde Of his disease and his mortal wo Marius with his hande set on him holde To a â—ergiaunt assigned him right tho And in all hast bad him he should go To conuey him do his bu sy cure In all hast possyble to his sepulture Where he should haue tidinges of plesaunce Of his repeyre in to Rome towne Be alleyed of his olde greuaunce This was th ende of his auision The next morow as made is mencion There was hold to Tullius great aueile Tofore Jupiter in Rome a great counsayle Within the temple buylded by Marius The Senatours accorded were certaine To reconsile this prudent Tullius Out of his exile to call him home againe After receiued as lord and soueraine Of eloquence by assent of the Senate Fully restored vnto his fyrst estate This thinge was don whan y â— Rome toun Was at grettest strife twene Cesar PoÌ„pey And for Tullius drue him to Caton With Pompeius Cesar to warrey And of Julius the partie disobey Out of Rome Tullius dyde him hie Fledde with Pompey in to Thessalie Cesar after of his free mocion Whan he stode hiest in his glorie Hym reconsyled againe to Rome town Vpon Pompey accomplished the victorie But Julius slaine in the consistorie By sixty Senatours being of assent Tullius againe was in to exile sent And in a cite called Fariman Tullius his exile dyd endure For Antonius was to him enemy than Bycause that he percase of auenture Compiled had an inuectife scripture Agayne Antony rehersing all the caas Of his defautes and of Cleopatras Thus of enuy and of mortall haterede His deth compassed by Antonius And afterward execute in dede By procuring of one Pompilius Gate a coÌ„mission the storie telleth thus Of false malice and forthe anone went he In to Gayre of Compayne the cite And by the vertue of his commission Taking of Antony licence and liberte Chefe rethorician that euer was in the toun Among Romains to worshyp the cite Was slaine alas of hate and enmyte By Pompilius rote of all falshead Profering him selfe to smite of his head Tullius afore had be his defence Fro the galowes and his dethe eke let Which had deserued for his great offence To haue ben banged vpon an hie gybet Who saueth a thefe whan the rope is knet About his necke as olde clerkes write With some false turne y e bribour wil hi quite Lo here the vice of ingratitude By experience brought fully to a prefe Who in his hert treason doth enclude Cast for good wyl to do a man reprefe What is the guerdon for to saue a thefeâ— Whan he is escaped loke and ye shall fynde Of his nature euer to be vnkinde This Pompilius traitour most odible To shewe him selfe false cruell veÌ„geable Toward Tully did a thing horrible Whan he was dead this brâ—bour most culpable Smit of his right haÌ„d to heare abominable With which hande he lerning on him toke To write of vertues many a famous boke The hande the head of noble Tullius Which euery man of right ought complaine Were take and brought by Pompilius Vpon a stake set vp both twayne There to abide where it did shyne or rayne With wynde weder tyll they were defyed In token al fauour was to him denied ⧠The .xvi. Chapter * A chapiter againe ianglers and dyffamers of rethorike BOchas complaining in hys studye alone The death of Tulli and the wofull fall Grudging in hert made a pitous mone The folke rebuking in especiall Which of nature be boystous and rurall And hardy ben for they no conning haue Craft of rethorike to hindre and depraue Clerkes olde did greatly magnifie This noble science that were expert wyse Called it parte of philosophy And said also in their prudent auise There be thre partes as tresours of gret prise Compiled in bokes and of olde prouided In to which Philosophie is deuided The first of them called is Morall Which directeth a man to good thewes And the second called Natural Telleth the kinde of goodmen and shrewes And the thirde racionall well shewes What men shal voide and what thing vnderfong And to that partie Rethorike doth belong By Tullius as authours determine Of his person rehersing in substaunce Traunslated was fro Greke into Latine Craft of rethorike and for the abundance Of eloquence stuffed with plesaunce All oratours remembred him toforne Was there none like nor after him yet borne Bochas also saithe in his writinges And preueth wele by reason and sentence To an oratour longeth four thinges First natural wyt practike with science Vertuous life chefe grounde of eloquence Of porte aâ—d maner that he be tretable These meanes had mine auctor hold hi able In his writing and in his scriptures Bochas wele parceiueth it must nedes ben Howe y â— of right there long fiue armures To euery notable rethoricien Sette here in order who list them sene Whiche he calleth rehersing in sentence The fiue baners longing to eloquence The fyrst of them called Inuencion By whiche a man dothe in his hert finde A secrete grounde founded on reason With circcÌ„staunces y t nought be left behinde Fro poynt to poynte imprinted in his minde Touching y â— matter y e substaunce the great Of whiche he cast notably tentreat Another armure in order the seconde Of right is called Disposicion As of a matter whan the grounde is founde That euery thing by iust deuision Be voide of al foreine digression So disposed touching
maner of liuyng Of tilth labour to Ianus that was kyng Afore whose commyng tofore as I you tolde Craft was none vsed by no creature Nor no building of houses newe nor olde But liued as beastes their liuelode to recure Lyke as they were learned of nature They coude tho daies make no cloth ne shape Of frosty wethers the greuous colde tescape They were not busy by costfull apparayle Of sundry meates and confections Of diuers drinkes manifolde vitayle To be curious to their refections Marketts were none in cities nor in tounes No man wyth other bought nor solde Tyll Saturne came theÌ„ the maner tolde And whan he had taught them the manere And set an ordre of their gouernaunce There symple people as bokes do vs lere Lyke as to god did their attendaunce w t certaine rightes to do their obseruaunce Worshipped him and after did him call Saturne most myghty of their goddes al. After this Saturne was made a petegre To set an ordre conueied from his lyne Discending downe the maner who list se To one Latinus and so forth to Lauine Which was his doughter as poetes determie Thus by disceÌ„t fro Saturne Faunus Borne of their blode came Vitellius The fyrst knyght borne of that linage Bycause he was manly and ryght famous Had in armes prowesse and great corrage He called was Vitellius Publius And of him came Vitellus Lucius Father to him mine auctour doth expresse Of whom that I haue gonne this processe Diuers stories remembre plainly tell During hys youthe and stode at liberte How this for sayde that called was Vitell Was the most vicious y â— any where might be Yeue to ribaudy and al dishoneste Because of which chauÌ„ged was his name Called Spintour a name of great diffame I finde that he was an hasardour In all his workes passyng riotous For his surfetes great with the emperour That whilom was called Claudius And for his dedes and maners outragious For his great waste and prodigalite Of great dispce he fell in pouerte Amonge his riotes surfetes moe than one Whiche he did in countreis here and there I finde that he for nede solde a stone Which his mother bare whylom at her eare For by olde time was vsed who list lere Women that were that tyme of hye degre Bare at their eares stones and perre And by the sellyng of that rych stone For whych that he receyued great treasour By subtyll workyng sleightes mo than one He gate him trendes was made emperour And therewithall he dyd eke his labour To receyue another dignite To be chefe byshop in Rome the cite And in short tyme thys Vitellius Of th empyre toke on him al the state The sworde receiued of Cesar Julius Vsed a garnement that was purpurate Dempt of him selfe he was most fortunate Not w t staÌ„ding more boldely that time atleest Of Aliensoys holden was the feest Aliensoys was a solempnite Amonge Romaynes kept by dayes olde In freÌ„ch myne auctour recordeth thus parde And in that tyme of custome no man shoulde Nor by statute bounde was nor holde To do no maner occupacion That touched vnto religion Duryng this feast he should haue hys askyng By a custome vsed in that cite And Vitellius as emperour and kyng Asked that time another dignite To be chefe byshop and haue auctorite Of that estate wyth power hole playne No man so hardy to reply theragayne From al vertue Vytel dyd vary Set at nought al wysdome and science Thought vnto him was not necessary CoÌ„ning knighthode maÌ„hode nor prouideÌ„ce Gaue hym onely to slouth and negligence To glotony folowyng his desyres Watche alnyght wyth drinke â—eresoupers Beyng a byshop of their panym lawe Lyke romayne ryghtes doynge their seruise Tofore the goddes he wold him selfe w tdrawe And cast asyde senser and sacrifice And call a boy in ful vngodly wyse A kechyn boye tofore the hye auter And hym coÌ„mauÌ„ded to bryng hym hys dyner Beyng arayed in his pontificail For the maner voyde of deuocion Lyke a ribaude or lyke a wode minstral Euer dronkle we and out of all ceason Gorge vpon Gorge this excessyue gloton Most ydropike dranke oft agayne lust The more he dranke the more he was athrust Thys was a byshop sacred for Sathan And an emperour crowned wyth mischauÌ„ce More lyke in porte a beast than a man Vsed al his power in slaughter vengeauÌ„ce To shed blode was set all hys pleasaunce Takynge no hede nouther of wrong ne right And thus he wexte hatefull to euery wyght Hys soudiours forsoke hym nye echone In al parties by hym where they were sent Through al the countreis of Septemtrion And in al Surry towarde the orient Of one accorde and all of one assent Echone forsoke hym wyth him bode not a maÌ„ And became seruauntes to Vaspasian Vitellius sawe it wolde be none other And for feble of dronknenes and outrage And sawe the power gan fayle of hys brother Whan he had sent and signed the voyage Agayne Vaspasian to holde hys passage But al for nought backward went hys party Stode dyspayred of euery remedy Thus Vitellius vnhappy to the werres Lyke a fordronke vnhappy gloton Whose bost afore raught vp to the sterres Now al hys pryde in mischefe is come doun Fayne for to accord to thys conuencion For litel treasour whych men shoulde hym assygne To Vaspasian th empyre to resygne Thys was his promise but he held it nought What he sayd his worde was neuer stable Certaine flaterers chauÌ„ged had hys thoughte And certayne comoÌ„s that euer be chauÌ„geable Gaue him couÌ„saile sayd hym selfe was able To gouerne thestate imperial And none so able for to reken al. Fyrst of Almayne he sent out soudiours And of presumpcion a newe werre he gan Thought y â— he was amoÌ„ge other werriours Able to fight agayne Vaspasian And of auenture it befell so than In these werres Vaspasians brother Yslayne was it woulde be none other This froward man called Vitellius Vngracious euer founde in hys entent Smyt of the head of the sayde Fabius Brother of VaspasiaÌ„ and to Rome it sent And after that the Capitoyle he brent But suynge on within a lytel space Among Romayns he lost both hap grace Of hys riot what shoulde I more entrete For except riot nothynge of hym I rede His coke his pastelere folke were most mete To serue his lustes and appetites to fede Forsoke him not but went wyth hym in dede Toward Champayne ryght as any lyne Vp to a hyll called Auentyne Standing in hope but that was but in vayne Of Vaspasian the fauour to recure Euyn to Rome retourned is agayne The palays entred there him selfe to assure Hauyng with him none other creature The gates shyt whych was to him shame Take at the last forsoke hys owne name Halfe naked he was and halfe clad Al alone lyke as he was founde So in the citie afore the people lad Both his handes behynde hys backe bounde With mighty chaines and
Gan in Asia and with his host came doun By tygre Eufrates knightly so rydyng Towarde the partyes of Septemtryoâ— â–ª To Caucasus not ferre fro Babylon And all Surrye he proudlye dyd assayle And Capadoce he wan eke by batayle Whom for to mete came Vale rian To Mesopotayme with many legions The werre was stroÌ„g but this knightly man This hardy Sapor with his champions The felde hath wonne with all the legions Afore reherced and through Perce he lad Valerian bouÌ„de with chaynes rouÌ„d and sad He was by Sapor maugre hys vysage â–ª This ValeriaÌ„ so straytly brought to wrake Lyke a prisoner bounde to seruage By obeysaunce that founde were no lacke To knele on foure and profre his backe Vnto Sapor whan hym list to ride Therby to mounte for al his great pryde This was the offyce of Valerian By seruitude duryng many a yere Wherfore he was called of many a man The assendyng stocke in to the sadyll nere Whiche is in frenche called a mountuere This was his office to bowe doun his corse Whan y â— king Sapor shulde light on horse This is the guerdon fauour of fortune Her olde maner to princes and to kynges Her double custome vsed in commune By sodayne chaunge of all worldly thynges After triumphes and their vprisinges What foloweth after here well tell I can I take recorde of Valeryan Thys Lady fortune the blynde fell goddes To Valerian shewed herselfe vnstable Taught him a lesson of the doublenes To kyng Sapor she was fauourable But yet he was to cruell and vengeable Wyth his fete deuoyde of all fauoure To foyle the backe of an emperour Of olde it hathe be songe and cried loude Recorde on Cyrus and many other mo Kinges of Perce of custome haue be proude After punyshed and chastised eke also Princes of mercy shulde take hede therto After victory in their estate notable To their prisoners for to be merciable Myne autor Bochas in this mater tel can Rebuke tyrauntes that were by dayes old Turneth his side speketh to Valerian Where be thy rubies saphires set in golde Theryche peerles and rynges manifolde That y â— were wont to weare vpon thy hoÌ„ds Now as a wretch art bouÌ„d in forayn bondes where thou were wonte of furyous crueltie Clad in purple within Rome toune To Christ contrary in thyne imperyall se Gaue dome on martyrs to suffre passion Nowe lyest thou bound fettred in preson To kyng Sapor constrayned to enclyne whan he lyst ryde bothe necke and chine Thus art thou fall in thine imperial stage Thinke on fortune haue her in memory She hath the cast in thraldom and seruage And eclypsed all thine olde glory where thou sate whilom in the consistorye As an emperour and a mighty iudge Lyest bound in chayns knowest no refuge It is fall ferre out of thy mynde The knightly dede of worthy â—ublyus Of Rome a captayne ordayned as I finde To fyght agayne Aristomachus Kyng of Asye of fortune it fell thus whan the romayns dyd the felde forsake This Publius amonge his fone was take This noble prince standing in dredeful cace His lyfe worshyp dependyng atwen twayn In his hande holding a sturdy mace Smyt out one of his eyen twayne Of him that led him that other for the payne That he felte and the great smerte Toke a dagger roue Publyus to the herte which loued more his worship thaÌ„ his lyfe Chase rather to dye than liue in seruage This conceite he had in his imaginatife And considred sythe he was in age To saue his honoure it was more auauÌ„tage So to be slayne his worshyp to conserue Than lyke a beast in prison for to sterue Fortune his chaptre of him it was not rad As Valerius maketh mencion After whose conceyte no man in vertue sad Shulde not longe languy she in prison But rather chose lyke his opinion Of manly force and knightly excellence The dethe endure of longe abstynence As whylom dyd the princesse Agripine whan she in prison lay fettred and bound Of her fre choyce she felt great pyne Of hungre and thurst in story it is found That she lay pale grofe vpon the grounde Maugre Tibery and let her gost so wende Out of her bodye this was her fatall ende Thou stode ferre of all suche fantasy I speke of the O thou Valerian Thy cruell herte of false malencolye Made whylom dye many a christen man And martyr syth Christes faythe began Which for mankynde dyed vpon the Rode There for tacquyte hym lyste shed hys blode Agayne his lawe thou were impacient And importune by persecucion Thou dydest fauour suffre in thine entent â–ª That Egipciens dyd their oblacion Their sacryfices and ryte vp so doun Vnto ydols of frowarde wylfulnesse That was of Egipt called chefe goddesse Fauourable thou were in thy desire To suffre Iewes their sabote to obserue And Caldeis to worshyp the fyre And folke of Crete Saturne to serue And cristen men thou madest falsly sterue Of whose lawe for thou dyd not retche Thou died in presoÌ„ at mischefe like a wretch The .ii. Chapter ¶ Howe Gallyen sonne of Valerian was slayne NExt in ordre to Bochas tho caÌ„e doun Sonne of Valerian one called Gallien But for great horrible effusion Of christen bloud that men might sene Shed by Valerian God wold it shulde bene Shewed openly to romains by vengaunce Of manye a countre sodaine dis obeysaunce They of Almayne the Alpes dyd pace Vnto Rauenne a cite of Itaile Gothes also proude of chere and face Had agayne grekes many a great batayle And they of HuÌ„gry armed in plate mayle wyth them of Denmarke furious and cruell Agayne romayns wexte of assent rebell To whose domage in this meane whyle Amonge romayns it is befall thus wofull werres whiche called bene ciuile Gan in the cyte cruell and dispiteous First whan they met was slayne Gemyus which first toke on him in bokes as I rede Of hye corage to we are purple wede One Posthumus a mighty strong romayne Kept all Gaule vnder subiection To their auayle after vnwarly slaine Among his knightes for al his hye renoun By a sodayne vncouthe discencion Next Victoryne hauing the gouernaunce Of al Gaule was first slayne in Fraunce But Gallien of whom I spake toforne Sonne and heyre to Valerian His Domination of purpose he hath lorne In Republica whan he began Lyke a contrarious and a frowarde man wext lecherous and obstinate of liuinge At mischefe slayne â–ª this was hys endynge The .iii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Quintilius was murdred by women NExt Gallien came one Quintilius A man remembred of great atteÌ„perauÌ„ce Brother of byrth to great Glaudius wise and discrete in al hys gouernaunce who may of fortune eschue the chaunce To wryte his ende shortlye in a clause Of women murdred I can not say the cause The .iiii. Chapiter Of Aurielan in Denmarke borne OF Denmarke born next came Aurelian A worthy knight his enemies to assaile Again Gothes a great warre he began Gate victory
down But maugre him he was take in the toun By Theodorike lette eche man take hede Odoacer he commaunded to be dede Myne authour Bochas of entencion For the time as came to remembraunce Towarde Romains maketh a digression To them recording the great variaunce The vnware chaunges the gery coūtenaūce Of Fortunes false transmutacion These same wordes rehersing to the toun REmembre o Rome call ayen to minde The daies passed of thy felicite Thy marcial cōquestes thy triūphs left behinde Thy great victories most of auctorite Thy famous lawes song in eche countre Which through y e world by report did shyne Now all atones is tourned to ruyne From Est to west thy lordshyp did attayne Aboue all powers most excellent royall But nowe from Rome into Almaine The estate translated which is imperiall Name of thy Senatours name in especiall The golden letters darked and diffaced And from remembraunce almost out raced Cyte of cities whilom most glorious That most freshly floured in chiualry To whiche the alpies mountains most famous Were subiecte of all Lombardy Til that discorde diuision and enuy Amōg your selfe hath clipsed y ◠brightnesse By a false serpēt brought in by doublenesse Kinges and princes were to the tributary Of all prosperite so fulsome was the flode Among yourselfe till ye began to vary The world throughout to you subiecte stode Tyll ye gan shew two faces in one hode What folowed after fortune hath so prouided Ye came to nought whan ye gan be deuided Vnpurueyed of prudent Senatours Thy marchandise tourned to pouerte Of knighthod naked barayne of soudiours Disconsolate stant all the cōmonte Towres and walles broke of the cite That whilom was a paradise of delyte Nowe all the worlde hath the but in dispite Cause to conclude of al thy wretchednesse Is false ambicion pride and lechery Diuision and malicious doublenesse Rancour hatred couetise and enuy Which set aside all good policie In brefe rehersed for short conclusion Haue be chefe grounde of thy distruction The .xxii. Chapter ☞ Howe the kinges Trabstila Busarus were brought vnto subiection and made tributares to Theodorike AFter these mischeues told of Rōe toun Came Trabstila king of Gepidois With other twaine as made is mēciō Busarus that was king of Bulgarois With Philitheus reigning in Ragois All these thre brefely for to saine Came all atones to Bochas to complayne Their realmes standing toward Septētriō And to remembre of the fyrst twayne Were brought atones to subiection By Theodorike that dyd his busy payne Them to conquere proudly did ordayne That they were neuer so hardy to rebell Agayne Romains to take no quarell To Theodorike they were made tributary Most wretchedly bound in seruage Neuer so hardy after for to vary In paine of death during al their age Of seruitude lo here the surplusage Of al wretches most wretched they be foūd That to thraldom constrained be bounde Tresour of tresours if it be well sought Is vertuous fredome with large lyberte With worldly goodes it may nat be bought With royal rubies gold stones nor pyrre For it transcendeth and hath the soueraynte Aboue all richesse that be in erthe found A man at large frely to stande vnbound The .xxiii. Chapiter How Philitheus lost his kingdome and of Marcian and Leo. NExt these two in ordre ye may se To John Bochas gan shew his pre sēce The third king called Philithe Which by fortunes sodaine violence Lost his kingdome by cruel sentence Of Odoacer the tyraunt mercylesse Lost his life and came no more in presse The sodaine chaūges to rede whan I begā And saw the whele so oft turne vp so downe Of fortune there came one Marcian Of whome is made none other mencion Saue only by a coniuracion He murdred was being innocent Amōg his knightes which slew him of asset Than tofore Bochas to shewe his presence There came one that called was Leon Which caught a titell by no violence But made his clayme by iust succession After his father and toke possession Which of Leon myne auctor saith the same Beyng Emperour bare the same name This yong Leon again all truth and ryght By tyranny as made is mencion Through cruell zeno y ◠was a good knyght Was put out of his possession Constrayned to liue in religion But to what order that he dyd wende I fynde nat but there he made his ende The .xxiiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Simacke and Boes his sonne in lawe were banished and after iudged to die AFter these mischeues Simak gan hym drawe Toward Bochas with a ful pitous face Boes came with him y ◠was his son in lawe Which among Romains gretly stodi grace But in this matere brefely for to pace The said Boes onely for his trouthe Exiled was alas it was great routhe For cōmon profite he was vnto the toun In matters that grounded were of right Very protectour and stedfast champion Againe two tirātes whiche of force might Had in the porail oppressed many a wight By exactions and pyllage gun of newe Vpon the cōmens full false and eke vntrew Theodorike of Gothes lorde and king Toke vpon him by false intrusyon To reigne in Rome the people oppressing By his prouostes two as made is mencyon Did in the citie great oppression Confederate as brother vnto brother Coniugast and Triguill was that other Compendiously this matter to declare To saue the commons stode in defence For life nor death he lyst nat for to spare To withstand of tyrantes the sentence King Theodorike of cruell violence Banished him by hatefull tyranny He and his father to abyde in Pauy Afterward Theodorike of cruell haterede Like a false tyrant of malice and enuy Gaue iudgement that both two were dede But touching Boes as bokes specify Wrote diuers bokes of Philosophy Of the Trinyte matters that were diuine Martyred for Christe and called Seuerine The .xxv. Chapter ¶ Of king Arthur his cōquestes and of the commodities of England how he was distroied by his cosin Mordrede WAs neuer prīce might him self assure Of fortune the fauour to restrayne Like his desyre his grace to recure To abide stable and stand at certaine Among all other reken Arthur of Bretaynē Which in his time was hold of euery wight The wysest prince and the best knyght To whom Bochas gan his style dresse In this chaptre to remembre bliue His great conquest and his highe noblesse With singler dedes that he wrought i his liue And first he ginneth breuely to discryue The site of Britaine and of that countre Whiche is enclosed with a large see Set farre westward as ye shal vnderstand Hauing Spayne set in the opposite Of a small Angle called Englande Fran̄ce about hi discryuing thus his sight With many a riuere plesaunt of delite Bothe bathes and welles there be founde Diuers mynes of metalles full habounde Aboute whiche ronneth the Occian Right plentuous of all maner of vitaile The name of which at Brutus fyrst began London
hath shyppes by the sea to sayle Bachus at Wynchester gretly doth auaile Worcestre with frutes haboundeth at the ful Herford with beastes Cotswolde with wul Bathe hot bathes holsome for medicine Yorke mighty timbre for great auauntage Corn wall mynes wherin to myne Salisbury beastes full sauage Whete mylke hony plente for euery age Kent and Canterbury hath great cōmodite Of sondrie fyshes there taken in the see Bochas reherseth there is eke in Bretayne Founde of Gete a full precious stone Blacke of colour and vertuous in certayne For sickenesses many mo than one The poudre of whiche wyll difcure anone If it be dronke though it be secre Of maydenhede broken chastite Ther ben of peerles founde in muskil shelles And the best that haue most whitenesse And as the boke of Brutus also telles How king Arthure to speke of worthynesse Passed all kinges in marciall prowesse Touchyng his line his royall kynrede Who that lyst se in Brutus he may rede His father called Vter Pendragon A manly knight and famous of corage Right notable in his actes euerychon Arthur but yonge and tendre of age By full assent of all his baronage By succession crowned anonright Called of Europe the moste famous knight Curteys large and manly of dispence Myrrour called of lyberalite Hardy stronge and of great prouidence And of his knightly magnanimite He droue Saxons out of his countre Conquered by prowesse of his mighty hand Orcadoys Denmarke and Holande Irland Gaule Norway Scotlād fran̄ce As Martes son to the werres mete Wrought by counsaile and by ordinaunce Of prudent Marlyn called his prophete And as I fynde he let make a sete Among his Britōs most famous notable Through all the worlde called y ◠roūde table Most worthy knightes proued of their hand Chosen out by Arthur this order was begō Their famous nobles through euery land Shone by reporte as doth the midday sonne To Fames palays the renome is vp ronne Statutes set by vertuous ordinaunce Vnder profession of marciall gouernaunce The first statute in the regestre founde Fro which they should na◠decline of right By full assuraunce of othe custome bounde Aye to be armed in plate forged bright Except a space to reste them on the night Seke auentures and their time spende Rightful quarell to sustene and defende The sebler partye if he had right By theyr power manly to supporte If that they were required of any wight Folke disconsolate to beare vp comforte At all times men may of him reporte No maner wyse they do no vtolence And again tiraūtes make knightly resistece That widowes maidens suffre no domage By false oppression and hateful cruelte Restore children to their true heritage Wrongly exiled folke to their countre And for holy churches liberte Redy euer to make them selfe stronge Rather to die than suffer them haue wronge For cōmon profyte as chosen champyons Pro Republica defending their countre Shewe aye them selfe hardy as lyons Honoure to encrece chastise dishoneste Releue al them that suffre aduersite Religious folke haue them in reuerence Pylgrimes receiue y ◠faile of their dispence Called armes seuen dedes of mercy Buryed soudiours that fayle sepulture Folke in prison deliuere them graciously Suche as poore be their raunsome to recure Wounded people that languyshe endure Which pro republica māly spent their blood By statute bounde to do suche folkes good To put them selfe neuer in auenture But for matters that were iust and trewe Afore prouided that they stode sure The ground wel know were it olde or newe And after that the matter whan they knewe To procede knightly and nat fayne As ryght required theyr quarel to darrayn A clerke there was to cronicle theyr dedes By purciuauntes made to him reporte Of their exployte and their good spedes Rad songe to folke gaue great comforte These famous knightes making their resorte At hygh feastes eueriche toke his sete Lyke to their estate as was to them mete One was voyde called the see perilous As Sanke royall doth playnly determyne None to entre but the most vertuous Of god prouided to be a pure vyrgine Borne of discente to accomplyshe to fyne He alone as chefe and souerayne All auentures of Wales and Bretayne Amonge al kynges renomed most famous As a bryght sonne set amyd the sterres So stode Arthur notable and glorious Lyke freshe Phebus cast his lyghte aferres In peace like Argus most marcial in werres As Ector hardy lyke Vlixes tretable Called amōge christen king most honorable His roial courte he dyd so ordayne Through eche coūtre so fer spred out the light Who that euer came thider to complaine By wronge oppressed required of right In his defence he shulde fynde a knyght To hym assigned finally to entende By marciall dome his quarell to defende If it fell so that any straunge knyght Sought auentures thyder came fro ferre To do armes his request made of right His chalenge sene were it of peace or werre Was accept to the courte came nerre Lyke as he came wyth many or alone They were deliuered forsake was neuer nōe There was the schole of marcial doctrine For yonge knyghtes to lerne al the gyse In tendre age to lerne ful disciplyne On horse and fote by notable exercyse Thing take in youth doth helpe in many wise And ydelnes in grene yeres gonne Of al vertues clypseth the clere sonne Wydowes maidens oppressed folke also Of extorte wronges wrought by tiranny In that countre what nacion came therto Receyued were there lyst no man denye Of their complayntes founde sone remedy Made no delay but forth anone ryght Them to defende assigned was a knyght Eke by their order they bounde were of troth By assuraunce and by othe sworne In their emprises let for no slothe Playnely to tell howe they haue them borne Their auenture of thinges done beforne Right as it fyll spare in no manere To tel eche thinge vnto theyr regystrere Thynge openly done or thinge that was secre Of auenture as bytwene twayne Or any quarel take of volunte Trewly reporte and platly not to fayne Them to be sworne the statute dyd ordayne Not conceled of worshyp nor of shame To be regestred reporte the selfe same And to conclude the statute hath vs leared Euery quarel grounded on honeste In that courte what knyght was requyred In the diffence of trouth and equyte Falshed excluded and duplicite Shall aye be redy to sustayne that party His lyfe and hys body to put in ieoparty Thus in Bretayne shone y ◠clere light Of chiualrye and of hie prowesse Which through the world shad his beames bright Wel of worshyp condite of al noblesse Imperial courte all wronges to represse Head sprīg of honor of largise chefe cesterne Myrrour of māhod of noblesse the lanterne Yet was there sene neuer so bryght a sonne The sommers day in the mydday spere So freshly shyne but some skyes donne Might percase curtaine his beames clere Oft it
falleth whā fortune maketh best there And falsly smyleth in her double wede Folke sene expert than is she most to drede Thus whan the name of the worthy kyng Was ferthest sprade by reporte of memory In euery realme his noblesse most shinynge All his emprises concluding on victory This double goddesse enuied at his glory And cast meanes by som maner traine To clipse the light of knighthode in Britaine Thus whyle Arthure stode most honorable In his estate flouringe in his age Among his knightes of the rounde table Hyest of princes on fortunes stage The Romains sent to him for truage Gan make a claime frowarde outragious Takyng their title of Cesar Julius The same time this mighty kyng Arthur Conquered had Gaule and also Fraunce Outrayed Frolle lyke a conquerour Brought Paris vnder obeysaunce Toke them to grace with hys ordinaunce Gate al Anioue Angory and Gascoine Poitowe Nauerne Berry Burgoyne Cesed not but dyd his busy payne Most lyke a knight helde forth hys passage Gate all the lande of Poyters Tourayne Their cite yolde to hym they did homage To be rebell they founde none auanutage Soiourned in Fraunce as sayth y ◠Cronicler Helde possession the space of nyne yere Helde a feast full solempne at Paryse All the countreis whyth he gate in Fraunce Lyke a prince full prudent and rightwyse Which had of fredome full royall suffisaunce Of all his cōquest the countreis in substaunce For his princes and barons so prouided Lyke their desertes he hath them deuided To his Seneschal that called was Kay Anioue and Mayne he gaue all the party To his butler was made no delay Called Bedwere he gaue Normandye To a baron nye cosyn of alye A manly knight which named was Berell Gaue the duchy of Burgoyne euery del Thus he departed lordeshyppes of that lande There he thought was most expedient Some he reserued in hys owne hande Againe to Britayne retourned of entent Sent out letters helde a greate parliament After which he made a feast anon In the countre called Gloumorgon At a great cite called Carlion As is remembred by olde wrytinges Came many a prince many a freshe baron In nombre I fynde there were .x. kynges Redy to obey Arthur in al thynges Present also as was wele sene There was of erles rekened full thurtene Al the knightes of the rounde table Feast of Pentecost as feest principall Many estates famous and honorable Of princes barons borne of the blode royal Were present there and in especiall All that were by othe and promyse bounde To y ◠brotherhede of the table rounde And it fell so whyle that kyng Arthur As appertayned sate in hys estate There came .xii. sent downe by great laboure Of olde men chosen of the Senate Sad of their porte demure and temperate Richely clad of loke and of vysage Gray heared sempt of right great age First connyngly as they thought it due Cause of their cōmyng playnly their entent Fyrst of assent the kyng they dyd salue Next after that they tolde who them sent And their letters mekely they present Concludyng thus to speke in brefe langage Howe the Romains aske of hym truage Customed of olde syth gone many a day Whan that Cesar conquered first Britayne The kynge requiring to make thē no delay Arthur abode lyst nothinge to sayne But all the courte gan at them dysdayne The proude Britons of cruel hasty blode Wolde haue slayne thē euyn there they stode Nay quod Arthur to al his officers Within our courte they shal haue no domage They entred bene and come as messangers And men also greatly fal in age Let make them chere wyth a glad visage Toke his coūsaile with such as wer most wise With this answere sayde in curteyse wyse Your letters red and plainly vnderstande The tenure hole remembred in this place Touching y ◠charge that ye haue take on hāde To yeue answere reherced in short space By worde writyng ye greatly me manace How ye purpose wyth many strong battayle Passe the moūtains me felly for to assayle It nedeth not such conquest to alledge Agayne Britons of none olde truage Of your coming down y ◠way I shal abredge Wyth goddes grace short your passage Make you no delay but with my baronage Passe the see without long tariyng To mete Romaines at their downe cōmyng This was the answer youe to the messāgers At their departing bare w t them great riches As he bade also vnto his officers Agayne to Rome anone they gan thē dresse Plainly reporting the plentuous largesse Of worthy Arthure considred all thynges Of christendome he passed al other kinges Arthurs courte was the sours and well Of marciall prowes to Lucius they tolde And howe that he al other dyd excel In chyualry wyth whom they were w thold The chosen knyghtes both yonge olde In all Europe who can considre arighte Of all noblesse the torches be there lyghte He cast him not to paye no truage Sayde of the Romaynes he helde no londe Which to defende he wyl make his passage Of your clayme 's to breake a two the bonde And knyghtly preue with his honde Ye haue no tytle ye nor your cite Agayne Britons whych euer haue stand fre With y ◠al the kingdoms subiect to Rome toun Kynges Princes aboue the hie mountaines With Lucius they be discended downe To mete Britons vpon the large playnes Arthurs comming greatly he disdains Bycause he had plainely to dyscriue In multitude of people such fyue At Southhamptō Arthur toke the see With all his knightes of the rounde table Behinde he left to gouerne the countre His cosin Mordrede vntrusty vnstable And at a prefe false and disceyuable To whom Arthur of trust toke al his lande The crowne except whych he kept in hande Fro Southhampton Arthur gan to sayle With all his worthy lordes of Britaine At Harflue fonde good ariuaile He his princes their passage dyd ordaine Thrugh Normādy Fraūce eke Burgoine Vp to a cyte called Augustence Wher he first fonde of Lucius the presence So large a felde nor such a multitude Of men of armes assembled in a plaine Vpon a day shortly to conclude Togider assemble afore was neuer seine Lucius had on his party certaine Eastwarde the worlde all the chiualtye Brought by y ◠moūtains down to Germany Their wardes set in ech a great battaile With their capitaine to gouerne to gye Arthur w t britons the Romains did auaile Fond many Sarazins vpō that party The Briton Gaulfride doth plainly specify As he of Arthur the prowes doth discriue He flewe that day of Sarazins kynges fyue The great slaughter the effusion of bloude That was that day on outher syde Eche againe other y ◠furious were wode Lyke for the felde as fortune lyst prouide That if I shoulde longe theron abyde To write the deth the slaughter manere Touching the felde were tedious to here To conclude and leaue the surplusage In that
marueylous rehersayle Howe any woman of reason should be So ful of malice and of cruelte To slee her kyn and set at distaunce By deuision all the realme of Fraunce Bochas dempt it was nat credible That a woman shuld be so vengeable In her malice so venymous and terryble Of slaughter and murdre to be culpable The story susperte helde it but a fable Onely excepte that she dyd him exite With great instaunce her story for to write Her crie on Bochas was very importune To set in ordre her felicitees With her vnhappy chaunges of fortune Her disclaundred great aduersitees With her diffame reported by countrees No very grounde found in bokes olde But of confession that she her self tolde That mine auctour reherced w t soleÌ„pne style Reherce shoulde her wordes disclaundrous Her flouring yeres also for to compyle Medled with her daies y â— were contrarious Her fatall ende froward and furious Wherof encombred of very werynesse Towarde Eraclius he gan his pen dresse The .iiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Eraclius the Emperour sustayned heresy fyll in to dropsye and sicknes vncurable so died AFter Phocas with great honoure and glory Crowned emperour of Rome the cyte In whose time as saith the story The Romains stode in great perplexite By them of Perce that rose with Cosdroye Whiche toke vpon him to be lord and syre As a tyraunt to trouble the empyre Gate many a prouince many a famous Reiem Through all Asie as the cronicle saythe Gan approche toward Jerusalem Afore the towne proudly a siege he laythe As a tyraunt frowarde to Christes faythe But Eraclius maugre all his might Smyt of his head slewe him like a knight And by grace whiche that is deuine This famous prince this Eraclius In his beginning slew many a Sarazyne Holde in tho daies notable and glorius And in his conquest passing famous Dyuers relykes of the crosse he sought And froÌ„ tho couÌ„treis many of theÌ„ he brought Was none so famous holde in his dayes As Eraclius the empyre for to gye Nor more manly found at all assayes Of hie prowesse nor in chyualrye But whan he gan sustaine heresye God toke from him within a littel space His hap welfare his fortune his grace He gan sustene and folowe certaine rites Of wylfulnesse and frowarde fantasy Of a secte called Monacholites Which was a sect of frowarde heresy And sith that he drewe to that party The story telleth for all his hygh estate This Eraclius was neuer fortunate Where he was first drad on the see and land Namely of Sarazins for al his chyualry Grace fortune from him w tdrew her hand For whan he fyll in to heresy He was trauailed with such a dropsy That therwithal he had a frowarde lust Euer to drinke and euer he was a thurst In tho dayes founde was no leche Albe that they were sought on eche partye The sayd prince that coude wyshe or teach Him to releue of his dropsye Made faint feble wyth a great paulsye Thus in sickenes he hath hys dayes spent By vengeauÌ„ce slayne w t infernall turment Of Eraclyus this was the wofull ende As is reherced slayne with sicknes Out of this worlde whan he should wende Al hole the empyre stode in great dystres Force of Sarazins dyd them so oppresse And day by day drewe to decline By his sonne called Constantine The .v. Chapiter ¶ Howe Constantine the sonne of Eraclius supporting errours and heresy was murdred in a stewe WHiche was his successoure as made is mencion In whose time throughe his greate foly Sarasins did great oppression Spoyling the countreis of all Lumbardy And Constantine of wilfull slogardy Wasted his daies till he hath brought All the Empyre almost to nought Gaine Christes faythe in especiall He gan of malice his wyttes to applye And was therto enemy full mortall And chefe supportour of false heresie And towarde Rome fast he gan him hie Spoyled temples of many ryche ymage And by water after toke his passage To Constantinople fast he gan him hie By Scâ—â—il the way was al moste mete At Syracuse I fynde that he did ariue And for the season was excessite of hete Which in his labour made him for to swete And secretly he gan him selfe remue To be bathed in a preuy stue Of euny ther he was espyed His owne knightes like as it is founde By conspyracion certayne of them alyed Fil vpon him with sharpe swordes grounde And mercilesse with many mortal wounde They stewe him there on him they were so wode Amid the stewe naked as he stode After whose death they dyd theÌ„ selfe auauÌ„ce To chose a knight borne in Armenye Of the empyre toke the gouernaunce And to supporte falsly their partie But Constantine succeding of alie Beyng next heyre the trouthe for to sue To him that was murdred in the stewe Called Constantine as his father was Right notable in actes marciall More wysely gouerned stode in other cas Lyke a prince by iugement royall Of manly herte and corage naturall The conspyratours first of all he slethe That were assented to his fathers deathe To great encreace of his famous renoun Grace of god did him enlumine Constantinople in that royall town Olde heresie to cease and to fyne Two hundred bishoppes eke also nyne He made assemble to stande at defence Of Christes faythe of manly prouidence He was eke busy churches to restore All heretikes manly to withstande Their opinions examined well before And whan the trouth was well vnderstonde Like Christes knight list for no man wonde To punish them iustly by rigour Without excepcion of person or fauour Of him in Bochas litel more I rede Nor of his empire I fynde none other date Spared no heretikes for golde nor mede At Constantinople he passed in to fate Whan Bulgarence gan with him debate A frowarde people wilfull and recheles Gaue them a tribute for to lyue in pees The .vi. Chapter ☞ Howe Gisulphus was slaine his wyfe ended mischeuously in lecherye NExt came Gisulphus to Bochas on the ring A famous duke and notable in hys lyfe With weping eyen pitously plaining With whome also came Rimulde his wyfe Which that liued euer in sorow strife Yet was she both of byrthe and of lynage Right excellent and fayre of her visage Sixe children had this famous quene By Gisulphus gotten in mariage Wonder semely and goodly vnto sene And fortunate by processe of their age Albe theyr father felt great domage By the werres he had in his liuing With Cathamus that was of Narces king This Cathamus with many strong batayle Is discended and take the way right Of duke Gisulphus the landes to assayle Togither met in stele armed bright Gisulphus slaine his people put to flyght And Cathamus w t stronge mighty hande Toke possession conquered all his lande After whose death Rimulde the duchesse Greatly astonied pale of her visage To the castell of Forgoile gan her dresse With her knightes of
Belset Tarquiniaine Fro him by force toke many a region Mesopotamie to his possession Toke by strong hand through his chiualry Maugre Diogenes almost all Surrye Belset Tarquiniā made him selfe so stronge By manly force Diogenes to assayle And for Diogenes thought he did him wrong He gan ordaine great stuffe and apparayle A day assigned they met in batayle Diogenes of froward auenture He his knightes brought to discomfyture Take he was brought by great disdayne In whom as tho there was no resistence To kinge Belset called Tarqumiaine And whan he came to his presence Against him was yeue this sentence To lie downe plat and that king Belset Should take his fote and on his throte set This was done for an hie dispite Diogenes brought forthe on a chayne Without reuerence fauour or respyte At great feastes assigned was his payne And alder last put out his eyen twayne The whele of fortune tourneth as a ball Sodayne clymbing asketh a sodayne fall The .xix. Chapiter ¶ How Robert duke of Normandy foughte with the Turkes was named to the crowne of Jerusalem and died at mischefe AWorthye Prynce spoken of in manye reem Noble Robert duke of Normandy Chose to the crowne of Jerusaleem But for cause he did it deny Fortune vnto him had enuy The same Robert next in ordre was That came to playne his fall vnto Bochas For Christes fayth this mighty champion This duke Robert armed in plate and maile With manly Godfray Godfray de Bollion Againe turkes fought a great batayle For Christes faythe that it should auaile To sustene the lawe in their entent To all the kinges of the Occident Of Turkes Sarazins was so gret a nōbre Gaine Christes law gadred in puissaunce The fayth of Christ falsly to encombre But there were made hasty ordinaunce By kinges of England Normandy Fraūce First to socour did their busy paine Godfray de Bollion y t was duke of Loraine Which on Sarazins made a discomfyture Maugre Turkes for all their great might In which battaile Christ made him recure The felde that day to supporte his right Where Robert was found so good a knight That for his noblesse by recorde of writyng Of Jerusalem was named to be king He assented nat to the election Bycause of new that he did vnderstande His elder brother for short conclusion Y called Willyam was dead in Englande Wolde in no wyse take y ◠crowne on hande Of Jerusalem but like a manly knight Came to Englande for to clayme his right And yet or he came he had knowledging His yonger brother called Henry Had vpon him take to be crowned kyng Tolde his lordes and princes fynally He was next heyre entred rightfully As enheritour to succede in that reem His brother being king of Jherusalem God wot the cause stode all in other wyse The said Robert duke of Normandye Purposed him by marciall emprise From his brother to take the regalye Toke his princes and his chyualrye Thought he wold like a manly knighte Arryue in England and reioyse his righte Both in one felde assembled on a day The brethren twayne ech w t strong party To darraine and make no delay Eche with other to holde champarty But whan these lordes the mischefe did espy They busied them and were nat recheles Atwene the bretherne to refourme pees The said bretherne were fully condiscended Vpon this poynt for shorte conclusien As in the accorde was iustly comprehended Henry to holde and haue possession During his life of al this region And Robert should haue for his party A summe of golde with all Normandy Thre thousande poūde put in remembraunce Eche yere to Robert sent fro his region Of which payment to make full assuraunce Was layde hostages as made is mencion But yet of new fyll a discencion Atwene the bretherne of hatred and enuy For a certaine castell y ◠stode in Normandy Which castell longed of heritage Vnto the kinges iurisdiction Of which the duke toke his auauntage Maugre the king and held possession Turned after to his confusion And whan the king this thing did espye With stronge hand came to Normandy Where the duke was layde a siege about Made ordinaunce to recure his right Gate the castell toke his brother out Emprisoned him of very force and might Left him alone out of all mennes sight Fourtene yere the cronicle writeth so There he died in mischefe and in wo. Whyle Bochas was busy in his labour His boke tacomplyshe with great diligence To him appered the great emperour Called Henry shewed his presence Gan complaine vpon great offence Done to him the mischefe and distresse By his sonnes great vnkyndnesse The which sonne was called eke Henry Greatly accused of ingratytude Cause he wrought so disnaturally Toke his father with force and multitude Entreated him boysteously and rude And afterward there gayned no raunson At great mischefe he dyed in pryson The .xx. Chapiter How Joceline prince of Rages for pryde slouth and lechery dyed in pouerte NExt in ordre with trist ded visage ▪ Vnto Bochas to shew his heuines Came Jocelyne lord and prince of Rage Which is a cite famous of ryches And this prince mine auctor bereth witnesse Was greatly yeue to slouth and slogardy And all his lust he set in lechery Left his lordshyp out of gouernaunce For lacke of wisdome and discrecion In fleshly lust set all his plesaunce And of the countreis about him enuyron He was nat had in reputacion Certayne princes mine auctor doth discryue Of his lordshyp cast him to depriue Amonge whiche the prince of Alapy Called Sanguyne the story who lyst se To Joceline hauing great enuy Layde a siege to Rages the cite He beyng absent ferre from that countre And thus for slouthe wylful neglygence Rages was take by mighty violence And Joceline commaunded to prison To him fortune was so coutrarious Lost his lordshyp and dominacion Lo here the fyne of folkes vicious Slowe delicat proude and lecherous Dyed in pouerte in mischefe and in nede Of vicious princes lo here the fynall mede The .xxi. Chapiter ¶ Howe the emperour Andronicus slewe all that were of the blode royal cheryshed vicious people and after was hanged AS very heire here and trewe successour By election and also by lynage Came Andronicus lorde and emperour Of Constantinople crowned king of age Next to Bochas with trist and pale vysage Beseching him to do his busy cure To remembre his woful auenture Amonge grekes by story and scripture This Andronicus gouerned nat aright Againe lawe and eke agayne nature Founde with his suster fleshly on a night Bothe of assent toke them to the flight Agayne him his cosyn was so fell Lorde of that countre called Emanuell For a time stode as a man exiled For his discēcions many an vncouth strife By his princes after reconsiled Standing in hope he should amende his lyfe But in the tyme that he was fugitife He was made lorde stode so for a whyle Reignyng
his hande Of whose noblesse Pope Vrban had ioy Him to encrease for vertuous liuing Which that time was duke of Anioy After chosen of Cecile to be kyng Of Pope Vrban required by writyng Toward Rome that he should him dresse Of king Manfroy the tyranny to oppresse Agayne the Pope and holy churche right This said Manfroy dyd great extorcion Noble Charles as goddes owne knight Came with stronge hande vp to Rome toun Whiche in his comming gaue possession To Gyot Manfort for to haue the garde In his passage to gouerne the vowarde To Rome with great ordinaunce They passed ouer the boundes of Itayle This maÌ„ly knight Charles borne in fraunce Lad with him many a stronge batayle The Popes enemy manly to assayle But all this whyle to stande at diffence This said Charles founde no resistence Entring Rome to be their protectour Full well receyued at his first entryng Chose and preferred for chefe senatour By the pope most glad of his comming Of Cecile was after crowned king And of Jerusalem as made is mencion Graunted to him full possession Whiche in his ginning bare him so well Entring y â— land with knightly apparayle Of Cassine gate fyrst the stronge castell At Beneuent had a great batayle With kiÌ„g Manfroy whose partye did assayle To reherce shortly his auenture Charles made on him a discomfyture In which bataile king MaÌ„froy was slaine And noble Charles toke possession Wherof Romains were full glad and fayne Yet in Cecile there was rebellion But they were brought vnto subiection And Conradine recorde of al wrighting Sonne of Conrade claymed to be king Gan make him strong proudly toke his place At Alygate a famous olde cite Noble Charles with knightly chere face Fyll vpon him made him for to flye And to set rest in the countre To auoyde trouble make al thing certaine Gaue iugement Conradyne to be slayne Amonge kynges notable and glorious Charles was put as made is mencion Lyke a prince stronge and victorious In full peasyble and hole possession Of Cecile and all that regyon Agayns whom was no disobeysaunce Yelded of hole herte to his gouernaunce By tytle also of his alyaunce Fortune greatly did him magnifye For as it is put in remembraunce The noble princesse that called was Mary Doughter to Stephane reigning in Hungry Joyned was and knit in mariage To Charles son to thencrece of his lynage This same Charles by auctorite So as him selfe list to ordayne Was made king of the great cyte Called JerusaleÌ„ of townes moste soueraine By whiche title he bare crownes twayne His brother Lewes olde bokes say The same time in Egipt gan werray Gate all the countreys aboute enuyron whiche that sarazyns dyd falsly occupye Brought them agayne to subiection Of Jerusalem that iande to magnifye Cartage in Affrike with all their regalye And all the countreys beyng afore coÌ„trayre To kyng Charles became tributayre This whyle he sate highest in his glory Lyke Phebus shyning in his mydday spere with many conquest many great victory whan his noblesse shone most bright clere The same tyme with a frownyng chere Fortune gan from Charles tourne her face And him berafte her fauour and her grace This lady fortune doth selde in one coÌ„tune She is so geryshe of condicion A sorceresse a traytour in coÌ„mune Cast a false meane to his distruction One of his sonnes slayne with poyson which dyd eclypse myne auctor doth expresse A full great partye of his olde gladnesse He was disclaundred of all the vyce which appertayneth vnto tyranny I meane the vice of frowarde auaryce which is contrary vnto his chiualry Diffamed also of false auoutrye whiche was susteyned through his mayntenauÌ„ce within the lande by a knight of Fraunce The same knight abydyng in his hous All Cecile troubled with that dede The great offence was so disclaundrous Thrugh all the region it began to sprede For thylke woman plainly as I rede was wyfe to one whiche suffred this offeÌ„ce And to be venged dyd his dyligence John Prosith plainly was his name whiche cast him fully auenged for to be That kyng Charles should beare the blame Slewe al the frenchmen that bode in y â— couÌ„tre Without grace mercy or pite And for to do full execucion Required was the kyng of Aragon Lost of Cecile hole the region With obeysaunce of many countre And of Jerusalem the possession Fyll by processe in great aduersite And last constrained wyth greuous pouerte To god most mekely wyth ful heuy chere Soone to be dead was hys prayer Supprised he was w t sorowe in his corage Lost his force fyl in to malady Languished forth tyll he gan faâ—l in age Agayne fortune founde no remedy And by occasion of false auoutry Fyl to mischefe and for sorow drede This Charles died no more of him I rede ¶ Lenuoye Lyke as Phebus in some freshe morninge After Aurora the day doth clarifye Falleth oft that his bryght shining Is derked with some cloudy skye Alykenes shewed in this tragedye Expert in Charles the story doth well preue Youth and age rekened truely The fayre day men do praise at eue The noble fame of his fresh gynning To saint Lowes he was nygh of alye Ryght wyse manly vertuous of liuyng Called of knighthod flour of chiualry Tyll maintenaunce of auoutry Came in to hys courte to hurte hys name and greue His life his deth put in ieoparty The fayre day men do prayse at eue Lyke desertes meÌ„ haue theyr guerdoning Vertuous lyfe doth princes magnify The contrary to them is great hyndring Folke experte the trouth may not denye Serche out the rewarde of cursed lechery Where it is vsed the houshold may not preue In this matter to Charles haue an eye The fayre day to prayse towarde eue Noble princes al vyces eschewing Your hyghe corage let reason gye Withdraw your hand fro riotous watchyng Flye fleshly lustes and vicious companye Oppresse no man do no tiranny Socour the nedy pore folke do releue Let men report the prudent policye Of your last age whan it draweth to eue ⧠The .xxix. Chapter ¶ Of Hugoline Erle of Pise slaine in prison AFter Charles story red the woful fyne As ye haue herde the maner and y â— gyse To Jhon Bochas appered Hugolyne Called whylome the erle of Pyse Tyll they gan againe him aryse Most vengeable cruell and vnkynde Slewe him in prison no more of him I finde Saue his children of haterede and enuy Were murdred eke in a depe prison Next with his coÌ„playnt the kinge of Armeny Came tofore Bochas that called was AthoÌ„ A christen prince full famous of renoun For our fayth from which he lyst nat erre Gayne Tartaâ—ines longtime he held werre This manly king in knighthod full famous It was shewed his story who lyst rede Had a brother fell and dispytous Called Sabath desyrous to succede Sted of his brother the kingdome to possede By false treason reued of his right Kept him in holde and put him out
euidens playne That of elde no token shoulde be seyne In all his membres as lusty and entere As was a lambe eyned of one yere And here vpon in suche sleyghty wise She began a processe of full false treason The sisters made vpon the lambe to practise Drewe out his bloude like her enteneton And she by craft of false illusion Blent their eyen by apparaunce in vayne The olde Ram to seme a lambe agayne Thus Medea by her sleyght compassyng Of enuy and venemous hatred Excited hath the sisters in workynge Ayenst their father mortally to procede w t sharpe kniues thei made their father blede Amiddes the hart throughout euery vayne Supposyng the sely sisters twayne That Pelleus renued shoulde be To youth ayen of force and of substaunce But finally by treason of Medee He lost his life suche was his wofull chaūce She this wrought onely for vengeaunce As rote and grounde of this cruell dede Ayenst the nature of all womanhede Supposyng in her opinion That the death greatly shoulde please Of Pellius vnto her lorde Iason Through great encrease set his hart at ease But it rebounded vnto his disease That finally Iason her forsoke For her offence and he his way toke Into Corynth to the kynge Creon Whose daughter Creusa for her great beauty Was afterwarde wedded to Iason But whā this wedding was knowē to Mede Cast she woulde theron auenged be Began to conspyre of malice and enuy And through her magyke and her forcery In full great haste gan to ordayne A little coffer onely of entent And by her yonge fayre sonnes twayne With other iewels she hath it sent Vnto Creusa makyng a present Whiche of malyce she list to dispose That whan Creusa the coffer did vnclose The fyre brast out a full large space Brent Creusa by full great vyolence Set a fyre playnely all the place By enchauntment there was no resistence All went a fire that was in her presence By vengeaunce did full great domage But whan Iason this fire sawe in his rage And considered the malice of Medee Thought he woulde do execution For to punishe the great iniquitie Ayenst him compassed of treason For she of vengeaunce ayenst all reason After that Creusa consumed was and brent Her owne sounes whylom that she sent Without ruth or womanly pitye She falsly murdred the children that she bare Like a stepmother auenged for to be Cut their throtes or that they were ware Ayenst nature there was none other spare But for hatred she had vnto Iason After this murder she fled away anone So escapyng his indignation By craft of magike she went at libertie To Athens and in that region She wedded was vnto the kyng Ege Not longe after a sonne by him had she The which child mine auctour telleth thus After Medea called was Medus After whose name the famous region Ynamed was which called is Mede But folowyng euer her olde condicion This Medea voyde of shame and dread Compassed hath of wilfull false hatred That Theseus the sonne of kyng Ege With newe poyson shall deuoured be But Theseus full like a manly knyght In repayryng home to his countrey Of high prudence aspied anone ryght The mortall vengeaunce the great crueltie Of this stepmother whiche of enmitie Concluded hath in her entencion Him to destroy vnwarely with poyson Her hart of malice cruell and horrible As she that was with treason euer alied Whan that she sawe her purpose moste odible By king Egeus fully was aspied She hath her hart and wittes newe applied As in their bokes poetes haue compiled Ayen to Iason to be reconciled She fled away for feare of Theseus Lest he would done on her vengeaunce And finally as writeth Ouidius And morall Seneke concludeth in sentaunce In his tragedies makyng remembraunce Howe Medea like as poetes sayne Vnto Iason restored was agayne Touchyng the ende of their furious discorde Poetes make therof no mencion Neither tell no meane how they fyll accord But if it were by incantation Whiche so well coulde turne vp so down Sondry thinges of loue and of hatred And in Bochas of her no more I read Saue whan she had fulfilled her purpose Mine aucthour telleth that Iason Mede Restored haue ayen vnto Colchos Her father Oetes and from his pouertie Brought him ayen into his royall see And to his crowne by force they him restore Touching his ende of him find I no more Thus his fortune hath turned to and fro First like a kyng hauyng ful great riches After liuyng in pouertie and wo Sythen restored to his worthines Thus euer sorow is meint with gladnes Who can aduert in all worldly thing Record of Mynos the noble worthy kyng To whom I must now my style dresse Folowyng the traces of Bochasius The wiche Mynos as Ouid doth expresse Touchyng his byrth he writeth playnly thus That he was manly wise and vertuous Sonne by discent of Iupiter the great And of Europa borne to be heyre of Crete And of his person wonders delitable Full renowined of wisdome and science By diuers titles of laude commendable Of byrth of bloud of knighthode prudence For by his study and entyre diligence He founde first lawes grounded on reason Wherby of Crete the famous region Gouerned was and set in stablenes All iniuries and wronges to reforme Made statutes extorcions to represse Of right wisenes they toke the first forme And that eche man shoulde him conforme Like their degrees subiect and souerayne That no man had a matter to complayne He made his lieges to liue in quiete Cleare shinyng in his royall noblesse With sword and sceptre sittyng in his sete And while he floured in his worthines He toke a wife of excellent fayrenes Doughter to Phebus in Bochas ye may se And she was called faire Pasiphae And her father by record of writyng In his time was holden full famous Of the yle of Rhodes he was lorde and kyng And in his dayes of port full glorious Right proude in armes and victorious Takyng witnes of Methamorphoseos His daughter had thre children by Mynos The first a sonne called Androge And afterward full faire daughters twayne Ryght goodly and womanly on to se But like as fortune did for them ordayne They felt them selues in trouble and in payn The one called Ariadne Phedra the other Folowyng their fate it might be none other Androgeus by kyng Mynos was sent For he should profite in cleargy To Athens of vertuous entent There to study in philosophy And for he began to encrease and multiply And passe all other by study in learnyng And to excell his felowes in cunnyng They of enuy and false malice alas Made ayenst him a conspiration And from a pinacle sacred to Pallas Of ful great heigth thei made him tūble doun For which iniury Bochas maketh mencion His father Mynos auenged for to be Layed a great power about the citie He cast him fully y ◠no man shoulde him let But that he woulde do cruelly vengeaunce And
rounde about so sore he them beset With men of armes and with his ordinaunce That finallye he brought them to vttraunce And them constrayned within a little space Their life their death submitten to his grace But while they made ayenst him resistence Supposyng his power to withstande Nisus that was kyng of Megarence Ayenst Mynos their party toke on hande And oft times as ye shall vnderstande Whan kyng Mynos did the citye assayle Nisus within with myghty apparayle Vpon the walles stode in his defence Whan that Mynos full like a manly knyght Fought without with sturdy vyolence Like Mars him selfe in stele armed bryght Wherof whan Scilla once had a syght Daughter to Nysus aduertyng his prowes Anone for loue she fell in great distresse She was supprised with his high noblesse His manly force expert many folde Set Scilla in great heauines For loue of Mynos in Poetes it is tolde Made her hart presume and be bolde First her life to put in ieopardy Her fathers life the citye the cleargy From her hart loue hath set aside Ayenst nature her bloude and her kynred And all frendshyp from her gan deuide And of her worshyp she toke no maner hede Loue made her cruell ayenst all womanhede First her hart so sore set a fire Her fathers death falsely to conspyre For kyng Mynos beyng a straungere Was so emprynted in her opinion Of creatures there stode none so nere And for his sake by full false treason She compassed the destruction First of her father and than of the citye So straunge a thing alas how myght it be That a woman of yeres yong and tender Coulde ymagen so marueylous a thing But it falleth that creatures slender Vnder face of angelike lokynge Ben very wolues outwarde in workynge Also vnder coloure of their port feminine Some ben found very serpentyne Lambes in she wyng shadowed w t mekenes Cruel as Tygres who doth to them offence Of humble chere pretendyng a likenesse But wo alas what harme doth apparence What damage doth counterfaite innocence Vnder a mantell shroude of womanhede Whan fayned falsenes doth the brydle lede For this Scilla the kynges daughter dere In whom he set his whole affection His hartes ioy his pleasaunce most entere His worldly blisse his consolation But she all turned to his confusion Not like a daughter but like a sorceresse His death cōpassed the story beareth witnes Her father had a fatall heer that shone Bryghter then golde in which he did assure Manly to fight ayenst his mortall fone For in his head while it did endure He should vainquishe and recure And through his knighthode to his encrese of glory In euery quarel wyn the victory But whā kyng Nysus her father lay a slepe Vpon a night parcell afore day Full secretely or that he toke kepe The heere of golde this Scilla cut away And vnto Mynos armed where he lay She him presented through her ordinaunce Of false entent him for to do pleasaunce But in this matter like as writeth Ouyde Methamorphoseos who so taketh hede Her father sleping she knelyng by his side Toke a sharpe knife without feare or dreade While he lay naked she carft a two his head And stale away of full false entent And to kyng Mynos y e head she doth present And in her commyng to his presence Her fathers head when she afore him layed Nothing ashamed of her great offence Vnto Mynos thus she did obrayed And with bolde chere euen thus she saied My lorde quod she w t support of your grace Yeueth to my tale leasure time and space Certes my lorde loue hath excyted me And constrayned to this cruell dede To slee my father destroye my citie To forget my worshyp forsake womanhead And made me hardy to make my father blede Thinges horrible thus haue I vndertake For to accomplyshe onely for your sake My selfe disherited for loue of your persone Called in my countrey a false traytoresse Disconsolate stale away alone Of new diffamed and named a maistresse Of false murder I bryng a great witnes My fathers head and his deadly vysage Ayenst nature to further your voyage Wherfore I pray that ye list aduertise And consider like a gentle knyght How I for loue towarde your great empryse And to great furtheryng also of your right Haue first my father depriued of his myght Raft him his life dispoyled his riches To do pleasaunce to your high nobles And nothing aske I vnto my guerden Neither to my rewarde that may auayle But that I might haue full possession Of your person most worthy in battayle For there is no treasure y ◠might counteruayle To my desire as that you woulde in dede Goodly accept me and my womanhede Ye may me saue and spyll with a worde Make most glad and most dolorous I not require of you my souerayne lorde But that ye would be to me gracious For bloud and kinne and my fathers house All left behinde if ye list aduert And vndeparted yeue to you my hert Which to your highnes ought ynough suffise All thing considered in your royall estate Conceiued also how in vncouth wise For your loue I stande desolate Saue of your mercy full disconsolate Here is all and some your loue I bye so sore But ye do grace I can say you no more And whan she had her tale tolde knelyng With a maner of pretence of womanhede Of all her treason a poynt not cōcelyng The king astonied of her horrible dede By great aduise peysed and toke hede It was not sittyng to prynce nor to kyng To do fauour to so frowarde a thing With troubled hart and with a face pale His loke vp cast sayed God forbede That euer in Cronicle in story or in tale That any man should of Mynos reade How he supported so venemous a dede Fauour a woman alas and well away Whiche slough her father whan he in bed lay ▪ But for your hatefull and vnkynde rage I praye the gods echone and Saturne For to take vengeaunce on your false outrage Euery where whither ye do returne And euery place where as ye soiourne Lande and sea shortly to expresse They ben enfect with your cursednesse Your owne mouth your outrage doth accuse And your actes ben so abhominable That your giftes fully I do refuse They ben so frowarde and so reprouable That your persone disnaturell and vnstable Within my courte it were a thinge not faire That ye shoulde abyde or haue repaire Ye be so hateful on euery side And contrarious of condicion I praye Cellus which oferth is gide And to Neptunus I make this orison As ferre as stretcheth their dominacion Vnder the bound of their regaly A dwellinge place that they to you deny Whan Minos had his answere thus deuised On reason grounded and equite And Scilla sawe howe she was dispised Knewe no partie passage ne countre To finde socour whether she might flye But dispeired lyke a traitouresse Towarde the see anone she gan her
quene Of Amasones in Ouide ye may rede But wo alas that Theseus toke hede For a tale of Phedra full of gyle Without gilte his sonne so to exyle After whose death some Poetes sayne Howe that Dyana for his chastitie Restored him vnto life agayne By Esculapius and gaue him lybertye In her forestes to hunt and to go fre For whiche restoryng as write Ouidius As twyse a man men call hym Virbius But Bochas here I not what he doth mene Maketh in his boke an exclamation Agaynst women that pity is to sene Sayth how their life and their generation Ben of their nature double of condicion And calleth them also diuers and vnstable Beastes resemblyng that ben insaciable He meaneth of women borne in Crete And nothyng of them y â— dwell in this couÌ„trey For women here all doublenes they lete And haue no tatche of mutabilitie They loue no chaunges ne no duplicitie For their husbandes in causes small or great Whatsoeuer they say they can not couÌ„terplete Blessed be god that them hath made so meke So humble and fearfull of their condicions For though men would cause and matter seke Against their pacience to finde occasions They haue refused all contradictions And theÌ„ submitted through their gouernauÌ„ce Onely to mekenes and womanly suffraunce I speake not of one I speke of euerychone That ben professed vnto lowlines Thei mai haue mouthes but laÌ„gage haue thei none All true husbandes can beare hereof witnesse For wedded men I dare full well expresse That haue assayed and had experience Best can recorde of wifely pacience For as it longeth to men to be sturdy And sumwhat frowarde as of their nature Right so can women suffer paciently And all wronges womanly endure Men shoulde attempt no maner creature And namely women their mekenes to preue Which may wel suffer if no man them greue Euery thing resorteth to his kynde As Bochas writeth sumtyme of the yere And who sercheth by processe he shall fynde That truth vertue may neuer fade of there For rightwisenes will alway shyne clere Truth and falsnes in what they haue to done They may no while assemble in one persone Feare and flattery they ben contrary They may together hold no long soiour Neither simplesse whiche that can not vary May neuer accorde with a baratour Neyther innorence with a lesyngour Neither chastite can not her selfe apply Her to conforme vnto no rybaudry Eche thing hath a proper disposition By the ordinaunce set in their courage And ech man foloweth his condicion As of the stocke the frute hath the tarrage Pilgrymes may go full farre in their passage But I dare say how farre that euer they go They beare some tarrage of y â— they came fro Bochas maketh an introduction In this chapiter of hygh noblesse That prynces haue in their possession And by a maner laughyng doth expresse How for toset them in great sykernesse They haue seruauntes vpon them abidynge And men of armes day and nyght awaytyng That no man may enter but he haue lycence The froward porters standyng at the gate Put men abacke by sturdy vyolence It were full harde agaynst them to debate Their watches kept early and also late Them to assure on nyghtes whan they slepe The chaÌ„berlains their dores straightly kepe Men assigned their meates to assay To taste their wynes lest there were treason Such mortall drede these lordes do affray So is their surenes meynt with suspection Who feadeth him glaoly that feareth poyson â–ª But pore folke franchised from such dreade Such as god doth sende w t myrthe they fede But Poetes that write tragedies Their complà ynyng is all of hye estates Rehearsyng euer their piteous ieopardyes Their sodayne chauÌ„ges their wofull fates Their deuisyons and their mortall debates And euer coÌ„clude their dities who so canrede High estates stande aye most in drede Ground and rote of all this mortall trouble As Bochas writeth and beareth witnes Ben these lyers with their tonges double Them selfe aye forsyng truth to oppresse With whom flattery is a chiefe maistresse And worst of all to their dreadfull sentence Is whan prynces be hasty of credence Hasty credence is roote of all erroure A froward stepmother of all good counsayle Ground of great hindring a dredefull disceyuour Fayre of face with a perillous tayle Gladly concluding w t ful great disauayle Next neighbour vnto repentaunce To all that trust haue in her pleasaunce ¶ Lenuoy PRynces pricesses coÌ„sider how in euery age Folkes ben diuers of their condicion To ply turne and chaunge in their courage Yet is there none to mine opinion So dreadfull chaunge ne transmutation As chaunge of prynces to geue iugement Or hasty credence without auisement It is well founde a passyng great domage Knowen and expert in euery region Though a tale haue a fayre vysage It may enclude full great deception Hide vnder suger gaâ—e and fell poyson With a freshe face of double entendem cut Yet geue no credence without auisement Let folkes beware of their laugage Kepe their tonges from oblocution To hynder or hurte by no maner outrage Preserue their lyppes from all detraction From champarty and contradiction Lest that fraude were found in their entent Ne geue no credence without auisement Prynces princesses of noble and high parage Whiche haue lordshyp and do nination Voyde them asyde that can flatter and fage Fro tonges that haue a terrage of â—reason Stoppe your eares from their bitter soun Be circumspect not hastye but prudent And geue no credence without auisement ¶ The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ Of quene Althea and how Hercules by women was brought to confusion WHaÌ„ Bochas had shewed his seÌ„tence And declared his opinion Against theÌ„ y â— wer hasty of credeÌ„ce He begaÌ„ anone to make a digression Fro that matter and of entencion To serche out mo his purpose to contune That were downe cast hyndred by fortune And as him thought he sawe a company Of many worthy whiche did appeare And among all first he did espye Quene Althea as she gan nygh him nere All be wept her face and also her chere With salt teares that pitye was to sene Whiche some time was of Caleâ—dony quene She was the daughter of kynge Thestius Wedded to Oene of Calsidony kynge Of cheare and face appearing full piteous Her heere to torne and frowardly liyng And in token also of complaynynge As writeth Bochas wherof he toke hede Blacke was her habite torne was her wede A sonne she had Melliager he hyght In earth was there none fayrer to se Ryght wel fauoured in euery mans syght And as I fynde at his natiuite Present were the fatal susters thre With their rockes and began to spyn fast And toke a brond and in the fyre it cast And in that hour this was their langage Touchynge thys chylde we full accorded be And haue disposed also the terme of his age The space concluded of his destyne As long tyme who so lyst to se Tyll
among with transmutations Set in Ouide by full souerayne style Whan he on them had mused a long while Sene the maner both of forowe and ioye He began to remēber of Priamus of Troy First of his byrthe and of his kynrede How among kinges he was most famous And as poetes recorde of him in dede He descended of worthye Dardanus Whiche as his line declareth vnto us From Jupiter was lynially come downe Vnto his father called Laomedoun Of olde Troy this Laomedon was kyng Destroyed by Grekes he and his countrye After whom this Priamus raynyng Made there ayen a myghty strong citye Where he full longe in full great royaltie With wife childer most worthy of renoun With scepter and crowne held the possessioun Gouerned his citye in peace and rightwisnes And Fortune was to him fauourable For of all Asie the treasour and riches He did assemble this kyng most honourable And in armes he was so commendable That through the worlde as far as mē gone Of high nobles the ronoume of him shone This Priamus had children many one Worthy princes and of full great myght But Hector was among them euerychone Called of prowes the lanterne and the lyght For there was neuer borne a better knyght Troylus in knyghthode so manly was foūd That he was named Hector the seconde But I should rehearse the manhede Of kyng Pryam and of his sonnes all And how his citye besieged was in dede And all the story to remembraunce call Betwene him and Grekes how it is befall The circumstaunces rehearsyng vp doun To set in order the first occasion Of the siege why it was first layed By Hercules and also by Iason The maner whole in Troye boke is sayde Rudely endited of my translation Folowyng vpon the destruction Called the second whych by accomptes cler◠Fully endured the space of ten yere For as me semeth the labour were in vayne Truely also I not to what entent That I should write it newe agayne For I had once in commaundement By him that was most noble and excellent Of kynges all for to vndertake It to translate and write it for his sake And if ye list to wete whom I meane Henry the fifte most myghty of puyssaunce Gaue me the charge of entent full cleane Thinge of olde time to put in remembraunce ▪ The same Henry for knyghtly suffisaunce Worthy for manhode teken kynges all With nyne worthies for to haue a stall To holy churche he was chefe defensoure In all suche causes Christes chosen knyght To destroy heritykes he set all his laboure Loued all vertues and to sustayne right Through his nobles his manhode might Was diligent and did his busy payne To haue set peace betwene realmes twayne A meane in sothe England and Fraunce His purpose was to haue had a peace finall Sought out meanes w t many a circumstan̄ce As well by treaty as actes marciall Theron ieoparded lyfe goodes and all But wo alas agaynst death is no boone This land may say he dyed all to soone For among kinges he was one of the best So all his dedes conueyed were by grace I pray to God so geue his soule good rest Wyth sayntes in heauen a dwellyng place For here with vs to little was the space That he abode of whom the remembraunce Shall neuer dye in England ne in Fraunce This worthy kyng gaue to me in charge In Englysh tonge to make a translation Out of latyn within a volume large Howe longe the grekes lay tofore the toun And how that Paris fyrst at Cytheron In Venus temple sleighly dyd his payne There to rauysh the fayre quene Heleyne In which boke the processe ye may se To hym how she was wedded in the toune And of the siege layde vnto the cyte By Menelay and kyng Agamennon And many another full worthy of renoun On eyther partie which that in battaile Fro day to day ech other dyd assayle Wherto shuld I tell or what shuld I write The deth of Hector or of Achylles Or wherto should I of newe endite How worthy Troilus was slaine in y ◠prese The ende of Paris or of Pallamides Or the slaughter of manly Deyphebus Or howe his brother called Hellenus Tolde afore howe it was great folly That Paris should wed quene Heleyne And how Cassandra in her prophecy On this wedding fore began compleyne And for the constreint of her hertely paine How she wexe madde ran about the toune Tyl she was caught shet vp into prison Al this matter ye may behold in dede Set by and by wythin Troye boke And how Creseide loued Dyomede Whan worthy Troylus she wilfully forsoke Of her nature a quarel thus she toke To assay both if nede were also to feyne To take the thirde leue thē both tweyne I passe ouer and tel of it no more Ne by what meanes the grekes wan y ◠toun How Eneas neyther how Anthenore Ayenst kyng Priam cōspired false traison Neyther howe Vlixes gate Paladion The deth of Priam ne of Eccuba the quene Ne howe Pyrrus flewe pong Pollicene Neyther here to write it is not mine entent Repeyre of grekes home in to their countre After the cyte at Iiyon was brent Neither of their mischefe they had on the see Neyther howe Vlixes founde Penolope A true wyfe though he were long her fro Through al Grece I can rede of no mo Of these matters thus I make an eude What fil of grekes after their viage To Troy boke tho folke I send Which haue desire to se the surplusage Howe grekes made fyrst their passage Towardes Troy besiegynge the cite Bede the storye ye get no more of me The .xvii. Chapter ☞ Here speketh Bochas the authour of thys boke agaynste the surquedous pryde of them that truste in rychesse sayeng these wordes vnto them ME proude folkes that set your affiaūce In strength beaute or in hye nobles If ye consider fortunes variaunce And coude a myrrour before your eyen dresse Of kyng Pryam and of his great richesse To se how he and his children all From their noblesse sodainly ben fall Hector of knighthode called sours wel Sad and demure and famous of prudence Paris also in beaute dyd excell And Helenus in perfyt prouidence Troylus in armes had great experience Also Deyphebus preued manly on his fone Yet in y ◠warre they were slaine euerychone Had not this kyng also as I can deuise By noble Heccuba whiche that was y ◠quene ▪ A doughter called Cassandra the wyse Her yong suster fayre Pollicene Alas alas what may all such pride mene For albeit their renome spronge ful far Yet are these women deuoured in the war Was he not mighty strong in all thynges And had also of his aliaunce Ryght worthy princes many rych kynges And nighe al Asie vnder his obeisaunce Holde in his tyme most famous of puissance Most renomed of richesse and tresours Tyl that fortune wyth her sharpe shoures Whan that he satte highest
lyst not in no maner wyse Againe the lawe to be fauourable But assented parcel for couetyse Vpon Remus to be more vengeable Of thys entent to make his reigne stable That he alone myght gouerne non other By no clayme brought in by his brother And that the people shuld thē more delite There to abyde and haue possession As olde auctours of Romulus do write Within the boundes of the same toun That he deuised by great prouision In compas rounde so croniclers compyle A teritory that called was Asyle This Asylum by Romulus deuised Was a place of refuge and socours Like a theatre with liberties fraunchised For to receiue all forayne trespasours Theues murdrers wayliggers robbours By great resort within the walles wide To foster all brybers y ◠durst no where abide And with fled people fro diuers regions The citye gan to encrease and multiplye And banished folke of straunge nacions To finde refuge thither gan them hye And thus by processe gan their chiualry First through tyrantes retcheles of workyng Till all the world obeyed their biddyng Of wilfull force without title of right They brought all people vnder subiection A claime they made by violence and might And toke no hede of trouth nor reason And the first auctour of their foundation Was Romulus that gathered all this route Within the citye and walled it about And many day as made is mencion He had this citye in his gouernaunce And was the first kyng crowned in that toun And raigned there by continuaunce Full many yeres till the variaunce Of fortune through her false enuye In Campania made him for to dye Vpon a day whan it gan thunder loude His name foreuer to be more magnified Some bokes saye he was rapt in a cloude High vp in heauen to be stellified With other Gods stately deified There to be stalled by Jupiters syde Like for his knightes as Mars list prouide Lo here of panyms a false opinion To Christes lawe contrary and odious That tyrantes should by false oppression Be called goddes or named glorious Whiche by their liue were founde vycious For this playne trouth I dare it well tell They rather ben fiendes ful depe in hell For but in earth their dominacion Conueyed be by vertuous nobles And that their power and hygh renoun Be set on trouth and rightwisenes Like their estates in prince or princesse I dare affirme of them bothe twayne For vycious liuinge they must endure payne But whan they ben faythfull of entent Right and trouth iustly to maintayne And in their royall power be not blent Wronges redressyng and pore folke sustene And so contune with conscience so clene Such life more rath than pompe of warres Shal make thē raigne in heuē aboue y ◠stars For whiche let princes vnderstand atones And worldly princesses w t all their riches That their high hornes fret w t riche stoues To heauen their passage dothe not dresse But vertuous life chatitye and mekenes Whan they list pride out of their hart arace That causeth thē in heauen to winne a place There is no more straunge abusion Ne tofore god greater ydolatry Than whan princes list catche affection Creatures falsly to deifye By collusion brought in by sorcery Now god defende all princes well disposed With suche false craft neuer to be enoysed And their eyen by none illusions Be not avieugled neither with hoke nor line Nor by no boytes of false inspections Wrought by Cyrenes by drinke or medicine Whiche of their nature resemble to a shrine Through riches outward beauty soueraine And who loke inwarde be like to a caraine God of his grace amende all suche outrage In noble princes saue thē from such werre And them enlumine disposyng their courage In suche false worshyp they no more ne erre Like to Argus that they sene a ferre That no false fagyng cause thē to be blynde Gods nor goddesses to worship againe kynd And though y t Romains did worship honor To Romulus by a constraynt drede Let no man take example of their errour But to the lorde whose sides were made rede To saue mankinde and on a crosse was deed Let men to hym in chefe their loue obserue Which can thē quite better than they deferue ¶ The .xxix. Chapter ☞ Howe Mecius kyng of Albanoys beynge false of his othe and assuraunce was drawen into pieces NExt Romulus w t teares al bespraint Vnto John Bochas appered Mecius Of chere and loke of his port faynte His fall declaryng frowarde dispitous And he was called eke Sufficius Lowe of byrthe and simple in vpgrowyng Of Albanoys tyll fortune made him kyng Again whose pride the Romains gan warrey Full mightely oppressyng his countree And for kyng Mecius list them not obey They cast them fully auenged for to be Because his byrthe was but of lowe degre And was risen vp vnto estate royall They thē purpose to yeue him a sodayne fall Hasty clymbyng of pouert set on hight Whan wronge title maketh him to ascende With vnware peyse of his owne might A sodaine fall maketh him to discende Whan he list not of surquedy entende Fro whence he came nor him selfe to knowe Till god fortune his pōpe hath ouerthrow For this Mecius of presumption Thought again Romayns his pride might auaile Gan warre againe thē by rebellion Was not fearfull their nobles to assayle Till on a day was signed a battaile Bothe their hostes within a felde to mete To take their part be it soure or swete That tyme in Rome raigned Hostilius A manly man and a ful worthy knyght Twene him concluded and kyng Mecius They twayne to mete in stele armed bryght For bothe battayles to trye out the ryght By iust accorde and therin not vary The party vaynquished to be tributary And wholy put him in subiection Without entreatyng or any more delay And finally for short conclusion Kyng Hostilius the triumphe wan that day That Albanoys coulde not say nay But that Romayns as put is in memory By singuler battayle had wonne the victory Thus had Romayns first possession Of Albanoys to obey them and to drede Mecius yelded and sworne to the toun Neuer to rebell for fauoure ne for mede But for he was double founde in dede Of his assuraunce and false to their citie He was chastised anone as ye shall se. Agaynst Fidinates a countrey of Itaile King Hostilius for their rebellion Cast he woulde mete them in battayle For common profite and for diffension Bothe of his citye and of his royall toun And for to afforce his party in workynge Of Albanoys he sent vnto the kynge To come in haste with his whole chyualry And tary not in no maner wise But make him stronge to sustaine his party Like his behest as ye haue hearde deuise But kyng Mecius full falsly gan practice A sleighty treason and a couert wyle Agaynst his promise the Romayns to begyle Yet he outwarde pretendyng to be true Came to the felde with ae full
heare That he had force so great a ship to let But than alas his left hand of they smet Yet maugre theÌ„ whan he their malice seeth All were it so that he had lost eche hande The ship he styll helde with his teeth That they ne myght departe from the lande Lyke as their vessell had fal vpon sand Caused that day mine auctour doth reherce Two hundred M. were slain of theÌ„ of perce And whan this singuler mighty champion Cinegirus most vncouth of corage Had done this maruaile as made is meÌ„cion Of very anguish he fill into a rage Lyke a beest furious and sauage Ran about alas for lacke of mynde In Bochas boke no more of him I finde But in this proces after I beheld Aye howe that fortune can her frends fayle For Melciades leder of that fielde And gouernour of al that great batayle Causing victory as made is rehersayl yet his people of malice and of yre Again his nobles falsly gan conspire They of Athenes set him in prison And in chaynes mightily him bounde Vnkindly they yaue him this guerdon For al the knighthod they in him found Yet had he suffred many a mortal wound In their diffence and for their libertees To saue their liues their toun countrees This was the ende of duke Melciades Through y â— constreynt of his stronge bondes Eke they exyled the knyght Themystocles Out of their towne to lyue in straunge loÌ„des That was so worthy proued of his hondes To shewe the chaunge and mutabylite Founde in fortune and euery comonte ¶ Lenuoye THe stormy trust of euery comonte Their gery corages and trobled coÌ„staunce In this tragedy men may behold se Now vp now doun as fortune cast her chauÌ„ce For they of custome haue ioy most plesauÌ„ce In their desyres vnstedfast and vntrewe To se ech day a chaunge of princes newe Corolyan of Rome a chefe cytye Was there protectour thrugh his mighty pusauÌ„ce Venquisshed their enemies set theÌ„ in suerte Brought in rebelles to their obeysaunce But they agaynwarde of wylfull variaunce Banysshed hym twyse and no cause knewe Saue for to se a chaunge of princes newe The knyghtly noblesse the magnanymyte The polyce the prudent gouernance Of Melciades duke of the countre Where y t Athens is chefe towne in substauÌ„ce Whan he their comon gan most to auaunce The more vnkyndly in honor y t they grewe Most they wer busy to chauÌ„ge him for a new Themystocles hauyng the soueraynte Of knyghtes all that bare speare or launce Duryng his tyme I take no more on me For coÌ„parisons do oft tyme great greuaunce Sixe hundred thousande he put to vttraunce Vnto Athens neuer founde vntrewe Yet they conspyred his exyle for a newe What thyng may here flour in felycite Or stande stable by longe contynuaunce In hyghe estates outher in lowe degre Nowe flowe now ebbe nowe ioy nowe mischauÌ„ce After as fortune holdeth the balance And specially false feyning and vntrewe Comons desyre a chaunge of princes newe Noble princes in your prosperite On sodayne chaunges set your remeÌ„braunce Fresshnesse of floures of braunches y â— beaute Haue aye on chauÌ„ge a treÌ„blyng attendaunce In trust of comons is no perseueraunce As wynter somer be dyuers of their hewe So be they dyuers in chauÌ„ge of princes nâ—w The .x. Chapiter ☞ Howe Xerxses kyng of Perce for his rauyne and couetyse was dismembred in to small pieces ANd tofore Bochas pitously wepynge For to declare his deedly heuynesse Came Xerxses nexte of Perce kynge And gan coÌ„playne his dole and his distresse Which in thre thinges y â— story bereth witnes And as the cronycle clerly can vs tell All other princes in erthe he dyd excell In high estate was none so greate as he Neyther in ryches nor worldly habundauÌ„ce Nor none that tyme of so great dygnite For as it is put in remembraunce He had all Perce vnder his obeysaunce Nor neuer prince as auctours do conclude Hosteyed attones with suche a multitude Space of fyue yere he had his ordynaunce SeueÌ„ hundred thousaÌ„de people he dyd rayse Dempt of pride agayn his gret puissaunce None erthly power myght counterpayse But some auctors alowe him nat nor prayse Bycause that he people to encombre Set all his trust to coÌ„quere w t gret nombre But manly princes haue this opynion In multytude standeth nat victory For knightly prowesse of euery champion Which manly cast theÌ„ in armes to haue victory Enprynted hath fixe in his memory Marciall tryumphes god ne doth nat shewe In nombre great no rather than in fewe This sayd Xerxses by recorde of auctours Had also in cronycles as I rede Thre huÌ„dred thousande straunge soudeours Without other that were of Perce Mede Whiche gan the erthe for to cure and sprede Dried ryuers that they dyd attayne Karfe downe hylles made valeys playne This was chefe conceyte of his fantasies To haue all erthe vnder subieccion Thought his power raught aboue the skyes Of surquedy and false presumpcion For as he demeth in his opynion Howe in his power playnly that it lay Fro god of heuin the heuyn to take away But thylke lorde y t can the meke enhaunce And from their sees the proude put doune And namely them y t haue no remembraunce To aduertyse of wysdome and of reason To knowe the lorde most mighty of renoune The lorde of lords which plainly to compyle Wyll suffre tyrauntes to reigne but a whyle And one the maruayle that euer I dyd rede Greatest and vncouth playnly vnto me Is howe Xerxses kynge of Perce Mecde For to shewe a specyall syngulerte Out of Asie ouer the great se As sayth myn autour whoÌ„ I dare alledge In to Europe made a myghty bridge Some men peraueÌ„ture will ther at disdayne And say it is a maruayle nat credyble Yet craft in case to suche thing may attayne Whych by nature semeth an impossyble And as to me it is a thing odyble Thynges to inpugne autentyke and olde Whiche notable clerkes in their dayes tolde These newe men that haue but lytell seyne Nouther expert in crafte nor in nature For lacke of reason holde all such thing veyne Though that it be remembred in scripture For euery maruayle and euery auenture Is straunge to hym as I reherce can That lacketh y e cause wherof y e grouÌ„d began This sayd Xerxses had eke possession By the tytle of his father Darye Of all Egypt as made is mencyon But they of Grece were to hym contrary Wherfore he cast no lenger for to tarye This proude prince but mightely werrey Lacedemonoys which wolde him nat obey But one that was called Demaratus Whych of that country had afore be kyng And was exyled the story telleth vs That tyme w t Xerxses in housholde abyding Whyche loued that land for all his exyling Gaue theÌ„ warning to saue theÌ„ fro mischauÌ„ce Of Xerxses power and all his ordynaunce He wrote them letters grauen in a table All themprises of Xerxses out of doute
reioysed all hys life Kept what he redde in his memoriall And of wyse counsaile was none to hym egal An vncle he had ycalled Perycles Which stode in daunger of excessife spendyng Yet in hys youth thys Alcibiades Seyng hys vncle pensiefe in lokyng Cast of wisdom to remedy that thyng And for to aswage hys heartes heuynesse Gaue hym this counsail by great auisenesse Fyrst to rehearse how the matter stode And of hys vncles wofull hygh distresse Ther was to him delynered a sūme of goode To repayre the temple of a goddesse Called Minerna but for the great excesse Of hys dispences he stode somwhat in drede Touching thacoūpt y ◠he muste yelde in dede Alcibiades here vpon musyng To hys vncle gaue counsayle in sentence Vncle quod he let be your thynkyng And for your selfe shape thys diffence Nat for tacoūpt by meane of your prudence Afore prouided with face chere vnfayned To suche duresse that ye be nat constrayned And whan Pericles his coūsaile aduertiseth Fonde to his worshyp it was resonable And by good layser him selfe ful wel auiseth And by prouision prudent and notable Saued hys estate frō eche thyng reprouable So that he stode touching thys matter As for accomptes out of all daunger Alcibiades of Athens chefe capteyne From day to day waxt vp to great encres Suche another was ther no where seyne Them to gouerne bothe in werre pees And all the citye by assent hym chees Of theyr nauy in especiall Vpon the see to be theyr admyrall For his knighthod they sent hym out aferre To Cathenoys to be theyr gouernour Gayne Cyracusenes for to gin a werre First there receiued w t glory gret honoure But in the end of his great laboure Fortune that is aye varyaunt and vnstable Was to this duke nat founde fauourable He was accused to them of the toun Which in Athenes had gouernaunce That he was gilty in party of treason By thē reuoked for al his great puissaunce Of Capitaynship and by their ordinaunce And fortunes false mutabylitie Vnwarely depriued from all dignitie But for him selfe thus he gan prouide Went into exyle not fer from that countre In to a cytie that called was Elyde There for to haue fredom and lyberte And of hys lyfe to stand in suerte For in Athenes they wolde haue him deed Vnto their goddes to offre vp his heed But whan he was of their entent certayne To Lacedemone he toke the ryght way And by relacion there he herd sayne Howe Cathemenses were put to afraye In a batayle vpon a certayne daye Which that they held to their aduersytee Gayne Cathenoys as they fought on the see But the cause of this discomfyture As was tolde Alcibiades Was by thre captayns through misauenture Which in their leading were found recheles The chefe of them named Demosthenes The tother called the story telleth vs The tone Niceas the tother Eurilocus Alcibiades hauyng herof tiding To auenge his wrong put him selfe in prees Of Lacedemon he gothe fyrst to the kyng Which of trouth was called Agydes Beseching him to graunte to his encres Certayne soudyours out of hys countre For to werrey of Athenoys the cyte Thus he waxte stronge of noble prouydence Had great people vnder his gouernaunce And lyke a duke made strong in hys defence The people gadred to his obeysaunce That other princes that wer of hye puisaūce Gan haue enuy of wylful frowardnesse And to malygne agayne hys hyghe noblesse For selde or neuer in any regyon Prowesse of armes noblesse of chyualry Encrease of ryches report of high renoun Fame of connyng in craft or in clergy May no wher dwell without some enuy From whose malyce as folke expert may se Saue only wretches no man hath lyberte For which this prince as put is in memory Escaped nat for all his hygh parage But that some enuyed at his glory For in this life no man hath auauntage Agayne tonges nor odyous false langage To stop such venym this is the best obstacle That mē with suffraūce tempre their triacle The clere prowesse of Alcibiades Stayned the nobles of other prynces al His eure hym raised vp to so great encres To the highest trone of fortunes hall Such fatal grace is vnto hym fal That in tho dayes playnlye this is no fable There was no knight to him resemblable In his exyle so clere his renome shone And through Grece gaue as gret bryghtnes As doth a ruby aboue eche other stone Yet for to clips and shadow his worthynes Lacedemonois dyd their busynesse Such as nat myght to his nobles attayne By false report his renome to restraine Awayt was layd to take him at mischefe And many traynes wer serched out sought Of entent to put him at reprefe But al y ◠euer agayn him they haue wrought At the end the purpose came to nought For God prouideth of his magnificence Agayne such malice to saue innocence He was lykely to fal in great daungere Lacedemonois gan so at hym dysdayne Because his honour nobles shone so clere That to his fone it was a deedlye payne And thus his lyfe stode in no certayne For all be it he manly was and wyse He knew nothinge their purpose nor malyce Hee had almoste ywarned be to late And lyke to haue stand in great perplexitie And more his grace and fortune to abate By thoccasion of hys great beaute He wyth the quene was woxen full priue For in her grace so well stode there none Whiche gaue to him warnyng of his fone And by the counsayle onely of the queene Fro Lacedemon he wysely toke his flight Towarde Athenes thought he wolde sene His owne countre full lyke a manly knyght And though thei had nat gouerned thē a right Towardes hym beyng in distresse To auenge his wronge he dyd thē no duresse For he thought it was agaynst nature To be vengeable or shewe his cruelte By thoccasion of any auenture Or ginne a werre vpon his countre His natiue bloud meued him to pyte And of very naturall gentlynesse Was debonayre agayne their vnkindnesse The case was this for short conclusion How king Dary with great apparayle Thought to werrey of indignation Them of Athenes their towne tassayle And in purpose proudely to preuayle Thessifernes a prince of great puissaunce Of Daries power had al the gouernaunce Final cause and grounde of all this werre That Darius gan on them so hastelye And that he sent his puissaunce from so ferre For to destroy Athenes vtterly Was to holde vp and sustayne the party Of Lacedomone whiche of olde hatrede Were euer enuyous thē to oppresse in dede But by meane of Alcibiades And his treatie founded on prudence Thessifernes enclined to the pees Therby in party to appease his violence And all was done of noble prouidence And fro the place to which he was exiled He to Athenes shoulde be reconciled Vnto the citie he dyd signify How Darius had made his ordinaunce And by his letters he
commyng Ditees deuise and of his conquest syng And strange minstrelles to be also recorde Thier instrumentes shal touche at accorde All of entent to geue hym more courage To the Capitole so he shal be brought And lest of pryde he fall in none outrage Nor surquedy within hys owne thought The most wretch shal of the town be sought Which of custome shal haue a staffe in hande And in the chare behinde his backe vp stande Gnotos Eolytos in Greke he shoulde seyne Whiche in our tonge playnly dothe expresse Know thy selfe remembryng in certayne Vpon fortunes frowarde doublenesse On whom thou trust may be sykernesse And who that douteth where that it be thus Let hym remembre the ende of Manlius What auayled his triumphes or hys byes Crownes of golde perled freshe tunicles His hygh prowes or all hys chiualryes Singler fyghtyng or marciall particles Newlye remembred or fed in olde cronicles Peyse his merites and see now at the last How into Tybre theyr champion they cast To his excuse auayled neuer a dele Fauour of coÌ„mons carectes of his woundes Nor to the goddes his lamentable appele Nor remebrauÌ„ce of theyr frauÌ„chised boudes Teritories nor wynnyng of the groundes Which that he wan w t spendyng of his blode All knitte in one to hym no stede they stode Here ye maye se how fortune sodaynly Clerenesse of fame can chauÌ„ge to derkenesse Glory to reprothe worshyp to vilany And ioye passed to mortall heuynesse Swytnesse of fauour into bytternesse And sobernesse into furious rage And old franchise to thraldome and seruage For there was neyther request nor prayere That auayled to hys delyueraunce In cheynes fettred dedlye of loke and there Abode the sentence of his finall gouernauÌ„ce Pale of face with trimblynge countenaunce Whan he alas gan mortal approche Of Terpeya to the hydous roche Of Terpeya thys roche bare the name After a lady as made is mencion Called Terpeya whiche fell in great defame Because she was assented to trayson To haue brought enemies into Rome toun Wherof conuict her story is wel knowe Vnder that roche she was ydolue ful lowe Thys roche also was called Carmentoun After a woman of great aucthorite Called Carmentes which through her hie renoâ—â— The Capitole made in that cite And she found letters first of our a b c And connyng had among her workes all Declare afore thyng that shoulde befall And on thys harde sturdy roche of stone Fro the Capitole Marcus was cast downe Other fauour nor frendshyp founde he none For all his battayles fought for the toune The coÌ„mons hertes were turned vpsodoune Whose loue is lyke preued at assay A blase of fire now bryght and now away The common people may hote and crye fast As theyr heartes stedfast were and stable But at a nede theyr promyse wyl nat last Of theyr corages they be so remouable To folow reason gerysh and vntreatable Lyghtly declinynge that is ful great ruthe After opinions and nothyng after truthe This Manlius was of hys truste disceyued Whose lust vnleful was departed in twayne Whan he of pride woulde haue be receyued To hygh estate which he myght nat attayne Wher through y e senate gan at him disdayne And the commons aye false at suche a nede Lefte hym in mischefe toke of hym no hede ¶ Lenuoye IN this tragedy meÌ„ may beholde se The perilous domages of false ambicioÌ„ Of theÌ„ y t be nat coÌ„teÌ„t w t their degre But would vp climbe lyke theyr opinion To hye estate by vsurpation Which nat consydre the sentence of scripture In a good meane men longest may endure Who that vsurpeth to higher dignite Than appertayneth to hys condition In royall chares for to make hys se And hath no tytle of lyne nor of reason Through frowarde pride full ofte he is putte doun For lacke he seeth nat euery creature In a good meane lengest may endure Whan Dedalus taught his sonne to flee He bad hym first of hye discretion Fro Phebus hete kepe his wynges fre And fro Neptunus colde congelacion Meanyng hereby for short conclusion That who that lyst with ioy his state assure In a good meane he longest shall endure Remembre the manhode and magnanimite Of Marcus Manlyus which by presuÌ„ption Wolde haue gouerned Rome the cite Maugre the senate ruled that mighty toun Whiche tourned after to hys confusion For he saw nat such was hys auenture In a good meane men longest maye endure Some in theyr greatest hygh prosperite Of frowarde corage and furious mocion In theyr great weale by false duplicite Haue a maner straunge condition Nat to be content with plentie nor foyson By a false etyke whiche of theyr nature In a good meane can nat longe endure But in this earth is greatest felicite In heartes ease rychest possession With suffisaunce content for to be Of worldly trouble teschewe thoccasion Meuyng no quarelles causyng no disceÌ„cion Nor cleyme nothyng which hard is to recure Sith in a good meane meÌ„ longest do endure Princes remembre in your most maieste Enuy of clymbyng causeth deuision Be of accord trust in no commonte Whiche at a poynt is but disception And specially flee simulation Ye maye in Marchus se a playne fygure Which for ambicion might no whyle endure The .iii. Chapter ☞ How Nectanabus kyng of Egypt was by Xerxses constrayned to flye hys kyngdome AFter the fal of Marchus Manlius Bochas anone gan hys style dresse Brefely to tell of Nectanabus Kyng of Egypt and of hys great rychesse Seyng afore in all hys noblesse By vncouth crafte how he ne myght chese That in all hast his crowne he should lese For he was connyng in especiall And ryght expert as made is mencion In all the sciences called liberall And knew afore by calculation How God wolde make a transmigracion Of hys kyngdome and playnly to reporte The lande of Perce to Grekes ful traÌ„sport For by kyng Xerxses out of hys countre Maugre hys treasour hys connyng myght This Nectanabus constrayned was to flye Durst nat abyde to haue of hym a syght But into Grece he drew hym anone ryght Nat lyke a kyng but after olde writynges Lyke a magicien he wrought woÌ„dre thinges Vpon fortune further to procede By hys conning he greatly furthered was And by hys sleighty workyng eke in dede He was acquaynted with quene Olimpyas And so secre playnely thys is the caas That openly her men sayd by demyng He gate Alysandre the great myghtye kyng But how he fled out of hys region Of hys ymages nor of hys illusions Bochas maketh no maner mention Nor how he wrought by incantacions Nor of hys subtel operations Nor how that he lyke a man by nyght Whilom apeared in the quenes syght Saue of hys deth Bochas writeth nought Remembring no tyme nor date How he and Alisander togeder haue sought The course of starres towarde euen late Nor how hys sonne like as was hys fate Downe from a brydge by full mortal wrake Cast hym backward and so his necke
treasour the gold ne the dispeÌ„ce Of them that haue this world in gouernauÌ„ce Nor al the subiectes vp rekened in sentence Nor al the regions vnder their obeysaunce Princes princesses with al their attendaunce May agayne fortune yeue them no lybertie Who not knoweth her vnsure gery chaunce Thinke on Lisimachus and Arcinoe Her chyldren she slayne by violence Of Ceramius god yeue him sory chaunce That by false coloure dyd her reuerence And pretended a maner obseruaunce The treson close of venomous purueyaunce Purposed afore to outray them all thre The chyldreÌ„ slayne which knew no cheuisaÌ„ce The mother exiled called Arcinoe Noble princes beware of hie prudence Amonge your selfe that there be no distaunce Hyde no rancoure of hateful vyolence Vnder a curtayne of double daliaunce Lyke your hert shewe out your countenauÌ„ce Voide of dissimulinge and duplicitie Wysely way this chapter in balaunce Of Lysimachus and quene Arcinoe The .xxi. chapiter ¶ How Ceramius of Macedoyne kyng that murdred his cosins was slayne in bataile by them of Fraunce THe Noble Poete Jhon Bochas in his boke Procedyng forth coÌ„plaineth of pite With quaking hande whan he his pen toke And gan to writ the woful desteny As ye haue herde of quene Arcinoe And how Ceramius the story maketh minde Was to her false traytour and vnkynde Of whose treason is made a great processe And howe he after was slayne in batayle Punished by vengeaunce for his falsenesse Lyke as his story maketh rehersayle Whych to remembre I cast me not to fayle Folowyng mine auctour procede in writing Howe Ceramius was slayne beynge kinge For whyle that he by his false workyng In Macedoyne had the gouernayle Thre huÌ„dred M. accompted by writynge Went out of Fraunce to conquere Itayle The host departed in many stronge batayle Gate by conquest through theyr hye renoune Ful many a prouince and many a region And as they rode through many a gret couÌ„tre This people of Gaule in stele armed clene They founded castels many stronge cytie Towarde Rome they bylded Mylâ—n Sene Vpon the Alpes their armour shone ful shene And some of them vp to Rome went By very force and the citye brent Some parted vp to the grekyshe see Had a custome to chese their dwellynge place By Augurie as byrdes dyd fle Folowynge their flyght they gan after trace Holdynge their way within a lytell space With myghty hand the boke doth specify They came to a countrey called Pannony This folk of Gaule whych is called FrauÌ„ce To conquere landes put them selfe in prees As most notable people of puissaunce Folowynge y â— exaÌ„ple of their knightly encrese In theyr ridynge of worthy Hercules Which was worshipped in their actes mercial Lyke as a god and called immortall Through grace of fortune in their chiualryes Conquered countreys alwaye forth rydynge Them selfe departynge in diuers companyes Who them withstode they coÌ„sumed by breÌ„nig Came to Macedone where Ceramius was king Of presuÌ„pcioÌ„ wening it shuld auayle Out of ordinaunce he met them in battayle This Ceramius of outrage and of pride Dempt him able to mete with theÌ„ of FrauÌ„ce But for he was through murdre an homicide He lacked grace and power in substaunce Yet they of Gaule by prudent gouernaunce Offred vnto hym though he was retcheles With Macedonoys for to treate of pees But for presumpcion and melancoly Agaynst his enemies he the felde hath take And discomfited anone was his party His men gan flie and haue their lord forsake Hys heed smyt of and set vpon a stake But al his mischefe was to lyte in dede To recoÌ„pence his fraude and his falshede There is no paine againe so great offence May be deuised in no boke that men rede Equiualent murder to recompence Duely to punyshe so outragious a dede Of him that made yonge children blede As did Ceramius whiche of false couetise His cosyns slough as ye haue heard deuise To thinke on murder it is to foule a thing To god and man hatefull and terible The infernal fraude the deuillyshe coÌ„passing To eche creature of nature is odible Whiche to redresse is an impossible O cursed Ceramius I leaue thy story here Thy name no more shal blot my papere The .xxii. Chapiter ⧠How the prynce Belgius was disconfited and brought to nought AFter this tyraunte as ye haue hearde the eaas Slayne in battayle this traytour odious Anone in order came to John Bochas A mighty prynce called Belgius Deadly pale with face furious Whiche coÌ„playned amonge this wofull prees His disconfiture done by quene Softenes This sodayn mischefe greued his hart sore For all the folke that were in his battayle Were put to flyght Bochas writeth no more Of his knighthode nor of his apparaile Saue onely this he maketh rehearsaile Of the Frenche host he telleth in certaine How he was chosen for a chefe captayne And how he came into the riche lande Of Macedoyne with his people of Fraunce Tyll Softenes the quene w t myghty hande Disconfited him brought to mischaunce Of whoÌ„ I finde none other remembraunce Saue whan he wende to be most glorious He was outrayed by force of Brennus ☞ The .xxiii. chapter ¶ How duke Brennus delityng to robbe and steale mischeuouslye ended THis Brennus full knyghtlye in workynge which by coÌ„quest gate many great citie And as I reade of Danes he was kyng Disployled regions many a great couÌ„trie Robbed people of hye and lowe degre Spared no goddes but by vyolence Toke their treasures did them no reuerence There was a temple great and marueylous Built on a roche and on an hyll of stone Sacred to Appollo called Delphicus In all Grece so great a god was none And oft sythe the people woulde gone Vp to a Theatre whiche that stode wythout To haue answere of y t they stode in doubt Their trust hope was to y t god applyed Hauyng to hym singuler affection As though he might haue holpe magnified And done to them great consolation For by a spiryte of false deception He gaue answere of sundry questions To folke that came from diuers regions Kyng Brennus had no fantasy In their temples after their panym gyse Neither to worship nor to magnify Their Grekysh goddes to do theÌ„ sacrifise For in his hart he gan them to despyse Caught a ioy wyth all his false robbours Them to dispoyle robbe of their treasours Behyght his men sayd in playne langage That his desyre and hys entencion Was to be boty with them of such pyllage As Goddes had in their possession And part with theÌ„ for singuler guerdon For their labour and great trauayles That they had had wyth him in battayles He gaue his people a maner hardines Made them trust in great multitude Hauyng despyte of the innocent symplenes Of his enemies because they were but rude I meane tho folke shortly to conclude Whiche had in kepyng the iewels precious Of great Appollo called Delphicus The people also whiche was with Brennus Had all the day
there was founde great duplicite Followyng after who so can take hede Lyke as this story shall deuyse in dede For by the fraude falsenes most mortall Compassed beforne it is thus befall That by the sleight of this Hastruball As affricans be nye double all Vnder suger can hyde well their gall So Hastrubal by false decepcion Vnder fayre chere deceyued Scipion. He brought in Siphax by false subtilte And by his sleight painted fayre langage That he shoulde with him alied be By full assent to haue in mariage Sophonisba a maiden of Cartage Which was doughter yong fayre withal As sayeth Bochas to this Hastruball The whiche thynge by crafte was brought about And accoÌ„pished verily in dede And by thys meane plainly out of doute There first began rancour and hatrede Simulacion fayned and falshede That atwene Siphax Hastruball alas Scipion was desceiued in this caas And after that done was this mariage Siphax ful enemye to this Scipion With Hastruball rode in to Cartage And gan werray againe Rome toun And in this while as made is mencion Kynge Massmissa out of wildernes Toward Scipion in al hast gan him dresse With his people gan to make him stronge Through helpe of Scipion and of Belgius Went againe Siphax abode not longe His herte againe him was so enuious And on a day the story telleth thus Wyth Affricans and folke of Cartage Siphax the Romains met in the vysage Of Massinissa the people were so woode Vpon Siphax auenged for to be Through their battayls came to him there he stode And maugre him and his cruelte Of very manhode space was none to fle They brought him home throughe theyr hye renoune Into y â— haÌ„ds of worthy Scipion. Siphax was take thus or he was aware Vnder his baner maugre al his myght And in to Rome ledde afore the chare Of Scipion the noble worthy knight That wan the triuÌ„phe grauÌ„ted hym of right And Sophonisba afore to Syphax wyfe Wed to Massinyssa at th eÌ„de of all thys stryfe Lo howe fortune chaunge can her tydes To one this daye she can be fauourable Marke capitayns and these great gydes Which wende haue founde her whele stable But she is aye frowarde chauÌ„geable Frendly to daye to morowe at discorde If this be trewe Siphax can beare recorde This Siphax was sente out of the toune In chaynes bounde without more taryinge And at Tyburny lay fettred in prison Dyed at mischefe made there his endynge And for bycause that he was a kyng The Romayns made of marcial pyte Him to be buried within their citye ☞ The .xi. chapter ⧠Howe Nabyn hauynge no tytle but by ticannye toke on hym to be kyng of Macedoyne and was slayne NExte came Nabyn ful pytously wepynge Tofore Jhon Bochas whyche by tirannye Of Macedoyne toke on hym to be kynge Hauynge no tytle saue tytle of robbery Onely by force hym selfe to magnify Which with stronge hande toke ful possession For to be crowned in thylke region This Macedoyne as by olde writynges Whylome was had in ful great reuerence Bycause onely it floured in two thynges Both in knighthode souerayne Sapience Mars there by manhode Pallas by prudeÌ„ce And whyle these two had gouernaâ—ce Or al welfare they had suffisaunce And whyle noblesse of these thynges twayne That is to say the floure of hye clergy The hye renome mooste famous souerayne Of marciall prowesse and of chiualry Gouerned that land by new policy Than stode that kingdome auctours reherce koÌ„ne Amonge the Grekes lyke an heauenly sonne But at the last eclypsed was the lyght Bâ—th of knighthode and Philosophy Whan couetise gan enter agayne righte For to vsurpe vpon the regaly By intrusion of false tyranny And by extorte force made their entrynges Hauyng no title there to reygne as kynges This was chefe cause for short conclusion That the noblesse of Grece was brought baas And Macedoyne brought to confusion By couetyse that set them in such caas Thereby theyr knighthod translated was And their polycy in Cronicles ye may se Out of Grece into Rome the citye And among other by clere remembraunce Of suche tyrauntes by ordre rehersyng Nabyn was one that had gouernaunce In Macedoyne was there crowned kyng Without title there falsly reignynge And for his frowarde contagious cruelte He was behated of Rome the citye The Romayns sent a mighty Consulere Tytus FlaÌ„minius of their werres gyde To Macedoyne he gan to aproch nere Towarde Argos where Nabyn dyd abyde Of entent for to abate hys pryde But while Nabyn stode hiest in estate Of Grece hys lieges with him were at debate A Duke yealled Philopomenes With the people that dwelled in Grece lande To stryue w t Nabyn put hym selfe in prees Discomfyted him fightynge hande for hande â–ª And at great mischefe ye shall vnderstande Alexamenes a knyght of that countre Slewe thys Nabyn the Cronycleye may se. The .xii. Chapiter ¶ Here Bochas reherseth the mortal werres bytwene Romayns Affricans AFter this Nabyn Bochas dothe procede To tel the werres and the mortall striues Twene Romains and Affricans in dede Wherby ful many lost their liues Caused widowes maidens eke wiues To wepe waile in such disâ—oynte they stode On outher party to se the losse of bloode For the party of them of Rome towne Were made capitaines and diuers officers Which into affrike w t people were sent down And specially there were two Consulers Notable in armes famous in tho yeres Marcus MaÌ„lius borne of the Romain lie That other called Lucius Censorine With them was sent a tribune ful notable Of whom tofore I made mencion For the werres most worthy most able I meane of Rome proude Scipion Which of their cite was chefest champion Of entent the affricans tanoye And specially Cartage to distroye And nye by Cartage ther was a citie stronge Mightely builded and stode vpon the see The walles thicke rounde square longe Chefe diffence called of that countre To saue and kepe them from aduersite And forty cubytes with crestes marciall Lyke as I fynde of height was the wall And in the fronte raysed for the werre Of stones square was an hye dungeon Called Birsa fro which wounder ferre Men myght beholde the courtreis enuyron And ss I reade for their saluacion The Affricans of purpuse dyd ordayne For their captaines Hastrubalies twayne The sayd dungion mightyly battailed Againe al sautes to stand and endure But worthy Scipion for al y â— hath not fayled For to approche and do by buâ—y cure With his engyns mighty stronge sure So that by force this knight most marcial A great quantite brake downe of the wal And Lucius called Sensorine Departed is with Marcus Manlius And by the Counsayle of Scipion doctrine Both of assent in armes vertuous They toke their waye myne auctour telleth thus Wyth Hastrubal sothly and they myght Where as he lay that same day to fight These Consulers assayled the citye Called Ciâ—ie and beate downe the
heuen Playne with the erth the walles broke doun The people slayne mercilesse yonge and olde And there was made a great diuysion Some led in seruage some of thē were solde Ymages of coper of syluer and of golde Where sodaynely in all that violence Togyther molte so hote was the feruence Of whych metall thus after it is fal Golde syluer and coper medled in to one Coper of Corinthe men dyd it call Through al the world of custome euerychon ▪ Fame of whych metal is so ferre gone That the vessels forged of the same Corinthoyse called is the name After Corinth was thus brent to nought A prince called Philyp Phylermene To Bochas hath his cōplaynte brought In whose face and chere it was well sene The wofull constraynt of his mortall tene And he was whylome Bochas doth specify Lorde of a citye called Vallaquy Marcus Actilius toke hym prisonere Brought him to Rome lyst hym not respite Next to Bochas with an heuy chere Appered a knyght called Democrite Of Etholys myne auctour doth so wryte He was chefe lorde but he and his countre Translated were vnto Rome the citye Thys Duke was cast chayned in prison Escaped ones in story as I fynde Take agayne throwe in a derke dungeon There for soro we went out of hys mynde Slewe him selfe at mischefe agayne kynde Lo howe these princes proude recheles Haue shameful ende that can not liue in pees The .xv. Chapiter ⧠Nowe greate Antiochus vsynge ryot and vycious lyuynge by Marcus Actilius was outrayed and dyed sodaynly TOuchynge the storye in order here folowynge Of Seleuchus great Antiochus Of his mother Leodices and the kyng With other tokens sygnes merueylous And how also the same Seleuchus Had in his thygh as wryten is toforne Prynt of an anker y ◠day whā he was borne And al the chyldren by succession Had by dyscent borne of his linage Print of an anker as made is mencion In the fourth booke with al the surplusage Of other tokens ther tolde in plaine lāgage And of the sayde same Seleuchus Came by discent the sayde Antiochus Whose herte was set of hye couetise To folow his lustes and dilectacions And specially he cast gan and deuise To wynne in Grece diuers regions And of the people he caught occasions By their fauour to conquere their countre And rebel agayne Rome the cite With multitude and great apparaile He gate in Grece castels and eke touns Longing to Rome conquered by battayle Toke vpon hym in his presumpcions Falsly to folowe the inclynacions Of hys birthe while he dyd abyde In a citie that called was Talcide For cause of slouth he lefte his chyualry Forsoke Mars and toke hym to Cupyde Restyng the wynter he spent in lechery In watche ryot chase Venus to his gyde Sensualitie made reason stande asyde And by these meanes for shorte conclusion He was conueyed to his dystruction And whan y ◠winter with his frostes colde Passed was and al his stormes kene In ryote spent and wasted as I tolde And Veer came in wyth his newe grene And freshe Flora which is of flours quene Of custome gynneth her motles out dresse In whych season as auctours all expresse Kinges princes with marcial apparayle Time whan Phebus in the ram doth shyne They them dispose to go out to battayle For exercyse of marciall disciplyne And downe from Rome expert in y ◠doctryne Dyscended is Marcus Actylius Agayne thys vicious proude Antiochus This noble Marke proued in armes wele Which in his tyme was so good a knight With al his host armed in bryght stele Agayne Antiochus came to the felde right Vpon a morowe whan Phebus shone bryght Set his wardes by captaines y ◠he chees Vpon a hil Called Thermophyles Antiochus vpon that other syde Whom glotony and ryot dyd oppresse And dronken Bachus wyth hym dyd abyde w t Morpheus wyfe of slōber chefe goddesse Which caused him thorugh slouthe ydelnesse That prouidence out of his court was gone Causyng y ◠day the slaughter of many one Whā the Consul Marcus y ◠worthy knyghte His aduersaries proudly gan assaile They vnpuruayed toke thē to the flyght Disarayed they might not auayle Thus Antiochus fled out of battayle For againe Romaynes he myght not endure Therfore on hym fyl the discomfiture Thus rebuked fled to Ephesie Ferre in Grece there to dwell he chees Sent to Romains a great ambassadrye With the saide Marcus for to treat of pees But in this ambassed this is very doutles Whan they attained of Marcus the presēce They were refused and had no audience Of which Antiochus greatly was ashamed Cast againe Rome of hate and enmyte To rayse a power hath of newe attamed To gather shyppes make a great arme Gynne a werre agayne them on the see Hauynge an hope vnder a cowardedrede Better on the water thā on the lande to spede Made hys shyppes be stuffed wyth vytayle And hys captaynes hath the lande forsake But whan y ◠Romayns of newe gan hi assaile Hys shippes brent al hys stuffe was take And as mine auctor cōpēdiously doth make Thus on the see the Romains werraying He was outraied the storye wytnessyng Yet efte agayne to hys confusyon Vpon the lande he gan make hym stronge Met wyth Cornely called Scipion With waynes cartes made for y ◠wer strōg Shod wyth yron sharpe sithes set amonge In trauers wise by great ordinaunce But for all y ◠he was brought to mischaunce With Oliphaūtes Castels on their backe That daye was slaine many worthy knyght Vpon his host so cruel was the wracke That he constrayned toke hym to the flyghte Forsoke the coūtre fled out of mennes syght To the Romayns he coude it not delaye Eche yere constrayned a tribute for to pay But he of fraude because of his tribute For couetyse fained sore pouerte Gathered robbours and by false pursute Oppressed Marchauntes spoyled the coūtre Robbed temples of hateful cruelte And fro Jupiter called Dodanon Toke al the relikes the story telleth con Dyd sacrileg◠and entred in that close Without reuerence or any obseruaunce For whych the temple agayne him rose And as it is put in remembraunce By the goddes there fil a great vengean̄ce Vpon this tyraunt quakyng in his drede All sodenly he fyl to ground dede ¶ Lenuoye THis tragedy of Antiochus Who lyst in ordre his froward story se First to all vertue he was contrarious And rebell euer to Rome the cite Justly accused of vicious thinges thre Of pride slouth and of glotony And of disordinate superfluyte Of nyght excesse ryot and lechery On him the Romains were victorious Twyse on the land ones on the see He was not hardy but malicious In euery battayle his custome was to flee Ther vices reigne there may no grace be To al surfettes his lust he dyd apply Noysed disclaūdred through his coūtre Of nyght excesse ryot and lechery Amonge his lieges wode and dispytous And for a
and the vyolence To Eucratides was very importable Besieged first and for lacke of defence Take at mischefe his fone not mercyable For Demetrius was on hym so vengeable Whan he was slayne w tin his owne boūdes Made the carayne be cast out to y ◠houndes Not wythstandinge he was a worthy kynge Borne of hye blode such was his auenture Demetrius sonne aboue al erthly thynge Hated hym by recorde of Scripture Of rancoure denyed hys sepulture And for the matter is hateful and contrary On his story I wyll no lenger tary The .v. Chapter ¶ Howe Herodes kyng of Parthoys werred wyth Romains whych after his sonne and heyre was slayne made hys bastarde sonne kynge y t anon after slewe his father TO Arthabanus whilō of Parthois kynge I purpose my style to transporte A full olde prince had in his liuing Sonnes twayne bokes so reporte Which in his age dyd him most comforte Mithridate was the eldest brother And herodes called was that other Mithridate by reason of hys age Hys father dead dyd after him succede Which banished was for tiranny outrage Afterwarde for mischefe and for nede In to Babylon he toke his flyght for drede The people anone after his partyng Of Indignacion made hys brother kynge Thus came Herodes to estate royal Pursued hys brother in to Babilon Layde a siege rounde aboute the wall They to him yelded vp the toun Thus was hys brother brought to cōfusion Afore the castell wythout lenger date Made smyte of the head of Mithridate In Parthois after he toke possession Thus yong Herodes of voiūte and pride Gan a werre agayne them of Rome toun Whom to w tstande they lyst not longe abyde The cōsull Crassus cam down to theyr syde Cōmaūded was short processe for to make Toward Parthois hys voiage for to take Crassus lyst not to entre in that reme Left Parthois the story dothe deuyse Toke his waye towarde Jerusalem To take there a solempne empryse In the temple onely of couetise Toke there agayne the tytle of ryghtwysnes Vp al their treasour their great ryches By which he gate in diuers regions Great multitude to hold vp his party Led wyth hym eleuen legyons Towarde Parthois fast gan him hye By hys letters proudly gan defy The sayd Herodes wyth great apparayle Myd his countre profred him battayle The next morowe whā Crassus toke y ◠felde To him was brought of blacke a cote armure Which whan his knightes auisedly beheld Dempt it a token of discomfiture For in contrary Romayns do their cure Whan their capitaine shal fighte or be hed His cote armur is outher white or red Another token frowarde to beholde The fyrst Egle beate in his banere Also soone as men dyd it vnfold Contrariously he tourned loke and chere The back to Crassus folke sawe y t stode nere A pronostyke to Romayns ful certaine Howe fortune to them was that daye againe By the flud passinge of Eufrates w t vnware tempestes hys standerdes echone In to the ryuer were cast amonge the prees To reken them all vpryght stode not one Wherof astoyned they wold no further gone These pronostykes made them so afrayed Lyke men in hert dispaired and dismaied Of these tokens Crassus was recheles The pronostykes also he dyd dyspyse Toke vpon him to passe Eufrates To entre Parthoys onely for couetise To whom Herodes sendeth in thys wyse That hys commynge was more for pyllage Than for knyghthode manhode or corage Al the power of Parthoys tho came downe With many Prefecte men of great courage Agayne Crassus them of Rome towne Which as I tolde abode on their pyllage That turned after to their great domage The sonne of Crassus slayne in that fray His father take and al vpon a daye His head smyt of in whom was no defence But disconfyted wyth many a legion The heade of Crassus brought to the presence Of Herodes within his royal toun Whych hath comaunded golde to be broughte doune To be molte there as he lay dead And to powre thereof full hys head This thinge was done for a mockery In signe onely the storye doth deuyse That golde nor treasour vpon no party Staunche myght his thrust of couetyse Suche gredines eche man should dispyse For auaryce of custome in eche place Of hye prowes doth the prise difface Herodes after dyd serche all the wardes Through al the felde vpon Crassus syde Toke the penons baners standardes And in his tempels large longe and wyde Let hange them vp of surquedy and pride In signe onely and eke for a memory He of Romains hath get the victory With whiche he lyst not onely be content Wenyng his fortune shoulde abyde stable In to Surry he hath hys sonne sēt Called Pachorus made him a constable Of that region with him to be partable Of al treasours and mouables y ◠he founde Whereuer he rode throughout al lond This Pachorus by hys chyualry Encrease gan in his tendre age Wherof Herodes his father had enuy Fearful it shoulde tourne to his domage Lest he would by tytle of heritage Maugre him at hys agayne commynge Take vpon him of Parthoys to be king Than Pachorus was called home agayne Out of Surrye where in conclusion Al that he had wrought was in vayne Bycause one Cassius fro Rome was come Slewe al the people in the region Whych appertayued to Pachorus as I find doun Without capitaine for they were left behynde To withstande this Romayne Cassius Herodes hath his sonne sent agayne Whych anone after the story telleth thus Amyd the felde vnhappely was slayne To trust fortune it is a thynge but vayne Whiche of custome to day is fauourable And to morowe geryshly chaungeable Of Pachorus dethe whan the noise arose And the distressynge of his chyualry And to Herodes abydyng in Parthois Tyding was brought farde as he would die Of hertely sorow fyl in to a frensy Heyre was none left of the royall lynes Saue thurty bastardes borne of concubines Thus Herodes was cast in great sickenes Hys sonnes deth was to hym importable Hys worldly ioy was gon his gladnes Fortune cōtrary which neuer can be stable Age fylon hys lyfe was not durable And of one thyng most he dyd hym drede Cause he had none heire to succede Whyche woulde not suffre him lyue in pees Tyll at the last he caught a fantasy Chase a bastarde called Pharactes Bycause he was famous in chyualry Gaue him the crowne and the regaly Which anone after breuely to conclude Slewe Herodes of ingratitude The .vi Chapiter ☞ Howe Fimbria a Consull of Rome slewe him selfe AFter to Bochas by processe of this boke Foure myghty princes notable of estate Towarde him thei cast chere loke Lyke vnto folke that were infortunate With whom fortune had ben at debate For by their maner as it sempt wele They were at mischiefe fall fro her whele First Fymbria a romayne consulere Sent by the romayns to a great cite Called Nichomede came as a
in many stronge batayle whose noble conquest greatly dyd auayle To comon profyt for al his worke parde was to the encreace of Rome the cyte He recured all the Septemtrion And west warde had many a great victory Amonge other I fynde that he was one Asked the triumphe to be put in memorye But there was a thing eclipsed his glorye which did y â— light of his knighthoâ— withdraw For he was enemy to Christ and to hys lawe Of him Bochas lyst no more to wryte But in his boke go forthe as he began Of one remeÌ„bring that called was Tacyte whych was successour to Aurelian And after him suceeded Folorian Of which twayne no remembrauÌ„ce I fynde That is notable to put in mynde The .v. Chapter Howe Probus discomfited romayns and after was flayne Probus after raygned full seuen yere And four monthes which by his hye renoun Gain went Saturninus w t a knightli chere Brought him proudly to subiection Not withstandyng that he in Rome toun Toke vpon hym of wylfull tyranny Holy th empyre for to rule and gye Besyde the cyte called Agrypyne This sayd Probus gayne many romayne A batayle had lyst not to declyne Met Portulus a mighty stronge captayne Wyth one Bonosus both they were slaine And all their meyny of very force and might Slaynm y â— felde the remnauÌ„t put to slyghte After this batayle and this discomfyture Probus was lodgedi Smyrmie a gret cyte And there vnwarely of sodayne auenture Slayne in a tour that called was Ferre But a small season last his prosperite Siche is fortune let no man in her trust All worldly thynges chaungyng as she lust The .vi. Chapter ¶ Howe Carus and his two sonnes were mischeued TOfore Bochas Carus next came doun with his two sonnes Numeria Carine And as I find he was borne in Narbon But whan that he most clerely dyd shyne By his knighthode plainly to termine In his empyre he gate cyties twayne Chole Thessiphontin Parthia w t gret payne Besyde Tygre a famous swyfte ryuere He pight his tentes cast him there abide A sodayne lightning his face came so nere Smyt all to pouder for all his great pryde And Numerian that stode by hys syde Had a marke that was sent fro heuyn Lost bothe his eyen with the firy leuyn His other sonne Carinus a good knight In Dalmacia had all the gouernaunce And for that he gouerned not a righte He was cast downe lost all his puissaunce Vicious lyfe cometh alway to mischaunce Sepcius chose Dalmacia for to gye Amonge his knightes murdred of enuy The vii Chapter ¶ How the hardy Quene zenobia fought with Aurelian and was take MIne auctor here no leÌ„ger lyst soiourne Of these eÌ„perours y â— falles for to write But in al haste he doth his stile tourne To zenobya hir story to endyte But for Chaucer dyd him so well acquite In his tragedyes her pyteous fal to entreat I wyll passe ouer rehersyng but the great In his bokes of Caunterbury tales This souerayne poete of Brutes Albyon Thrugh pilgrimes tolde by hilles and vales where of zenobya is made mencion Of her noblesse and her hye renoun In a tragedye compendyouslye tolde al Her marcial prowesse and her pyteous fall Mine auctour first affyrmeth howe that she Discended was to tell of herlynage Borne of the stocke of worthye Tholome Kyng of Egypt full notable in that age And this zenobya experte in all langage wyse of counsayle and of great prudence Passed all other in fame of eloquence Amonge she was armed in plate mayle Of Palmyrences wedded to the kyng Called Odenatus prudent in batayle She was also by recorde of writyng Hardy and stronge her lordship defendinge Maugre al tho with her cheualry Agaynst all them that wrongly toke party By Odenatus she had sonnes twayne Heremanus called was that one And Tymolaus of beautye souerayne After whose byrthe their father gan anone To occupy the prouynces euerychone Of Perce Mede by proces made theÌ„â—â—ene Of zenobya the hardy wyse Quene whyle Odenatus wext glorious In his conquest thrughout Perce Mede Slayne he was by one Mionius Whiche to the kyng was cosyn as I rede But for bycause of this horrible dede And for the murdre of king Odenate He dyed at mischefe and passed into fate By processe after zenobya the quene Toke her two soÌ„nes proudly dyd theÌ„ lede Tofore her chare the men might them sene How they were borne as princes to succede Made them like kinges clad in purple wede Them to defende this mightye creature Hardy as Lyon toke on her armure For al her Lordes and knights she had sent Maugre the romains proudly gan herspede All the parties of the Oriente To occupye and her hoste so lede Of themperour she stode nothyng in drede Called Aurelian met him in batayle With her meyny proudly did assayle On outher syde y t day great bloud was shed The stroke of fortune withstaÌ„t no creature The quene zenobia was taken forthe led Fought first as longe as she might endure With rich stones fret was hir armure w t whom themperour so entrig Rome toun Of triumphe required the guerdon He dempt it was couenable and sittinge This Emperour this proud Aurelian To aske the triumph it was so great a thing To take zenobia that such a werre began Gayne romayns this marcial woman For I suppose of no woman borne Was neuer quene so hardy sene aforne This hardy princesse for al hir crueltye whose renome thrugh the world was know With stockes of golde was brought to y â— citi From hye estate in pouerte plunged lowe A wynde contrary fortune hath so blow That she alas hath pitoufly made fal Her in that prowesse passed wemen al. The triumphe yeuen to Aurelian For the conquest he had vpon this quene Called zenobya came Dyoclisian Borne in Dalmacia his story who lyst sene Out of his countre first he dyd flene Of garlyke lekes as saythe the cronyclerâ— â–ª Bycause that he was but a gardinere Other mencion is none of his linage Of his byrthe forsoke the region Left his craft of deluyng and cortlage Gaue him to armes and by election Chose to be emperor regne in Rome toun First into Gaule he sent a great power And Maximian he made his vicar His vicar there had many a great batayle Vpon suche people that by rebellion Gan frowardly and contrary to assaile To obey his lordship within that region Tyll Carausius by commission And an hardy knight vndre Maxymyan Them to chastise toke on him lyke a man But by processe the story doth deuise His lordshyp there dyd great domage To common profit so he by couetyse The countre robbed by full greate outrage And to him selfe he toke all the pyllage And of presumpcion ware the colour Of ryche purple like an emperoure This Carasius of Bretayns twayne Proudly vsurped to be their gouernour Lyke a rebell agayne Rome dyd his payne And busyed him by marciall
suffre death or els greuous paine Folowing the day called the secound This Constantine hath ordayned a decre That who that euer in towne were founde Or els where aboute in the countre What euer he were of hye or lowe degre That blasphemed the name of Jesu By dome shuld haue of dethe a plain issue The thyrd day in euery mannes sight By a decre confyrmed and made stronge To euery christen who that did vnright By oppression to collaterall wronge It shuld notbe taryed ouer longe Who were conuicte or gilty shal not these By lawe ordained halfe his good to lese The fourthe day amonge romayns al This priueledge pronounced in the toun Yeue to the pope sytting in Peters stall As souerayne head in euery region To haue the rule and iurisdiccion Of preestes all alone in al thyng Of temporal Lordes like as hath the kynge To the church he graunted great fraunchyse The fyfth day and specially lyberte If a felon in any maner wise To finde socoure thider did fle within the bounds of danger to go fre To be assured and haue therof full refuge From execucion of any temporall iudge No man presume within no cytye The sixt day he gaue this sentence No man so hardy of hye or lowe degre To buylde no church but he haue licence Of the Bishop beyng in presence This to say that he in his estate By the pope afore be approbate The seuenth day this law he did eke make Of all possessions which be royall The tenth parte yerely shall be take By iudges handes in party and in all Which treasour they deliuer shall As the statute doth plainly specify Hole and entere churches to edify The eight day mekely he did him quite with great reuerence and humble affection Whan he did of al his clothes white And came him selfe on pilgrimage doune Tofore saint Peter of great deuocion Notwithstanding his roial excellence Made his confession in open audience His crowne toke and knelyng thus he sayde With weping eyen and voyce lamentable And for sobbyng as he might abrayde O blessed Jesu O Lord most merciable Let my teares to the be acceptable Receiue my prayer my request not refuse As man most synfull I may me not excuse I occupied the state of the emperour Of thy martyrs I shed the holy bloud Spared no sayntes in my cruel erroure Them to pursue moste furious and wode Now blessed Jesu moste gratious and good Peysed and consydred myn immortal offēce I am not worthy to come in thy presence Nor for to entre in to this holy place Vpon this ground vnable for to dwell To open mine eyen or to lyft vp my face But of thy mercy so thou me not repell As man most sinful I come vnto the well Thy well of grace of mercy and pite For to be washen of mine iniquity This example openly he hath shewed His state imperiall of mekeneslaid aside His purpyl garment with teares al be dewed Swerd or septer ne horse vpon to ride There was none nor baners splayde wyde Of marcial triumphes was no token found But crying mercy the inperor layon ground The peoples gladnes was medled w t wepig And their weping was medled with gladnes To se an emperour and so noble a kyng Of his fre choyse to shew so great mekenes Thus entremedled was ioy and heuines Heuynes ferre passed old vengaunce With new reioising of ghostly repentaunce ▪ This soy was lake a feast funeral In folke of custome that do their busy cure To bring a corse which of custome shal Haue al the rightes of his sepulture And in this time of sodayne auenture To life againe restored be his bones Causing his frendes to laugh wepe atones Semblably dependyng atwene twayne The people wept and ther with reioising To se the emperour so pitously complayne For his trespace mercy requiring Of ioy and sorow a gracious medlyng That day was sene gladnes meynt w t mone with wepyng laughter all in one persone After all this he digged vp him selue Stones twelue where he was knelyng And put them in coffins twelue On the .xii. Apostles deuoutly remembrynge Compassed a ground large for buildinge Besyde his palays cast theron to wyrche In Christes name to set vp there a chirch The place of olde called Lateranence Buylded and edifyed in the apostels name Constantinus bare al the dispence Ordained a law mine autour saith the same If any poore naked blynde or lame Receiue wold the faith of Christ Jesu He shuld bi statute be take to this issue In his promyse if he were found true were not fayned nor no faytoure He shuld first be spoyled and clad new By the costage of the emperour Twenty shillings receyue to his socour Of which receyte nothyng was withdrawe By statute kept and holde as for a lawe It were to longe to put in memory His hye prowesse and his notable dedes And to reherce euery great victory which that he had with hostes that he ledes And to remembre al his gracious spedes The surplusage who lyst comprehend Let them of Syluestre rede the legend Amonge other touching his vision which he had in cronicles men may lere whan he slept in his royall dongeon How Christ to him graciously did appere Shewed him a crosse sayd as ye shal here Be not aferde vpon thy fone to fall For in this signe thou shalt ouercome thē al. By which visiō he was made fullight Thrugh gods grace and heuenly influence First in his baner y ◠shone so clere bryghte The crosse was betē chefe tokē of his defēce Slew the tyran̄t that called was Maxence After whose death thrugh his hye renoun Of all the mpyre he toke possession In whiche estate he mayntayned the ryghte Vpon al poore hauyng compassion During his time hold the best knyght That any where was in any region Of Christes faythe the imperyal champion Through his noble knightly magnificence To all christen protector and diffence After his name which neuer shal appal Chaunged in Grece the name of Bisance ▪ Constantinople he did it after call And on a stede of brasse as men may se Manacyng the turkes of the countre He sytteth armed a great sweard in his hād Them to chastise that rebel in that land Reioyse ye folkes that borne be in Bretayne ▪ Called otherwise Brutus Albion That had a prince so notable a souerayne Brought forth and fostred in your region That whylom had the domynacion As chefe monarche prince and president Ouer all the world from Est to occident Tyme of his dethe that moneth of the yere Phebus not sene withdrew hys feruēt hete Was eclipsed and might not appere And longe before shewed a great Comete Alway encreasyng drewe towarde the cete Of Nychomede shone early and eke late Where in his palayes he passed into fate The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Julyan Apostata enemy to Christes fayth by false illusions was chosen emperour and after slaine AFfter the dethe of this marciall
that one Reigning in Damas of his true ryght Cathabadyn there beyng eke soudan Which in tho daies was holde a good knight And right notable in euery mannes sight And for the Soudan of Babilon aferre Called Saladyn oppressed was with werre For socour sent to these princes twayne To come in hast wyth all their chiualry Him to supporte and do their busy payne Enforce their myght to sustene hys partye Whose request they lyst not deny Abode no lenger but made them selfe stronge To stande with hym were it ryght or wrong Of thys matter the substaunce to conclude These princes came Salech Cathabadyn For their guerdon they founde ingratitude In this forsayde Soudan Saladin Founde him vnkinde plainly thys is the fyne From their estates as it was after knowe Disgraded theÌ„ both broughte theÌ„ ful lowe Of him in so the they had none other mede For their labour nor for their kyndnes What fyll after in Bochas I not rede For he forthwith leaueth this processe And vnto Robert doth his style dresse Called Farentyne reigninge in Taurence Who lost his lordshyp by sodayne violence This to say he reigned but a whyle Thys sayd Robert lost his gouernaunce Next to Bochas came Guylliam of Cecile Kyng of that couÌ„tre lorde of great puâ—saunce Lost his kingdom thrugh fortunes variance His eyen twayne rent out of hys heade After died in mischefe and in drede Which Guilliam reignyng in Cecile Was by discent borne â—ye of alye â–ª To Robert Guisterde as bokes do compile That whylom was duke of Normandye Greatly deliting in chyualry With his brother ful notable of renoun Which brought Naples to subiection His brothers name was Rogere Which had a sonne to be his enheritour Called Tancret as sayth the croniclere Which toke vpon him to reigne as successour Thus in Cecile Tancret was gouernour Agayne whom by title sought a fer Of aliaunce he gan a mortall werre For a mayde that called was Constaunce That doughter was to the kyng Rogere Whych was set of spirituall pleasaunce To be religious of hole hert and entere And by recorde of the croniclere This Constaunce hath the world forsake And to religion hath her body take Of this Constaunce the selfe same yere That she was borne as made is mencion There was a clerke a great astronomere Tolde of her byrth by calculacion She shoulde cause the desolacion Of that kingdome by processe of her age By the occasion onely of mariage Some that were to Tancret great enmy By their vngoodly exhortacion Moued the Emperour y â— Called was Henry To take Constaunce from her religion And by the Popes dispensacion She wedded was to theÌ„perour by his might By tytle of her put Tancret from hys ryght Wyth a great nombre of Italiens The Emperour entred in to that region But by fauour of Ceciliens Tancret long time stode in possession But through fortunes transmutacion The same tyme to conclude in sentence The saide Tancret dyed on pestilence Hys sonne GuilliaÌ„ y â— was but yonge in dede With Ceciliens cast him not to faile To kepe hys land and his ryght possede Met the Emperour wyth stately apparayle Made him redy wyth him to haue a battayle But the Emperour to great auantage Cast otherwyse of fraude in his corage Fayningly duryng the dyscorde The Emperour cast another whyle By a fase colour to fall at accorde And yong Guilliam vngoodly to begile Vndre treaty taken in Cecile Falsly depriued of hys region Sent to Itaile and throwe in prison By wey of treaty the story who lyst see All concluded vnder false treason With Guilliam take were his susters thre His eyeu put out for more conclusion He perpetually dampned to prison Dyed in pouerte lost his enheritaunce Lo here the fyne of worldly variaunce Further to write as Jhon Bochas began After that Guilliam was put froÌ„ hys reem To hym appered Guyot Lucinian Those afore kynge of Jerusalem Whose knightly fame shone lyke the son beem Which by his noblesse he whisoÌ„ dyd attayne GodfraÌ„y present that was duke of Lorayne But by the Soudan named Saladine He was enchaced of that dignite Al worldly pompe draweth to declyne So for the constraint of his aduersite The yeres passed of his prosperite Wente in to Cipres as a fugitife What fil after I rede not in his lyfe To make hys coÌ„playnt after hym came one Which had stand in great perplexite Erle of Bryeâ—ne and was called Jhon Whych afterwarde was kynge of the cyte Called Jerusalem and had also parde A faire doughter yonge and tender of age Joyned after to Frederike in mariage Beyng that tyme lorde and Emperour Was desirous aboue al other thyng Of Jerusalem to be gouernour And of Eecyle to be crowned kyng Whiche alderlast for his subtyle workynge Constrained was downe fro that partye To be a capitaine serue iâ— Lombardye The .xxiii. Chapter ¶ Of Henry the eldest Sonne of Frederike the seconde myscheued by hys father NExt to Bochas croked halte and sycke One called Henrye caÌ„e for to plaine The eldest sonne vnto Frederike Whiche by siknesse had felt great payne Megre and pale contracte in euery vayne Of whose langour the chefe occasion Was that he lay so longe tyme in prison Al hys dysease at great aduersite Ycaused was for shorte conclusion By his fathers frowarde cruelte As Bochas after maketh mencion And thys Henry by generacion Sonne vnto Frederike lyke as it is founde I meane Frederike called the seconde This Henry by discent of lyne Of Cecyle fyrst was crowned kinge And of Jerusalem whose renome dyd shine Through many a lande at his beginnyng And fortune also in her workyng Was to this Henry passyng notable In al his workes inly fauourable Of his person he had this auantage To all the people he was right acceptable Well coÌ„mended in his flourynge age Of there face and loke ryght amyable And of his porte very demure and stable Called in his ginninge suche fauoure he hath wonne Of princes al very lyght sonne But ofte it falleth that a glad morning Whan Phebus sheweth his beames brighte The day somtyme therupon folowyng With some derke skye is clipsed of hys lighte And semblably through fortunes myght This said prince by her false variaunce Fonde in her whele full noious greuaunce Who may the furies of fortune appese Her troubly waues to make them plaine Wher meÌ„ most trust they fynde most disease Where double corages stande in no certaine A shining day is ofte meint with raine Thus of Frederike the great vnstablenes Hath brought his son in mischefe dystresse This Frederike set vp in great fauour By the Popes diligent busines Vnto the state lyft vp of Emperour But through his fatal frowarde vnkindnes Of couetyse fyl in such excesse Toke vpon him the Patrimony to gye Of Christes church that parte to occupy Fyl in the Popes indignacion Counsayle nor treaty myght none auayle But of malice and presumpcion Cast wyth the Pope to haue a great battaile The sayd
tofore Gaulter his iudgemeÌ„t to shew With sharp swordes he was all to hewe The execucion done vpon these thrâ— In Tuskan borne the rancour did apease Of Florentines to staunche the cruelte Againe Gaulter to his life great ease He glad to escape out of his disease Fled away in full secrete wyse The towne restored again to their frauÌ„chyse Thus he lost by his insolence All his power and dominacion Bothe of Tuskan and also of Florence And as mine auctour maketh mencion Fro Lombardy he is discended doun Drew to king Iohn reigning tho in FrauÌ„ce And of byrth full nigh of alyaunce As I fynde he was on that partye With king Ihon this Gaulter like a knight Whan that the king with all his chiualry Was take him selfe his lordes put to flighte Into Englande lad after anone righte The said Gaulter hauing no regarde To his worshyp fled like a cowarde Met in his flyght with diuerse soudyours Of Lombardy abiding with king Iohn Which that time as brygantes pyllours Toke this Gaulter led him forthe anone His force his corage his herte was agone Of auenture a certaine Florentine Smit of his head this was his fatall fyne The .xxxv. Chapter ¶ Of Philipot Cathenoise borne of lowe birth which came vnto great estate and after she her sonne her doughter were brent BEspraynt with teares and wofull noyse Tofore Bochas quaking in sorow and drede Next in order came Philipot Cathenoyse Poore of degree borne of lowe kynrede Which rose after to great estate in dede And gan with sorow complaint ful mortal Seriously to tell her woful fall Touching her byrth derke was her linage Of poore bed borne on outher syde Bochas was lothe to spende great langage On her history longe theron to abyde Purposed him nothing for to hide Of the substaunce but tell all the great And superfluite of the remenaunt to leat Whiche was reherced by him in his youth Whan he was toward Robert of Cecyle Kyng of Ierusalem the storye is nat couth Yet in his boke he list it compyle And it reherce by full soueraine stile Lyke in that courte as it was to him tolde By one Bulgare called in slauaine olde The sayd Bulgare was a marynere With him also was a Calabrien Called Constantine which full many a yere Trauailed had and sondry thinges sene In diuers countreis there he had bene Monge other thinges sene in dayes olde This was a storie which Bulgare tolde Duke of Calabre Robert by his name By his father Charles the mighty kyng Had in coÌ„mauÌ„dement y â— storye saith the same Gayne Frederike to make a stronge ryding Which by force proudly vsurping Toke vpon him to be lorde of that yle Which called was the kingdome of Cicyle Depranne in sothe called was the towne Where duke Robert his pauyllions pight Rode armed through his hie renowne Gaine Frederike for the lande to fight And to withstande him plainly if he might And so be fyll the morowe before prime The dukes wife of childing bode her tyme. Violaunt men did that lady call In her time a famous great duchesse Destitute of other women al Whan her childe was borne in that distresse To yeue it souke the story doth expresse Saue for mischefe Philipot was fet nere Of Cathenoyse the dukes chefe laundere By a fysher which was her husbande A childe she had lyuing by theyr trauaile Which fro the sea vnto the courte by lande Day by day caried vitaile And in this case be cause it might auayle Philipot was brought in this greate straytnesse To be norice vnto the duchesse Where she was cherished after her desyres Eche thing redy whan that euer she sent With the duchesse amonge other chambrers In to Naples I fynde that she went Tyll Atropose frowarde of entent Made of this childe there is no more to say The lyues threde for to breke in tway With king Charles of whoÌ„ I spake toforne As mine auâ—tour remembreth in his boke Was one Raymond of Champayne borne Whiche w t the king was called mayster coke And on a day his iourney he toke Towarde the sea a pyrate as I finde Solde him a child which was borneiÌ„ Inde Lyke Ethiopiens was his colour For whoÌ„ this coke Raymonde hath deuysed For in his notable diligent labour Made him christen and so he was baptised Gaue him the name and also practysed Him to promote that he vpon him toke By his doctrine to be mayster coke For he sone after toke the order of a knight The Ethiopien wext a good officere Gate suche grace in the kinges sight To be about him more nere By processe he was made wardyopere And though he was blacke of his visage To Cathenoyse he was ioyned in maryage Wexte malyperte and of presumpcion To be made knight y â— king he gan requere Which of fredom and great affection Is condiscended to graunt his prayere But to declare plainly the manere In this time Violaunt the duchesse Afore remembred dyed of sicknesse After whose death bokes dothe certifye Howe duke Robert of Naples the cite Wedded a Lady that called was Sausye To whom Philipot as fyll to her degre With diligence and great humilite To please her dyd so her deuer That of counsayle there was none so nere Euer redy at her commaundement Wrought atyres plesaunt of delite With holsom waters that were redolent To make her skyn by washing sote white Made confections to serue her appetyte By her husbande the story who lyst se The same Philipot had chyldren three She was connyng of her porte prudent Chosen by fauour for to be maystresse To fayre Iane yonge and innocent Which doughter was to the great duchesse Of Calabre and furthermore to expresse Her husbande the Ethyopyen withall Of Charles houshold was made seneschall O lorde quod Bochas spake of hie disdain What meneth this fortune for to make chere With her fauour to rayse vp a forayne Vpon her whele with bright fethers clere But of custome it is aye her manere Fayrest to appere with chere countenauÌ„ce Whan she wyll bryng a maÌ„ vnto mischauÌ„ce For he that was a boy the last day An Ethiopien borne horrible of sight And afore time in the kechyn lay Amonge the pottes with baudy cote anight Nowe of newe hath take the ordre of knight With king Charles is now seneschall Such sodayne climbing asketh a sodain fal He and Philipot his wyfe fro pouerte Be enhaunced and rissen to great richesse Two of their sonnes stately maryed be And he for fauour more than worthynesse To order of knight in his most highnesse Their father died whose feast funerall Was solempnysed and holde full royall Thus can fortune chaunge as the mone Her bright face derked with a skye His eldest sonne dyed after sone The seconde left vp his clergie To be made knightlgan him selfe apply Stode of his father plainly as I rede In his office by fauour to succede Thus by processe fro Philipot anonright Deathe of
her husbande her sonnes twaine Fortune in party eclypsed hath the light Of her welfare and gan at her disdayne Yet euen like as whan it doth rayne Phebus after sheweth more clerenesse So she fro trouble rose to more nobles I meane as thus rehersyng no vertue In her person that men coude espye But onely this by tytle of this issue Whan Charles doughter on that partye Was to the king wedded of Hungrye Called Andree a man of great corage He sayed his wyfe but right tendre of age The same Iane nat without vice As is rehersed somwhat by myne auctour To whome Phylipot whylom was norice As ye haue herde and by full great labour Of the said Iane Robert made gouernour Sonne of Phylipot for a great rewarde Made of Cecyle and of that lande stewarde This fauour done to Philipot Cathenoyse Caused in that lande great indignacion Whose doughters weddīg caused gret noyse Maryed to charles the gret erle of Marchon whiche gaue to folke greate occasion To deme amysse aboute in eche countre That all y ◠lande was gouerned by tho thre By quene Iane and Phylipot Cathenoyes And the said Robert stewarde of Cecyle Son to Philipot this was the common vois The Quene and Robert by their subtil wyle Had of assent vsed a longe while The hateful synne of aduoutry Rose in Cecyle and went vp to Hungry For Quene Iane began no maner thing But Cathenoyse assented were therto The execucion and fully the working Brought to conclucion by Robert al was do And in this time rose a great stryfe also Disclaunderous and a froward discorde Atwene the quene him that was her lorde Harde to procede vpon suspection Sclaunder is swift lightly taketh his flight For which men shoulde eschue the occasion Of fame and noyse of euery maner wight By prouidence remembred in his sight Whan the report is through a lande ronne Harde it is to stint it whan it is begonne Withstand principles occasions to decline Lest vnwarely ther folow great domage To late commeth the salue of medicine To festred sores whan they be vncurable ▪ And in case very resemblable To eschew sclaūder who list nat for to spare Maye nat fayle to fal into the snare Thus for a time the slaunder was kept close Albeit so it did for a while abyde Another mischiefe ful pitously arose Which afterward spred abrode ful wyde Aduoutry to murder is a very gyde Set at a priefe mine auctour doth recorde The king Andre was strangled with a corde Out of his chambre raysed a great heyght By a coniected false conspiracion He was entreated brought downe by sleyght After strangled as made is mencion Whose death to punish by commission Hugh erle of Anelyne by a patent large To be iudge toke vpon him the charge Of this murder rose vp a great noyse By euidence full abhominable Philipot called Cathenoyse Her sonne doughter that they were culpable Dome was yeue by Iudges ful notable And to conclude shortly their iudgement With chaines boūd at stakes they wer brent ¶ Lenuoy ▪ THys Tragedy afore rehersed here Telleth the domage of presumption By experience rehersyng the manere Whan beggers rise to dominacion Is none so dredeful execucion Of cruelte yf it be wel out sought Than of such one as came vp of nought Recorde on Philipot that with hūble chere By sodayne fauour and supportacion Which was to fore a simple smal landere Of no value nor reputacion By fortunes gery trāsmutacion Shed out her malyce testate whan she was brought List not consider how she came vp of nought Where is more disdayne or more daungere Or more frowarde communicacion More vengeable venim doth appere Nor more sleyghty false supplantacion Nor more conspired vnware collusion Nor vndermining done couertly wrought Than of such folke as come vp of nought Fortunes chaunges meuinges circulere With her most stormy transmutacion Now one set vp ful hie in the sphere Enhaunceth vices and vertues put down Record on Philipot whose venemous treasō Compassed aforne in her secret thought The dede sheweth y t she came vp of nought Noble princes with your bright eyen clere Aduertise in your discretion That no flaterer come in your court so nere By no fraude of false disception Alway remembring afore in your reason On this tragedy on this treason wrought By a false flatter that came vp of nought The .xxxvi. Chapter Howe kyng Sauses was slayne by his cosin which was brother vnto the king of Aragon THe that time came of this trauayle Bochas dempt holding for the best This noble Poete of Florente and Itayle To make his penne a while for to rest Closed his boke and shut it in his chest But or he might sparre it with the key Came thre princes mekely gan him prey Amonges other remembred in his boke Theyr greuaunces briefly to declare Wherwith Bochas gan cast vp his loke And of cōpassion behelde theyr pitous fare Thought he would for no slouthe spare To theyr requestes goodly condiscende And of his boke so for to make an ende Here gan first reherse by writyng In his complaynt ful pitously he made Touching the fall of the great king Called Sauses which his soiour had The place named was Astrociade And as he writ a lytle there beside Was alytle I le called Emaside Bothe these Iles together knit in one Wher Sauses had his dominacion Liuing in peace enemy had he none In longe quyet had possession Whose kyngdom hole as made is mencion In the vulgar myne auctour write the same Of Malliogres plainly bare the name There is also another smaller yle Called Maylorge and of both twayn The said king was lord a great while Kepyng his estate notable and souerayne Hauyng a cosyn gan at him disdayne Which was brother as made is mencion Vnto the king that tyme of Aragon In the yles remembred by wryghtinges Whan the people went in to batayle Was the vsage founde vp first of stinges With cast of stones their enemies to assayle They had of shot none other apparayle In that tyme arblast nouther bowe Perauenture was tho but lytell knowe All these countreis were called but one lande Where Sawses helde possession Till his cosyn with strong and mighty hande With great power sodaynly came doun Brought people out of Arragon Fyll on kyng Sawses feble of diffence Gate that kingdome by knightly violence The balaunce was nat of euyn peys Atwene these cosyns who lyst take hede For in hys conquest the Arragoneys Of cruelte hath smytten of the hede Of kyng Sawses quakinge in his drede Though it stode so they were nygh of alye There was that day shewed no curtesy The .xxxvii. chapter ☞ Howe Lewes king of Jerusalem and Cecile was put downe AFter thys Story tolde in wordes fewe And kyng Sawses slayne by tyranny There came a prince and gan his face shewe Called Lewes lorde of Trynacry The same yle in that party Called Cythane the story telleth thus After
the name of king Siculus Trinacry a countre merueylous Toke first his name of famous hylles thre The chefe of them is called Peâ—orus The next Pathmus the third Lyllybe Not ferre from Ethua the sayd hilles be Beside a sea full perilous and ylle With two dangers Caribdis and Scille The sayd Lewes kyng of Jerusalem And of Cecile the boke maketh mencion Which was chased and put out of his realme By another Lewes and put down Ended in pouerte for short conclusion This last Lewes of pite dyd hym grace Tyl he died to haue a dwellyng place The .xxxviii. Chapter How king John of Fraunce at Poyters was taken prisoner by prince Edwarde and brought into Englande NExt of all and last of euerychone Cursyng Fortune with all her variaunce Makyng hys complaynt to Bochas came king John Tolde his tale how he was take in Fraunce By priÌ„ce Edward for all his great puissauÌ„ce And after with strong and mighty hand He was fro Poyters brought into England Afore distroyed his castels and his townes And ouerthrowen manly in battayle His princes slayne theyr baners penouns Nor brode standers might them not auayle The trace out sought spoiled of plate maile Maugre his might kiÌ„g John was prisoner In England after abode full many a yere Set afterwarde to full great raunson The worthy slayne on the Frenche party The same time in Brutes Albyon There floured in suche noblesse chyualry With high prudence and prudent policy Mars and Mercury aboue eche nacion Gouerned that tyme Brutus Albion Mars for knighthode theyr patron i batraile And Mynerua gaue them influence Meynt with brightnesse of plate mayle To stour in clergye and in hie prudence That prince Edward by marciall violence That day on liue one the best knight Brought home kinge John maugre all hys might Though Bochas gaue him fauour by laÌ„gage His heart enclined to that partye Which vnto him was but small auauntage Worde is but winde brought in by enuye For to hinder the famous chiualrye Of English meÌ„ ful narow he gan him thinke Left speare shelde fought with pen ynke Though the sayd Bochas floured in Poetry His parcial writyng gaue no mortal wouÌ„de Caught a quarell in his melancoly Which to his shame afterward did rebounde In conclusion lyke as it was founde Agayne king John a quarel gan to take Cause that he would of English men be take Helde them but small of reputacion In his report men may hys writyng see His fantasy nor hys opinon Stode in that case of none authorite Their kiÌ„g was take their knightes did flee Wher was Bochas to helpe theÌ„ at such nede Saue with his pen he made no man to blede Of right wisnesse euery croniculer Should in his writyng make no exception Indifferently conuey his matter Not be perciall of none affection But gyf the thanke of mortal guerdon Hys style in order so egally obserued To euery party as they haue deserued Laude of king John was that he abode In that he quit hym like a manly knight His lordes slayne some away they rode Most of his meyny toke them to the flight This iourney take for king Edwardes right The feelde y wonne haue this in memory Trouthes hold hath gladly the victory Of king John what should I write more Brought to this land with other prisoners Vpon which the realme complayned sore By rehearsayle of olde Croniclers Died in England within a fewe yeres Led home agayne after theyr writynges Lieth at S. Denys with other kinges ⧠Lenuoye OF Bochas boke the last tragedye Compendiouslye put in remembraunce How prince Edwarde w t his chiualrye Fought at Poiters w t king John of FrauÌ„ce And through his mighty Marciall puysauÌ„ce GrouÌ„ded his quarell vpon his fathers right Toke him prisoner ful like a manly knight By collusion kyng John dyd occupye Set out of order the royall aliaunce Scepter and crowne with all the regalye Was down desceÌ„ded to Edward iÌ„ substauÌ„ce CoÌ„ueyed y e brauÌ„ches by lineall concordaunce For which title grounded vpon right Prince Edward fought like a manly knight His clayme and quarel more to fortify In token y â— god his quarel would auaunce Discomfiture was made on that party Vpon kyng John by violent vtraunce An heauenly signe by influent purueyaunce Sent from aboue to shew Edwardes right For which y e priÌ„ce fought like a maÌ„ly knight Noble princes your heartes do applye Justly to way this matter in balaunce All thing paysed ye mâ— it not denye If ye consider euery circumstaunce In right Judges may be no variaunce The fielde dâ—rreyued deme who hath right For whiche y e priÌ„ce fought like a maÌ„ly knight Thing of assent put in ieopardy And committed to Gods ordinaunce There may be after no contrauersy Atwene party quarel nor distaunce Who shal reioyse in this case stode Fraunce Sith at Poyters declaring who hath right PriÌ„ce Edward fought like a manly knight ¶ Here Bochas maketh a rehearsayl how Fortune hath made highe estates vnwarely to discende LEt folke of wisdom coÌ„sider in their wit Gather vp a sum count in theyr reason To all estates how Fortune hath her quit To popes prelates gyn first in Rome town To cardinals most souerayne of renown When they sat hiest coude them not defende Agayn Fortune by no proivsion But with a turne she made them to diseend After in order call to remembraunce The state imperial of famous emperours Which as Appollo through theyr puyssaunce Theyr fame vp blow to Jupiters tours And forget not these olde conquerours Aboue Mercury cast them to ascende Tyl that fortune with her frowarde shours Most sodaynly made them to discende Kinges and princes of diuers regions In Asye Europe Affrike and Cartage Of Ethiope the marciall champions Monsters of Inde hydous of visage Athlas Hercules iÌ„ their most furious rage Against whose might no man coude hiÌ„defeÌ„de What folowed from their hyest stage Fortune vnwarely made them to discende Priestes prelates well fed fat persons And patriarkes that had great soueraynte Reken vp religioÌ„s w t al their brode crownes Byshops abbottes confyrmed in their see Beholde of fortune the mutabylite Seculere chanons w t many great prebende whan they sate hyghest in their felycite Howe sodaynly she made them to discende All y t is written is written to our doctryne One courbeth lowe another gothe vpright Some be vicious some in vertue shyne Phebus now clipsed soÌ„tyme shyneth bright Somtyme cloudy somtyme sterlight Some folke appayre some dothe amende Shew of Fortune the power the might One goth vpward another doth discende Some man holy encreaseth in vertue Another rechelesse of frowarde wilfulnesse One is perfit and stable in Christ Jesu Another braydeth vpon frowardnesse One encreaseth with treasour richesse Who list thriue to labour must attende Maugre the world Fortunes doublenesse Doth one arise another doth discende One is busy and setteth ail his labour Early to aryse his good to multiply Another spendeth and is a great wastouâ— Some tre is barayn some tre doth fructifye One can say sothe another can well lye One can gather another can dispende Vnto fortune this matter dothe applye She maketh one to arise another to disceÌ„de All these matters combined into one Of which this boke maketh mencion Voyde the wede of vertue take the corne As reason teacheth in your discrecion And for to make a short conclusion In a brefe summe this b 〈…〉 o comprehende Fortunes whele by reuolâ—â—ion Doth one clymbe vp another to discend ☞ The wordes of the translatour W 〈…〉 letters leues this lytell boke treÌ„bling Pray to the prince to haue on the pyte Vâ—â—â—e of all picture and enlumynyng Wâ—â—â—h hast of Cicero no curious dyte 〈◊〉 of his gardayne no floures of beaute 〈…〉 graunt grace thy rudenesse nat offende 〈…〉 hygh noblesse and magnanymyte 〈…〉 s presence whan thou shalt ascende And for my parte of one hert abyding 〈…〉 de of chaunge and mutabylite 〈◊〉 present this boke with hand shakyng Of hole affection knelyng on my kne Praying the lord one two and thre Whose magnificence no clerke may coÌ„preheÌ„de Sende you might grace and prosperite Euer in vertue to encreace and ascende To kisse y â— steppes of theÌ„ that were furtheriÌ„g Laureat poetes whiche had soueraynte Of eloquence to supporte thy makyng And pray all tho that shall this processe se In thyne excuse that they lyst to be And where it is amysse for to amende Set thy grounde vpon humylite Vnto their grace that thou mayst ascende In a shorte clause thy content rehersyng As one vp clymbeth to great prosperite So another by experte knowlegyng From great rychesse is brought to pouerte Alas O boke what shall I say of the Thy tragedyes thrugh all y â— worlde to sende Go forthe I pray excuse thy selfe and me Who loueth most vertue highest shal ascende Blacke be thy wede of coÌ„playnt mourniÌ„g Called fall of princes from their felycite Lyke Chaunteplure now singing nowe weping Wo after myrth next ioy aduersyte So entremedled there is no suerte Lyke as this boke doth prayse coÌ„prehende Nowe on the whele now set in lowe degre Who will encreace by vertue must ascende The ende of Bochas Volumes