werre Agayne the sayd myghty Artaxerses Wenyng therby to haue had great encrees Gadred shyppes and made a great armee In his entent to haue met hym on the see To Lacedemons he was fauourable Sent them vessels stuffed with vitayle Dempt of pride that hym selfe was able With Artaxerses to holde a battayle But hasty trust doth fooles often fayle For this Theo was after anone ryght Dryuen out of Egipt and yput to flyght Artaxerses pursued hym so sore Tofore hys face he durst nat appere Fledde into Araby myne auctour saythe no more Banished from Egipt deedly of face chere And of hys fate who so lyst to lere He was depriued from kyngly dignite And by fortune cast from his royall see The .xxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Amynta of Macedone kyng had by Erudice hys wife Alysandre Perdica and Philyppe that were slayne ANd among other their fates cōplaining Through fortunes dredefull violence There came Amynta of Macedone kyng And to John Bochas shewed hys sentence And to declare hys magnificence To Alysandre graunde father in his lyfe Hauynge four children by Erudice hys wyfe The fyrst of them was Alysandre called And Perdica named the seconde The thirde Philyppe in Macedone stalled Kyng of Grece lyke as it is founde Whiche in ryches greatly dyd habounde And was eke father thys noble warriour To Alysandre the mighty conquerour And or myne auctour further dothe procede He maketh a maner of disgression From his matter like as ye may rede And gynneth in order a discription Of Macedone the famous region Amonge Grekes writeth in especiall Of seuen prouinces it is the principall And so procedyng he sayth how that countre Stretches his boundes about hym enuyron Towarde the see which called is Egee Forthe by Achaya towarde Septentrion And to Messene westwarde it gothe doun And who that can by crafte the costes cast To Dalmacia the name therof dothe last In Macedone he dothe also vs lere Of Olympus standeth the great mountayne And in that kyngdom is many great mynere Of golde and syluer lyke as bokes sayne And on that hyll is nouther wynde ne rayne For thylke mountayne so high dothe attayne That it may nouther blow there ne rayne The kyng Amynta of whō I spake toforn Had in Grece many great battayle Olympiens in Macedone borne And Illyriens togyder he dyd assayle Through his wisdom he did alway preuayle But with his enemys whyle he stode in strife Hys dethe was shapen by Erudice hys wife Myne auctour Bochas of her doth diffine She imagined his destruction Bycause she had another concubine On whom she set all her affection Day set and tyme to hys confusion Fully ordayned at a mariage He to be slayne of one of his linage He had a suster called Vryone Whiche prudently espied the manere Of Erudice and secretly alone Goth to the kyng and tolde hym all yfere And as the story in order telleth here Though she fayled that daye of her empryse She thought to fulfyll it in another wyse Thys to meane of her iniquite Of her fraude and false ymaginyng She was in cause through her cōtrariouste Of the destruction of their myghty kyng For the conclusion of her false workyng was to haue slayne the kyng and all his lyne She to haue raygned with her concubyne But whan she saw she myght nat atcheue Her furious purpose by none auenture Her venomous malice vpon her lord to preue On other parties she dyd her busy cure Enmitees and mischeues to procure Agayne the kynge by mortall fell assayes With sorow trouble for to shorte his dayes Night and day hys lyfe stode euer in drede Hym to betraye she cast out hoke and lyne And who is he that can or may take hede Frely to escape to eschewe or decline Malice of women whan they be serpentine ▪ Se an example of thys quene Erudice Voyde of all vertue and full of euery vice Alas no prince can beware by other To bridel their nobles with reynes of reson Such as commit alas bothe shyp and rother Vnto Sirenes to row them vp and doun Throughout Caribdis to theyr destruction By craft of Cyrces alas they wer made nice Blynde to remembre vpon thys Erudice Which made Aminta to liue i sorow drede To rest in peace suffered him to haue no space In thought trouble his lyfe gan he lede Tyl by long processe deth gan hym manace Yet or he died fortune gaue hym grace His eldest sonne by wisdome to ordayne Called Alysandre hys crowne to attayne Thus Alisandre was hys successour For Cathynenses gan their rancour lete Agaynst hym for he wyth great labour By theyr sufferaunce came to hys royall sete And for to set hys realme in quiete First with Athenes the myghty strong toun Prouided a peace of hie discretion And for to auoyde all ambiguite Of olde debates and of olde outrage First he sent into that strong cite His sonne Philippe yong and tender of age On peace assured to lye there for hostage And in that citye the storie beareth witnes He gan to grow vnto full hye nobles He was committed vnto the discipline Of a great duke called Epaminondon Which to all vertue his youth made encline For of this duke Justine maketh mencion By a maner recommendacion Tofore nor after as by hys auyse Was neuer no prynce more excellent nor wise Fyrst he commendeth hys vertuous corage Hys hye noblesse hys vertuous excellence And by discent he borne was of hye linage And in two thynges concludeth his sentence Sayeth that he was of most magnificence Egall to Mars by famous chiualry And sonne to Phebus through hye philosophy And Bochas here doth hys style auaunce Ful notably with excellent langage And sayth no treasour atteyneth in substaūce To thylke richesse auoydyng all outrage As when there is by bonde of mariage Knyt vp a knot atwene excellence Of famous knighthode of dame prudence This knot auaileth more than golde in cofer And is more glorious perpetually to abyde A mighty prince ought be a Philosopher Whiche can by prudence al vices set asyde For whan to manhode prouidence is gyde And vertuous force is captayne in the werre Let men well trust that partie may not erre This Epaminonda of knighthod sustenour Carbuncle of vertue as bokes tell con Of gentel maners called the famous flour And of high noblesse a very worldly son Whose knyghtly triumphes be so high vp ron To Martes palais with the blessed souns Of famous trumpettes golden clariouns For he was called the bright myrrour Of rightfull quarelles the partie to sustene Of extort wronges most iust reformatour Aye egall iuge of entent most clene Whiche neuer coude nothing but truth meaane Wolde of custome for hate nor aliaunce On nouther partie decline the balaunce And to commende hys vertuous prowesse Hys proued triumphes hys magnanimite Hys marciall actes hys knyghtly busynesse In the gettyng of many strong cyte And all his labour was for the commonte Which to augment he woulde
worldly brotylnesse Like gery Venus bycause attemperaunce Was set aside and lost her gouernaunce Myne auctour Bochas gan pitously coÌ„plain Of the disordynate Cormetous glotony Of Vittellius and his felowes twayne All thre diffouled with horrible lechery Diffamed by sclaundre for their rybaudry Contraryous enemyes echone to ateÌ„perauÌ„ce Banished al thre might haue no gouernance Of glotonye and ryotous excesse Watche and reuell drinking all y â— night Come vncouth feuers many great accesse MeÌ„bres podagre maketh meÌ„ go nat right Goutes mormalles horrible to the sight Many infirmitees bycause attemperaunce Was nat of couÌ„sel toward their gouernaunce Out of their courte banished was prudence Fortitude had none enteresse Gayne vicious liuing to make resystence Cried woiues hid was vertuous sobernes Trouth durst nat medle backe stod rightwisnesse Put out of houshold was atteÌ„praunce And with these emprours had no gouernauÌ„ce Sonne of the prophete called zacharye The patriarke the holy man saynt Ihon Victorious champion of gredy glotonye Lyued in deserte daynties he had none Eat mel Siluestre lay on the colde stone Locustas gadred his coke was temperaunce And of his houshold had al the gouernaunce Of camel heares was wouyn his clothyng Recorde the gospell that can the trouth tell Honysocles his moderate fedyng Monge wilde beastes whan he did dwell To stauÌ„che his thurst dranke water of y â— wel This blessed Baptist rote of attempraunce Set for chefe myrrour of good gouernaunce Of his diete catour was scarsite His costful fode was vertuous abstynence Rotes of deserte his delicate plente His riche pymentes his ypocras of dispence Hinge nat in costretes nor botels in the speÌ„ce Nat excessiue bycause attemperaunce Had of his housholde holy the gouernaunce This Baptist Ihon by his moderate foode The chefe triuÌ„phe of abstinence hath begon This patriarke rekened on the goode Content with littel al suffisaunce hath won As Dyogenes in his littell ton Helde him apayed bycause attemperaunce Had of his housholde al the gouernaunce His tonne to him was receite housholde And if I should boste of his celere There were no cuppes of siluer nor golde His costful vintage came from the riuere Wel timed mesure was for his mouth butlere And his tastour was attemperaunce Which of his houshold had al y e gouernauÌ„ce His conquest was more soueraine of degre Than Alysaunders for al his hie renoune For he conquered his sensualite Made him subiecte and seruaunte to reason Daunted of prudence eche forayne passion His clerke of kitchin called attemperaunce Whiche of his dyete had al the gouernaunce Of superfluite of slouthe and of slepe This Diogenes stode euer amonge in drede Of worldly fauour he toke no maner kepe Straw was his litter a simple russet wede Turned his ton againe the winde in dede Twene hote and colde that attemperaunce In somer winter had hole the gouernauÌ„ce ¶ Lenuoy NOble princes of prudence take hede This litell chaptre breuely to comprehende The golden worlde is turned into lede Pray to god his grace downe to sende Of his hie mercy that it may sone amende And that this princesse called atteÌ„peraunce May of your houshold haue the gouernauÌ„ce Chefely for loue and parcel eke for drede In your estate whan ye be most shynende For your encrees your most gracious spede To his preceptes do diligently attende Of olde emperours rede the legende Whyle they were ruled by attemperaunce In longe prosperite stode their gouernaunce Of worthy kingdoms Rome is called hede Whose royal bouÌ„des farthest out extende In marcyall actes bothe in length brede Rem publicam by prowesse to diffende No forayne enemy hardy to offende Their hye noblesse whyle attemperaunce With her thre susters had the gouernaunce The .xi. Chapter ⧠How the kinrede of Iacob was distroyd Christe borne and died Ierusalem distroyed and .xi. hundred M. slain by sworde hungre fyre and pestilence THe story ended of Vitellius Of his two feres Galba Ocho How his caraine horrible and hidious Drowned in Tybre was possed to and fro After their story accomplished was and do Came a great nombre to Bochas as I rede Echone discended of Iacobes kynrede In token of complaint and heuynesse Like folke dismayed clad in mourniÌ„g wede For the constraynt of their wretchydnesse Bespreynt w t teares quaking in their drede Knowing no recure in so streight a nede Resembling folke by tokens full mortall That were toward some feast funerall Their vgly cheres pytous to beholde As they gan aproche the presence Of Ihon Bochas to tell their sorowes olde Their woundes bleding by marcial violeÌ„ce Oppressed with huÌ„ger thurst sodeÌ„ pestileÌ„ce By forayne sworde their liues manasyng Vpon the deathe as beastes abyding That were enclosed narowe in a folde Dispayred socour to recure To passe the boundes for dred they were nat bolde Within enfamyned barayne of all pasture This wofull storie remembred in scripture Howe that of Iacob the generacion Was vengeably brought to distruction This patriarke called whilome Israell Most renomed amonge all nacions And most famous the Byble can well tell Their lyne out rekened through all regions By goddes behest toke their possessions Maugre Egypciens and Pharaos pride Whan Moises by god was made their gide With drie fete they passed the Reed see Conueyed by Moyses and also by Aaron Their lawe was written y e Bible who list se Vpon Syna in tables of harde stone And through deserte as they did gone With aungels meate called mâ—na as I rede Forty wynter there he dyd them fede After Moyses led by Josue In to the lande of Promission Twelue lynages of Iacob there parde He let make a distribucion And to eche lyne he gaue his porcion By promyse made afore to Abraham To Isaac Iacob whan they thyder came By patriarkes and prophetes y e were sad Maugre their enemies their mortall fone By mighty dukes and iudges they were lad Gate all the regions where they did gone Tyll at the last of pride they echone Lyke other nacions wolde haue a kyng Saul was chose god graunted their asking Thus by patryarkes and by theyr alyes From Abraham the genelogie Tolde by prophetes by their prophesies Conueyed to Dauid whiche in his regalye Helde of Iewes all hole the monarchye Of whose kynrede by processe thus it stode Was Christ Iesu borne of that roial blode Sent froÌ„ his father as prophetes determine Toke fleshe and blode for our saluacion By the holy goost borne of a pure virgyne Had amonge Iewes great tribulacion Vnder Herodes suffred passion And as the gospell truely doth discriue The third day he rose from death to liue This blessed lorde this lorde of most vertue Ende of Decembre borne in Betheleem And by the aungell named was Iesu Shewed to thre kinges by a sterre beem This same Iesus in Ierusalem By conspyracion of Iewes through enuy By Pylate dempt to dye on Caluary Thus vnto Iesu Iewes were vnkynde For whiche they were distroyed nye echone Christ prophesied the gospel
myght them please Euer endure and neuer fal in age For whyche it was called the tre of lyfe But whan Adam was fallen in dotage And ayenst god began to holde stryfe Throuh excitynge of her that was his wyfe And wylfully yaue her to assent To breke the precepte the cōmaundement Of god the lord through wylful negligence To approche the tre that bare the name The tre of connyng and also of science For of the frute who that dyd attame He sothly should the Byble sayth the same Of good euyll haue cōnyng in his thought wher as toforne of euyl he knew right noght Thus had they first of euyll experience Which as toforne they knew no wickednes Presumpcion and inobedience Brought thē out of ioye into wretchednesse For afore time mine author bereth witnes Helth goodnes were called very lyfe Euyl named sicknes first rote of our strife In Paradyse myne auctour sayth certeyne The tyuers were so Orient and so fyne Lyke quicsiluer boylyng vp they pleyen And in their ronnyng very chrystallyne Whych from a wel heauenly and deuyne In their vpspryngyng aueylyng downe Of al pleasaunce gaue so swete a sowne That it woulde rauysh a mans corage Whose baumy colour endewed al the place And w t the freshnes cours of hys passage The holesome ayre hertes dyd embrace There was such plēty of plesaūce of grace That euery spice herbe grayne and rote Were foāden growyng in that gardein sote And there was a delectable soun Of songe of brydes in their ermony The aire was clene from all corrupcion For therin ingendred was no malady There was all mirth there was al melody Of ioy and blysse souerayne suffisaunce With al that may to hertes do pleasaunce And of clerkes lyke as it is tolde In their bokes as they determine Thoe in his sphere the sunne manifolde Was of more vertue more clere dyd shyne Than it doth nowe in his mighty lyne The mone whyter with her beames clere And euery sterre bryghter dyd appere Euery thynge was there more vertuous Than they be nowe who can behold and se For in y t place there was nothing noyous But perfit gladnes knit vnto surete Perpetuell peace ioy and prosperite And in that blisse to make more strong To their comfort god spake to them among Of his goodnesse he bare them companye Shewed vnto them hys gracious presence Angels also their state to magnifye Amonge to serue them dyd their dilygence In diuers offices with humble reuerence And nature wrought for the nones Of ryall purpill and ryche stones Tissues of gold and other ornamentes For to enuiron their bodily beaute Shaping to them suche maner garnimētes As angels vse in their felicite Naked they were fayrest on to se For whyle they stode in state of innocence They had of clothynge none experience And of their blysse to make mencion And of their ioyes that were celestiall There may be made no comparison Of no ioy which is temporal Which should haue be lasting and immortal Euer to haue lyued in mirth and gladnesse Saue ageyn reason of very wilfulnesse They banished thē self out of that blisful life Whan Adam gaue credence to a snake And wretchedly gan trust on his wife Whiche gan the apple of the serpent take And plesantly did a present make Vnto Adam as she that fyrst began Deth to deuyse and poyson vnto man But as their ioy was incomparable Greatest their lordship of all erthly thinge So their fall was to them importable For he that was all other surmountyng In Paradise reignynge as a kinge Was it not a dedelye mortall payne Fro thilke place to haue a fall sodayne ▪ For thilke sorow surmounteth al sorowe Which next foloweth felicite No wo more greuous at euen ne at morow As is in dede sodeyne aduersite Which commeth vnwarely after prosperite Ne nothinge may more hertes disauaunce Than of old ioy newe remembraunce Taketh ensample of Adam and of Eue Maketh of them a myrroure in your mynd Whether of reason it dyd thē greatly greue For to be put alas so ferre behynde Out of that blysse they and all their kynde Chaungyng the state of immortalite And became subget to deth and pouerte Their sodeyn change vnware mischefe And their vnhappy transmutacion It was to them full vncouth and vnlefe For to depart fro thilke manlion That was so ful of delectacion Fro such delites sodenly to go Into this worlde whych is so ful of wo. There is delite and here sorowe and care There is ioy and here is heuinesse There is plenty and here is euyll fare There is helth and here is great sickenes Here troble ay mēged with vnsure gladnes There is ay blysse and eternall glory And here is mirth but false and transitory Alas howe they were blinded in their sight Through vaynglory and false ambicion They went wronge they loked not a ryght False couetyse was theyr confucion Wherthrough they lost the dominacion Of Paradise and was both poore thrall Their fredome lost and became mortal Vnto god they wold haue be semblable Lyke vnto hym good and yuell to know And in their trust for they were not stable Frō their estate they were brought ful low And thus the sede was fyrst ysowe The rote planted of disobeysaūce Which brought out linage to sorowe mischaūce Thus came in fyrst through inobedience As by a gate pouertye and nede And at their backe foloweth indigence Sorowe sicknes malady and drede Exile banyshynge and seruitude in dede Whych caused man longe to contune Vnder the lordshyp and daūger of fortune Thus came in also malady and deth To dispoyle mankynde of hys beautye Long syckenesse and pestilence that slethe By soden stroke whych y e no man may flye For vnto Adam and hys posteritie Deth was annexed by successyon For hys offence and so conueyed doun For man to man in euery maner age For who so list know sin brought in shame Man to be feble and faynt in hys passage And by processe to wexe halte and lame Vnto Adam thys was an vncouth game To be constrayned in sych apparayle In bareyne erth to seke hys vitayle In hungre and thurst here he had hys lyfe Wyth swete and labour and tribulacions Endured also many a mortal styfe Of hote and colde ryght stronge passyons Of elementes sodayne mutacions Wynde hayle and rayne fearful fallyng And vnware strokes of thūder lyghtning Thei stode also in domage and in drede Of cruel beastes Tygres and lyons And of wylde beres who so taketh hede And in great feare of these fel dragons The assaut of dragons and of Scorpions For thilke beastes that toforne were milde After their sinnyng ful ragy were wylde And where thei stode first in sikernes Of ioye and blisse euer in one lastinge Out of their rest thei fil in vnsurenesse In sorowe sighing dolours cōplaining And fro their iyen continually weping The bitter teares day by day distil In this desert
for wanting of their wil. And wheder were thei sorowful or faine Long tyme after their desolacion Whan they foūd Abell their own son slayne By cruel Cayne to his confusion ▪ The same Cayne as made is mencyon After that time wilde was vagabound Til blind Lameth yafe hī his dethes woūd Adam nor Eue afore that ylke time Had neuer sene no feest funeral It was of chaunge to them a new prime For to behold a thyng disnatural Brethern of one wombe by hatered eternal The one of hate so far hym selfe deuide Of false malice to be an homicyde And it was routh whan that they stode For to behold their son al deed Layd on the grond and bathed in his blod And al the soile where he lay was rede That whan Adam and Eue toke hede It was to them ful great aduersite The newe slaughter to behold and se. And euer among their sighes harde sore The bitter weping and sorowes to auaūce Or they were ware their heere 's woxe hore And age began theyr beautie disauaunce Their youth also by ful great displesaunce Began to appal or they it could aspye By cruel constreynt and force of malady And of youth fallen was their flour By the processe of many hundred yeres And by the duresse of great labour They wexe vnlusty vgly of their cheres Of age and deth these ben the daungers To say checkmate in nature it is couth Vnto beautie and grene lusty youth For whan the yeres fully passed be Of flouring age lastynge a season By processe at eye men may se Beaute declineth his blossoms fal adoune And littel and littel by succession Cōmeth croked elde vnwarely in crepynge With his potent ful porely manassing Thus to our father that called was Adam Of creatures fayrest of al feire After great trauaile by processe in he came And began vnwarely ascend vpō the steyre With his potent and cast him to repeyre With Atropose which afore shal gone For to attwin his liues threde anone And in Ebron was made his sepulture Ther after was bilded a mighty great cyte By whose story and recorde of nature I may conclude who list to se That neuer man had liberte Sithen that Adam our lord gan disobey Ayenst deth but that he must obey In cōplaining mine autor Jhon Bochas Ful pitiously in hys aduertence Bewepeth wayleth and oft sayeth alas In apple there was so great offence That for a taste of inobedience Adam alas should haue so great a fal So sodainely to die and be mortal Which example ought inough suffise In al this world though there were no mo To exemplify to folkes that ben wise How this world is a throwfare ful of wo. Lyke false Fortune y ◠turneth to and fro To make folkes whā they most clerely shine In their estates vnwarely to decline For though that thei their hedes lift a lofte Highe as Phebus shineth in his sphere Thinke them selfe as it falleth oft Their renown recheth aboue y e starres clere And howe they surmount euery sphere Their trust corrupt hath a sodayne fal For to declare you they ben mortal O worldly folke aduert and yene entent What vengeaūce and what punicion God shal take in his iugement For your trespas and your transgression Which breke his preceptes ayen al reason Ye haue forgotten how w t his precious blod You for to saue he died vpon the Roode For if Adam for his disobeisaunce Was by the lorde as him list ordaine Made first formed with euery circūstāce Of creatures to be most soueraine If that he was enbraced in the chaine Of seruitude with children ouersene what shal I than of other folkes sein◠That liue here in this deserte of sorowe ▪ In this exise of plesance desolate ▪ And in this worlde both euin and morowe Of hertely ioye stonte disconsolate ▪ All destitute and also infortunate And forpossed with wo and worldly troble Euer variable and ful of chaunges double Ye not entende but to false couetise To fraude berret and extorcion Agayne god in many dyuers wise Againe your neighbour by false collusion To do hym wronge and oppression And worst of al ye retche not by syn To slee your soule worldly good to wyn And if it fal your power to be but smal To accomplyshe your auarice in dede Your sinful wyl assenteth ouer al Thing to desire of which ye maye not spede And thus false lust doth your bridel lede Trust in hauing so sore you doth assayle Falsly afered the world should you fayle And if god benigne and debonayre With his yarde of castigacion Chastiseth you but easely and faire Ye grudge against his correction Nothing auerting in your discrecion Howe god not bad vs who can take hede For to striue ne wrastel in dede Neither our strength ne our might to appli Vpon the beast monstruous and sauage which called is the Chimere of Licy Specially whan he is in hys rage which monstre had to his auantage Heed of a lion as bokes determine Wombe of a gote and taile serpentyne Which was outrayed of Bellyferon As olde poetes make mencion Neither god bad not that men should gon In to Colchos to conquere with Jason The Flees of gold which in that region With firie bulles of mettal made of bras And by a dragon ful straitly kept was God bad vs not our contreys for to lete To vnderfonge things that ben impossible The Mynotaur for to slee in Crete Halfe man halfe bul if it be credible Which was a monster hateful and odible Sūtime brought forth in bokes ye may se By Mynos wife called Pasyphae Whose storie techeth if thou list to here This vgly beast and monstruous Through Ariadne the kings doughter dere Was sumtime slayne by duke Theseus Within a caue made by Dedalus God biddeth vs plainely for his sake So great emprise for to vndertake He byddeth vs not to be so recheles In perilous dedes that bene marciall Vs to ieoparde as dyd Hercules Which by the bidding in especiall Of Euristeus the mighty kyng royall Lordes of Athēs to make their honor shine Learned of armes the famous discipline Of these preceptes if we haue a sight And remembred of his highe bounte He vs cōmaundeth thinges that be lyght For to accomplishe with all humilite From our corage to auoyde all vanite And from our hertes to exclude ydelnesse And this false chāge of al worldly gladnes For vnto a man that perfite is and stable By good reasō mine auctor doth wel preue There is nothing more faire ne agreable Than finally his vicious lyfe to leue On verye god rightfully to beleue Him loue worship aboue al erthly thyngs This passeth victory of Emperours kinges The Lord biddeth also who so can discerne Of entere loue to do our labour In this life here so our life shal gouerne To father mother that we do due honor And in their nede to do them socour And in all vertue our frendes to comfort And to
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
Mars the frowarde star To engendre debate or some mortal war In thys matter playnly thus I deme Of no connyng but of opinion Though he were crowned w t sceptre and diademe To reigne in Thebes the stroÌ„g myghty toun That some aspect came fro heuen adoun Infortunate frowarde and full of rage Which agayne kynde ioyned the mariage He crowned was by assent of all the towne Flouryng a season by soueraynte of peece And whyle he helde the possession Sonnes and doughters he had doubtles The fyrst sonne called Ethiocles Polynices called was that other As sayth Bochas the seconde brother Also he had goodly doughters twayne The eldest called was â—ntigone The seconde named was Imeyne And both they were ryght fayre vnto se The quene Iocasta might no gladder be Than to remembre whan they wexe in age Her goddes had encresed their linage It was her ioye and her felicitie To se her children that were so inly fayre But after ioye ther cometh aduersite And hope assured wanhope doth oft appayre â–ª CoÌ„trarious trust wyll gladly their repaire Wher false wenyng in hert is coÌ„ceyued Through ignoraÌ„ce which hath many disceiued What thynge in earth is more disceyuable Than whan a man supposeth verily In prosperite for to stand stable And from his ioye is remeued sodaynly â–ª For where fortune is found to hasty To trise folke she is greuous to endure For sodayne chaunges be hatefull to nature Vnware wo that cometh on gladnes Is vnto hertes ryght passinge encombreous And who hath felt his parte of wealfulnesse Sorowe suynge on is to hym odious And worst of al and most contrarious Is whan estates highest of renoun Ben froÌ„ their noblesse sodenly brought doun There is no glory whych that shyneth here That false fortune can so magnifie But whan his laude brightest is clere She can eclips it wyth some cloudy sâ—â—e Of vnware sorowe onely of enuy Seeth of Edippus an open euidence Which by his life had experience Of highe noblesse and therwyth also Parte importable of great aduersite Hys ioye euer meynt wyth ful mortal wo. For while he reigned in Thebes the citie â–ª And Iocasta with ful great â—oâ—alte Within the countre there fyl a pestilence The people infectyng with his violence Through all the land and al the region In euery age but most greuously On them echone that were of that towne The infection spred most specially And of vengeauÌ„ce the swerd most rigorously Day by day began to byte and â—aâ—ue Of ech estate causyng folke to sterue Thus began to encrease the mortalite That euery man stode in ieopardy Of their lyues throughout the countre So importable was their malady That ye might heare the people clepe and cry Dispeyred so were they of theyr lines Voyde of all socour of their preseruatiues They sought herbes spices in their cofers And began to seke for helpe other socours The cause enquiringe of prudent philosofers And of their most experte diuinours Why that the goddes wyth so sharpe shours Of pestilence and in so cruel wyse Lyst them alas so mortally chastyse But among all in soth this is the case There was founde one ful prudent and wyse A prophet called Tiresias Of prophecy hauyng a souerayne prise Which affirmed and sayd in thys wyse As vnto him was shewed by myracle Phebus him selfe declarynge the oracle Cause of this syckenes and these maladies As the goddes plainly haue disposed And Senecke writeth also in hys tragedies Though the cause be secrete and yclosed Vnto the tyme there be a kyng deposed Which slew his father raft him his life And hath also take his mother to his wyfe Tyll thys be done and execute in dede Ther may be made no redempcion But pestilence shall multiply and sprede Euer more and more through that region Tyl vnto the tyme that he be put a doun Fro his crowne whych not long agone His father slough among his mortall fone And hath his mother wedded also Agaynst lawe and agaynst al ryght Tyll vengeaunce vpon that crime be do There shal be war pestylence and fighte Sorowe strife euery maner wight Of veugeaunce hys neighbour shal hate Brother w t brother bloud w t bloud debate This is al and some there may be no socour Whych brought the people in great heauynes For Tiresias the great diuinour By propherâ— told them thus expresse And at the last by tokens and witnes Men vnderstode by signes out shewyng This pestilence was brought in by the kyng And though the people gaue no credence To Tiresias ne to his prophecy The quene Iocasta caught au euidence And in her hert a full great fantasy Specially whan she dyde espie Of Edippus the fete that were wounded How this tumour was on trouth ygrounded Because also there was a diuinour Which tolde tofore that Edippus shoulde be To Layus of Thebes successour Wherby the kyng the quene and the ryte Fyl in great trouble and great aduersite Well more than I by writyng can report For there was nothing y t myght theÌ„ recoÌ„fort Ful oft in the day Iocasta gan to swoune And kyng Edippus to sobbe crye and wepe In salte teares as they them would drown Deth craÌ„pishing in to their hert gan crepe A day coÌ„plainyng a night they may not slepe Cursynge the houre of their natiuyte That they should lyue that day for to se. Their mortall chaunce their dedly auenture Their fortune also whych gan on theÌ„ froun Inpacient and doleful to endure Their froward fate wyth their lokes broun The kynge foryre caste away his crowne And began to â—ace for coÌ„straint of his payne Out of his heed his wofull eyen twayne Day and night he cried after deth Hatefull to come in any mannes sight Most desirous to yelde vp the breth Woful in hert to come in any light Coorbed for sorow feble to stande vpright And specially in hys deedly distres For drede and shame he dared in derkenes The cruel constrâ—int of his most grenance Was that his sonnes had hym in dispyte Which gan his sorowe greatly to auance For him to scorne was set all their delite Was neuer none that stode in worse plyte For thus lyeng and destitute of chere Vnto the goddes he made his prayere Beseching theÌ„ with a ful doleful herte Vpon his wo to haue sum compassion And that they would for to auenge his â—inert Bitwene his sonnes make a diuision Eche to brynge other to distruction Thys was his prayer in substaunce That eche on other may take vengeaunce In yeres fewe for their vnkyndnesse They herd his prayer as ye haue herd deuise The bretherne two through their cursidnes Eche gan other mortally dispise For lacke of grace and for false couetyse Eche for his partie desirous in dede Tofore other to reigne and succede And thus these bretherne most infortunate Bitwene them selfe fill at discencion And finally this vnkindly debate Brought al Thebes to distruccion Yet was there made fyrst a conuencion By
thys brond among the coles reed Be ful consumed into ashes dead But whan Althea espied their entent And conceyued the fyne of their sentence She rose vp and the brond she hent Out of the fyre wyth ful great diligence Quenched anone the fyres violence The dome of Parche she gan thus disobey The brond reseruinge vnder locke key Touchyng the father of this Melliager Oeneus of hym thus I rede Howe that he sought nighe and ferre Goddes goddesses whose lyst take hede In hope onely for to haue great mede For to them al poetes thus deuyse Saue to Diana he dyd sacrifyce Wherof she caught an indignacion Cast she woulde on hym auenged be Sent a Boore in to his region Full sauage and full of cruelte Which deuoured the frute of many a tree And distroyed his cornes and his vynes That such scarsnesse of vitayles of wynes Was in his land vpon euery syde That the people of necessite Compelled were among to prouyde Some meane or way to saue their countre And at the last they condiscended be That Melliager lusty of his corage Shoulde chose w t him folkes fresh yonge of age This dredeful Boore mightely to enchace And forth they went echon deuoyde of drede With round speres they gan him to manace But Melliager made fyrst his sydes blede And wyth a swerde than smote of his hede Wherof the countre was glad and fayne And in this wyse the tuskye bore was slaine Some bokes tell of this huntyng That a lady whych was borne in Irge Called Athalanta doughter to the kyng To slee this Boore toke on her the charge And wyth an arowe made his wouÌ„des large Also in Ouide lyke as it is founde Because that she gaue the fyrst wounde Melliager anone for a memorye As he that was her owne chosen knight Gaue her the heed in token of this victory But his two vncles ayenst al skyl and tyghte Raft her the head of very force and myght Hauyng dispite that she in her auyse Of this victory shoulde beare away the price With which iniury Melliager was wroth Agaynst them proudly gan disdayne Pulled out a swerde vpon theÌ„ goeth And throughe hys manhode slewe his vncles twaine And after y t dyd his busy payne To take the heed and wyth humble entent To Athalanta agayne to be present One of his vncles was called Flexippus A manly knyght but yonge of age That other brother named Theseus But whan their suster herde of that outrage Howe they were slayne she gan in her visage Wexe deed and pale alas for her bloud Whan she espyed the cause howe it stode She had no matter god wote to be fayne Quene Althea to stand and beholde Her bretherne twayne of her son slayne At the huntyng of whych tofore I tolde Fyrst thynges twayne she gan peise vnfold Of her bretherne the loue and nigh kynted And of her sonne the hasty cruel dede And remembring she casteth in balaunce Of hertely wo that she dyd endure Thought if she dyd vpoÌ„ their deth vengeauÌ„ce To slee her son it were ayenst nature Thus in a warre longe tyme she dyd endure Her deedly sorowe peysyng euery dell Wheder she shal be tender or eruel Thus tender I meane her son for to spare Or punishe the dethe of her brether twayne Thus confortlesse al destitute and bare In languishing she endured forthe her payne And temedy can she none ordayne Saue faine she would auenge her if she may But than came forth nature and sayd nay It was her sonne agaynst all kyndly ryghte Of whom she cast auenged for to be To women al an vgly straunge syghte That a mother deuoyde of all pitie Shoulde slee her childe so merciles parde Naye not so nature wyl not assent For if she dyd full sore she should repent But O alas al fatal purueyance Kepeth his course as some clerkes sayne But the wrytyng of doctours in substaunce And these diuynes reply there agayne And affirme the opinion is in vayne Of them that trust in fate or desteny For God aboue hath the soueraintie And of fortune the power may restrayne To saue and spyl lyke as folke deserue Ayenst his wyl they may nothynge ordayne Of necessite what course that they conserue But this matter al holy I reserue Vnto diuines to determyne and conclude Whych nat partayneth vnto folkes rude But Althea of Calcidony quene Began sore muse and henge in balaunce Her bretherne deed whan she dyd them sene Than was she meued anon to do vengeanÌ„ce Vpon her son by ful great displeasance But as poetes lyst for to compile Nature her made w tdrawe her hand a while Thus betwene yre and affection She helde her long of euery partie stable Tyll that she caught in her opinion A soden rancor which made her be vengeable And hasty worth which is not coÌ„mendable Ayenst her son made her with her hande Out of her chest to take the fatall brande â—nd sodaynly she cast it in the fyre And wexed cruell agaynst all womanhede To execute her venomous desyre The fatall bronde among the coles rede Consumed was into ashes dede And furiously in her melancoly The vengeaunce done she thus gan to cry O ye Parce froward susters three Which of Joue kepe the library And of children at their natiuite Awayte the sentence whych may not vary Wherso it be wylful or contrary Vpon his domes alwaye takyng hede How that ye shall dispose the fatal threde Thou Cloto takest thy rocke on hand And Lachesis after doth begyn By great auise who so can vnderstande The threde of length to drawe and to spyn But whan the spirite shal froÌ„ the bodye twin Thou Atropos doest thy busy payne Ful frowardly to parte the thred in twayne I may wel playne in such perdicion Not for a day but wo alas for euer Ye haue vntwyned and made deuision Of my two bretherne caused theÌ„ disceuer That here on lyue I shal se them neuer And I of haste alas why dyd I so Tauenge their deth haue slayn my son also O ye doughters of Cerberus the fell Whose vgly moder was the blacke nyght Al your kyndred and linage lyue in hell And for to aueÌ„ge the wrong great vuryght Which I haue accomplished in your syght I wyl wyth you perpetually complayne Like my desert tendure sorow and payne And whyle she gan w t her selfe thus stryue Vpon her sorowes that were endlesse She made a swerde through her hert to riue Of her selfe she was here recheles And Bochas after among al the prese Sawe as hym thoughte wyth a full hidious chere Deed of visage Hercules appere Whose father was Jupiter the greate His mother doughter of Amphitrion Called Alcumena sumtyme borne in Crete And as poetes reherce one by one So excellent was there neuer none To speke of conquest of victory and fame Here in thys world that had so great a name Dredful of loke he was and ryght terible His berde also blacke which hing
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
battayle dead was manye a knight The CoÌ„sul Lucius slaine in that rage The proude Romains by force put to flighte Of gentilnes Arthur anone ryght Let the body of Lucius be caried Againe to Rome it was no lenger taried The worthy princes lords that were dead And manly knightes abidynge wyth Arthur Like a king solempnly toke hede That they were buried by diligeÌ„t labour And in this whyle lyke a false traitour His cosyn Mordrede dyd his busy paine To take from him the kyngdom of Britayne So as the story plainly maketh minde Mordrede falsly to his auauntage Entreted them that were left behynde Vnder colour of fraudulent langage Gaue theÌ„ gret fredoÌ„e they did him homage That by his false conspiracion Brought al Britaine in to rebellion By faire behestes and many frendly signe Drewe the people to hym in sondry wyse Shewed him outwarde goodly benygne Gaue lybertees and many great fraunchyse To make BritoÌ„s their soueraine lord dispise And purueiaunce he gan make blyue To kepe the portes he shoulde not ariue Whan king Arthur had knowledgyng Of this false treason and al the purueyauÌ„ce That Mordrede made he lyke a manly king Left Burgoyne and al the lande of Fraunce Cast on Mordrede for to do vengeaunce Toke the see wyth great apparayle Cast at Sandwiche to make his ariuaile Mordred was redy w t knightes a gret noÌ„bre Made a stroÌ„g felde to mete him on the plaine In purpose fully Arthur to encombre At which arriuayle slayne was Gawayne Cosyn to Arthur a noble knight certaine Eke Aguisel was slayne on the stronde Kyng of Scottes or he came to londe Maugre Mordrede Arthur dyd arryue The grounde recured lyke a manly knighte For feare of whom anone after blyue The sayde Mordred toke hym to the flyghte And towarde London toke hys way ryghte The gates shyt and kept was the cite Againe Mordred he myght haue none entre In al haste to Cornwayle he fled The sworde of Arthur he durst not abyde Lest he shoulde lay his life to wed Yet for him selfe thus he gan prouide With multitude gathered on his syde Put life and dethe that day in auenture There to dye or the felde recure In fortune there may be no certayne Vpon whose whele al brotilnesse is founded Mordred tharday in the felde was slayne And noble Arthur to the deth was wounded By which the felde of britons was confoâ—ded Of so great slaughter good knightes lorne Vpon a day men haue not sene beforne After the battaile Arthur for a whyle To staunche his wouÌ„des hurtes to recure Borne in a lytter came to an yle Called Aualon there of auenture As the sayd Gaulfride recordeth by scripture How kyng Arthur flour of chiualrye Was fet w t his knightes liueth yet in fairy Thus of Britayne translated was that sonne Vp to the ryche sterry bryghte dongeon Astronomers wel reherce konne Called Arthurs constellacion Wher he sit crowned in the heuenly mancion Amyd the palaies of stones cristalline Tolde among christen of the worthies nyne This errour abideth yet among Brytons Which founded is vpon the prophesye Of olde Marlyn lyke their opinion He as a kyng is crowned in fairye With sceptre sworde and with his regalye Shal resort as lorde and soueraine Out of fairy and reigne in Britayne And repaire againe the rounde table By prophesy of Merlyn set the date Among princes kyng incomparable His sete agayne to Carlion to translate The parchas susterne spon so hys fate His Epitaphe recordeth so certayne Here lieth king Arthur y t shal raigne agayne Vnto Bocas I wyl agayne retourne Afore rehersed parcel of hys prowesse Theron to abyde me lyst no more soiourne But to remembre the great vnkyndnesse The conspiracion the treason and falsnes Done to king Arthur by his cosyn Mordred Make a Lenuoy that al men may it rede ¶ Lenuoye THis tragedy of Arthur here folowing Byddeth Prynces all beware of false treason For in erth is none so perillous thynge As trust of fayeth where is decepcion Hyd vnder curtayne of false collusion For which meÌ„ shuld I holde the couÌ„cel good Beware afore euer of vnkinde blode The world diuers fortune aye chaungeable In euery countre and euery region In a straite nede fewe frendes abyde stable Long absence causeth discencion And if princes by false diuision Nygh of alye shewe two faces in one hode Let men beware euer of vnkynde blode Who was more hardy of princes here reignig Or more famous of marciall renoun ThaÌ„ whilom was his enemies outrainge Arthur chefe sonne of Brutus albion But for al that the disposicion Of fate and fortune most furious wode Caused his distruccion by vnkynde blode What more coÌ„trarious to nature in shewinge Than fayre pretence double of entencion Great aliaunces frowardly workyng Hid vnder floures a serpent cast poison Bryght siluer scaled domageth the dragon Eche worme soÌ„e party tarageth of his brode And what more perilous than vnkinde blod Noble princes on Arthur remembringe Deme the day of Phebus going doun Al is not golde that is clere shininge Afore prouided of your inwarde reason False vndermining and supplantacion Remembring aye with Arthur how it stode By conspiracion of vnkynde blode ☞ An exclamacion of Bochas agayne kynredes vnkynde AGayne kynredes and vnkynde alyaunces Bochas maketh here an exclamacion Vpon Mordrede whyche wyth hys ordinaunces Caused of Arthur finall distruccion The fame eclypsinge of Brutus albyon Not wyth standyng plainly to discriue He trusted him aboue al men alyue It is a meruayle and vncouth to deuyse By what occasion or by what corrage That a man shoulde in any maner wyse Be founde vnkinde vnto his linage Hateful to god that in any age Blode agayne blode borne of one kynred Conspire should of malice and hatrede In this matter it were but vayne to tary The story knowe of Arthur and Mordrede By blode alied in workyng most contrary Which made many a Briton knyght to blede For by vsurpyng conspiracion falshede Of the sayd Mordrede most infortunate Caused al Britayne to stande desolate Fyrst desolate by absence of their kynge Called in his tyme of kynges most notable The desolacion of knyghtes abydynge Whilome in Britaine famous honorable Brethern echone of the rounde table Which by Mordred y â— false for sworn knight Stode longe eclipsed dyrked of his lyghte The light of noblesse y â— shone in Britaine By false Mordred was dirked of his bemes The monarchye departed was on twayne That stode first one with his marcial strems But afterward the brightnes of hys beames Drough to decline by false diuision Which hath distroied ful many a region Al the processe vpon a duplicite Plainely concludeth that is blode vnkynd Adue welfare and all prosperite Where peace and concorde is left behynde Trees may not thriue departed fro the rinde A plaine example in Arthur Mordrede Who can conceyue and list the story rede The .xxvi. Chapter ¶ Of Gisiuill kynge of
a citye rayse Which the poetes greatly cōmend and praise And y ◠his buildyng myght the more auayle All the foreyns that did about him dwell Full like a knyght by force and by battayle Out of that countrey he did them expell Raysynge a citie whiche that did excell And as Ouide also recordeth the same Vnto thys day of Thebes beareth the name And he was not onely glorified For rearyng vp of this great citye But he was also magnified For his manhode his magnanimitie And most commended if ye list to se For the surmountyng famous excellence Whiche that he had in wysdome and science For as myne aucthour of him list indite Through his noble prudent puruey aunce He taught fygures letters for to write And made lawes of full great ordinaunce Among the Grekes and set a gouernaunce Thei◠vycious life by vertue to restrayne And who outraied was punished w t the pain And of entent to encrease hys lynage And his citye also for to multiply He toke a wife that was but yong of age And she was called as bokes specify Hermyone and touching her alye Though that she were borne of royall bloud She was also bothe ioly fayre and good And this was done as writeth mine auctour After the death of worthy Iosue Sothonyell beyng successour Hauyng the leadyng and the soueraintie Of Israell whan Thebes the citye Was founded first in the dayes olde By kyng Cadmus tofore as I you tolde Foure daughters he had by his lyue Full fayre echone and goodly on to se And their names to reherse blyue Semele was the eldest and next Acthonie The thirde in order was called Inoe And Agane was yongest of them all Of the whiche daughters thus it is befall They were echone of port and of manere Full well fauoured in euery mans syght Right womanly and heauenly of their chere And for their beauty their father anone right As it was sittyng wyth all his full myght Like their estates birthe and also their age Made thē be wedded and ioyned in mariage To worthy princes his linage to auaunce And they encreased by procreation Wherof the kynge had full great pleasaunce And great reioysyng in his opinion To saue his lyne by generation With his neuewes and cosyns of alye Fro day to day to waxe and multiply And this encreased his felicitie Whan he considered verely in dede The riche buildynge of his royall citye And Fortune did his brydle leade To great riches in bokes as I reade To great nobles hauyng great residence In his citye of moste magnificence His daughter Semele record of mine auctor Though she discended were of the bloud ryal To Iupiter she was paramoure And by his power supercelestiall She conceiued in especiall As poetes of her list to endite Him that is god of grapes redde and white Called Bachus whiche hath the gouernaūce Of wynes all and the regaly Wherof after was take full great vengeaūce For when Iuno did first espye Of Iupiter the great auoutrye Of great hatred and enuyous desire She made Semele to be brent w t sodayn fire By discendyng of a sodayne leuine And on Semele the vengeaunce downe wēt Fro Iuno ielous cleped quene of heauen To wreke her wrath purposely ysent And fore the flame consumed was and spent There was of her left no remembraunce But of the ende the wofull mortall chaunce Also Actheon the sonne of Acthonie To great mischefes and infortunes borne Whose father called was Criste Come of the kinred that I you tolde toforne With cruell houndes alas he was to torne For that he sawe as bokes of him tell Dyana naked bath her in a well And as Poetes remember at the lest Whan the ladyes of Thebes the citye Helde of Bachus solemnely the feaste The yonger sister called Agane Daughter to Cadmus alas it was pitie Ayenst her owne sonne deare She was so wode and mortall of her cheare Murderyng hym in full cruell wise In her rage she was so furious For he lough at the sacrifyce In Thebes done by women to Bachus The whiche sonne was called Pantheus Whom that she slewe w t a sharpe dart In her wodenes as she him founde apart These great mischeues fell in the lyue Of king Cadmus through his vnhappy chāce Fortune his noblesse gan vndermyne And thought she would his glory disauaunce All worldly gladnes is medled w t greuaunce Experience in Cadmus ye may se So importable was his aduersitie For while he sate most highest in his glory No part clipsed of his prosperitie His bryght renowne and his royall memory In realmes spredde many a farre con̄trey He moste wealfull in his high see Set w t his linage most high in noblesse Than came Fortune the false enchaunteresse Of wilfulnesse and founde occasion Ayenst Cadmus and made his renowne dul Of his kynred by false collusion She gan away the bryghtest fethers pull And whan his shining was waxt vp to y ◠full After the chaunge of fortunes lawe His glory gan discrece and withdrawe It was more greuous to his dignitie A sodayne fall from his high noblesse Than if that he had neuer be Set in the state of his great worthines For the furious mortall heauines Of his kinred without any more Would haue greued a pore man full sore And amonge his sorowes euerychone To rehearse playnly as it was I dare affirme how that there was one Most horrible dreadfull in such a caas For Cadmus sonne called Athamas His sonne in lawe through false melancoly Fell sodaynely into a frenesy Of whom the wife was called Inoe Cadmus daughter as ye haue heard expresse Which through the cōstraynt of his infirmitie In his rage and furious wodenes Thought that his wyfe was a lyonesse And in his wylde ymaginations That his two children were also two lyons And vpon them full loude he gan to crye Towarde his wife in haste he came anone And from her armes there was no remedy The childe he rent and on a craggy stone He gan to brast it and breake it euery bone The whiche childe Bochas writeth thus Full tender and yong called was Learchus And all this wofull and sodaine aduenture Of this rage whan that she toke hede As most sorowfull of any creature Her other childe she hent anone for drede For of succour she knewe no better spede So as she might gan haste out of his sight But welaway as she toke her to flyght Her husbande came after pursuyng Like a woode Lyon in his crueltie Downe from a hill whiche was dependyng She and her childe fell into the see Was it not ruthe was it not pitye A kings daughter her lord i Thebes crouned He to be woode and she for feare drowned ▪ Lo here the fine of Cadmus euery deale His children slayne and his allies all And he him selfe from fortunes whele Whan he wened leste full sodaynly is fall His little suger tempred with moche gall For among all his mortall peynes His
his power drewe alway bacward And his empire was after ybrought full low His riall fame fortune hath ouerthrow His name eclipsed y t sumtime shone ful clere Of great Cison besyde the ruiere Of quene Iocasta Bochas doth also endite Princesse of Thebes a mighty great citie Of her vnhappes he dolefully doth write Imagining howe he did her se To him appere in great aduersite Lyke a woman that would in teares reine For that fortune gan at her so disdeine And though she were defaced of figure There shewed in her a maner maieste Of quenely honour plainly to discure Her infortuns and her infelictte And to declare plainly how that she Of all princesses which stode in estate Was her selfe the most infortunate Which gaue to Bochas full great occasion Whan he sawe her pitous apparayle For to make a lamentacion Of vncouth sorowes whych dyd her assaile With a tragedy to wepe and to wayle Her importable and straunge dedely strife Which that she had duryng all her lyfe He wryte of her a story large and playne And of her byrth fyrst he doth diffyne And affyrmeth in hys boke certayne She was discended of a noble lyne In flouryng age also when she dyd shyne She wedded was for her great beauty Vnto the kyng of Thebes the citye Which in his tyme was called Layus And whan her wombe by processe dyd aryse The kyng was glad and also desirous The childes fate to know in some wise And thought he would go do sacrifice Vnto Appollo to haue knowlegynge toforne Touching his child whan that it was borne What should folow in conclusion He was desirous and hasty for to se Fyrst by heauenly disposicion And by the fauour if it woulde be Of Appollos myghty deite To haue aunswere among his wyttes al Of his child what fate should befall His answere though it were contrary To his desire yet was it thus in dede Appollo tolde hym and lyst no lenger tary That this childe should verily in dede Slee his father and make his sides blede And w t his hands there was none other wey But on his swerde he must nedes deye The kyng was heuy trist on this sentence Sorouful of hert god wote nothyng faine And cast afore through his prouidence That his son should in al hast be slayne And that he would not an houre delayne After his byrth but bad his men to gone Into a forest and slee the chylde anone Lyke his byddyng the ministers dyd in dede Takyng the chylde tendre yong of age And into a forest wyth them they gan it lede To be deuoured of beastes most sauage The mother alas almost fell into rage Seyng her child so inly fayre of face Shal thus be deed and dyd no trespace Lytel wondre though she felt smert To al women I report me And vnto mothers that ben tendre of hert In this mater fuges for to be Was it not ruth was it not pite That a princesse a quene alas Shuld know her child deuoured in such caas ▪ After thys byrth Layus toke good kepe Without mercy respite or delay That vnto one whych kept his shepe This yong chyld vpou a certayne day Shal be deliuered in al the hast he may To thys entent it myght not be socoured But that it should of beastes be dettoured This sayd sheperde goth forth anon ryght The chyld beholdyng benigne of loke face Thought in hert and in his inwarde light He shoulde do to god a great trespace To slee this child wherfore he did hym grace Toke fyrst a knife and dyd his busy payne Throughout his fete to make holes twayne Toke a smal rodde of a yonge osier Perced the fete alas it was pite Bonde hym fast and by good leiser The yong childe he henge vpon a tree Of entent that he ne should not be Through wylde beastes cruel and sauage All sodenly deuoured in their rage Vpon the tre whyle he henge thus bound Of auenture by some occasion A straunge sheperd hath the child yfound Whych of ruth and pyte toke hym doun Bare wyth hym home in to hys toun Made hys wyfe for to do her payne To foster the chylde wyth her brestes twaine And whan he was brought forth recured And full made hole of hys woundes sore Thys yong chyld whych al this hath endured Whan he in age began to were more And that nature began hym to restore The saide sheperde that loued hym best of all After his hurtes Edippus dyd hym cal For Edippus is no more to saine Who that conceyueth the exposicion But fete yperced throughout both twayne In that langage as made is mencion And to Meropa wife of king Polibion The shepeherde of ful humble entent Began the child ful lowly to present And for she was barreyne of nature She and the kyng of one affection Toke Edippus both in to their cure As sonne and heire by adopcion To reigne in Corinth by succession The kyng the quene of Corinth the coūtre Had the chylde in so great cheerte Let men considre in their discrecion Sodayne chaunge of euery maner thyng This childe sent out for his distruction And now prouided for to be a kynge And through fortune aye double in working He that was refuse to beastes most sauage Is now receyued to knyghtly heritage Destitute he was of his kynrede Forsake and abiect of bloud and of alie In tēdre youth his fete were made to blede Henge on a tre and began for helpe crie But god that can in mischefe magnifye And reconfort folke disconsolate Hath made thys childe nowe thus fortunate And hath prouided to be a kynges heire Him that stode of deth in auenture Fortune can shew herselfe both foule fayre Folkes brought lowe ful wel ayen recure And such as paciently can endure And lyst not grudge ayenst their chastisyng God out of myschefe can sodenly them bryng But whan Edippus was growe vp to age Lyke a yong prince encresynge in noblesse Lusty and strong and freshe of his corage Of auenture it fel so in sothnesse Outher by strife or by some frowardnes Or by sume conteke he had knowledgynge Howe he was not sonne vnto the kynge As by discēt but a ferre fortaine Whereupon full sore he began to muse And for to knowe and be put in certaine Thought he would som maner practike vse And to the kyng he gan hym selfe excuse For a tyme to wythdrawe his presence Tyil he myght knewe by some experience Or by sume signe howe the matter stode Thought he would do his diligence To knowe his father also of what bloude He was discended and haue some euidence Touching troth howe it stode in sentence And her vpon to be certified Towarde Appollo fast he hath hym hyed Whiche in Cirta worshypped was that time And gaue answere through his beite To tolke that came at euen and at prime Of euery doute and ambiguyte And there Edippus fallyng vpon his kne After hys offring had answere
as brethren were called Hercules To signify Poetes can well tell This name in conquest all other doth excell By olde tyme they that were pereles For their nobles in diuers regions All they for manhode were named Hercules Such as were noysed for famous champions Tygres to daunt eke boares and lyons And renoumed among them euerychone Bechas affirmeth that Theseus was one First as I sayd by his knyghtly trauayle Whan Athens stode in deuision Among them selues by warre and battayle By his wisdome and his discrecion To set accord within that noble towne Them that were exiled stode in no certeyne He of his knyghthode made theÌ„ resort ayen He gaue theÌ„ lawes wherby thei shold theÌ„ gye Noble statutes founded of reason Set amonge them so prudent policy In their liuyng that no discention Shoulde aryse by none occasion Among them selues in hye or lowe estate Prouidyng euer that there were no debate Thus began the city encrease and multiplye To waxe famous of wisdome and richesse There sprong the well fyrst of Philosophy There first of knyghthode rose the hye nobles By Theseus Bochas beareth wytnes Thus thinges two like as it is founde Cleargy and lawe did there first abounde For to set the citye in quiete He made peace through all that region And of knyghthode he manly did mete The cruell tyrant that called was Creon Maugre him made restitucion Of lordes bones that were at Thebes slayn To the ladyes wherof they were full fayne Thus through Grece his renome spradde His knyghtly fame began to multiply And long in ioye thus his life he ladde While that Fortune list him magnify But aye her ioye is meynt with some enuy For she froward list no more soiourne With Theseus but began her to face tourne Away fro him wexe peruerce and froward Of his glory vngoodly gan to doubul Downe froÌ„ her whele she made go backward Of his good name she gan the fethers pull Whan his noblesse was highest at full I meane the full of his felicitye There folowed an ebbe of great aduersitie And moreouer her frowardly to aquite His vnhaps rehearsyng one by one One the first as Bochas list to endite Was when he lay in Crete among his fone And out of pryson should into Grece gone Repayryng homeward him selfe w tdrawe The Mynotaur whan he had yslawe The first empryse that he vndertoke Was whan he escaped the importable payne Of Mynotaurs like as sayth my boke And w t him had the kings daughters twayne That he of malice falsely list disdayne Ayenst â—ryadne which did him saue From the death whan he lay in the caue Should haue ben slaine had not his socour be In his repayre he toke therof no hede He left her alone in great aduersitye Within an yle in mischefe sorowe and drede And fayre Phedra with him he did lede Wedded her like a forsworne man Thus w t vntruth his mischefe first began How Phedra quither y â— story is well know In his absence Bochas writeth thus Whan that she within a little throwe Loued agaynst kynde her sonne Ipolitus But he to her was contrarious Woulde not assent to so foule a dede For shame he fled percel also for drede To his father she him did accuse As ye toforne haue the story sene And for he did her company refuse He went away and came neuer agayne For ye haue heard how that he was slayne Within a chare through his vnhappy chauÌ„ce And how Phedra through vengeaunce Slough her selfe agaynst all womanhede Here in this boke tofore as I you tolde Of which thing whan Thesius toke hede Thought it was veÌ„geaunce for his offeÌ„ce old For he not quit him like as he was beholde To Ariadne whiche should haue be his wyfe By whose succour he scaped with his lyfe This infortune and this vnhappy chaunce Was to his nobles full contrarious The death also was to him a vengeaunce Of his sonne called Ipolitus For sorow of whom this duke Theseus With salt teares sore began to playne And helde the exequies of the ilke twayne I trowe also it did him sore greue Duke Pirotheus whan he sawe deade Slayne with a beast and myght not releue Of kig Orchus houÌ„d which had a treble head Whose teeth hortible of his bloud were redde Whiche infortune when he gan beholde Vnto the death he felt his hart colde And for to reken the great wretchednes The vnhappy chaunces y â— fell him in his lyfe Among all his other great distresses Was none so mortall and so full of strife As was whan he gaue credence to his wyfe Phedra called whiche of intencion Compassed vntruely an accusation Vpon Ipolytus of hatred and enuy Because he woulde not do so great offence As for to assent to her lechery Therfore of death he felt the vyolence And for his father to sone gaue credence Bochas forbade husbandes all their lyues Without prefe not leue to sone their wyues Neither be to hasty tales for to leue Of flaterers in chamber ne at the table Forgers of lesyngs my auctor doth wel preue To abide w t lordes that they be not able Here on he maketh a chapitle notable And of his wrytyng this was the cause why That prynces should examyne eche party Of wisdome also and of discrecion Without a prefe not be parciall For to a prynce it is confusion If betwene parties he be not found egall Caused many one for to haue a fall â–ª God suffreth such not longe to contune Withdraw their grace hindreth their fortuÌ„e Thus Theseus for his hastines His happe his grace discreased day by day The fame appalled of his worthines And frowarde fortune also in a wayte lay For his defautes to hinder him if she may Cast she woulde his nobles disauaunce And than his kyngdome by disobeysaunce From him w tdrawe honour and reuerence Full frowardlye through all his region They of Athens by cruell vyolence Fyll agaynst him in rebellion That he was fayne to flye out of that towne Thus hath fortune darked the bryghtnes Of all his nobles and cast hym in distresse Thus was the ende by great contrarioustie Of Theseus after hys dayes glade Whan the freshe floure of olde felicitie Fortune aduerse made them for to fade Eche thyng must bowe whan it is ouerlade Worshyp honour whan they brightest shine w t vnware chaunges than rathest do declyne ☞ Lenuoy THe vnsure gladnes the ioye transitory The vnstable surenes the transmutatioÌ„s The clowdy brightnes the false eclipsed glory Of earthly prynces whiche haue possessions Monarchies and dominacions Their sodayne chaunge declareth to vs all Their swete suger is meynt with bitter gall This blynde goddesse in her consistory With her pleasaunce medleth discentions After triumphes conquest and victory Reueth from kynges their scepters crowns Troubleth the people with false rebellions Se these dukes which from the whele be fall Al worldly suger is meynt with bytter gall This tragedy maketh memory Of dukes twayne and of their
Cynarus hath his daughter founde And cruelly began enhaunce his hande With his sworde to geue her a wounde But the goddes of mercy most habound Hath fro the death made her to go fre And through their power traÌ„formed to a tree Which after her beareth yet the name Called Myrra as she was in her life Out of whiche aucthours say the same Distilleth a gome a great preseruatife And of nature a full good defensife To kepe bodies from putrifaction And them franchise from all corruption By influence of the sunne beames Myrre is engendred by distyllyng of his kind With round dropes ayenst Phebus streames And doun discendeth through the hard rinde And through the riftes also I finde The sayd Myrra hath a childe forth brought In all this worlde if it were sought Was none so faire formed by nature For of his beauty he was pereles And as Poetes recorde by scripture He called was the fayre Adonydes And to his worshyp and his great encrees For he of fairenes bare away the floure Venus him chase to be her paramour The whiche Goddesse gaue to him in charge That he should in his tender age In forestes while he went at large Hunt at no beastes whiche were sauage But he contrary to his disauauntage Through wilfulnesse I can say no more Was slayne vnwarely of a Tuskye boare At the whiche he felly did enchace But of folly in vayne was his laboure For he lay slayne full pale of chere and face Whom Venus turned to a full freshe stoure Whiche was as bloude of purple the coloure A budde of golde w t goodlye leaues glade Set in y â— middes whose beauty may not fade And whan Myrra froÌ„ Bochas was w tdraw And declared her great aduersitie And of her fate tolde the mortall lawe Came Orpheus full vgly vnto se Sonne of Appollo and of Calyope And appeared with a full dolefull face Sumtime brought forthe yborne in Trace Full renoumed in armes and in science Famous in musike and melody And full notable also in eloquence And for his soote sugred armony Beastes and foules as poetes specify Wodes floudes of their course most strong Stynte of course to harken his sote song An harpe he had of Mercurius With the whiche Erudice he wanne And to Bachus as write Ouidius Sacrifices solemnely he began And vnto hell for his wife he ran Her to recure with sote touches sharpe Whiche he made vpon his heauenly harpe But whan that he this labour on him toke I lawe was made which that bouÌ„d him forâ— That if he backeward cast his loke He shold her lese and se her neuermore But it is sayd sythen gone full yore There may no lawe louers well constrayne So importable is their deadly payne If some husbands had stand in the caas To haue lost their wiues for a loke sodayne â—hey would haue suffred and not sayd alas â—ut paciently endured all their payne â—nd thanked god y â— broken was the chayne â—hich hath so long them in pryson bounde â—hat they by grace had such a way founde â—olye in pryson it is a ful great charge â—nd to be stocked vnder key and locke â—t is meryer a man to go at large â—han with yrons to be nailed to a blocke â–ª But there is a bonde that called is wedlocke â—ettryng husbandes so sore that it is wonder â—hich with a file may not be broke asunder But Orpheus father of hermony Thought Erudice y â— was his wife so fayre For her sake he felt that he must dye Because that he whan he made his repayre Of her in trouth nothing embraced but ayre Thus he lost her there is no more to sayne And for the coÌ„straynt of his greuous payne At his hart her partyng sate so sore The grene memory the tender remembrauÌ„ce That he would neuer wine no more So fayre he was escaped his penaunce For wedlocke is a life of muche pleasaunce But who hath ones infarnall paynes sene Will neuer after come in the snare I wene This Orpheus gaue counsaile full notable To husbandes that haue endured payne To such as ben prudent and tretable One hel is dredful but more dredful is twain And who is ones bounde in a chayne And may escape out of daunger blyue If he eft resort God let him neuer thriue Vpon this sentence women were vengeable And to his writyng full contrarious Sayd his counsaile was not commendable At the feast they halowed to Bachus They fill echone vpon this Orpheus And for all his rethoryke swete They slough alas this laureate poete And of his harpe if ye lyst to heare The God Appollo made a translation Among the ymages of the starres cleare Wherof men may haue cleare inspection But fortune to his confusion Denyed him frowarde of her nature Whan he was slayne fredome of sepulture Next Orpheus there did appeare also Of Amasons worthy quenes twayne Merpesia and her sister Lampedo Whiche in conquest did their busy payne And great worshyp in armes did attayne Namyng them selues by writing nere farre Doughters to Mars which is god of warre Merpesia rode out in regions And conquered full many a great citye For couetise of great possessions To encrease her lordshyp if it would be And her sister kept surely their countrye Of all enemies so that there was no doubt While Merpesia rode with her host about But while she was in conquest most famous â–ª And her enemies proudly did assayle Fortune anone wart contrarious And caused that she was slaine in battayle Lo what conquest or victory may auayle Whan that fortune doth at them disdayn Se here ensample by these quenes twayne ☞ Lenuoy THis tragedy remembreth thynges fyue Of Narcissus the excellent beauty And of Biblis dothe also discriue The great luxury and dishonestye Myrra diffamed turned to a tree To exemplify that lechery and pride Ben from all vertue set full farre aside How Orpheus endured in his liue Joye entermedled wyth aduersitye In his youth whan he did wyue He felt in wedlocke full great felicitie His worldly blisse meynt with duplicitie As fortune her chaunges can deuyde Whiche from all vertue be set full farre aside Merpesia for her list to stryue Wyth wylfull warres to encrease her couÌ„tre But her pompe was ouerturned blyue Whan in battayle vnwarely slayne was shet For of all warre death is the fyne pardee So furious Mars can for her folke prouide Whiche from all vertue ben set farre aside Ye mighty princes let witte and reason dryue Your high nobles to consider and se How fortune estates can depryue And plonge theÌ„ downe from their prosperitie Pride and luxury I counsayle that you flye Falce auarice ne let not be your gyde Whiche from all vertue is clene set asyde ¶ The .xvi. Chapter ¶ Of Priamus kyng of Troye and how the monke of Bury translatoure of this boke wrote a boke of the siege of Troy called Troy boke AFter these complayntes and lameÌ„tacions Which that Bochas did in his boke coÌ„pile Medled
their fortune complaining Among other that put them selfe in prâ—ase Of mighty Pirrus fyrst he had a tight That was the son of worthy Achilles Among Grekes the most famous knight Most commended of manhode of might Son and next heire as bokes specifye Of Pelleus kynge of Thessalie This Achilles ful manly of his herte Hurt of Hector and his wounde grene Slough Hector after or he dyd aduert The whiche Achilles for loue of Pollicene By compassing of Heccuba the quene Vnder treaty this grekes champion Was slayne of Paris within Troy toun Whose deth to auenge Pyrrus in his tene Furiously with face deed and pale Slough afterward the sayde Pollicene And dismembred her on peices smale Whiche for to heare is a piteous tale That a knight so vengeable was in dede To slee a mayde quakynge in her drede He coude for Ire on her no mercy haue But with his swerde most furious wode Merciles vpon his fathers graue Lyke a tiraunt he shed her chaste bloud The dede horrible diffaced his knighthode That to this day the sclaunder and diffame By newe report reboundeth on his name Poetes say and specially Ouide Writes whan Grekes fro Troy shuld saile Howe their shyppes by an anker dyd ryde Of their purpose which long dyd theÌ„ faile But in this whyle he maketh re hersayle Out of the erth manacynge of chere Of Achilles an ymage dyd appere To grekes sayde wyth a deedly face I fele well mine honour and my glory And my nobles ful lyghtly forth doth pace Vnkynde people out of your memory Whych by me had your conquest and vyctory Your deuoyre doth Pollicene to take And on my graue a sacrifice to make Wyth her blode loke ye spare nought To spring it about my sepulture Thus blode for blode wyth vengeance shal be bought And for my death the death she must endure And hole the maner of thys auenture And howe she dyed in her maydenhead Methamorphoseos y â— processe ye may rede In hasty vengeaunce set was al hys ioye w t thurst vnstauÌ„ched Troyan blode to shede He slough Priam the worthy kyng of Troy And into Grece wyth hym he dyd lede Andromada the story ye may rede Weded her and after in certaine By him she had worthy sonnes twayne But in repayryng home to his couÌ„tre As Eolus dyd hys shyppes dryue I fynde he was a pirat of the se And into Grece whan he dyd aryue Fortune vnwarely gan agayne him stryue Forsoke hys wyfe let her lyue alone Toke another called Hermione Which was that tyme in mariage To Horestes son of Agamemnon And he alas of loues wylful rage Toke her by force to hys possession But of auoutry foloweth this guerdoÌ„ Sodayne deth pouerte or shame Open disclauÌ„der great mischefe or diffame Eke in hys tyme thys Pirrus as I rede Fyll into mischefe and great pouerte And wyth such meyny as he dyd lede He was a rouer and robbed on the see And as poetes reherse ye may se Of such robbyng by sclauÌ„der and diffame This worde Pirate of Pirrus toke y â— name And as the storye after doth deuise The sayde Horestes gan sykerly espye Wher that Pyrrus dyd sacrifyce Tofore Appollo that god to magnify Full vnwarely Horestes of enuy Toke a sharpe sherde or Pyrrus coud aduert Wher that he stode rofe hym to the hert This was the fyne of Pyrrus in substance For al his pryde and great presumcion Of false auoutry foloweth thys vengeauÌ„ce Losse of some membre pouerte or prison Or hateful sclaundre by some occasion Or sodayne deth shortly in sentence Complete in Pyrrus by ful clere euydence The .xxiii. Chapiter ¶ Of Machayre and of hys suster Canace AFter thys Pyrrus came Canace the faire Teares dystyllynge fro her eyen twayne And her brother that called was Machaire And both they pitiously gan playne That fortune gan at them so disdayne Hyndryng their fate by woful aduenture Touchig their loue which was ayen nature He was her brother and her loue also As the storie plainely doth declare And in a bedde they laye eke bothe two Reason was none why they would spare But loue that causeth wo and eke welfare Gan agayne kynde so straungely deuyse That he her wombe made sodenly to ryse And finally myne authour beareth wytnes A childe she had by her owne brother Which excelled in fauour and fayrenes For lyke to hym of beaute was none other But of their loue so gyded was the rother That Caribdis twene windes ful contrayre Hath Canace distroied and Machayre For whan their father the maner dyd espie Of their workyng whych was so horible For yre almost he fel in frensy Whych for to appese was an impossible For the mater was frowarde and odible For whiche plainely deuoyde of al pite Vpon their trespas he would auenged be The cause knowen the father anone right Cast for their deth of rigour to prouide For whych Machaire fledde out of his sight And from his face his presence gan to hide But wo alas his suster must abide Mercilesse for their hateful trespase And suffre deth there was none other grace First her father a sharpe swerde to her sent In token of deth for a remembraunce And whan she wist plainely what he ment And conceiued his rigorous ordinaunce Whyth whole purpose to obey his plesaunce She grutched not but lowly of entent Lyke a meke doughter to his desire assent But or she dyed she cast for to write A lytell letter to her brother dere A deedly complaynt to shewe endite With pale fate and a mortal there The salt teares from her eyen clere With pitous sobbing fet fro her herts brinke Distillyng downe to teÌ„pre with her ynke ☞ The .xxv. Chapiter ¶ The letter of complaynt of Canace to her brother Machayre OVt of her sowne whan she abreyde Knowyng no meane but deth in her distres Too her brother full pytouslye she sayde Cause of my sorowe rote of my heuynesse That whiloÌ„ was chefe sours of my gladnes WhaÌ„ both our ioyes by wyl were so disposed Vnder one key our herts to be vnclosed Whilom thou were supporte and sykernes Chefe reioysyng of my worldly plesaunce But now thou art ground of my sicknes Wel of wanhope and my deedly penaunce Which haue of sorow grettest habuÌ„dauÌ„ce That euer yet had any creature Which must for loue the deth alas endure Thou were whyloÌ„ my blysse al my trust Souerayne confort my sorowes to appese Spring and wel of all my hertes lust And nowe alas chefe rote of my disease But if my deth myght do the any ease O brother myne in remembrauÌ„ce of twaine Deth shall to me be pleasure no payne My cruel father most vnmerciable Ordayned hath it nedes must be so In his rigour he is so vntretable Al mercilesse he wyll that it be do That we algate shall dye both two But I am glad sith it may be none other Thou art escaped my best beloued brother This is myne ende I
should go to the Prophete Whiche was full famous holde in Israell Of whom the name was called Samuel Whiche made Saule in his house to dyne Receiued him of great affection And by precept and ordinaunce deuyne Samuell made no prolongation But shed the holy sacred vnction Vpon the head of Saule downe knelyng And full deuoutly of Israell made him kyng Of Gods people to haue gouernaunce With sceptre crowne and whole the regaly And his noblesse more myghty to aduaunce With mekenes to rule his monarchy God gaue to him a spirite of prophety Whiche was great glory to his magnificence Of future thinges to haue prescience And while y t he was meke humble in dede Voyde of pryde and false presumption And prudent counsayle with him did lede Hym to gouerne by good discretion He founde quiete through all his region No forayne enmy durst him to werrey While he the lorde mekely did obey No enemy myght ayen him recure Through none ēprises but sore did him drede Made many great disconfiture Through his force knyghthode and māhead On Philistynes and daunted eke in dede Two mighty kynges the one of Ammonites And another that gouerned the Moabites He was founde stronge and eke victorious The Palestines bringyng to mischaunce Agaynst Ydumeans so mighty and famous Through his myghty prudent gouernaunce That he their pride brought to mischaunce Outrayed them of wisdome and manheade Primo regum as ye may playnly reade He was the sonne called of one yere In Israell whan his raygne began Stable of hart and benygne of chere Frowarde nor sturdy to no maner man All that whyle loue of the people he wan The tyme I mene while he was iust stable And in his workes not founde variable But whā that pride gan his hart enhaūce Wilfulnes and false melancoly Outrayed reason to haue the gouernaunce Of his olde famous policy And had forgotten in his fantasy To know the lorde mekely sue his lawe God from his crowne his grace gan wdrawe The vnkynde worme of foryetfulnes In his hart had myned through the wall Whan to God for his kyndenes He gaue no laude nor no thanke at all Whiche had him raysed vnto estate royall From poredegre among all his kynne alone Of singuler fauour to set him in his trone What thig in hart may be more froward thought Than is sodayne false presumption Of a wretche that came vp of nought To yeue him lordshyp and domination ▪ And for to make a playne comparison Men should of reason dreade a lyon lasse Than the rudenes of a crowned asse What thing to god is more abhominable Than pryde vpraysed out of pouertee And nothing gladly is foūd more vengeable Than are wretches set in high degre For from his stocke kynd may not flye Eche thing resorteth howe farre euer it go To the nature whiche that it came fro Frute and apples take their tarrage Where they first grewe of the same tre And semblably eche kynred and lynage Ones a yere it will none other be By token signe at the eye as men may se Draweth communely in euery creature Sume tetche to folow after his nature I write not this in rebuke of pouert But for suche onely as that it deserue God of his might as men be well expert May them in vertue encrease and conserue From all mischefe a pore man preserue Rayse hem on heygh to dominacions Through high noblesse of their condicions By influence God may his grace shede Where he findeth cause onely by mekenes A pore man to raise him vp in dede Vnto the estate of vertuous nobles For out of vertue cometh all gentlenes In pore and ryche make none exception But them cōmende like their condicion A pore man whiche that is vertuous And dreadeth god in his pouertie Eche thing eschuyng that is vycious And to his power doth trouth and equitie I dare right well say what euer that he be Puttyng no rebuke vnto his kinrede But call him gentle verily in dede But kyng Saule was contrarious Disobeysaunte founde in his workyng Whan God made him to be vyctorious On Amalech where Agag was kyng Him commaunded to spare no maner thing Man nor woman beast nor childe succoure But y ◠his sworde should all thing deuoure But Saule wrought all in other wise Eche thing reseruyng y ◠was fayre to syght And of entent to make a sacrifice After his vyctory he shope him anone ryght Fattest beastes he chase hath them dight Toward the fyre to make his offryng And fro death he spared Agag the kyng He was reproued afterward of Samuell To gods biddyng for he was contrayre As abiect to raygne in Israell That all good hope in hym gan dispayre His grace his myght gan pale and appayre His prophecy after hath hym fayled And wyth a fiende he was also traueiled Thus frō her whele fortune cast him downe Aualed him from his royall se And God also toke away the crowne Both from him and his posteritie And set vp Dauid for his humilitie Lo how the lorde his domes can deuide To enhaunce mekenes and to abate pride Saule endured in his frensy A wicked sprite so sore him did assayle Vnto Dauid euer he had enuy That he was hardy to enter in battayle With a staffe slynge voyde of plate and mayle Slough Golyas without feare or dreade Pulled out his swerde and smot of his heade At their repayryng home out of the felde Whan Dauid had slayne this Goly Yonge maydens whan they behelde The great vyctory they in their armony In laude of Dauid thus gan synge and cry Saule hath slayne a thousād with his might Dauid ten thousand that lusty yong knyght Saule disdayned and sayd frowardly They graunted haue a thousand to my name And to the sonne here of Isai Yaue ten thousand to encrease his fame Whiche is to me a rebuke and a shame ▪ Wherupon this Saule frete with yre Of yonge Dauid gan the death conspyre In hys hert he had a fantasy Of their syngyng whan that he toke hede Dempt it was a maner prophesy That Dauid preferred should be in dede And to the crowne after him succede Thought his childer as he gan diuyne Should be depriued of the royall lyne Thus day by day Saule wayes sought To slea Dauid playnly if he myght All be it so that he no malyce thought But euer kept him lowly in his syght Therfore good euer grace on him alyght For aye the lorde of his magnificence Agayne tyrantes preserueth innocentes And as the bible playnely dothe vs lere This Dauid had in his tender age For his nobles the kynges daughters dere Called Mychol ioyned by mariage And whan that Saule fyli in any rage Dauid anone to aswage his wodenes Touched his harp brought him in gladnes Saule full oft gan Dauid to enchase And warrey throughout all his londes Through desertes him pursue manace Of entent to haue shet hym vp in bondes Or to slea him if he come
lyue in shame And lasse yl to put in ieopardy Her mortal body than her good fame Whan honor dieth farewel a mānes name Better it were out of thys life disceiuer Than slandrous fame to sley a man for euer But to that purpose her husband sayd nay Her father also was thereto contrary Makynge a promise without more delay To do vengeaunce howe they wyl not tary To her declaring with reasons debonary Vnder these wordes trouth right cōserued To slee her selfe she hath nothynge deserued For sodainly and also vnauised As a foole is trapped in the snare By vnware fraude vpon the practised Thou were disceiued plainly to declare Hauyng thys conceyte harde is to repayre The name of thē which falsly be diffamed Whan wrōg report y ◠renome hath shamed Touchyng thy person I dare affirme seyn That it were a maner impossible And lyke a thynge which neuer yet was seen That thy worshyp was found corruptyble But stedfast aye and indiuysible Vnparted vertuous and made strong And nowe desirous to auenge thy wronge On thy iniury we shal auenged be Considred first the deedly heuines Which thou suffredest by great aduersite Whan y ◠auoutrour thy beauty dyd oppres And reioysyng by a false gladnes Maugre thy wyll as a thefe by nyght The encombred of very force myght But if thou woldest leue all thy mourning And restraine thy unportable wo Soone shuldest y u se an egall punyshyng Vpon thy most frowarde mortal foe To warne all other they shal nomore do so In chastisynge of false auoutry The and thy renome of ryght to magnify What was diffasyng to thy trewe entent Though his youth vnbridled went at large So for to aforce a sely innocent Whose wyckednes oughte to bere the charge And we of ryght thy conscience dyscharge The ioye vnlefull of his false plesaunce With double palme thine honor doth auance Conceiue and se O thou myne Lucrece How that reason and good discrecion Shoulde thy trouble thy mournynge cece Of ryght restrayne thy opinion So rechelesly to do punicion With knife in hande to slee thy selfe alas For others gylt and dyddest no trespas Let be Lucrece let be all thy dole Cease thy complaynt thy wo restrayne Should I fro the lyue alone al sole And thy deth perpetually complayne ▪ To put thy father in importable payne Of our welfare be not so rechelesse To dye and leaue our childre motherlesse Of prudence eke thou oughtest for to se And aduertyse onely of reason Though of force thy body corrupt be Thy soule inwarde and thyne entencion Fraunchysed ben from al corrupcion Offence is none consider in thyne entent But wyll hert yeue therto ful consent Thou were naked in thy bed lyenge Alone vnware slepynge voide of myght Suspeciouslesse al of his comynge That tyme namely because y ◠it was nyght A fearefull woman he a manly knyght Al be it so vnknightly was his dede Wyth naked swerde to assayle thy womanhead He myght thy body by force wel oppresse By sleyghty waies that he had sought But we le wote I for al his sturdinesse He myght neuer haue mastry of thy thought The body yelded the hert yelded him nought Ye were twaine y u feble he ryght stronge Thy trouth afforced he werker of the wrong Where mightest y u haue greater price or laude All ryght considred trouth equite Fyrst coūterpeysed his force sleighty fraud Than to parseuer in feminite With thought enhaunced infragilitie Of womanheade to haue an hert stable What thige in the myght be more cōmedable It is wel knowe y u were of herte aye one To all false lustes contrary in gouernaunce More lyke an ymage kerued out of stone Than lyke a woman fleshely of plesaunce The tirant foūde thee in chere countenaūce Whych euer after by womanly victory Shal be ascriued to thine encrease of glory Thy father Brutus hath the well excused My selfe also thy blood and thy kynrede On this matter let no more be mused To sley thy selfe or do thy sides blede Certes Lucrece thou hast ful litell nede It were great wronge by all our iudgement To spare a tirant and slee an innocent Thy lyfe to murdre to some it woulde seme Thou were gylty where as thou art clene Diuers wittes diuersly wyl deme Report thyng thou none dyddest mene For which thou shalt paciently sustene Tyll thy chaste wyfely innocence May se hym punished for his violence Folke wyl not deme a person innocent Which wilfully whan he is not cuipable Yeldeth him selfe to deth by iudgement And neuer was a fore of no gyit partable His own doome vpon him selfe vengeable Causeth people tho their reporte be noughte To deme a thinge y ◠neuer was ywrought To be auenged vpon thine owne life In excusynge of thy deedly fame To shewe thou art a true wedded wyfe wenyng by deth to get the a name In this deuise thou art greatly to blame Wher y u yet knowest thy honor clerely shyne To yeue the people matter to deuyne And with that worde Lucrece dyd abrayde Full deedly both of loke and chere To them againe euyn thus she sayde Let be husbande let be my father dere Speke no more to me of this matere Lest men dempt in hindryng of my name Idred death more than false dyffame Your counsayle is I shal my lyfe conserue To sorowe and sclaunder but no gladnes But lesse yl it is at an houre to sterue Than euer languish in sorowe heuines Deth maketh an ende of al worldly distres And it was sayde syth ful yore ago Better is to die than euer to liue in wo. Whan that worship in any creature Is staine and deed by slaūdrous report Better is of death the dredful payne endure Than by false noyse aye to liue in discōfort Where newe newe diffame hath his resort Neuer dyeth but quickeneth by y ◠outrage Of hateful tonges venimous langage Do your deuer to halowe make stable The chast chambres of wyfely gouernaunce For in this case if ye be variable On false auoutry for to do vengeaunce There shal folow euerlastynge remembraūce How true spousaile as ye haue herde deuised In your citie is broke not chastifed If ye be founde in such a case negligent To punish auoutry of right as your charge Through your slouth as ye were of assent Luxurie vubridled shall ren abrode at large Who shal than your conscience discharge Or what woman stande in sickernes Of Lucrece afforced the clennes O dere husbande what ioy shulde it be To thine estate in any maner place Lyke as thy wyfe to cherishe me Or in thine armes me goodly to enbrace The gilt horrible considred trespace By Tarquyn don alas and welaway Which i my persō may neuer be wast away And father mine how shuldest thou me cal After this day thyne owne doughter dere Which alas refuse of women al That to thy plesaunce was whilom most entere
Within thy house whan I did lere By clere example of manifolde doctrine Al that pertained to vertuous discipline Which I haue lost now in my dayes olde Dispaired it to recure agayne Myne owne childre I dare not the beholde Bycause the wombe in that they haue layne Diffouled is and pollute in certaine Which was tofore in chastitie conserued Chastise the auoutrer as he hath deserued And for my part to speke in wordes fewe Lenger to liue I haue no fantasie For where should I out my face shewe Or dare appere in any company Sith a derke spot of false auoutry Shal euermore whether it be false or true In to myne hindring y ◠sclaundre to renewe Lust afforced hath a false appetite Offrelte included in nature Maugre the wyll there foloweth a delite As some folkes say in euery creature Good fame lost ful hard is to recure And sith I may my harmes not redresse To you in open my gilt I wil confesse Al be I was againe my wil oppressed There was a maner constrained lust in dede Which for no power might not be redressed For feblenesse I stand in so great drede For which offence deth shal be my mede Sith leuer I haue with some edge tole To slee my selfe than lyue in slaūder dole O father myne spare and haue pitie And dere husbande rue on myne offence Goddes goddesses called of chastitie To my trespace graunt an indulgence For of my gylt to make a recompence Where that Venus gate in me a vaūtage Deth shal redresse chastise myne outrage For if I should make a delay To perse my brest w t sharpnes of a knyfe Men would deme and say fro day to day To make my sclaūder more open more rife Howe that I was more tendre of my life Thā of my worship which is to gret a shame To loue my life more than my good name In this matter no witnes is so good To put awaye all false suspection As with a knife to shed my hert bloud I myght not make a better purgacion To al folke that haue discrecion Than finally by my deth to excuse The gylt horible of whych men me accuse Go forth my soule pure and immortal Chefe wytnes of myne innocence Tofore tho iudges which ben infernal Fyrst Mynos kyng to deme my conscience With Radamanthus to yeue a sentence Lyke my desertes that it might be sene In wyfely trouth how that I was clene Thou erthly body which through thy fairnes Were to auoutry ful great occasion Of thy bloud shede out the rednes And by thy sides let it raile doun Stere and exite the people of this toun To do their deuer within a litle whyle For loue of Tarquyn al kynges to exile And fyrst I pray my husbande most entere Of this vengeaunce to make no delay With helpe and socour of my father dere To punyshe y ◠auoutrer in al haste ye may Let him take his wages and his pay Lyke as ye se plainly nowe conceyue For his offence the death I do receiue And sodaynly or they myght aduerte She toke a knyfe and with great violence Through the brest euyn to the hert She made it glyde there was no resistence Ful pale deed fyl down in their presence And by occasion of this piteous dede Tarquyn exyled and holy his kynrede For which cause by recorde of writyng Was there neuer in Rome the cite After that day no man crowned kyng As in cronicles ye may beholde and se Thus for luxurie and their cruelte Their tiranny and false extorcion They were exiled out of Rome toun The .vi. Chapter ¶ Howe Rome was after gouerned and Virginea by her father slayne GOuerned after by other officers As is remembred in Titus Liuius Called Decemuiri of diuers croniclers Amonge whyche there was one Appius A Judge vntrue proud luxurious Which through y ◠citie the story bereth witnes Behated was for his great falsenes And ones it fyll as he cast his loke Vpon a maide most inly fayre of sight A false desire within his hert he toke Her to dysuse agayne al skyl and ryght And she was doughter to a worthy knyght Ful manly founde in his dedes al And Vyrginius y ◠Romains did him cal Whose goodly doughter y e story doth vs lere Was after hym for his noble fame Virginia called most goodly and entere And for this cause she bare the same name But Appius to greatly was to blame Which hath conspired through his great falsnes If y ◠he might her beauty to oppresse This Iuge vntrue both in thought dede Of law vnrightful sought out occasion Made a sergiaunt of his to procede Agayne this mayde to take an accion Claimed her his seruant by false collusion And this done was by Appius of entent That he on her might yeue a iudgement And by this meane in his false delite Thought he myght her beautie best disuse So to accomplishe his fleshly appetite She beyng feble the accion to refuse Wherupon her father gan to muse Fully conceiued of Appius the maner In her defence wrought as ye shal here Whan Appius had yeuen his iudgement Againe this mayde which afore him stode Her manly father most knighty of entent Toke her apart as he thought it good And wyth a knyfe shed her hert bloud Dempt it better to slee her in clennes Than the tirant her beauty should oppresse Thus hole conserued was her virginite And vndefouled was her maydenhede For Vyrgynius to kepe her honeste Spared nothyng to make her sides blede But Appius for this horrible dede And Decemuiri through his vnhappye chaūce Had in that citye neuer after gouernaūce As the story also maketh mencion Appius ashamed of this dede Slough him selfe fetred in prison Of a false iuge lo here the final mede And tho Tribuni in Rome gan succede Twene right and wronge truely to discerne And romayne lawes iustly to gouerne Men may here se as in a myrour clere Estates chaunged for their great offences And by some poore person singulere Princes put doun from their magnificences Which not cōsidred in their great excellēces How god ordeineth his yerde in sōdry wise The poore sūwhile the pompous to chastise Here on to shewe example anone ryght Marked in story for a notable thynge Pausanias of Grece a manly knight Of Macedony slough Philip the Kyng At a table where he was sitting Atwene Alexandre and Olimpiades His wrong to auenge amyddes al the prees Eke Salmator a knyght of low degree For wronges done in especial Of manly force grounded on equite Slough of Cartage the Prince Hasdrubal Which brother was vnto duke Haniball Besyde a riuer as they met in batayle Called Metaure which renneth in Itaile Wherefore ye princes if ye lyst longe endure Be right wel ware be ye neuer so stronge In your lordshyppes not to much assure Or of surquedy the porayle to do wronge In your discrecion conceyuing euer amonge Greatest drede is that
in presence To whyche she gan declare in complaynyng Her deadly sorow down frō her tower loking Farewel my frendes farewell for euermore Vnto my lord my husband I must gone To him I meane y ◠was my lorde of yore For of husbandes god wot I haue but one Praiyng you to report euerichone After my death Dydo of Cartage Joyned was but ones in maryage Say to the kyng whiche you manaced My chaste beauty that he woulde assaile Go tell him how that I am passed And of his purpose how that he shall faile His manacyng shall not him auayle And say how Dydo dyed for the nones For she not would be wedded more thē ones Leuer I haue my life now to lose Rather than soyle my wydowes chastitie Let him go further some other to chose For in such case he shall not spede of me And with the treasure of mine honesty Which I haue truely obserued all my lyue I will depart out of this worlde now blyue And into fire that brent clere and bryght She ran in haste there is no more to sayne Saue with a knyfe in euery mans sight Full sodaynly she rofe her hart in twayne Whose piteous death the city gan complayne Sore wepyng for wonder and for ruthe In a woman to finde so great a truth After her death they did their busines To holde and halowe a feast funerall Worshipped her like a chaste goddesse And her commended inespeciall To heauenly goddes and goddes infernall And wydowes all in their clothes blake At this feast wept for her sake Touching Dydo let there be no stryfe Though that she be accused of Ouide After Bochas I wrote her chaste life And the contrary I haue set aside For me thought it was better to abide On her goodnes than thing rehearse in dede Which might resowne again her womanhede To Eneas though she were fauourable To Itayle makyng his passage All that she did was commendable Him to receyue commyng by Cartage Tho some folke were large of their langage Amisse to expoune by report or to expresse Thing done to hym onely of gentlenes There shall for me be made no rehearsayle But as I finde wrytten in Bochas For to say well may much more auayle Than froward speach in many diuers case But all Cartage oft sayd alas Her death cōplaynyng throughout their citye Whiche slew her selfe to obserue her chastitye ¶ Lenuoy OF ayre Dydo most stable in thy constan̄ce Quene of Cartage myrror of hie nobles Raignyng in glory vertuous habundaūce Called in thy time chefe sours of gentilnes In whom was neuer founde doublenes Aye of one hart and so thou diddest fyne With light of trouth al wydowes to enlumin Chast and vnchaunged in thy perseueraunce And immutable founde in goodnes Whiche neuer thoughtest vpon variaunce Force prudence wardeins of thy fayrenes I haue no langage thy vertues to expresse By new report so clerely they shyne With light of trouth al widowes to enlumine O lode starre of all good gouernaunce All vycious lustes by wisdome to represse Thy grene youth flouryng with all pleasaūce Thou didst it brydle w t vertuous sobernes Dyane demeaned so chastly thy clennesse Whyle thou were sole playnely to termyne With light of truth al wydowes to enlumyne Thy famous bounty to put in remembraūce Thou slewe thy selfe of innocent purenes Lest thy surenes were hanged in balaunce Of such that cast them thi chastitie to oppres Death was inoughe to beare therof witnes Causyng thy beauty to all clennes enclyne With light of vertue al widowes to enlumine ¶ Lenuoy dyrect to wydowes of the translatoure O Noble matrons whiche haue suffisaūce Of womanhead your wittes to vpdresse How that fortune list to turne her chaunce Be not to retchlesse of sodayne hastines But ay prouide in your stablenes That no such foly enter in your courage To folow Dydo that was quene of Cartage With her maners haue none acquayntaunce Put out of minde such sottyshe wilfulnes To slea your selfe were a great penaunce God of his grace defende you and blesse And preserue your variant brotlenes That your trouth fall in none outrage To folow Dido y ◠was quene of Cartage With couert colour and sober countenaunce Of faythfull meanyng pretendeth a likenes Counterfayteth in speache and dalyaunce All thinge that sowneth into stedfastnes Of prudence by great auisenes Your selfe restrayneth yonge and olde of age To folow Dydo that was quene of Cartage Let all your port be voyde of displeasaunce To get frendes do your busines And be neuer without purueyaunce So shall ye best encrease in ryches In one alone may be no sykernes To your hart be dyuers of langage Contrary to Dydo y t was quene of Cartage Holde your seruauntes vnder obeysaunce Let them neuer haue fredome nor largenes But vnder daunger do their obseruaunce Daunt their pryde them brydle w t lownes And whan the serpent of newefanglenes Assayleth you do your aduauntage Contrary to Dydo y ◠was quene of Cartage ¶ The .xiiii. Chapter ☞ How vycious Sardanapalus kyng of Assirie brent him selfe and his treasure OF Assirie to reken kynges all Whiche had that lande vnder subiection Last of all was Sardanapall Most feminyne of condicion Wherfore fortune hath him cast downe And complaynyng most vgly of manere Next after Dydo to Bochas did appere To vycious lust his life he did enclyne Among Assyriens whan he his raigne gan Of false vsage he was so feminine That among women vpon the rocke he span In their habite disgysed from a man And of froward fleshly insolence Of all men he fledde the presence First this kyng chase to be his gyde Mother of vyces called ydlenes Whiche of custome eche vertue set asyde In eche courte where she is maistresse Of sorow and mischefe is the first foundresse Which caused onely this Sardanapall That to all goodnes his wittes did appall He founde vp first ryote and dronkennes Called a father of lust and lechery Hatefull of harte he was to sobernes Cherishyng surfetes watche and glotony Called in his time a prynce of baudry Founde reresuppers and fetherbeddes soft Drynke late and chaunge his wines oft The ayre of meates and of baudy cokes Which of custome all day rost and sede Sauoure of spittes ladels and fleshe hokes He loued well and toke of them great hede And folke that dranke more than it was nede Smellynge of wine for their great excesse With them to abide was holly his gladnes He thought also it did him good To haue about him without skyll and right Boystous bochers all bespreint with bloude And watry fishers abode aye in his syght Their coates poudred w t scales siluer bryght Dempt their odour duryng all his lyfe Was to his courage best preseruatyfe For there was no herbe spice grasse ne rote To him so lusty as was the bordelhouse Nor gardeyn none so holesome nor so sote To his pleasaunce nor so delicious As the presence of folke lecherous And euer glad to
pouder playnly to expresse Troubleth the ayre and maketh folkes blynd For whiche in spousayle coÌ„uenient to fynde Let estates of their byrthe honourable Voyde al rascaly and wedde their semblable But Amazias woulde not beware For no warnyng nor for no prophecy But styll in hart great hatred bare Agayne kyng Joas of malyce and enuy Into a felde brought all his chyualry Gadred them out bothe nere and farre Ayenst gods will on him to gyn a warre And king Joas full like a worthy knyght Into the felde fast gan him spede And all the knyghtes of Juda anone ryght With stroke of vengeaunce w t a sodain drede To bid them flye god wot it was no nede And Amazias for all his great pryde Stode destitute and no man by his syde With him was none left of all his meynie So god and Joas agaynst him wrought Of Jerusalem entred the citye And Amazie of force with him he brought And in the temple the treasure out he sought Golde and siluer and wholy their riches And to Samaria home he gan him dresse And Amazias he let out of pryson After all this and suffred him go fre To his mischefe and his confusion And he was deliuered from his captiuitie For slayne he was in Lachis the citye Among his frendes by dissimulation His death conspyred vnder full false treason The .xvii. Chapter ☞ How vpon Ozias succeadyng kyng nexte in Iuda god toke vengeaunce smote him with leprie AFter in Juda the mighty region Next Amazias Ozias gan succede Wonder manlye and famous of renoun In all his workes full prouident in dede And of his knighthode vaiquished as I rede The Palestines for all their great puissauÌ„ce With all Ambie he brought vnto vttraunce Builded townes and many a strong citye And vnto Egypt he his bondes set Made castels besydes the redde see And in his conquest whom that euer he met Of manly pryde he woulde let I meane all tho that were his aduersaries To his lordshyp to make them tributaries He did his labour also to repare Jerusalem after his ruyne The walles reared which on y â— soyle lay bare Made newe towers ryght as any lyne Fanes of golde their turretes to enlumine And to force them let workmen vndertake Square bastiles and bulwarkes to make He delited to make freshe gardeynes Diuers grayne and herbes for to knowe Reioysed to plante sundrye vynes To graffe trees and sedes for to sowe And straunge fruits maketh theÌ„ grow arow And w t him had his enemyes to encumber Thre hundred thousand manly men in nuÌ„ber His noble fame gan to sprede wyde And greatly dreade for his prowes Wherthrough his hart corrupted with pride Because onely of his great riches And frowardly he did his busines For to maligne in estate royall Agaynst the lorde whiche is immortall To god aboue he gan waxe obstynate That by processe full small he did winne And sauour caught in his royall estate To folow his father in vnthrifty synne That grace vertue from him did twynne In most shinyng of his magnificence Fortune proudly assayled his excellence Cast she would within a little while His surquedy and frowarde pride assayle And full vnwarely deceyue him and begyle To make his power to appall and fayle Whan that this kyng toke on the apparayle Of a bishop of very frowardnes And to the temple proudly gan him dresse Beyng in purpose on a solemne day To take his waye vp to the hye alter Falsly vsurpyng whosoeuer sayde nay To sacrifyce holdyng the censere Tofore the alter that shone of golde so clere For whiche offence the bible sayth the same Azarias the bishop did him blame Gan withstand him in the face anone Fourscore priestes beyng in presence Of the kynred discended of Aaron Whiche forbade him and made resistence That with his hande he should put incence Vpon the aulter against gods lawe Him chargyng boldly his presence to w tdraw But of despite he made them hold their pees In payne of death began them manace And sodaynly among all the prees An earthquaue fill in the same place And therwithall in the kinges face Of the sunne there smote a beame so bryght That all his face was scorched w t the light He wared a leper foule and right horible For his offence as god list ordayne To euery man of loke he was terrible And but fewe his mischiefe gan complaine And a great hill y e same hour carft on twayne Not farre aside from the towne without Cities destroying that stode rounde about On kyng Ozie god toke this vengeaunce For all his lordship and his magnificence To punishe his pride and frowarde puissauÌ„ce And brought him lowe for his great offence For his person was put out of presence Perpetually as holy writ can tell Farre from all people w t lepers for to dwell His fleshe was troubled with diuers passioÌ„s For his sickenes auoyded the citye In crye and sorowe and lamentacions His lise he lad in great aduersitie And so he dyed in sorowe and pouertie Simply buried for all his great myght Within an ylande that stode farre out of sight ¶ The .xviii. Chapter ¶ In exhortation to Prynces to be aduised to do agaynst Goddes preceptes LEt prynces all in their prouidence Be right wel ware any thing to attame Whiche vnto God should be offence Lest that the fyne conclude to their shame Let them thinke for all their noble fame But they repent god of his iustice Their froward pryde vnwarely will chastice Let them beware of malyce to presume Againe his churche to do oâ—â—encion For god of right all tyrantes will consume In full short tyme for their presumption Whiche will not suffer theyr dominacion To enterrupt for all their great myght Nor breke the frauÌ„ches of holy churche ryght To prudent prynces whiche can discerne Let kyng Ozias considryng his offence Be in your mynde a myrrour and lanterne To holy churche to do due reuerence And conceâ—ue in their magnificence God will of ryght be they neuer so sâ—â—â—ng Chastyce theyr malyce though he â—yde long ¶ The .xix. Chapter How kyng Oseas was taken by kyng Salmanazer and dyed in pryson THere was another that called was Osce Which whilom raygned as I affirme dare In Israell whom fortune by enuy Made him be take or he was ware Besyeged about of kyng Salmanas are And into Assirie vnder his daunger The bible telleth he was a prysoner His cityes and townes brought to destruction And all his people vnder longe seruage Were take and kept in stronge Babilon Suffred there great payne and domage And in pryson by furious outrage This sayd Oseas in chaynes bounde sore For sorowe dyed of hym write I no more The .xx. Chapter ¶ Howe Senacheryb kynge of Assirie slewe him selfe WIth these forsayde wofull kynges three Senacheryb of Assirye kyng Came to Bochas most vglye to se Full piteously his fate complaynyng And specially hys vnware chaungyng He gan bewayle oppressed in his thought From hye nobles how
with ful great reuerence All be the bytche made resistence Complayninge stode fully at a bay The lytel chylde whan she sawe led away Ful pitiously she gan to houle and crye At their departynge dolefully complayne And after them ful fast gan to hye The childe to let she felt so great a payne Lo howe that god of mercy can ordayne A cruel beast such sorowe for to make And so to mourne for a chyldes sake But euery thyng y â— god wyll haue preserued May not fayle to stand in siâ—ernesse His secrete domes ben to hym selfe reserued There can no man expowne theÌ„ as I gesse For he shope fyrst that this sheperdesse Of Sparagos the true pore wyfe For to be meane to saue the childes lyfe Home to her house the childe she led anone And it to fostre dyd her busines Of other salary god wote knewe she none Saue that her hert thereto dyd her dresse And more entierly y e story beareth wytnesse She tendred hâ—m wyth more busy cure Than him y â— was her chylde borne of nature And as the story plainly doth expresse This yonge chylde as he wext in age Fro day to day encreased in noblesse Lyke for to be ryght manly of corage Cyrus he was called in that langage To say in latyn playnly in substaâ—â—câ— A man yborne to great enheritaunce And whan the renowne of his excellence By longe processe of hys great encres Came by reporte vnto the audience Of his ayel the great â—stiages And how the kyng was found rechles Called Harpagus for to do vengeaunce On yong Cirus he fyll in displesaunce This is to meane Astiages was wroth That Harpagus was founde merciable Cyrus to saue and for that he was lothe Agaynst all ryght for to be vengeable To slee a chylde a thyng not commendable Demyng of trouth in his conscience God was not payed to murdre innocence Astiages cast hym to be wreke On Harpagus by false collusion Because that his bidding he did breke And was contrary to his entencion Cyrus to slee agayne all reason And for that cause Astiages I rede Of Harpagus let sley the chylde in dede This is to say by false compassyng And couert murder wrought by Astiages The sonne was slayne of Harpagus the king And after rosted alas ful causeles And syth presented amonge all the prees Tofore his father a thynge most lameÌ„table With Astiages as he sate at the table But whan this kyng called Harpagus Conceyued hath this murdre most terrible And howe his sonne heire was slaine thus In his ire most furious and odible In al the hast that it was possible He is repayred home to his housholde And al the case to Cyrus he hath tolde And how his sonne was slayne for his sake In the most hateful odious cruelte Exciting him with him to vndertake On this false murdre auenged for to be To him declaringe of trouth equite Howe he was borne by discent in dede As ryght heire to reigne in Perce Mede To him declaryng the story by and by First of the dreme of Astiages And howe that he by fraude ful falsly Made his doughter called Mundanes Porely to be wedded vnto Cambises Which was his mother how in tedre age He was out cast to beastes ful fauage â–ª By a shepherde and sheperdesse Fostred he was in great pouerte And brought from beastes out of wyldernes Bycause god woulde he saued should be For thilke lorde which euery thynge may se Whan that he hath a thyng afore disposed Nedes it must fal may not be deposed This said Cirus at his natiuite Ordeyned was by reuolucion Of the heuenly spheres in numbre thrise thre So stode that tyme his constellacion That he shoulde haue the dominacion Ouer al Asye by influence deuyne Afore fygured by spredyng of the vyne What may y â— fraude of sleyghty folke auayle Innocentes to put out of their ryght Though trouth be hyd amonges the poraile Harde brought forth dare nor shewe lyghte Yet god wyl ordayne that the beames bryght Shal some one day shewe out his clerenes Maugre al tho that wold his title oppresse For this Cirus as clerkes of him write Was by the tytle of his mothers syde Borne to be kyng al Asye to enherite Al be his ayel from him woulde it deuide But god that can for trouth best prouide Hath for Cirus by processe so ordayned That he of Asye the lordship hath attained Cirus y â— time was growen vp wel of length Wel proporcioned of membres stature Wonder deliuer passynge of great strength Straunge emprises proudly to endure And to ieoparte and put in auenture His owne person the fame was of hym so Was none more lykely where men had ado And by the counsayle of kyng Harpagus Whan this Cirus was wel woxe in age With Perciens proude and surquedous And Archanites cruel of corage For to recure his ryghtful heritage Began w t Cyrus armed wyth plate mayle Wyth Astiages to holde batayle And he agaynewarde gan to take hede And with him toke many a worthy knyght With al the puissaunce of the land of Mede Hath take the felde the same day forth righte To disherite Cyrus of his ryght But god trouth was atwene theÌ„ twayne Egal iuge their quarel to darayne The felde ordayned splaied their baneres On eyther party ful proudly on they set At thassemblyng lyke lyons of their cheres In the face as they freshly met With round speares sharpe grouÌ„de whet Tyl y â— Cirus of grace more than nombre Of his ayel the party dyd encombre This mighty Cirus this yonge champion Throughout y â— felde gan such slaughter make With his knightes as he went vp downe That as the deth his fomen hym forsake Astiages vnder his baner take The felde veÌ„quished for al his veynglorye To shewe that right hath alway the victory A man of malice may a thyng purpose By a maner frowarde prouidence But god aboue can graciously dispose Agayne such malice to make resistence Men for a while may suffer violence And wronges great where so y t they wende But trouth alway venquisheth at the ende Astiages fouÌ„de ful soth his dreame Though he agayne it made purueyaunce To haue depriued Cirus of his reame He was disceyued of his ordinaunce For where that god through his puisaunce Lyst for heires iustly to prouyde Sleyght of man in such case is set aside Maugre the myght of Astiages Cyrus on hym made a discomfiture And al Asye reioysed eke in pees Of very right as was his aduenture And by iust title he dyd also recure The land of Mede lyke as was his fate And in to Perce he dyd it hole translate Agayne his ayel he was not vengeable Which had wrought to his distruction But was to him benygne and merciable And graunted hym of hole affection The fourth part of the region Of Archany of whych afore I tolde Hym to sustayne in his dayes
melancoly and froward pouertie Ended his life in great aduersitye For of ire and impacience Fynally thus with hym it stode Furiously in his great indigence As writeth Bochas howe he dranke the blode Of a bul sauagine and wode With loue enchaufed made no delaies Most be stially ended thus his dayes ¶ The .xxv. Chapter ¶ Of Balthasar Kynge of Babylone and howe Daniell expowned Mane Techell Phares NExt to Bocas or that he was ware As he sate wrytyng wyth full great laboure Of Babilon cam great Balthasar To declare his sorowe and his langour Whych had misused ful falsly the tresour And the vessels brought from Jerusalem Into Babilone chefe citye of his reme For at a souper with his lordes al Whan of the vessels he dranke mighty wines And solemply sate in his roial stal And rounde aboute al his concubines Phylosophers magiciens and diuynes There came an hand the byble doth assure And on the wall gan wryte this scripture Mane techel phares wrytten in hys sight Though he the mening coÌ„ceiued neuer a dele Which on the wal shewed fayre bryght For whose sentence auailed none appele But the prophet holy Daniel Fully expowned to Balthasar the kynge The mistery of this derke writyng This worde Mane playnly not to tary In latyn tonge betokeneth in sustance The dayes counted rekened the numbrarye Of thy reigning of thy great substance And Techell sowneth a wayenge in balauÌ„ce In token thy power kyngdome by meâ—ure God hath paysed they shal no whyle endure Phares also betokeneth a breakyng In romaine tong in to peces smale For thy power and frowarde rebellynge Shal from the hie be brought in to the vale This is holy writ and no fained tale For whan princes wil not their life redresse God wyl vnwarely their surquedy represse Thou wert by tokens warned longe afore By many examples the story ye maye rede By the fallyng of Nabugodonosore And thou thereof toke ful litel hede The lord to thank haue his name in drede For whych thou shalt within a litel throwe Lose scepter crowne be brought ful lowe Let princes al thys story haue in mynde And for them selfe notably prouyde And namely tho that ben to god vnkynde Their concubynes for to set a syde And make vertue for to be theyr gyde Voyde lechery and false presumpcion Which hath brought so many to distruction Nabugodonosor had repentaunce And was restored to his possessions But god of ryght toke sodaynly vengeaunce On Balthasar for his trausgressions Wherefore ye princes dispose your reasons After your merites to haue god merciable For your demerites do fynde hym veÌ„geable Agaynst holy churche take no quarels But aduertise in your inward syght For Balthasar that dranke of tho vessels Stale fro the temple of very force myght He lost lorshyp and lyfe vpon a night So that the kyngdome of Assirieus Translated was to Medes PercieÌ„s The .xxvi. Chapter ¶ Home Cresus and Balthasar were vanquyshed by Cyrus and the sonne of Cresus slayne at the huntynge of a bore NExt to Ihon Bocas within a throw Wrytyng of princes many a pitous fate He sawe king Cresus with other on the row Lowly besechyng his fallyng to translate And howe fortune agayne hym gan debate And of his mischefe doleful for to rede For to discriue anone he gan procede For as it is remembred in writyng As god and kynde lyst for hym ordayne Of Lide he was gouernour and kynge And lordshyp had the storye can not fayne Of many kingdoms more than one or twain Fame in that tyme so dyd hym magnify That he was called floure of al chiualry And he was also in hys tyme founde The most expert in werre in batayle And of richesse was the most habounde And most excellynge in conquest to preuayle Plenty of people wyth royal apparayle And with al this to his great auauntage Numbre of childre tenblysse hys lynage In the most highest of his royal see And at was well nothyng stode amis Yet to amenuse his felicite A dreme he had and truely that was thys How that his sonne which called was Athis Was take from hym by mortal outrage Slayne sodenlye in his tendre age This woful dreme dyd him great distres And put his hert in great dispayre Standyng in feare great heauines Bycause hys chylde rendre yonge fayre Which that was borne for to be hys heyre Shoulde causelesse in suche myschefe die So as his dreame afore dyd specifye Of this processe to declare more How Cresus dreme fulfylled was in dede From Olimpus there came a wylde bore Most furious and sauagine of drede Wyth fomy tuskes which fast gan him spede Downe discendyng no where lyst abyde Tyl that he came in to the laude of Lyde And gan distroy their frutes their vines Where euer he came in any maner place Brake the nettes the stronge lynes Of the hunters that dyd at hym enchace But vnder supporte of the kynges grace Hys sonne of whom I spake tofore Gate him licence to hunt at this bore Hys father Cresus demynge of this ease There was no cause of drede in no maner Though hys sonne were present at the chase With other hunters suche game for to lere But aye fortune wyth her double there Is redy euer by some fatall trayne At such disportes some mischefe to ordayne For one there was whych had gouernance Vpon this chylde to wayte and to se Chasyng y â— bore to saue hym fro myschauÌ„ce From al domage and aduersite With many lusty folke of that countre With hornes houÌ„des sharpe speres grouÌ„de Sekyng the bore tyl they had hym founde And as they gan fiersly the bore enchace He that was charged to be the chyldes gyde As with his speare he gan the bore manace The head not entred but forth gan to glyde And on the chylde whych that stode besyde The stroke a lyght and or he dyd auerte The speres heade rofe hym through the hert But of this chylde whan y â— deth was couth Tolde and reported holy the manere How he was slayne in hys tendre youth Borne to be heire vnto his father dere Cresus for sorow chaunged loke chere And for constraint of dole in his vysage He resembled a very deade ymage But euery sorowe by long continuaunce At the last it sumwhat must aswage For ther is none so furious greuance Nor so mortal importable rage But long processe yeueth him auantage I meane thus there is none so great a sorow But it mought cese outher eue or morowe Philosophers concluden and discerne And by their reasons recorden by scripture Thyng vyolent may not be eterne Not in one poynt abydeth none auenture Nor a sorowe may not alwaye endure For stouÌ„demele through fortunes variaunce There foloweth ioy after great greuaunce The sorow of Cresus tho it were intollerable And at his hert the greuaunce sate so sore Syth that his dole was irrecuperable And meane was none
by succession Named Albanois princes of great nobles And by discent the story beareth wytnes From kyng Prochas recorde on bokes olde Came these .ii. brethren Rea their suster told Numitor slayne as made is mencion The kyngdom occupied by Amulius And Rea entred in to religion For to be wympled in that holy house Sacred to Vesta wyth virgyns glorious There for to abyde be contemplatife With other maydens duryng al her lyfe And thys was done whyle she was yonge of age By her brother of false entencion That she shoulde haue no maner heritage Nor clayme no title in that region Of her kynred by none occasion But stande professed in virginitye To fore Vesta and liue in chastitie Yet not withstanding her virginal clennesse She hath conceyued by natural myracle Gan to encrease in her holynes Whose wombe arose in kiÌ„de was no obstacle Agayne such bolnyng auayleth no triacle But the goddes for her so dyd ordayne That she at ones had sonnes twayne The temple of Vesta stode in wildernesse Where Rea had holy the gouernaunce Of priestly honour done to the goddesse Wyth many straunge vncouth obseruauÌ„ce But by her brothers mortall ordinaunce Her yong sonnes might not be socoured But cast out to beastes to be deuoured But a she wolfe whych whelped had late To yeue theÌ„ soke dyd her businesse By god ordained or by some heauenly fate TheÌ„ to conserue fro deth in their distres For holy write plainly beareth wytnes God can defende as it is well couth Children froÌ„ mischefe in their tendre youth But in this whyle this sayd Amulius That was their vncle as made is mencion Agayne his suster frowarde and furious Made her be shyt in a ful derke prison And there complaynyng the distruction Of her two children borne to her reprefe For very sorow dyed at great myschefe These sayde chyldren deuoyde of al refuse Besyde a riuer lay pitiously crying From al socoure naked and destitute Except a wolues vpon them waityng At whose wombe ful style they lay soukyng Vnto nature a thyng contrarious Children to souke on beastes rauenous But he that is lorde of euery creature Ryght as hym lyst can both saue spyl And beastes which ben rage of their nature He can aduert make them lye ful styl Tigres lions obedient at his wil The same lorde hath made a fel wâ—lâ—esse Vnto twey children her bigges for to dresse And whyle thys wolues had theÌ„ in depose Ther came an herde called Faustulus Behelde their soukyng saw theÌ„ lye ful close Whych sheperde was of kyng Amulius Caught vp these chyldreÌ„ the story telleth thus And brought theÌ„ forth with great diligence Vnto his wyfe that called was Laurence And she for loue dyd her busy payne Them to fostre tyl they came of age Gaue them souke of her brestes swayne Fro day to daye of hert and hole corage And they were called as in that langage After the storye that one of them Remus And the seconde was named Romulus Of whych brethern brefely to termyne The towne of Rome toke original Of false disclaundre fyrst began that lyne The rote out sought ful vicious fouÌ„de at all Clerely remeÌ„bred for a memorial Their begynning grewe of such incoÌ„tinence As clerkes call Incestus in sentence Incestus is a thyng not fayre nor good After that bokes wel deuise conne As trespassyng wyth kyn or wyth blode Or frowarde medlyng w t her that is a nonne And thus the line of Rome was begon For slaughter murder and false robbry Was chefe begynnynge of al their auncetry Of Couetyse they toke their auauntage Lyggers of waies and robbers openly Murdrers also of their owne linage And stronge theues gate to their company Spoiled al tho that past them forby Vnder shadowe of kepinge their beastayle Al maner people they proudly dyd assaile To â—lee marchauÌ„tes they had no conscience And for to murdre folke of euery age Women to oppresse of force and vyolence In al that countre this was their vsage Where they abode ther was no sure passage And these two brethern lyke as it is founde Fonde first y â— maner of speares sharpe groude Aspeare in greke called is quiris And for that cause the sayd Romulus As bokes say and sothely so it is He afterwarde was called Quirinus Which w t his brother y â— called was Remus Was in al thyng confederate partable That tofore god was vicious dampnable And as it was accordynge to their life For lacke of vertue they fyll in great diffame And atwene theÌ„ ther was an vncouth stryte Which of both should yeue the name Vnto the citie atwene ernest and game After theyr names Rome to be called Thus fyll the case afore or it was walled And therupon ful longe lasted their striues Which should of them haue dominacion Shewing their titles and prerogatyues Who should of them yeue name to the toun And reigne as kyng in that region There was no reason who shuld go beforne Bycause they were both at once borne But to fynishe their fraternal dyscorde They haue prouyded atwene theÌ„ anon ryght Thus condiscendyng to put theÌ„ at accorde Nouther by force oppressyon nor myght That whych of them sawe greatest flyght Of byrdes flyeng high vpon an hyl Should name the citye at his owne wyl Of this accorde for to be wytnesse They w t them lad a ful great multitude Therof to yeue a dome of rightwisnesse Both of wyse and of people rude Al at ones thys mater to conclude And to an hyl called Auentyne They ben asâ—ended this matter for to fine And byrdes syxe to Remus dyd appere By augury as they gan procede Called vultures ful fierce in their manere But in numbre the double dyd excede That Romulus sawe whan he toke hede Wherof ther fyll a great contrauersy Which of theÌ„ shoulde preuayle on his party Thus first of al Remus had a syght Of sixe birdes called Vultures And for to auaunce prefer hys right He ful proudely put him selfe in prees But Romulus was not recheles His brothers clayme playnly to entrouble Afforced hys title with the numbre double Yet of his purpose one of theÌ„ must fayle Though it so be that they euer striue But Romulus gan finally preuaile And to the citye he forth went blyue And as auctours lyst echone discryue And in their bokes as they reherce al After his name Rome he dyd it cal And al foreins to exclude out And agayne theÌ„ to make stronge defence Fyrst he began to wal it rounde aboute And made a lawe ful dredful in sentence Who clymeth the wal by any violence Outward or inwarde there is no more to sey By statute made he must nedes dey This was enacte by ful plaine ordinauÌ„ce In paine of deth which no man breke shal But so befyll Remus of ignoraunce Which of the statute knewe nothynge atal Of auenture went ouer the wal For whiche a knyght ordained in certayne The saide Remus hath with a pykeis slayn His brother
the fayre And therwithall Artaxerses gan abrayde And aunswered with face debonayre My sonne quod he I will not be contrayre To thy desire but of affection Deliuer her to thy possession Of his promise he after gan repent Cast hym to make another cheuisaunce And secretely his concubine he sent Called Arthasia as made is remembraunce And through his sleyghty purueyaunce Vnto the teÌ„ple such meanes he hath sought Of great Appollo y t she in haste was brought Where she was veyled made a presteresse After the rites playnly and the gyse â–ª Of olde panyms by a maner holines And there professed for to do seruice â–ª As their statutes constrayne and deuise During her life it might none other be She bounde was to liue in chastite This thing was wrought by compassyng Of Artaxerses by frowarde ielosy Wherof Dary the yonge lusty kyng Wext almost wode whan he did it espy And gan compasse of melancholy Furious rancour and hasty cruelte Vpon his father auenged for to be And his party of force to sustene With him he had the story maketh minde His brethren in bast an huÌ„dred and fiftene Which to their father were false and vnkind Of all this number were left none be hynde That froÌ„ this purpose ones lyst dissent Hys death of one will they al assent Yet of this straunge false conspyracy Artaxerses had a knowledgyng Although the story dothe not specify How ne by whom he had therof wyttyng For whiche in haste he made no tariyng To gader meyny make him selfe stronge Him self to auenge of this disnatural wrong For Artaxerses lyke as the case tho stode Thought it sate well to his high nobles To be venged vpon vnkynde bloude For lawe nature decrees rightwisenes And all statutes dampne vnkyndnes Wherby this kyng occasion did finde Ayen his children because they were vnkynd Some men deme how great multitude Of many childre maketh a man stronge But therupon plainly to conclude Vertue is cause if she dwell them among But if their corage enclyneth vnto wronge And vycious life do their brydle lede The greater number the worse they do spede A progeny borne of a cursed lyne May through his frowarde false infection Outward of trouth though they shyne Vnder appearaunce and simulation Infect and corrupt all a region For it is sayd of full olde langage Frute of soure trees take a soure tarage This was well shewed in Artaxerses That suffred his brother dye at mischefe Bledyng his wounde left him helpeles Whyche to his name shall euer be reprefe Thus bloude vnkynde hath euer euil prefe For all the children fro his stocke discended Were cursed euerichone as here is remeÌ„bred Their stocke was fyrst contagious of nature The grefes frowarde were great in number Whiche of assent did their busy cure By false treason their father to encomber But there is no shade nor no couert vmber So closely kept namely of false gyle But the venym wyll shew out some whyle And thus the death contagiously conspyred Of Artaxerses sythe ago full yore Wheron to auenge his hart was so fyred Of furious yre and ybrent so sore That he not could defarre it now no more But with his meyny fyll on them anone Or they were ware slew theÌ„ euerychone He slough also all hys concubynes That wer their mothers of whoÌ„ I told toforn Suffred none to liue of their lynes So of y â— lynage he hath the wede vpshorne Founde among all no grayne of good corne Couyâ—t by doome whan they were presented To his death how echone they were assented His clothes sprent with the vnkynd bloude Of his chyldren whiche he dyd shede After whose death in great mischefe he stode And so in sorow his lyfe he did lede Dyed after in mischefe and in drede Death quyt w t death rage with rage Lo here the fyne of his vnweldy age ¶ Lenuoy THis tragedy afore declareth here The great outrage of vnkyndnes Betwene two brethrene raignyng both yfere In Perce lande as ye haue heard expresse Tyll deuision of all mischefe maistresse Gan enter in through fraternall hatrede Whyche agayn kynd destroyed their kinrede The warre arose contagious for to lere Throughe all Perce of mortall frowardnes Of Cyrus death rehearsyng the manere How helpelesse he dyed in distresse And how the nuÌ„ber of brethren did theÌ„ dresse To slea their father the story ye may rede Causyng an ende of all theyr whole kynrede Kyng Artaxerses with a froward chere His iniuries and wronges to redresse Slough hys childreÌ„ their mother eke yfere Spared not one of froward cursednes By whiche occasion toke a great sickenes After dyed in mischefe and in drede Causyng an ende of all his whole kynrede Lo here a sorowe not particulere For through all Perce ran the cursednes The croked fame spred bothe farre and nere Of this vengeable hasty fell woodnes The ayre enfecting w t slaunderous blacknes To shew of vengeaunce the coÌ„trarious mede Of bloud vnkynde borne of one kynrede Noble princes lift vp your eyen clere And consider by great auisenes The wofull stryues the odious fell dauÌ„gere Sowen in kinredes of wilfull straungenes Of all rancoure your courage do redresse Peysyng the mischeues folowyng in dede Of bloude vnkinde borne of one kynrede ☞ The ende of the thirde boke FRuite of writynge set in Cronicles olde Mooste delectable of freshenesse in tastynge And moste goodlye and glorious to beholde In colde and heate lengest abidyng Chaunge of seasons may do it no hyndryng And where so be that men dyne or fast The more men taste the lenger it will last It doth courages renue agayne glade Whiche may be called frute of the tree of lyfe So parmanable that it will neuer fade To the fiue wittes greatest restoratyfe And to their pleasauÌ„ce most chefe confortatife For of nature whan they be quicke goode They of this frute take their naturall foode Auctours hereon concluden and eke assent How that writyng of his kyndly right Dothe loued persons likenesses represent Of frendes absent seuered farre froÌ„ syght Darkenes of absence is clered with the light Thus frute of writyng hath his auauntages Of folkes farre of to present the ymages Lawe had perished nad be writyng Our fayth appalled nere vertue of scripture For all religion and order of good liuyng Taketh their example by doctrine of lecture For writing causeth with helpe of portrature Thinges darked of olde that were begon To be remembred with this celestiall son God set writyng and letters in sentence Agayne the dulnesse of our infirmite This world to enlumyne by craft of eloqueÌ„ce Canon Ciuyle philosophy these thre Confirmed fraunchises of many strong citee CouenauÌ„tes asseled trouthes of olde assured Nad writyng be myght not haue endured Diligence chefe tryumphatryce Of slogardy negligence and slouthe Eke of memory vpholder and nouryce And registrer to supposayle of trouthe Hath of olde labour els were great routhe Brought thinges passed notable in substauÌ„ce Onely by writyng to newe
knyght ▪ That whan Alysander laye diyng certayne And gan to feble of hys force myght Dempt afore that it sat ful well of ryght How thys Perdicas for wisdom manhede In Macedone shoulde after hym succede And vnto hym with loke chere benigne Vpon his heed for sickenesse complaynyng With full whole hert for a notable signe Of succession he gaue to hym a ryng After his day to be crowned kyng Of Macedone sith he most might auayle Through al his empyre to haue y ◠gouernaile And yet sayth Bochas playnly in sentence Though he of knyghthode and hie prowesse Of manly force and also of prudence Passed all other the storye beareth witnesse By vicious pride frowarde boystousnesse He was more hyndred through his outrage Than all his enemyes myght do hī domage For throughe his pride and great extorcions Fro Macedone the people of that countre Fledde into other strange regions And of presumption the story sayth howe he Began a warre agayne kyng Tholome Where he was slayne in all mens syghtes Nat of his enemies but of his own knightes Eke of Anaxarchus of Capadoce kyng Whiche prouince ioyneth vnto Surry Touchyng the boūdes by recorde of writyng Towarde the Orient the lande of Armeny Hauyng two coūtryes Scilice and Isaury Towarde Cypre a great ryuere Rennyng amiddes with stremes freshe and clere This Anaxarchus were he lothe or fayne In dayes fewe hath hys kyngdome lorne For by Perdicas proudly he was slayne Of whom that I haue you tolde beforne Thus worldly prices tho they had it sworne For all theyr lordshyp and domination By fraude of fortune vnwarly be put doune And amonge other prynces of that age Vpon Alysander duly abydyng Bochas reherseth Amylchar of Cartage Duke of that cite by recorde of writyng After the death of that worthy kyng As ye haue herde ymurdred by poyson This sayd Amylchar repeyringe to his toun Was slayne in Cartage shortly to conclude Of cruel malice and conspiracion Within that cite of false ingratitude Whan he of knighthode frāchised had y t towne And nat withstandyng all his hye renoune Whan he stode hyest in hys felicite He by the commons was slayne of that cite The .xiii. Chapter ⧠Howe Eumenydes was twyse outrayed by Antigonus and at the last dyed in pryson WHā Alisader in his roial estate Had all conquered tofore as ye haue herd He like a god most pompous elate As souerayne prince of all myddleerde To take vpon hym was nothyng aferde To clayme in countrees a thynge y ◠was nat fayre Of Jupiter to be both sonne heyre One of the principles who so taketh hede That first brought in false ydolatry Was thylke tyme y t priestes for false drede Hys name with goddes gan to magnify And so to call hym of fayned flattery And mydde their tēples in Liby on a stage Of hys lykenes they set vp an ymage But lytle or nought to hym it myght auayle Agayne his deth for to do succour When the fell poyson hys hert dyd assayle Whiche made him fade as doth a flour Of whose empyre was none enheritour Saue in his deth thus stode the woful case Twene sixe thirty hys land deuyded was And in his story full playnly it is tolde This departicion to make it ferme stable He was laide forth vpon a couche of golde To reherse by tokens full notable Whome he dempt of very sothe most able Of all his princes playnly to discerne When he was deed his kingdom to gouerne First there was one amonge all that prees Next Alysander the knightlyest man The worthy knyght called Eumenides Whose high renoun ful well rehearse can Prudent Justinus the great historian Ordayned afore to gouerne realmes two All Capadoce and Pafflagony also His hie nobles as made is mention In especiall more to magnify Hym lacked nought of commendacion That apparteyned vnto chiualry To hie prudence or noble policy Except thre thinges myn auctor sayth y ◠same A crowne a scepter and a kynges name But for that he all other dyd excell Bothe of prudence and famous chiualry It is remembred as some bokes tell That there were some had therat enuy For when fortune lyst to set vp an hye Any person aloft vpon her whele Some are besyde that like it neuer a dele Who holdeth him euer vpon hie mountaynes Fyndeth great experiece of blastes shours Oft is troubled with storme wind raines So of Alysander the proude successours Whan they sat freshest in theyr flours Winde of enuy fortune helde so the rother That eche was busy to destroy other On hylles hye it is an impossible A man to abyde without winde or reyne A thyng expert and very visible Hye climbyng vp is medled with disdeyne Preace hath enuy as it is oft seyne And through preferryng of fortune ◠estates Is euer cause of great warre and debates This same thinge was well expert preued Among these sayd royall enherytours Of Alysander for eche of them was greued To see hys felow raygne in his flours And thus atwene these myghty successours Of false enuy there gan so great a stryfe That eche made other for to lose hys lyfe And as it is afore made mencion Pollicarpus and Neptolonyus By a maner false conspiracion Agayne Eumenides were onely enuious Of whose falsenesse he was suspicious Tyll on a day there is no more to sayne Metyng in battayle slew them both twayne For which slaughter proude Antigonus Of Macedone prefect and gouernour Wext in his heart so fell and dispitous And was withal a noble warriour With his knightes dyd wholly his labour Agayne Eumenides by marciall apparayle A felde assigned to holde great battayle Made vpon him a great discomfiture As they mette armed bryght in stele And thus Eumenides of mortall auenture Fledde at mischefe into a strong castell Wherof his knightes lyked neuer a dole For as the story playnly maketh mynde That day he fled and left his men behynde In which castell for he stode destitute Fro thencehe cast in all hast to flye In his great mischefe to fynde some refute That time he drew him to a strāge countrye Some succour to get auenged for to be Called Argyre by Grekes of entent The Latyn corrupt of this worde argent Of Argiraspedes a people that there dwell The name they toke after that region The whiche lande as olde bokes tell Hath of syluer plente and foyson For which cause by olde discription It toke the name of nature and of ryght Because the soyle like syluer shyneth bryght And of thys yle which hath so great a pryse As myne authour maketh rehersayle How the people be prouident and wyse Prudent in armes and manly in batayle Bothe to defende and proudlye to assayle Whiche by theyr wisdome good counsayle To kyng Alysander stode in great auayle And Eumenides one of his successours As ye haue herde drewe to that countre There to fynde some refute and succours In his mischefe and great
their manhode in actes marciall Assigned were by diligent busines To wayte and kepe in especiall Vpon the maiestye in his estate royall Of Alexander for trust as chamberlayns Agayn the assault drede of all forayns After whose death for singuler guerdone Made prefect bothe they were in dede As ye haue heard that one in Babilone The other in Bactry the story ye may rede Yet in quiete they might hem not succede For Seleuchus gan a warre ayen theÌ„ make That they wer fayn their lordships to forsake ¶ The .xviii. Chapter ⧠Howe Sandrocottus borne of lowe degre cherished robbers and theues OTher prefectes there were also I fynde Whiche held the people in ful great seruage In Macedone and in other Inde Tyll Sandrocottus a man of lowe lynage Cast he would redresse their outrage Of entent pore people to restore To their fraunchises y t playned on them sore Sandrocottus auctour of this workyng Behight the people throughout all couÌ„treys Whan he by sleight was crowned kyng Them to restore to their olde liberties But whan he had receyued these dignities All his behestes made with a fayre vysage Turned after to thraldom and seruage Thus whan a wretche is set in high estate Or a begger brought vp to dignitie There is none so proud so poÌ„pous nor elate None so vengeable nor so full of crueltie Voyde of discrecion mercy and pitie For churlyshe bloude selde dothe recure To be gentle by way of his nature He may dissimule and for a tyme fayne Counterfayte with a fayre vysage Out of one hode shew faces twayne Contrary of hart double of his langage Styll of hys porte smothe of his passage Vnder floures lyke a serpent dare Till he may stynge than will not spare And euer like of his condicions Was Sandrocottus set vp in hye estate Vexed people and troubled regions Set cities and townes at great debate Whose gouernaunce was infortunate As it was sene and founde at all preues Cherished no man but robbers theues And to declare how he caught hardines And occasion people to gouerne By a pronostike whiche I shall expresse Ryght marueylous vncouthe to discerne Whiche was this as I shall tell as yerne Right wonderful vncouth for to heare And it was this if ye lyst to lere There was a man called Procatales Borne in Inde whiche of his liuyng Was wonders pore came but selde in prees Because he had trespaced in one thing Agayne VenaÌ„drus y â— was that time king CoÌ„maundyng to slea hym anonryght But he escaped the story sayth by flyght God had geuen him of fete swyftnes By meane wherof he saued him fro daungere Through long trauayle fyll in werynes And refreshed him beside a well clere He lay slepyng that face and all his chere Dropped of swette a lyon came foreby And licked hys face as sayth the story With whiche affray the man anone awoke And sodaynly lyft vp his vysage The lyon rose softly and the way toke Towarde the forest did him no domage Forgate his felnesse and his cruell rage Of whiche pronostyke gan the occasion Wherof Sandrocottus toke an opinion Cast and thought in his fantasy Syth that the Lyon is beast most royall Whiche not disdayned him selfe to apply To licke the face of a man rurall In his nature to shewe him beastiall He dempt well that it was sittyng To take on hym the estate of a kyng His opinion of reason was right nought For where the Lyon left his crueltie He coutrary wext proud in hert and thought Voyde of mercy barrayne of pitie For whan that he was set in dignitie Brought from a wretche to domination Agayne nature he played the lyon Sum time a lyon forgetteth all felnesse Where as a woulfe wyll naturally deuour So royall bloude hath ruthe by gentlenes On pore playnufes to helpe theÌ„ succour Where as a tyrant dothe naturally labour Whan he hath power catchyng auauntage To robbe subiectes and spoyle theÌ„ by pillage Sandrocottus thus borne of lowe kynrede In hye estate by fortune whan he stode Gan make him stronge vengeable in dede With number of robbers furious and wode Cast him to destroy all the gentle bloude That was in Inde and by his ordinaunce To stea al the prefectes that had gouernauÌ„ce And w t the coÌ„mons when he was made stroÌ„g And gan the maner of their death deuise Like a false tyrant although he did wrong Agayne his lordes whan he gan aryse An Oliphant came in full vncouth wise Him obeyed which was a great wonder Whan their battayls were not farre asunder Though he was wild the story saith y e same Sandrocottus lept vpon his syde And on hys backe as on a beast tame Toward the battayle anone he gan to â—yde Was their captayne that day and their gyde With his robbers as it is made mynde Slew al the prefectes geÌ„tle bloud of Inde The .xix. Chapiter ☞ How Seleuchus the myghty prynce was slaine by the great Tholome kyng of Egypt THen came Seleuchus to Bochas complaynyng A myghtye Prynce and a manlye knyght Sonne of Antiochus the famous kyng Was most fauoured in Alexanders syght Whiche Seleuchus for wisdome for might Borne of a prynces the cronicle ye may sene Called Leodice the great famous quene The byrth of him straunge marueylons For his mother vpon the same nyght That she coÌ„ceyued drempt thought thus As it semed playnely in her sight Of great Appollo the heueÌ„ly god most bright How she the tyme of her conceyuynge Receyued that night of golde a riche ryng In whyche rynge was set a precious stone Yeue vnto her for a great guerdon Graue w t anker her coÌ„maunding anone After the byrthe without dylacion To yeue the rynge of whole affection To Seleuchus wherby in especiall He should excell in actes marciall The same morow after the childe was borne Within her bed was founde a riche ryng Wyth all the tokens rehearsed here toforne The anker graue like in euery thing Whiche that the quene toke in her kepyng And of entent for her auauntage Kept it secrete tyll he came to age Another maruayle fyll also withall This Seleuchus which was a woÌ„der thing Had enprynted eke in speciall Vpon hys thygh an anker and a ryng So had all by recorde of writyng Suche carectes the story doth determyne That after him were borne of that lyne When Seleuchus as made is mencion The tender yeres had of his age ronne And came to yeres of discrecion He by this rynge ful many land hath wonne Whose knightly fame shone shene as y â— sonne He well aduised hardy of great myght Time of Alexander hold one the best knight In warre and armes he his time hath spent Brought all Inde to subiection Gate all the kingdomes nye of the Orient Helde them longe in his possession But here alas Bochas maketh mencion All his victories that did in honour shyne With sodaine chaunge were turned to ruyne For whan Seleuchus was most vyctorious Had
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
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
Loste his speche smyt with meselty Duryng his lyfe lo here a great vengeaūce Of hys crowne and hys regaly Impotent to vse the gouernaunce Peryll for pride and disobeysaunce For he lyst nat mekely the law obey For which at mischefe he dyd a leper dey The .xxiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Amonyus a prynce of Antioche delytyng in pyllage and robbry with other vicious lyuynge fled in womans clothyng after taken and slayne NExt in order complaynyng hys distresse Came Amonius a notable werriour To John Bochas to shewe hys heuynesse In Antioche prynce and gouernour Of whiche countre whyle he was possessour Had a custome and thys was hys trauayle To robbe the ryche and spoyle the porayle Spared nouther olde nor yonge of age Toke fro marchaūtes treasour and richesse And in delytes of lecherous outrage Was all his lust with watche dronkēnesse Wyll in his courte of reason was maystresse Causyng the people through all the region To ryse agayne hym by rebellion Contrary he was to all good discipline The people arose agayne hym on a day And he for feare in habite feminine Lyke a wretche fled cowardly away Take at mischefe there was made no delay Falsly confessyng hering many a man Agayne nature that he was a woman The trouth knowe and the sclaunder ryfe All of assent the people Antiochene Rose attones and so he lost hys lyfe They wer so wode agayne him in their tene Thus of fortune the chaūge is alway sene Fro better to worse she can so well transmue The state of them that wyll no vertue sue The .xxiiii. chapter ⧠How Andriscus of lowe byrth borne hauyng no tytle became kyng of Macedone and was after taken and died in pryson BVt of one thynge fortune is to blame That she is so chaungeable of corage To set a boy vnknowen of byrthe and fame By false errour vpon a royall stage For one Andriscus by surquedous outrage Without tytle by subtyll compassyng Of Macedone toke on hym to be kyng Colour was none his claime to make stable Except that he of there and of visage Was to kyng Philyp of fetures moste sēblable Whereby the people in their furious rage Caught opinion of wylfull false dotage Agayne reason Bochas dothe discriue That king Philyp was risen fro deth to liue Whylom father of Perses as I tolde And for Andriscus broughte vp in wretchednesse In presence bothe of yonge and olde Was bold to clayme by tytle of rightwisnesse Shewing no grounde but personel likenesse Mocking the people which by their fauour Of royal dignite receyued the honour Thus he that was fostred as a wretche In misery and eke in pouerte Fro poore bedde his hornes dyd vp stretche To holde a scepter of kyngly dignite And by the supporte of the commonte Gan wexe pompous and elate Broughte vp of noughte whan he stode in estate Nothing more cruell nor nothyng more vengeable Nor more hasty to do execution Nor more deynous nor more vntreatable Than whan a begger hath domination I curre more frowarde than a strong Lyon And semblably none so great cruelte As whan a wretche is set in dignite This Andriscus in all his royall chere To execute his hatefull cruelte Gathered people in countreys ferre nere In Macedone and of olde enmyte Began maligne gayne Rome the cite But to withset his frowarde false entent One Inuencius a Pretor was downe sent But because that he was negligent And of dispite toke of him no hede He was outrayed and by Andriscus shent With all the people that he dyd lede But the Romayns of hope better to spede Haue sent Metellus a full manly knyght To Macedone to mete anone ryght Thys worthy man lyst nat longe to tary Set proudly on in hope it shoulde auayle Made Macedone to Rome tributary Toke Andriscus manly in batayle Brought him to Rome w t mighty apparayle And made him lye fettred in pryson For his outragious false presumption Thus for his frowarde vsurpacion That was haute in hys prosperite Knewe nat hym selfe by false abusion Blent with a myst of blynde felicite Lyst nat remembre of hys first ponerte Whom to chastise fortune brought hym low Because he lyst nat hym selfe for to know The .xxv. Chapter ¶ Howe Alysander Ballas kyng of Surry for extorcion pryde and vnkindnesse dyed at mischefe THus can thys ladye play her pagent By a maner of deynous mockerye Her entermesse forth serued them of entent To folke that truste her onely of foly And to purpose whylom of Surry There was a kyng lyke as write Bochas Called Alisader whose surname was Ballas Of whiche Ballas to tell the processe First of his risyng and after of hys fall Antiochus the story beareth wytnesse Called Eupator whiche in especiall Claymed tytle to thestate royall After his father named Antiochus Epyphanes the story telleth thus After whose dethe the kyngdome of Surry Shoulde longe by succession To Eupator and eke for hys party Demetrius hostage in Rome toun Claymed a tytle in that region Of Surry because Epiphanes Was brought to hym the story is no les Demetrius fro Rome is come doun Into Surry to clayme hys heritage Receyued the crowne toke possession Gan wexe proude presumptuous of corage Thus Eupator that was but yonge of age Excluded was in Surry to succede Of Demetrius ferther thus I rede Outragyous he was aboue measure Ryght vengeable and full of cruelte Hatefull also to euery creature And heuy borne of worthy kynges thre Fyrst in Egypt of worthy Tholome And of Actilius in Asy tho reygnyng And Aryrarches in Capadoce kyng All of assent agayne hym haue conspyred Founde a waye Demetrius to depriue Hys vndoyng so sore they haue desyred And theyr entent to execute blyue They gan a fable of purpose to contryue As ye shall here together as they went To whiche all Surry at ones dyd assent They toke a galaunt borne of lowe lynage Called Ballas of theyr acquayntaunce And affyrmed all of one corage Howe he was sonne iust heyre in substaūce To Epiphanes and nexte heyre in aliaunce To succede by tokens affyrmyng Next in Surry to be crowned kyng Alysander of purpose they hym call Because they thought of person he was able Set hym vp in hys royall stall Maugre Demetrius cruell and vengeable And fortune was to them fauourable Made theyr purpose finally to auayle With whome Demetrius had a gret batayle This Alysander which named was Ballas By Demetrius as put is in memory Fyrst ouercome and after fyll the caas He of Demetrius had the vyctory And to encrease of hys royall glory Of fortune by sodayue auenture Ballas the felde of hym dyd recure Thus by promocion of these kynges thre When he was crowned kyng of al Surry To false extorcion and hateful cruelte Thys Alysander dyd hys wittes apply To robbyng pyllage and eke tyranny And dispysed shortly to conclude The sayde kynge of ingratitude He had forget hys estate of pouerte Knewe nat hym selfe of false ambicion Wedded the doughter of worthy Tholome
away besyde And at the siege lyst no lenger abyde Lucullus then the myghty Consuler Pursued after slew of hys meyne Such a multitude that Asopus the ryuer Was made with blode lyke the reed se w t winde tempest fordriuen also was he And when he saw no succour in the lande To shyp he went w t strong and mighty hand He founde fortune cruell aduersary On lande and se this worthy Mithridate And Neptunus made the see contrary Agayns him his puyssaunce to abate What shall men call it influence or fate So sodaynly a prynce of hye renowne Fro hye noblesse to be plounged downe For any mischefe he kept aye one visage This Mithridate and lothe was for to plye Or for to bowe so stronge was hys corage But efte agayne goth with hys chiualry Towarde Adrastus an hyll of Armeny Where as Pompey beset hym enuyron Sent fro Rome to his distruction Mithridate makyng his lodgyng place Vnder that hyll when it drew to nyght The troubly heuen w t thuÌ„dring gan manace The firy leuyn dyrked hath hys syght The cloudy moue eclipsed of her lyght Astonied hym by vnware violence That he stode confuse of all prouydence He was by tempest and vnware derkenesse Almost made wery of hys wofull lyfe Yet I fynde of very kyndnesse Hipsicrata whiche that was hys wyfe Nouther for werre nor no mortall stryfe Left him neuer disguysed of vysage Folowed him arayed as a page Yet in hys most mortall heuynesse Whan cloudy fortune gan him most manace Of his corage the naturall quickenesse Appaled nat nor remeued from his place So hie prowesse dyd hys heart enbrace Nat dispayred for no sodayne fall Of condicion he was so marciall In token wherof he standyng at mischefe Chaunged nouther chere nor countenaunce An euidence and a full great prefe Of manly force and heartely assuraunce Defiyng fortune with all her varyaunce Whan that he founde to hys distruction Of dispayre greatest occasion With hym he had a baylife as I fynde Called Castor whiche of condicion Was to his lorde false and eke vnkynde And conspired agayne him false treason In token wherof vp to Rome toun Hys lordes children yonge tender of age â—yke a thefe he sent them in hostage One of his sonnes he murdred by treason Which Mithridate toke ful sore at herte Another sonne as made is mencion False to his father which whaÌ„ he did aduerte The vnkyndnesse made him sore smerte For of all vyces shortly to conclude â—orst of al is hatefull ingratitude This same childe of whom I make mynde Called Pharnax whych agayne nature To his father traytour and vnkynde And his purpose agayne hym to recure In al hast dyd his busy cure For to accomplyshe his purpose in party Drewe to him hole his fathers chyualry By sleight mede whaÌ„ he was made strong He besieged his father rounde aboute Vnto nature me semeth he dyd wrong To put his father in so great a dout Kyndnesse was ferre shyt wythout Whan the sonne wyth hate set a fyre Agayne his father falsly dyd conspyre Wyth multitude his father was constrayned Maugre hys myght in to a toure to flee Hys sonne vnkynde hath at him disdained And yet for al his straunge aduersite Of his corage the magnanimite In his person stode hole lyst not vary Though fortune was to hym contrary Yet myne auctour Bocas beareth recorde That Mithrydate if it would haue be Requyred his sonne to be at accord And set asyde al olde contrariouste But he vnkynde indurate was parde Euer frowarde malycious of corage So disposed from his tendre age So that the kyng Mithrydate alas Was ouercome by vnkyndenesse That neuer afore in no maner caas Stode dismayed but of hye prowesse Kept aye one face all passions to represse This vertue force by marcial doctrine For none aduersite suffred hym declyne Ende of his werres his mortall stryues Of his debates and discencions Hys concubines his daughters hys wiues By meane onely of certayne pocions Slewe them al by drinkynge of poysons For he not woulde the cause to dyscriue After his death they shoulde byde on lyue Hys owne death of mortall fell rygour Compassed afore thus he gan deuyse Made a french knyght y â— was a soudiour With a sharpe sworde in ful cruel wyse To ren him through wherby the frauÌ„chyse Conserued was his purpose to fulfyl He woulde not dye but by his owne wyll Lo here the ende of kyng Mithridate Let princes all of his deth take hede Howe rechelesly he passed in to fate And by assent made his herte blede And Bochas here who lyst hys boke to rede Playnly rehersynge but in wordes fewe To worldely princes doth his coÌ„ceyte shewe ¶ Lenuoye MYghty prynces lyfte vp your corrages Towarde heauen doo youre hertes dresse Of your memory turne vp the vysages Wher ioy is euer peace concorde gladnesse True armonye celestiall swetnes Counterpayse in your remembraunce Worldly chaunges fortunes variaunce Aduertise the mortal fell outrages Of blody werres impossible to repres Whyle false enuy wyth his furious rages In sondry realmes hath so great entres Slaughter murdre deuision falsenes Which conscience haue brought to vttrauÌ„ce Through soden chaunge of worldly variauÌ„ce Reken vp princes that sate hye on stages What was the fyne of their royall noblesse Or of tirauntes reken vp the blody wages Sodaine slaughter guerdoned their wodenes Mithridate can beare hereof wytnes By blode vnkynde brought vnto vttrauÌ„ce Through soden chauÌ„ge of worldly variaunce Prynces remembre vpon the golden age Whan Saturne ruled y â— worlde in rightwisnes Next Jupiter for peoples auauÌ„tage The silueren worlde conserued in clennes Which Mars hath nowe turned to felnes Made it steelen w t sworde dagger launce Through soden chauÌ„ge of worldly variauÌ„ce Of Mithridate regestre the vyages Conspired poysons taffray his prowesse On land and see tempestious passages By coÌ„straynt bode .vii. yere in wildernesse Of his wandrynge payse the vnsykernes Hys ende myschefe knewe no auoydaunce Gayn worldly chauÌ„ge nor fortuÌ„es variauÌ„ce If neglygeÌ„ce haue brought you in rerages Towarde God or he reken in streyghtnesse Let reason medle for you to lay hostages Compassyon mercy partynge of almesse Towarde heuen to support your feblenesse Whan your merites shal paise in balaunce Of worldly chauÌ„ges fortunes variaunce Deth spareth nother hye nor lowe lynages Haue mynde heron for any rechelesnes Transitory be here your pylgrimages Set with brigaÌ„ts vnwarely you toppresse But of prudence by great auysenesse Wyth prouydence preserue your puyssaunce Gayn worldly chauÌ„ge fortunes variaunce ☞ The .iiii. chapter ⧠Howe Eucratydes kynge of Sythie was slayne by Demetrius and after his carayne cast to houndes NExt in ordre to Bochas dyd apere A woful prince that put hym selfe in prees Reignyng in Sithia his story doth vs lere The name of whom was Eucratides But to disturbe his quiet and his pees Agayne him plainly as I fynde Came Demetryus y â— myghty kyng of Inde Of whom the power
Cesar was deified Of whō by Romains was set vp an ymage But whan he sawe he was espied He ran to Julius hie vpon a stage Gan him to enbrace in his piteous rage He rent away by sodaine violence Vnwarely slaine there gained no defence Next in order came Cesarius Of whom there fill a wondre pitous caas Whilom beget of Cesar Julius Vpon the yong fayre Cleopatras Slaine in his youth thus writeth Bochas As Octauian dyd him selfe assigne For he gaine Romains should nat maligne Folowing in order Julia began Hir greuous complaint to Bochas specify Whilom doughter to great Octauian With weping gan to houle and crie Which by her father to punish her lechery Exiled was out of her countre For lacke of socour died in pouerte Her son Agrippa yong and tendre of age Borne of hie blode Bochas doth expresse Came next in order pale of his visage Which spent his time in slombre idelnesse Froward to vertue for his wretchednesse Octauian which was great touthe Suffred him die at mischef for his slouth After Agrippa came forth anone right Cassius of Parme a famous great countre Which in Itaile was holde a māly knight With Marke Antony wele cherished secre Bode in his court and there withall parde Greatly alowed fyrst for his chiualry And for his notable famous policy And there withall he had in existence A right great name stode in great fauour For his knighthode for his hie prudence After accused vnto the Emperour Octauian for a coniuratour He should haue be of frowarde false entent To Julius death fully of assent For whiche by bidding of Octauian Take he was being but yong of age And as mine auctor well remembre can Brought tofore Julius hie vpon a stage There offred vp vnto his ymage By cruell death ▪ the storie telleth thus For the false murdre of Cesar Julius After the death of the saide Cassius Another came of Rome the cite Which as I rede called was Galbus Of a Pretour hauing the dignite And for suspection slaine eke was he His eyen fyrst out of his head were rent For Julius death than in to exile sent Toward his exile by brigantes he was slaine And After that within a litel while Of his labour nouther gladde ne faine Bochas began to dyrecte his stile To great Herodes breuely to compile His greuous fal and holy the manere To set in order next as ye shall here The .ii. Chapter ⧠How the tyraūt Herodes slough his wyfe and chyldren and after died at myschefe REmembrynge fyrste in Jurye he was kyng Antipater his father who lyst se In Arabia mightely reignyng Ouer the prouynce called Idume This same Herodes gardeyne of Galile Ordayned was fyrste for his hye prudence And for his notable knyghtly excellence Famous in manhode famous of his lyne Famous also by procreacion I rede also he had wyues nyne And amonge all as made is mencion To hys pleasaunce and his opinion Maister of stories reherseth there was one Mariannes fayrest of echone By whom he had worthy sonnes twayne Alysander and Aristobolus But for his suster dyd at her disdaine Called Saloma the storie telleth thus He vnto her wext suspicious Bycause she was accused of enuy By Saloma touchyng auoutry Agayne her of rancour sodaynly He gan of herte greuously disdayne With rigorous hert he slewe her furiously But as the storie doth vs ascertayne He for her deth after felte great paine Euer whan it came to his remembraunce Her porte her chere her womāly plesaunce Lo what it is a prince to be hasty To euery tale of rancour to assent And counsaylles to procede wilfully To execucion of frowarde false entent For Herodes so sore he dyd repent That he for thought fyl in to an noy Of hertely sorowe and malencoly Rest had he none nouther day ne nyght Troubled with fury that he wext frantyke w t dremes vexed many an vncouth syght Of chere nor colour to no man he was lyke And euery moneth ones lunatike A great whyle he had this wofull lyfe For sorowe onely he had slayne his wyfe And as the storye wel reherce can In the Capitoyle mydde Rome the cite By Antonye and by Octauian He crowned was and made kyng of Jude By the Senate made theron a decree And registred that he and his kynred Shulde in that lande lineally procede In Rome was made the confirmacion To this Herodes bokes specifye Beyng afore the translacion Was made of Juda and of Jurye Septer and crowne with all the regaly By hym vsurped as ye haue herde toforne Vpon the tyme whan Christ was borne This same Herodes by procuracion Of Antonye dyd also occupy By Augustus plener remission The great estate called Tretrarchy In two kyngdoms with al the regaly Of Traconitides Jtury eke also By the Romains made lorde of bothe two Mayster of stories reherseth of hym thus For commendacion in especiall In Aschalon he buylded a stately hous Of right great cost a palayes ful royal Was none so riche for to reken all After whych myne authoure doth so wryte He called was Herode Aschalonite This same Herodes cruell of nature Of chere and porte passyng ambicious Aye to be venged dyd his busy cure On al that were to hym contrarious Hys wyues brother Aristobolus In Jerusalem chefe byshoppe as I rede Falsely he slough of malyce and hatered Vniustly reigned borne through his realme His hert fret and cankred wyth enuy Another byshoppe in Jerusalem Called Hircanus myne authour lyst not lye This same Herodes in his malencoly Slewe hym vnwarely by rācour vengeable Setting at dyner at his owne table There was no man of corrage more cxuel Nor more desirous to be magnified To make his name also perpetual Four statelye cities he hath edified Of which the names be here specified Cesaria Sebastin citees souerayne Antipadra Cipre that other twayne He had also a false condition He trusted none that was of his kynrede His sonnes twaine he had in suspectiō Their purpose was to sley him of hatred Whan he were deade hopyng to succede And causelesse as father most vnkynde Made thē be slayne in story thus I fynde In al his workyng he was founde double A great tirant hold throgh his realme Neuer thinge so greatly dyd him trouble As whan thre kinges came to Jerusalem Jesu to seche that was borne in Bethelem Boldly affirmynge cause of their commynge Was to worshyp that blessed yonge kyng The which thynge whan he dyd aduertise Prophecies remembringe and writinges Within hym selfe a meane he gan deuise First to distroy these famous holy kynges Namely whan he knewe of their offrynges Imaginyng gan suppose blyue The child was borne that shuld him depriue Newly discended fro Dauid doun by line Cast almost Herodes in a rage Of cursed hert gan frowardly maligne Lyke a tirant of venomous outrage Slewe al the children within two yere of age About Bethelem a ful large space He spared none for fauour nor for grace One
after hys batayle On Perciens gan wexe gloryous Gouerned Affrike and lordshyp of Itayle Throughout the Orient he was victorious Tyll he for age gan wexe tedious His last dayes maligned as men saith Of false hatred agayne christen fayth And him to healpe in these false maters It is remembred to his confusion In his empyre he set two vicats Gaue them power in euery region The lawe of Christ to oppres and put downe To punyshe matters and put them to deathe And in this whyle ful manye one he fleeth By this sayd truell Galerius which of th empyre had al the gouernaunce Of cursed hart and corage dispiteous By his vsurped imperyal puissaunce Gaue auctorite for to do vengaunce Vnto twaine Seuerus and Maxence On al cristen by mortal vyolence A certayne space bothe of one accorde To the state of emperour chose was MaxeÌ„ce Tyl Seuerus and he fell at dyscorde And after by vengable pestylence within a city of noble preeminence Called Rauenue Seuerus ther was flayne Of whiche Galerius was nothynge faine For whyche in haste thys Galerius Him to support and stand in hys defence Chase out of Denmarke a knight Lucinius To be emperour through knightly excelleÌ„ce For to withstand and fight agayn Maxence But Maxence of romayne knightes all was chosen emperour and set vp in his stall with which election Galerius wext wode Fil in a maner of froward frensy His entraile brent corrupt was his bloude And of his froward vengable malady In euery membre gan rotte and putrifye Tyll the eyre aboute him enuiron To al that felt it was venim and poison Like a Lazar corbed backe and chine In this while on cristen most vengeable To him auailed no maner medicyne But there was in Christes faythful stable That spake vnto him w t langage ful notable In wordes fewe concludinge in substaunce The gret Jupiter hath take on y â— veÌ„gaunce And euermore for shorte conclusion with a bolde spyrite to him gan abrayde It is nat Jupiter worshipped in thys towne In the capitoyle set sothly as I sayd But Jupiter that was borne of a mayde â–ª which list not suffer of that thou dost endure That anye medecynes shulde therecure Lyke atyraunt by vengaunce furious At mischefe dieth as bokes tell Perpetually with cruell Cerberus Vpon the whele of Ixion to dwell For His demerites wyth tantalus in hell There to receiue his finall guerdon which coude on martyrs haue no compassion It was hys ioy for to shed their bloud Sent out letters to diuers regions Like a slye wolf rauynous and wode To slee martirs by diuers passyons Lyke his desert receiued his guerdons Horrible death did them first confounde with furies infernall lyeth in hell bounde The .ix. Chapiter ¶ Howe Maxence the emperour enemy to Christes faithe mischeuously ended After Galerisu cruell vyolence Gayne christen blode as Bochas hath tolde with piteous there the Emperour Maxence Came tofore Bochas of age not ful olde Famous in armes sturdy freshe and bolde Albe he entred notlike an heritoure Coke vpon him to reigne as gouernoure To Christes fayth he was also enemy After sone he lost his gouernaunce Of infortune slayne sodainly God on tyrauÌ„tes vnwarely taketh vengasice Of whose burying was made no remeÌ„brauÌ„ce For he was nat receiued of the ground But caste in Tibre like a rotten hounds The .x. Chapiter Howe Lucinius enemy to Christes faythe was slayne Next tofore Bochas came Lucynius A knighte of Denmarke borne of good lyne whiche had an ennemy the boke saith thus â–ª An hardy knighte called Maximine Chose a captaine w t the mperour CoÌ„stantyne To the faith of Christ he bare gret enmyte Slayne anone after in Trace the cyte Of whose death Lucinius was glad Gan agayne christen persecucion In his procedyng sodainly wext mad which commaunded of false presumpcyon whan he began to do execucion That nochristen nowhere him beside By no condicion shulde in his house abide This Lucinius which falsly did erre Againe our faith christen men to assasle Gaine Constantine of newe he gan warre But of his purpose in sothe he did fail For he was twise discomfited in batayle By Constantine ones in Hungrye Next in Grece besyde Eualye Thus CoÌ„stantyne through his hye renoune Gate nye Gcece and euerye great countre Alde Lucinius flode in rebellion Gayne Constantine both on land and sea But when he sawe it wolde none otherbe He might not escape in no place Put holy him selfe in Constantyns grace But Constantine for his hie rebellion Gaue iudgement in hast that he be dead Leaste in the citie were made diuision By Lucinius wherof he stode in drede This same while as Bochas toke hede There came before him w t chere ful piteous â–ª Brethern twayne Constantine and Crispus The .xi. Chapter Of Constantyne and Crispus and howe Damalcus was slayne To coÌ„stantine of whom I spake toforne They were sonnes CoÌ„stantine and Crispus The same twayne of one mother borne CaÌ„e tofore Bochas his boke reherceth thus with them came eke Lucinius Sonne of Lucinius which in Rome toun Afore was slayne for hys rebellyon Constantine his werres to gouerne Made them vicars the self same thre Echone rightwise and coude wel discerne What mighte auaile moste to their citye To encrese the profit of the commonte Their names tolde CoÌ„stantine and Crispus Tofore remembred with them Lucinius while these thre vicars vnder the emperour Gouerned Rome as Knightes most famous In Alisaundre rose vp a great errour By a false preest called Arryus To our beleue a thing contrarious And for he did again our fayth so wyrche By a decre was put out of the chyrche By assent at Bithinye full notable In Nicea a famous great citye This errour was proued ful dampnable Thre C. bishops were present there parde And eightene the cronicle who list se And all these of one sentence â—like Preued Arrius a false heretike This same time bokes doth specifye Howe Constantine of hasty crueltye The sayd vicars nigh of alye Fayned a cause to slee them all thre No cause rehersed nor told of equitye Saue only this in which he gan procede To make his cosyn Dalmacius to succede But his fauour was not fortunate Towarde Dalmacius nor gracious in sentence Among whose knightes fell a sodeyn debate Constantine there being in presence Dalmacius withoute reuerence with sharp swordes to speke in wordes fewe â–ª Vnto the death was wounded and phewe The .xii. chapter ¶ Of the brethern Constaunce Constancius and how Magnentius and Decius murdred them selfe THan came Constaunce Constancius yong brethren thus writeth min autour To Constantine in time of Arrius And eche of them by ful great labour Did his payne to reygne as emperoure Tyl at the last breuely for to say Eueryche of the in gan other to werrey This said Constaunce is entred Perce land Nyne times he fought agayne Sapore The same king as ye shal vnderstand That with romaynes had foughten afore But finally Constaunce hath
with perle legge stocked to the kne Playnynge to Bochas of their aduersite Their shone were raced freshly to the tone Richely transuersed with gold wyre And theron set many a stronge stone Gayne Phebus light shone bright and clere These lombarde kinges gan taproch nere The fyrst of al the king Lupus Vnto Bochas gan to complaine thus Bochas quod he as for my party For to reherce by short conclusion One Grymaldus a prince of Lombardy Hath me enclosed out of my region And cruelly enchayned me in prison And after that did a sergeaunt sende Smyt of myne head there I made an ende The .xi. Chapter ¶ Howe the heade of Alexius was smit of by Comperton AFter this end reherced of Lupus For to declare his mortall heuynesse Next in ordre there came Alexius A lōbard king famous of richesse Which toke on him of surquedous prowesse For to compasse the distruction Of a prince called Comperton Which ware also a crowne in Lombardye Atwyxt both was werre and great distaūce But all the people and lordes of Pauie With mighty hande marciall gouernaunce The said Alexius brought vnto mischaunce And Comperton escaped from all drede Of mortal vengeaunce let smite of his heade The xii Chapiter ⧠How Ariperton was drowned with his ryches AFter whose death pitously playning Tofore Bochas came Ariperton Of Lombardy whilom lord and king Whiche like a fole of high presumpcion All causelesse toke occasion Of volunte there is no more to say Againe the duke of Bagaroys to werrey These princes twayne taken haue the felde And of Ariperton the party gan apayre His aduersary anone as he behelde His cowarde herte gan fall in dispayre Into Pauie for feare he gan repayre Toke his treasour in purpose anonright For uery drede to take him to the flight Toke a vessell and entred is the see With sodaine tempest assailed derknesse His barge perished by great aduersite And was drowned w t al his great rychesse Lo here the fyne of worldly wretchydnesse Namely of them to get great treasours That gyn werre agayn their neighbours The xiii Chapter ¶ Howe Dediere by Pope Adrian and Charles of Fraunce was put to flight died at mischefe NExte to Bochas with heuye loke and chere King of Lombardy shewed his presēce Called in his time noble Dediere Notable in armes and of great excellence And where his father had done offence To the Pope and full great duresse This king cast the domages to redresse Agistolphe was his fathers name Whiche to the Pope did great aduersite For whiche his sonne to encreace his fame Of royall fredom and magnanimite And of benygne lyberalite Gaue to the Pope with humble reuerence A stately cite that called is Fagence Therwith he gaue treasour and great good As he that list of fredome nat to spare A mighty castell whiche on Tybrestod Within the boundes lordshyp of Ferrare Whiche is a cyte playnly to declare Of antiquite myne auctour telleth so And stant vpon the ryuer of the Poo This Dediere reigning in Lombardy Gan wexe famous at his beginning Had a great name vpon eche party But in the erthe is nothing abyding All stant on chaunge fortune in workyng Is founde vnstable double of her vysage Which of this king chaunged the corage There he was large on euery side Lyberal founde in many sondrye wyfe His goodlyhede was chaunged in to pryde And his largesse in to couetyse Of doublenesse he gan anone deuyse To clayme agayne as ye shall vnderstand His saide gyftes out of the Popes hande Whiche Dediere had made aliaunce As the cronicle maketh mencion With king Pepin reignyng tho in Fraunce After whose death to haue possession And full lordshyp of all that region He gan of newe fall at distaunce Both w t the Pope with the king of Fraūce Of presumpcion these werres he began Againe his promise of double variaunce Pope in tho daies was holy Adrian Which to stynt the troble gret mischaūce Required helpe of the king of Fraunce And great Charles in Bochas as I rede Came to the Pope to helpe him in this nede Charles that time was chefe protectoure To holy churche their pauis and defence Whiche of hole hert and dyligent labour With Dediere by manly violence He met in Tuskie of knightly excellence Had a batayle to preue their might Charles victor Dediere put to flyght As I fynde he fled in to Pauie Worthy Charles layde a siege aforne Constrayned them vpon eche partye For lacke of vitaile they were almost lorne They wanted licour grayne and corne By sodayne constraynt great aduersyte To king Charles they yelded vp the cyte Kyng Dediere was sent in to Fraunce With mighty chaynes fettred in prison Like a wretche in sorow great penaunce Died at mischefe there gayned no raunson Which had afore so great possession After whose day by olde writing Among lōbardes was neuer crowned king The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ Of Pope Johan a woman with childe and put downe AFter the Princes reherced here toforne Drowned in teares came a creature Like a byshop rounded and yshorne And as a priest he had abrode tonsure Her apparayle outwarde and vesture Being a woman wherof Bochas toke hede Lyke a prelate shape was her wede She was the same that of yore agon Vnworthely sate in Peters place Was afterwarde called Pope John Aberdlesse prelate no heare sene on her face Of her birth named was the place Maxence a cite standing in Itaile Vpon the Keen full famous of vitayle In her youth and in her tendre age Forsoke her kyn and in especiall Cast she would for her auauntage Geue her to conning body hert and all And in the sciences called lyberall In all seuin by famous excellence By great study she had experience Her name couthe in many a diuers lande To shew her cōning first whan she began Serchyng prouinces came to Englande No wight supposing but y ◠she was a man Came to Rome her story tell can Taught Grammer Sophistry and Logike Red in scholes openly rethorike In the tyme of themperour Lotarye After the death as made is mencion Fro mine auctour if I shall nat varie Of the Pope which called was Leon The said woman by election I stalled was no wight supposing than By no token but that she was a man The boke of Sortes after that anon Of auenture tourned vp so doun She was named and called Pope John Of whose naturall disposicon Fyll by processe in to temptacion Quicke w t childe the hour came on her than Was deliuered at saynt Jhon Lateran After put downe for her great outrage I wyll on her spende no more labour But passe ouer all the surplusage Of her liuing and of her great errour Turne my stile vnto the emperour Called Arnolde write his pitous chaunce Sonne to Charles y ◠great king of Fraunce To this Charles as bokes determine He was sonne nat borne in maryage But begotten on a concubine Toke
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