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
Gotes was set vp for a folde Founde and rent out in his dayes olde With cordes draw no rescue might him saue Of cruell vengeaunce to Catullus graue Where Scilla made by cruell iudgement With a sharpe sworde forged forto byte After time his eyen were out rent Bothe at ones his handes of to smyte His head of smit no ran̄som might hi quyte Set on a pole it woulde be none other And of dispight sent vnto hys brother To Marius of whome I spake nowe right The great duke so mighty and so huge Which had afore take him to the flight For feare of Scilla in that mortal deluge Into a citie to finde there refuge Called Preneste ther standing in gret drede Namely when he behelde his brothers hede Forasmuch as he no succour fonde Dispayred this was hys purpose To slee him selfe with his owne honde In thilke place where he was kept close Drewe out hys sworde and vp anone he rose Cōstrained his seruaūt in that sodain affray Smit of his head the selfe same day Men say howe death is fyne of all mischefe Ende of aduersite that dothe wretches tary Fortune here maketh another prefe In Marius howe she her course gan vary By an euidence hateful and contrary To shew her malyce and vngoodlyheed Agayne this duke alas whan he was deed This froward lady of malyce most vēgeable Whan her lyst furiously to raue And shew her selfe cruell and vnstable To none estate she lyst no regarde haue Caused Marius to be take out of his graue By cruell Scilla in story it is founde His vgly carayne smyt on peeces rounde And after more to shew hys cruelte Marius shoulde haue no burying place Cast his carayne of cankred enmyte Into Tybre there was none other grace Lo thus can fortune for her folke purchace By whiche example touchyng Marius Of worldly chaunges Bochas writeth thus Maketh in this chapter a discription First what thing is very gentlenesse To set a prefe and a probacion Nothyng attayneth vnto hie noblenesse But the clere shinyng of vertuous clennesse Which may nat shew i hie nor low parage But where it groweth out of a pure corage Worldly power oppression tyranny Erthly treasure golde stones nor rychesse Be no meanes vnto gentry But if vertue rule their hye prowesse For where vyces haue entresse In hie byrthe meane or low kynrede Deme no man gentle but onely by his dede In royall places of stone metall wrought With galaryes or stately cloysters rounde Gentilnesse nor noblesse is nat sought Nor in selers nor in vautes rounde But onely there wher vertue doth habounde Curyous clothes nor great possessions Maketh nat a man gengle but condycions Phylosophers conclude in their entent And all these worthy famous olde auctours No man may que the in his testament Gentilnesse vnto his successours Of wycked wede come no holsome flours Concluding thus of good men of shrewes Call eche man gentle after his good thewes Duke Marius of whom I spake toforne Of nature the story beareth wytnesse As by discent poore and nedy borne By disposycyon of coragyous noblesse Had in his persō wyt strength hardynesse Vnder all this there dyd his herte myne A worme of auaryce his worshyp to decline What vayleth plenty y ◠neuer may suffyse Or what the flode that stauncheth no thurst Or what an appetyte which euer doth aryse Alway to eate and euer to eate hath lust Of cankred hungre so fretyng is the rust That the riuer of Tantalus in his rage Of gredy etykes the fret may nat asswage Of Marius ye haue herd the ende His woful fall and his vnhappy caas In to fate howe he dyd wende Nowe wyl I folow myne auctor Bochas Howe vnto him thre Cleopatras With loke downe cast wofull face chere All atones dyd to him appere The fyrst of them by processe of writing Had thre husbandes Bochas doth expresse Wedded in youth to Alisaundre the kyng Called zebenna a prince of great noblesse After that for her great fayrenesse She wedded was vnto Demetrius And last of all to kyng Antyochus Of her three husbandes woful auenture And of her sonnes great vnkyndnesse Bochas afore hath done his busy cure Curyously the maner to expresse Which to reherce agayne were ydelnesse Syth all the processe here tofore is founde Of the first and eke of the secounde Which wedded was to kyng Tholome Lyke as afore eke made is mencion Bothe of their ioye and their aduersyte The first slayne by drinkyng of poyson And the seconde to her confusion By Euergetes were she wo or fayne Was with her chylde serued y ◠was slayne The thyrde wedded was to kyng Crispus Slayne in a temple by full great outrage For drede and shame gan wexe furious To saue her selfe knewe none auauntage Saue she enbraced of Jupiter an ymage In the story as here tofore is founde Or she was dead suffred many a wounde ⧠The .iii. Chapter ⧠Howe king Mithridate bode .vii. yere in wyldernes had great turmentes bothe on sea and lande by his blode broughte to vttraunce slewe himselfe with a sworde I Wyll passe ouer these Cleopatras three Forth procede to the hasty fate Sone execute by Parcas cruelte Vpon the duke called Mithridate First reherce the great vnkyndlye hate Of them that were his tutours as I rede Him to destroy by assent of his kynrede Which of purpose dyd hys death prouide By many vncouth straunge occasion In his tender youth first they made him ride Vpon an horse wylder than a lyon Of purpose onely for his distruction But al be so that he was yonge of age The horse he ruled in all his most rage Nat of doctrine but euen of nature He was disposed connyngly to ryde Ouer him the maystry to recure Maugre the horse of wyt he was his gyde What way he toke forwarde or asyde He daunted him y ◠where so euer he rode Bridled him and on his backe he bode His owne kyn and his next alyes Most laboured to bryng hym to mischefe With venomous drynke set on hym espyes At good leyser as doth a couerte thefe Of their fell poyson for to make a prefe In their entent this is well couthe Him to murder in hys tender youthe But whan y t he apperceyued their treason To saue him selfe made great ordinaunce Anone as he gan haue suspection Of theyr vnkindly hatefull purueyaunce For remedies made cheuisaunce Was prouided their malyce to decline By many notable proued medicine And their malyce prudently to eschue Is remembred whyle he was yonge of age With certayne frendes which y ◠dyd hym sue He disposed of custome hys corage To hunt and chase beastes most sauage Vnder that colour he dyd it for a wyle Ferre fro his countre tabsent him for a whyle Of one corage one heart and one chere Suffred manly toke none heuynesse In desertes space of seuen yere Amonge hye hylles bode in wyldernesse Set in Asia the story beareth witnesse Founde no lodgyng trasyng the
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
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
Called Seleuchus which was a wonder Fil frō his courser brake his necke asōder The .iii. Chapter ¶ Howe the noble Queene Laodomya was in the temple slayne and vengeaunce take vpon hym that slewe her SYxe of estates prynces and pryncesses Shewed them to Bochas pitouslye playnyng To hym declarynge theyr mortall heuynesses And first of all there came to hym wepyng The noble queene her sorow rehersyng Called Laodomya which with heuy chere Complayned the mischefe of her suster dere Called Nereis yonge and tender of age That wedded was of Cycile to the kyng And on the daye of that great mariage There fyll a stryfe and a great meuyng Amonge the commons by a maner rysyng And when the quene therof had a syght To Dianes temple anone she toke her flyght The people was party rose againe y ◠kyng For whiche rumore and sodayne stryfe Laodomya full fearfully quakyng Ran to the temple for to saue her lyfe Supposyng in her ymaginatyfe That for the temples chaste reuerence Men woulde spare to do there violence But there was one by whom the strife began And was first grounde of this great motion Called Milo a false Cecylian Voyde of all reuerence and deuocion Ran to the temple feirser than a Lyon And where the queene the auter dyd enbrace With a sharpe sworde slew her in the place This sacrilege was punished by vēgeaunce Gods were wrothe through this gret offēce And Diana by full great displeasaunce Made in the courte a sodayne pestylence And Mylo was by vnware violence Tourned bestiall made wode in that affray And slewe hym selfe suyng the twelft daye The .iiii. Chapter ☞ How Cleomenes king of Macedone was slayne with his wife and children AFter this vengeaūce taken on Mylo Came Cleomenes of Macedoyne king And to Bochas gan shew his deadly wo His great iniuries of enemies assaylyng His hye emprises his kyngdome defendyng And alderlast how he in his citee Was by the sonne slayne of Tholome First in his countrey the story doth deuise Againe his enemyes he had a great battayle Of his people defendyng the fraunchyse Of knightly prowesse as he y t list not fayle For his ryght to fyght in plate and mayle His lieges echone beyng of one assente To lyue and dye with him in their entent Men women and children yonge of age Were in one hart as in that mattere Whiche made them stronge gate auaūtage That vndeuided they stode echone yfere Of one corage of one will of one chere Greatly assured in their opinion Because among them was no diuision Their cōmon profite they did more prefarre Than they did treasure lyfe or good For their fredome aye ready to the warre Not afrayed to spende their owne bloude And fynallye so together they stode That of one thought eche gan him redy make To lyue and dye for his brothers sake He had an enemy borne of that region The name of whom was Antigonus And he had wedded the boke maketh mencion The olde quene of kyng Demetrius And had her sonne the story telleth thus Called Phylyp fro youth in hys kepyng Therby pretendyng a tytle to be kyng Of Lacedemonoys claymed agayne ryght There to raigne and take possession Lyke a tiraunt vsurpyng of great myght For to be crowned in that region But for all his false presumption He was put of and yset a farre Though he with thē helde a mortal warre And Cleomenes that was rightfull kyng Was in the felde armed euery day Hardy as Lyon drede hym nothyng Gayne his enemyes he stode s◠at a bay That fro the felde he made them flye away His dredefull sworde grounde was so kene That to abyde hym they myght nat sustene And on a daye descendyng from his cite Helde in the felde a full stronge battayle With lytle people made his fone to fle Retournyng home ful wery of trauayle Thought in his heart that it should auayle To stynt the werre hangyng in no certayne Tyll y t his people refreshed were agayne Set ordinaunce through all the countre Gayne all enemyes to make resistence And into Egypt he goth to Tholome With wife children w tdrawing hys presēce There receyued with great beneuolence Lyke his estate out of care and drede And there abode tyl Thotome was dede But the sonne of kyng Tholome Whiche raygned after by succession Of false enuy and vengeable cruelte Slew Cleomenes in that region His wife his children voyde of compassion Alas it was to straunge a cruel thyng Within a kyngdome to murder so a kyng The .v. Chapter ☞ Of kynge Nero Cornely and Hanyball AFter whose deathe thus wrought by violence The story remembreth procedyng Forth came Nero and shewed hys presence Of Siracuse the myghty stronge kyng Tofore Bothas full pitously playnyng Besechynge hym with a full pitous chere Of his mischefe to wryte the manere The whiche Nero wylfull and furious Lyst to presume of false rebellion For to debate with Appius Claudius And to maligne agayne Rome toun But he anone for his presumptioun Constrayned was in all his most pride Lyke a cowarde to flye and nat abyde No more of hym myne auctour writeth here But in his boke as he dothe procede There came Cornely of Rome a consulere Hym selfe complaynyng of y ◠great falshede Whiche vnto hym accomplished was in dede By assuraunce broke of Haniball Which of Cartage was chefe admirall To thys Cornely Haniball was sworne With the Affricans by a maner flatery To succour hym as we haue tolde toforne With the Romains to holde vp his party But whan they met the boke doth specify Cornely was take and fettred in prison At mischefe dyed there gayned no raunson Than Haniball entred of entent With his knightes into a great cite Of Cicile called Agrigent Where Julius Silua of olde enmyte Layde a siege with a great meyne That he constrayned the sayde Hanyball For very hungre to leape ouer the wall By a posterne he toke hym to the fliyght Gathered shyppes and toke the large see And Julius Silua lyke a manly knyght Faught with him and made hym for to flee Vpon the water anone after he Was of his knyghtes stoned to the dethe And so constrayned he yelded vp the brethe The .vi. Chapter ⧠Of the duke zantipas cast into the see AFter that Hanyball was stayne thus And putte to flyght as made is mencion Tofore Bochas came worthy zantipus A famous duke full notable of renoun And he was lorde of the stronge region Lacedemoyne and was come a ferre Into Cartage to helpe them in the werre By whose prowesse to his encreace of glory The proude Romayns were put to flyght Cartaginences had of them victory And there was take the wyse manly knyght Marcus Regulus and brought anonryght Into Cartage and led as prysonere By zantipus as Bochas writeth here Thys noble duke for all his hye prowesse Done in Cartage and shewed to their toun And for all hys notable kyndnesse They most vnkyndly quit hym his guerdon For
Take at mischefe and maugre his might In chaynes bound dampned anone ryght For to be deed his people as it is tolde Many one slayne some take and some sold. There was none prouder nor more suâ—qÌ„dus In thylke dayes plainly to discryue Then was this said king Radagasus Which toke on him with romains to stryue His â—ower short was ouerturned bliue For fortune of malice had a lust To â—â—e this tirant with hunger with thrust Among other proud princes all Reioised him selfe by a maner vainglory Because that men in countres did him cal King of Gothes short is the memorye Of him rehersed or written in history To gyue ensample in dede men maye finde The name of tyrantes is sone out of minde The .xix. Chapter ¶ Howe Ruffyn chamberlayne with Theodosy vsurped to be Emperour and therfore by Honorious dampned and his heade smyt of HIe climing vp hath oft an vnware fal And specially whan it is sodaine Fro low degre to estate imperyall Whan false ambicion the ladder doth ordain By vsurpacion presumptuously to attayne Abouâ— the skyes with his heade to perce Fro whens he come were shame to reherce I meane as thus al such hasty climbing Of them that list not them self to know And haue forget the grouÌ„d of their ginning By froward fame with worldly winds blow â–ª To reise their name aboue sagitaris bowe Recorde of Ruffin which proudly gan desire By false intrusion to occupi the â—pite Which Rufin was whilom chamberlayn With Theodosy and holde a manly knight Yet in one thing he was â—oule ouersaine By couetise blynded in his syght To speÌ„d his labour that had no title of right By the emperour Honorius he was sent For to gouerne all the Orieate By processe Ruffin was made vikeâ—e Called after the vikarimperial Toke vpon him holye and entere By authorite chefe and principall Him selfe alone for to gouerne all And most able thus he did deme Before all other to weare a diedeme Of him selfe so much he did make In porte and therto most ambicious At Constantinople he was vnwarely take First bound in chaynes after serued thus By true iudgment of Honorius His hed smot of and his righthand in dede This was his ende no more of him Irede The .xx Chapter ¶ Howe Stillyon and other of like condicon ended in mischefe AFter whose dethe to Bochas came one Such other like of condicion Afore remembred called Stillion Purposed him to haue possession Of the Empyre hole thus he thought And by what mene y â— way his fader sought Compendiously to tell of these twayne Fro diuers countrees towarde SepteÌ„trion To gather people did theyr busy payne Of many dyuers straunge nacion Againe Honorius they came togyder doun And as they met fortune made them fayle Bothe atones slaine were in batayle Their ginning cursed had a cursed fyne After whose death I rede of other twayne Of one Constance his father Constantyne Which Constantine toke on him certayne To reigne in Gaule and after dyd ordayne In that countre to be gouernour There to continue as lorde and Emperoure His sonne Constaunce caught a deuocion Of conscience and forthwith anonright Was shaue a monke made his profession His father after of very force and might Let take hiÌ„ out gaue hiÌ„ thorder of a knight Bothe of assent gan make them selfe strong Toppres the countre do the people wrong This said Constaunce as mine auctor saith Was confederate of hatefull cruelte With one HeÌ„ricius assurauÌ„ce made of faith As brethern sworne for more authorite And for to make the nombre vp of thre Constantyne was sworne with them also To be al one in what they had to do These saide thre sworne and ioyned thus Conquered in Spayne many a great cyte But in this whyle this said Henricius Traytour false and full of duplicite His felowe slought againe his othe pardye Thus was ConstauÌ„ce through false collusioÌ„ Of Henricius murdred by trayson Henricius lyued nat but a whyle By his owne knightes he slaine was also Fraude for fraude disceit is quyt with gyle It foloweth euer and gladly cometh therto Men receiue their guerdon as they do Let men alway haue this in remembraunce Murdre of custome wyll ende w t mischauÌ„ce Among suche other thus endinge in mischefe Came Attalus and one Eraclyan For no prowes but to their great reprefe Remembred here their storie tell can Agayne Romanes whan they rebell gan By Honorius afore made officers And of the Empyre called chefe vykars First Attalus for his tyranny Whan he in Gaule was made gouernour Went in to Spaine with a great company Dyd his payne and fraudulent labour By false sleight to be made Emperour Take and bounde exiled for falsnesse His hande smyt of ended in wretchednesse Of Eraclian the ende was almost lyke Yet was he promoted to great prosperite Made gouernour and lorde of Affrike Of Consulere rose to the dignite Rode through Libi and many a gret couÌ„tre With thre thousande shippes gan to sayle And with seuin hundred to ariue in Itayle So many shyppes neuer afore were seine Like as it is accompted by wryting His nauy passed the nauy in certayne Of mighty zerxses that was of Perce king Or Alisandre but yet in his coÌ„ming Toward Itaile whan he should aryue The sea fortune gan againe him stryue At his arriuaile he had a sodaine drede Cause Honorius had sent downe a capitain Constancius called gouernoure and bede Of all the Romains to mete him on y e plain For whiche Eraclian tourned is again As I fynde gan take his passage Towarde the cite that called is Cartage Thus fortune lyst her power shewe Or he came fully to that noble towne With sharpe swerdes he was all to hewe Among his knights through false collusion As they fil at a discencion Of intrucion fyrst gan the quarell Again Romains whan he gan rebell ⧠The .xxi. Chapter ¶ A goodly processe why Rome was distroied and for the same or lyke cause many other realmes OF many mischeues before rehersed Some drawe a longe and some shortly tolde And howe fortune hath her whele reuersed By tragedies remembred manyfolde Tofore by Bochas of princes yonge olde In the eight boke rehersed the processe Echone almost ended in wretchednesse Namely of them that dyd moste desyre By wrong titel them selfe to magnify To haue lordshyp and gouerne th empyre The state imperial proudly to occupy Whiche estate plainly to specifye As farre as Phebus doth in his spere shyne Among all lordships is brought to ruyne Fro mine authour I lyst nat discorde To tel y â— ground why Rome came to nought By an example I cast me to recorde What was chefe cause if it be wel out soght By a storie that came vnto my thought Of John Bochas whiche ye shal here That full notably is rehersed here Which ensample and storie rehersing Ceriously folowing myne authour Odoacer whylom a famous king A kyng by name and a great gouernour But of