remembraunce Writyng is cause that hereto is remembred Lyfe of Prophetes and patriarkes olde How the apostles martyrs were dismēbred For Christes fayth his banner vp to holde And writyng sheweth to fore as I you tolde Of confessours the great stedfastnes And of vyrgyns the virgynall ciennesse Like to a tre whyche euery yere beareth frute Shewyng hys beuty w t blossoms and flours Right so the fode of our inward refute By diligence of these olde doctours And dayly frute of their faythfull labours Haue our courages fostred and pastured By writyng only which hath so long endured The Epigrames whilom perished had Of prudent Prosper that was so vertuous And of Senecke the tragedies sad The stratagemes of Vegecius Rebuke in vyces of noble Percius If in olde writyng had ben founde a lacke These sayd thynges had farre be put abacke Writyng caused Poetes to recure A name eternal the laurer whan they wan In adamant graue perpetually to endure Recorde I take of Vyrgyll Mantuan That wrote y e armes prowes of the man Called Eneas whan he of hygh corage Came into Itayle from Dido of Cartage Thre famous bokes this auctor list compyle Eneidos fyrst whiche that dyd excell In rethoryke by soueraynte of style He dranke such plenty this poete as men tell Of the stremes y t ran downe from the well Wrought by tho sisters that be in nūber nyne Prowes of knighthode most clerely to termin For in that boke he cast not for to fayle With voyce melodious to discriue aryght The great conquest of Rome and of Itayle Wrought by Enee the manly troyan knyght Whose verse notable gaue so clere a lyght Through all the worlde as in Rethoryke That among poetes was none to hym lyke He wrote also this poete wyth hys hande By humble style other bokes twayne One of pasture the next of tylthe of lande The verse cōueyed w t fete of meters playne By which thre labours a palme he did attain To make hys name through dities dilectable Aboue poetes to be most commendable Writyng of poetes hath set w t in his clos Cōquest of knyghthode their triūph renoūs Reade in Ouide Metamorphoseos The great wonders the transmutacions The morall menyng y ◠vncouth conclusions His boke de Ponto and wyth great diligence Full many a pistle cōplaynyng for absence Of craft of loue a boke he hath compyled Wherof Cesar had full great disdayne Whyche was cause that he was exiled To abide in Ponto and neuer turne agayne And yet he did his labour in certayne In hope of grace his wittes to apply To write a boke of loues remedy Writyng of olde with letters aureate Labour of poetes doth hyghly magnify Recorde on Petrarke in Rome laureate Whiche of two fortunes wrote the remedy Certayne egloges and his cosmography And a great conflyct whiche men may se Of his quarelles within hym selfe secre He wrote seuen psalmes of great repentaūce And in his Affryke commended Scipion And wrote a boke of his ignoraunce By a maner of excusation And set a notable compylacion Vpon the life called solitary To which this world is froward contrary Thus by writyng he gate him selfe a name Perpetually to be in remembraunce Set and registred in the house of fame And made epistles of full high substaunce Called Sine titulo more him self to auaūce Of famous women he wrote the excellence Gresylde preferryng for her great pacience Writyng also remembred hath how Troy Destroyed was sithe gone many a yere The death of Ector chefe pyller of their ioye And for the party of Grekes wrote Omere Whiche in his writyng was particulere For to Achilles that wrought al by fraude Aboue Ector he gaue a singuler laude Writyng causeth the chapelet to be grene Bothe of Esope and of Iuuenall Dauntes labour it dothe also sustene By a report very celestiall Songe among Lumbardes in especiall Whose thre bokes the great wonders tell Of heuyn aboue of purgatory and of hell Men by writyng knowe the myracles Of blessed sayntes and of their holtnes Medicyne salue and eke obstacles Geyne mortal woundes great sickenes Recreacion and solace in distres Quiet in labour in pouerte pacience And in riches ryght trouth and conscience Shortnes of lyfe and forgetfulnes The wytte of man dull and aye slydyng Negligence and frowarde ydlenes Echone stepmother to science and cunnyng That I dare say nad be for writyng Onely ordeyned for our aduauntages Dead were memory and mind passed of ages And thus in chefe the causes afore tolde Meuyng the hart of Bochas to writyng And to remembre by many stories olde The estate of prynces in chares high sittyng And for vyces their vnware fallyng Geuyng example as I affyrme dare Of false fortune how they shall beware His first thre bokes be full clere myrrours Fully accōplished as Bochas vndertoke The cause of fallyng of many conquerours Onely for trouth and vertue they forsoke For which min auctor toward his fourth boke Gan sharpe his pen to his eternall fame Onely by writyng to get him selfe a name Myne auctour Bochas that so much coude Beginneth here to make a processe Again the outrage of princes y t were proud Which wer brought low for their frowardnes And notablye remēbreth that mekenes Whiche standeth whole in one doth cōtune Is aye franchised from daunger of fortune But he in maner doth recapitle agayne The fall of many that sate in hye stages How they for vyces stode aye in no certayne Came to mischefe for their great outrages Remembryng first of Pryam the domages How he lost sceptre and regaly For susteynyng of false auoutry The fall rehearsyng of Astyages That gaue his daughter whilom in mariage To one that was called Cambises A pore man borne of lowe lynage For he should haue none auauntage In no maner nether in right ne wrong By rebellion agayne him to be strong For me to forne had had a bysion How there should one procede of his lyne Whiche should him put out of his region And cause him in mischefe for to fyne But yet fortune could him vndermyne That all his wisdome stode in none auayle For agayne god preuayleth no counsayle It nedeth not his story to reherce Nor the maner of his vnhappy chaunce Nor the fallyng of Cyrus kyng of Perce Nor of king Tarquin for his misgouernaūce Though Bochas here put thē in remēbraūce For as me semeth it were a thing in vayne A thyng ones tolde to tell it new agayne And he list not now to be retcheles New agayne to make rehearsayle Of the kyng called Artaxerses Sithe it is tolde what should it more auayle ▪ But he proceadeth strayght vnto Itayle To their stories and beginneth here At Marchus Manlius a romayn cōsulere ☞ The ende of the Prologue Hovve Marcus Manlius wrought and dyd for Rome towne and at the last he was by the commons cast into Tybre and there drowned ¶ The fyrst Chapter WHilome in Rome there was a great
for him a space To lyue in earth and so long endure Tyll that he knowe and se his owne face And for his sake full many a seruituâ—e By ordinaunce of god and of nature Whan they him se shall fele full great payne If they in loue his grace may not attayne But he shal be contrary and daungerous And of his port full of straungenesse And in his hart right inly surquidous By the occasion of his natife fayrenes And presumyng of his semelinesse No woman so freshe ne so fayre of face That able were to stand in his grace And for the excellence of his great beantye He purposed him in his tender age Neuer in his lyfe wedded for to be He thought him selfe so fayre of vysage For whych he cast through his great outrage Agaynst all lustes of loue to disdayne To hunt at beastes alone and be slayne And in this whyle that he kept hym so In the forest and in wyldernes A water goddesse that called was Ecco Loued him full hote for his fairenes And sikerly did her busines To folow his steppes ryght as any lyne To her desyres to make him to enclyne He heard her wele but he sawe her nought Wherof astonied anone he gan to enquere As he that was amarueyled in his thought Sayd euen thus is any wyght now here And she aunswered the same in her manere What euer he sayd as longeth to Ecco Without abode she sayd the same hym to Come nere quod he and began to call Come nere quod she my ioy my pleasauÌ„ce He loked about among the rockes all And sawe nothyng beside ne in distaunce But she abrayed and declared her greuaunce And to him sayd mine owne hart dere Ne be not straunge but let vs dwell in fere Nay nay quod he I will nothing obey To your desires for short conclusion Well leuer I had playnly for to dey Than ye should haue of me possession We be nothing of one opinion I here you well though I no fygure se Go forth your way ye speake no more w t me And she ashamed fled her way anone As she that myght of him no socour haue But dispayred this Ecco is forthe gone And hidde her selfe in an vgly caue Among the rockes is buried in her graue And though so be y t men her voyce may heare After that time she neuer durst appeare Thus Narcissus through daunger disdeine Vpon the lady did cruell vengeaunce But whan the Goddes his cruelty had seiâ—e Towardes him fyll a great greuaunce Of his vnmercy they had displeasaunce And right as he merciles was founde So w t vnmercy he caught his deadly wound For all daunger displeaseth to Venus And all disdayne is lothsome to Cupide For who to loue is contrarious The god of loue will quite him on some syde His dreadfull arrowes so mortally deuyde To hurt and mayme all that be retchlesse And in her seruyce founde mercilesse And for Narcissus was not merciable Towarde Ecco for his great beautye But in his port was founde vntretable Cupyde thought he woulde auenged be As he that her prayer hearde of pitie Causyng Narcissus to fele and haue his part Of Venus brande and of her fiery darte And on a day whan he in wildernes Had after beastes runne in huntyng And for longe labour can fall in werines He was desirous to haue some refreshyng And wonders thurstlewe after traueylyng Myght not endure lenger there to dwell And at the last he founde a cristall well Right freshe springyng wonder agreable The water lusty and delectable of sight And for his thirst was to him importable Vpon the brynkes he fell downe ryght And by reflection in middes of y e water bright Him thought he sawe a passyng faire ymage To hym appeare most angelyke of vysage He was enamoured with the semelinesse And desierous therof to stand in grace And yet it was not but a lykelinesse And but a shadowe reflectyng of his face The whiche of feruence amorously tembrace This Narcissus with a piteous complaynt Start into the well and so him selfe dreynt And thus his beauty alas was layed lowe His semelines put full farre abacke Thus whan he gan fyrst him selfe knowe And sene his vysage in whiche was no lacke Presumptuous pryde caused all to wracke For who to much doth of him selfe presume His owne vsurpyng wyll sonest him coÌ„sume And finally as these olde Poetes tell This Narcissus without more succour After that he was drowned at the well The heuenly goddes did him so fauour They turned him into a full freshe floure A water lilly whiche dothe remedy In hote accesses as bokes specify After that Narcissus was at the well dreynt And to John Bochas declared had his wo Biblis appeared with teares all be spreint And toward him a great pase gan she go And her brother Camnus came also And of one wombe as gemelles twayne But she tofore her fate gan complayne She in her loue was not vertuous For ayenst God and kyndes ordinaunce She loued her brother named Camnus And whan he sawe her froward gouernauÌ„ce He vnto her gaue none attendaunce Though she of sleyght to accoÌ„plysh her enteÌ„t In secrete wise a pistle to him sent She sayd it was an impossible thing Without his grace her selfe to saue And but he were to her assentyng She els playnly may not health haue But onely death and afterwarde her graue Thus in her writyng to him she did attame And to be couert she ne wrote no name But whan this pistle came to his presence Vertuously therat he gan disdayne And gaue therto no maner aduertence Neither toke no hede of her furious payne But suffred her eternally to playne Tyll that she was as Ouid can wel tell With oft wepyng transformed to a well Next came Myrra wyth face full piteous Whiche that sumtime loued ayenst nature Her owne father called Cynarus For whose sake great payne she did endure For she â—e durst her sorowe not discure Tyll her noryshe by sygnes dyd espy The hartily constraynt of her malady For her nourice of whiche I haue tolde Conceiued hath by open euidence As she knoweth both of newe and olde In suche matters all hole the experience That through long labour and great diligeÌ„ce Diuers wayes and meanes out she sought To her fathers bed that she Myrra brought With whom she had her lust and pleasaunce For she vnknow lay with him all nyght He was deceaued by dronklewe ignoraunce And on the morow longe or any lyght She stale away and went out of his sight With her noryce whiche kept her long close Till vnto the tyme that her wombe arose But her father that was of Cypre king Which as I tolde was called Cynarus Whan he the truthe espyed of this thing That by his daughter he was deceiued thus She waxt to him loth some and odious Fledde from his sight so sore she was aferde And he pursued after with his swerde In Araby the hote mighty lande Kyng
Gentle bloude of his royall nature Is euer enclyned to mercy and pite Where of custome these vyllains do their cure By their vsurped and extort false poste To be vengeable by mortall cruelte Through hasty fumes of furious courage Folowyng the tetches of their vyle lynage O mighty prynces your nobles do assure Your passions rest with tranquilitie Se how there is no meane of measure Where a tyrant catcheth the souerayntie Let Agathocles your worldly myrrour be To eschue the traces of hys froward passage As royall bloude requyreth of your lynage The .xvi. Chapiter ☞ Howe Cassander slewe the wyfe of Alexander and Hercules her sonne and how Antipater slew his mother of other murders THE greate mischiefe of Fortunes myght The wofull falles fr◠her whele in dede Of prynces pryncesses who so loke aright Ben lamentable and doleful for to rede But for all that Bochas dothe procede In his rehearsayl remēbryng thus him selue To him appeared of men and women twelue After the death of kyng Agathocles There cāe tofore him worthy quenes twain The first of them was called Bersanes And of her mischefe gan to him complayne Wife of Alexander the story lyst not fayne The mighty kyng greatest vnder sonne Whiche by conquest all this world hath won Wife to Alexander was this Barsanes By his lyue as made is mencion Whiche with her sonne named Hercules Wereby Cassander brought to destruction And of her death thys was the occasion Cassander dradde y ◠Bersanes the quene Woulde with her sonne on him auenged bene For his treasons whiche he tofore wrought On Alexander and on hys lynage And specially if that she were brought To Macedone for her auauntage Wyth her sonne that was but yonge of age Cassander thought and drede as I haue told They wold auenge his tresōs wrought of old He cast afore of malice causeles This Cassander most falsely workyng That if this knyght this yonge Hercules Son of Alexander by recorde of wrytyng In Maredone were take and crowned kyng How that he woulde of equitie and ryght His fathers death auenge lyke a knyght Whiche thing to eschue Cassāder gan prouide And by false fraude was not retchles But on a day he list not longe abide Slew first the quene this sayd Bersanes And than her sonne ycalled Hercules Thus by Cassander of murder crop and rote They murdred wer there was nonother bete This crueltie myght not suffice Vnto Alexander by recorde of scripture But lyke a tyrant in vengeable wise He did them bury by froward auenture Where no man should know their sepulture And thus alas whiche pity is to rede He murdred foure out of one kynrede To Alexander he ministred the poyson Slewe the quene called Olympiades And of hatred by full false treason As I haue tolde he slew quene Bersanes Wife to Alexander mother to Hercules Whiche in his youthe by Bochas rehearsyng In Macedoyne was like to haue be kyng After all this he could not liue in pees But euer ready some treason for to do Slewe eke the quene called Roxanes Vpon a day and her yonge sonne to And she was wyfe to Alexander also Cassander dreadyng in his opinion Lest they would venge thē vpon his treason Thus euer he liued in murder sorow strife By way of fraude came all his encrees And as I finde how he had a wife And she was called Thessalonices And this story remembreth doubtles A sonne they had borne atwene them twayne To stea his mother which after did his paine Shortly to passe mine auctor writeth nono-ther Antipater was her sonnes name And bicause that she loued his brother Better then him he to his great defame Cōpassed her death the story sayth the same Notwithstandyng to appese his crueltee She asked mercy knelyng on her knee Her breastes open white and soft as silke All bedewed with teares her vysage Requyred mekely at reuerence of the milke With whiche he was fostred in yong age For to haue mercy and to appease his rage And to accept goodly her prayere To saue the life of his mother dere But all for nought he heard her neuer adele He was to her surmountyng all measure Like his father bengeable and cruell I trowe it was youe him of nature For by recorde of kynde and eke scripture Selde or neuer no braunche that is goode Spryngeth of custome out of cruel bloude Of her death cause there was none other That Antipater slough his mother dere But for she loued Alexander his brother Better than him the cronicle doth vs lere Whiche Alexander if ye lyst to here Had in his succour I finde by writyng Demetrius that was of Asye kyng Thessalonices was in this while dead By Antipater he most infortunate Bathed in her bloud her sides wer made red Without compassion of her hye estate And her two sonnes liuyng at debate Til Lisymachus y t prefect was of Trace Them reconsyled eche to others grace Whan Demetrius knew of their accorde God wot the sothe he nothing was fayne But by his fraude the story beareth record That Alexander maliciously was slayne This while Antipater stādyng in no certayne Tyll he by sleyght of Lisymachus Was murdred after the story telleth thus To write the proces and the maner hough That Lisymachus by fraudulent workyng His sonne in lawe Antipater thus slough False couetise was cause of all this thing And Demetrius toke on him to be kyng Of Macedone remembred tyme and date Whan both brethren were passed into fate Duryng this murder all this mortal strife In this proces like as it is founde Of Antipater Erudice the wyfe Daughter of Elenchus was in chains boūde Cast in pryson darke hydous and profound And for a whyle I leaue her there soiourne And to Demetrius I wyll agayne returne Which made him selfe to be crowned kyng Of Macedone through his great puissaunce But to destroy his purpose in workyng There were thre princes notable in substaūce Confederate and of allyaunce Echone assented for short conclusion To bryng Demetrius to destruction One the first was worthy Tholome Kyng of Egypt in armes full famous Other twayne the story ye may se Called Seleuchus and next Lisymachus And of Cypre came the kyng Pyrrhus Lorde of Prouynce as it is eke founde They made thē strong Demetrius to cōfoūd Shortly to tell with their apparayls Of Macedoue they did him fyrst depryue Game vpon hym with four strong battayles That he was neuer so ouerset in his lyue Take of Lisymachus the story doth discryue Cheyned in pryson of his life in dout For I not finde that euer he issued out ☞ The .xvii. chapter ¶ Of the two prefectes Perdicas and Amintas NExt in order Perdicas did appere Whilom prefect of great Babilon And w t him came Amintas eke yfere An other prefect as made is mencion Whiche Bactry had in his subiection A great prouince youe him by iudgement Midde of Alia towarde the occident These sayd twayne for their worthines And for
full false trayson The eldest brother called eke Pompey Being in Spaine with ful great apparayle Cast him of newe Cesar to warrey And his people proudly to assayle And as I fynde there was a great batayle In which Pompey the eldest son of thre By Julius men constrained was to flee He fonde no socour nor receit him to saue Of his life he standing in great drede Knowyng no refute fled in to a caue Tescape away knew no better rede Where he was slaine to Cesar brought hyshede Sent forth in scorne anon to Hispalee Which in Spayne is a full great cyte Thus by processe al holy the kinrede Of Pompeius for short conclusion By Cesar was and by his men in dede Without mercy brought to distruction Thus gan enâ—reas the fame and renoun Of Julius conquestes on sea eke on land Whose mortal swerd might no man w t stand First in Libie Spaine and eke Itayle Thexperience of his royal puissaunce In Germany by many strong bataile His power preued ofte times in Fraunce Brought all these kingdoms to y e obeisaunce Of the romains peised al this thing and sein Touching his guerdoÌ„ his labor was in vein Toward Rome making his repeyre By him appeaced ciuil discencions Of Throne imperial climbing in the eyre For the conquest of xiii regions Of the triumphe required the guerdons Which to recure his force hath applied Albe the Senate his request hath denied And his name more to magnifye To shewe the glory of his hie noblesse To the Capitole fast he gan him hie As Emperour his domes there to dresse That day began with ioy and gladnesse The eue nothing according w t the morowe Thentring gladde th ende care sorowe Calphurnia whiche that was his wyâ—e Had a dreme the same night beforne Tokyns shewed of the same funerall strife Howe that her lorde was like to be lorne By conspiracy compassed and sworne If he that day without auisement In the Capitole satte in iugement She dremed alas as she laye and slept That her lorde through girt w t many a wouÌ„de Lay in her lappe and she the body kept Of womanhede like as she was bounde But wo alas to true her dreme was founde The next morowe no lenger made delay Of his periody was hys fatall day A poore man called Tongilius Whiche secretly the traison did espy Let write a letter toke it to Julius The case declaring of their conspiracy Which to rede Cesar lyst nat apply But wo alas ambicious negligence Caused his murdre by vnware violence Cesar sitting amydde the consystorie In his estate most imperiall After many conquestes and victorie Fortune awayting to giue hym a fall With bodkyns persinge as a nall He murdred was w t many a mortal wouÌ„d Lo how false trust in worldly poÌ„pe is found ¶ Lenuoye THroughe all this booke rede eche tragedy Afore rehersed and put in remembraunce Is none more wofull to my fantasy Than is the fall of Cesar in substaunce Which in his hyest imperiall puissaunce Whan he wende haue be most glorious Was murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius This marcial prince ridig through LoÌ„bardy Eche countre yelded brought to obeisauÌ„ce Passyng the Alpes rode through Germany To subiection brought the realme of FraÌ„ce Gate Brutes Albion by long continuauÌ„ce Two lustres passed this manly Julius And murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius Among the Senat was the conspiracy All of assent and of one accordaunce Whose triumphe they proudely gan deny But maugre them was kept thobseruaunce His chare of golde with stedes of plesaunce Conueied through Rome this prince most poÌ„pus The murdre folowig by Brutus Cassius Reken his conquestes reken his chiualry With a counterpeis of worldly variaunce Fortunes chaunges for his purparty Way all togyder cast them in balaunce Set to of Cesar the mischeuable chaunce With his periody sodayne and enuious Murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius Bokes all and Cronicles specifye By influence of heuinly purueiaunce Mars and Jupiter their fauour did apply With gladaspectes his noblesse to enhaunce Mars gaue him man Jupiter gouernaunce Among princes holde one the most famous And murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius Beholde of Alysandre the great monarchy Which all the world had vnder obeysaunce The prowesse of Hector medled with gentry Of Achilles the melancolike vengeaunce Reken of echone the quauering assuraunce Among remembring the fyne of Julius Murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius Princes consydre in marciall policy Is nouther trust faithe nor affiaunce All stande in chaunge w t twicling of an eye Vp towarde heuin set your attendaunce The worlde vnsure all worldly plesaunce Lordship abydeth nat recorde on Julius Murdred at Rome by Brutus Cassius ⧠The .xiiii. Chapter ⧠Howe Octauian succeded next and howe the murdrers of Julius died at myschefe AFter the dethe of this manly man This noble Prince this famous Emperoure His worthy neuewe called Octanian To reigne in Rome was next his successour Which did his deuoyre by diligent labour To punysh all tho of nature as he ought By rightfull dome y â— the murdre wrought Chefe conspiratour was Brutus Cassius Which of this murdre made all thordinaunce Another Brute surnamed Decius Was one also conspyryng the vengeaunce Wrought on Cesar he after slaine in France Here meÌ„ may se what coastes y â— men wende How murdre alway requyreth an yll ende Within the space almost of thre yere Distroied were all the conspiratours By sodaine dethe some stode in daungere To be banished or exyled as traitours And as it is cronicled by aucthours Space of thre yere tekened one by one Dyed at myschefe the murdrers echone To murdre a prince it is a pitious thing God of his right will take therof veÌ„geaunce Namely an Emperour so famous in ech thig Which all the world had in gouernaunce Reken his coÌ„questes digne of remembraunce All peysed in one Bochas beareth wytnesse In hie estate is littell sykernesse ☞ The .xv. Chapter ¶ Howe Tullius was two tymes exyled and at the last slayne by Pompilius MYne auctoure here writeth no longe processe Of Julius death complaining but a whyle To write of Tully in hast he gan him dresse Compendiously his life for to compile Complaining fyrst saith his barayne style Is insufficient to write as men may sene Of so notable a rethoriciene Lampe and lanterne of Romayne oratours Among them called prince of eloquence On Pernaso he gathered vp the flours This rethoricien most of excellence Whose merytes truely to recompence The muses nyne me thought as I toke hede A crowne oflaurer set vpon his head Bochas astonied gan in him selfe conclude His boke abashed dull of his corage Thought his termes reasons were to rude And that he lacked conning and langage Wherby he should to his auauntage Though he labored wryting all his liue Of Tullius the merites to discriue Wherof supprised he caught a fantasy Within him selfe remembring anonright Though it so fall somtime a cloudye skye Be chased
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
Oropastes quaking in his drede Full vnwarely or that he toke hede Was slayn ther guerdoned for al his might Of pretence kinges y t reigne haue no right The .vii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Dary obteynyng the kingdom of Perce by sleyght ended with shame AFter the deth of these Magicyens Was left no king to haue y ◠gouernaūce Nor for to rule the lande of Perciens Saue fyue princes full famous of puissaunce Whyche made a statute and an ordinaunce Of one accorde by recorde of writyng Theron concluding who shuld be chose king Their sort their hap and all their auenture Was yeue to fortune of thys eleccion And thus the prince the crowne shall recure Among these fyue by theyr conuencion For to gouern the mighty regyon And in that lande to reigne and contune Lyke as the fauour lyst ordeyn of fortune Thys was the statute vpon a mornyng All atones erly for to ryde Atwene Aurora and Phebus vprisyng Vp to a hyll to houe and to abyde All rancour dyscorde set asyde Whose horse among them was first herde neying Without grutching shulde be crowned kyng Vpon this mater what shoulde I leger tary Hereon was made an othe in sykernesse Among these prīces one which was called Da Aprince of Perce excellyng of noblesse Whych had a seruaunt y ◠story bereth witnessery That kept hys horse thought in very dede Hys lorde he wolde preferre at suche a nede The sayd seruant full sleyghtly in werkyng His dilygence lyst nothyng to spare The day to fore set of their metynge At a place smothe playne and bare Hys lordes horse he made leape a mare And on the morowe when the princes met On horsbacke there hys lorde he set And whan the horse thyder came agayne Nature anone afforced his corage To neye loude vpon the same playne Where as the mare had vsed her passage Kynde in suche case had great auauntage By whiche sleyght playnly to reherse The sayd Dary was crowned kig of Perce The prynces all lyke theyr conuencion Or Phebus shewed his firy beames bryght Without stryfe or contradiccion From their horse sodaynly alyght And vnto Dary as lowly as they myght Sayd in greke or they vp rose Policromtudo Basileos Which is in latyn to spake in wordes playne And in englyshe by expowning of scripture After the Greke as moche for to sayne As longe tyme myght the kyng endure And lyue in helth with good auenture By the grace and fauour of fortune Vpon all Perce to reigne and contune Who wyll consydre euery cyrcumstaunce It is a meruayle nat grounded on prudence By such sleyght a king to haue gouernaunce Through tytle or clayme as of iust euidence So to be raysed to kyngly excellence But whan fortune fauoureth suche assay Tyll y ◠she chaunge ther can no man say nay Thus was kyng Dary borne of lowe linage Set vp by sleyght in estate honorable Thought y ◠he wolde for his auauntage To make his kyngdom his reigne stable Wed such a wyfe as to hym was most able Demyng of trouth hys clayme were well amēded Of Cirus lyne if she were discēded To wede suche one was all his couetyse Stable for to reigne vpon the Perciens And as I fynde in full cruell wyse By the counsayle of false magicyens A werre he gan vpon the Egipciens Eke folily he gan for to werrey Them of Athenes whiche lyst hym nat obey And as myne auctor maketh rehersayle He for his pride and false presumpcion Was discomfyted twyes in batayle And neuer after as made is mencyon He was nat had in reputacyon Among Perciens so gan his honoure fade Wyth sleyght he gan with shame an ende he made ¶ The .viii. Chapter ¶ How Corolian by Romaynes exiled gan warre agaynst them and how after they sent out his mother withother for peace which had they eft him exiled and after was slayne AFter this Dary as I rehearce can And mine auctour liketh to conclude To Iohn Bochas came Corolian The most wofull of that multitude Which gan complaine vpon the ingratitude Of the Romayns how they whilom in dede Exiled his person of rancour and hatrede Whiche in his time would neuer ceace Through his noblesse hys hygh renoun Their common profite to augment encrece And for to bringe to their subiection Many a citye and many a noble toun Yet they agaynward for all his chyualry Him exiled of malyce and enuy But whan this Marcus called Corolian Saw of Romayns the great vnkindnes Toward a countrey that called was Tuskan Of high disdayne anone he did him dresse And them entreated of manly fell prowes To gyn a warre sythe they so manly be Through his cōueiyng againe Rome y ◠citye And for to put them more in assuraunce To haue victory through their high renoun He tolde them playnly of a great distaunce Of a false strife and a discencion That was of newe fall in Rome towne Wherfore they should if it be prouided Cōquere thē lightly because thei wer deuided By their assent they made a great armye With stuffe for war richely apparayled Pyght his tentes tofore that great citye And in the fielde stode proudly battayled But the hartes of Romayns haue thē fayled And durst not passe the gates of their toun There was among thē so great deuision Their citye stode that time destitute With feare supprised for lacke of gouernaūce Them to defende they founde no refute So farre enfeblished was their old puissaūce For euer gladly where stryfe and variaunce In any kingdome haue an enteresse Touchyng a defence adue all hardinesse Within them selfe they stode at debate Afore their enemies ready for to assayle Comfort was none in hygh nor lowe estate For where discord is what auayleth coūsail Their fone w tout within them selfe battayle Brought in alas to their confusion By the false serpent of dissencion But at the last afforced and constrayned They were coact after peace to seke The case stode so of nede they were payned Maugre their might their harts for to meke And their mischefe more to encrese and eke In augmentyng of their cruell fates They saw their enmies armed at their gates They sent out first priestes of the toun With their enemies for to entrete of pees With humble profers lowe subiection But Corolian this is doubtles Againe the Romayns was so merciles That grace none myght in his hart myne To their request his eares to enclyne Than the Romayns the story tell can To Venturia made their prayere Whiche was the mother of Corolian And to Volumnia his faithfull wife entere That they should both go in fere Vnto that prynce besechyng at the lest Benignly to heare their request His mother first full prudently abrayde Vnto her sonne makyng this question At their metyng to hym thus she sayde Shall I quod she for short conclusion Of faythfull harte and true affection To thy presence declare finally Be now receyued as mother or enemy After thine aunswere I must