fyre wasteth euery thynge And yron herd doth neshe thynges perce If ought abideth y ◠they may not transuerce Yet cōmeth time and by continuaunce It al consumeth with his sharpe launce His sharpe toth of consumpcion In stil wise doth his busy cure For to aneantise in conclusion Al thynge that is brought forth by nature By long abydyng ye may thē not assure For olde thynges deuoured men may se Ferre out of mynde as they neuer had be Who can or maye remembre in any wise The glorious prowesse of these princes olde ▪ Or the noblesse of Philosophers wyse ▪ Or of poetes their feyning to vnfolde ▪ Processe of yeres alas as I you tolde Deuoured hath their name their noblesse Derked their renoune by foryetfulnesse Thus of their names is left no memory Tyme w t his rasour hath done so greate vengeaunce Shauen away the honor glory Of many noble ful mighty of puissaunce That there is left nowe no remembraunce Of princes poetes ne Philosophers For whan y ◠deth nailed them in their cofers Cam time vpon and by processe of yeres Their memory hath dusked their minde And reuolucion of the heuenly spheres By oft turnyng their glory hath left behind Thus euery thinge whiche subget is to kind Is in this life without more auauntage wasted with time and processe of long age In the first time from Adam to Noe Prudent listers which list in bokes to rede Founde of fortune no mutabilite Neither of her chaūge they toke the no hede But from Adam there rekened ben in dede Vnto Nembroth by turnynge of the heuen A thousand yeres .vii. hundred and eleuen In which space who that considereth wel There ben no thinges writen in especial Digne of memory ne spoken of neuer a del which that ben notable ne historial But fro the time Nembroth had a fal Vnto Cadmus the yeres to conteine They were a M. iiii hundred and fourtene Touchinge this Cadmus as Bochas list endite It is rehersed b◠Rethoriens Howe one Vexores in bokes as they write was made first a kinge of the Egipciens whan Philosophers and nigromanciens Began first taboūde their renoune tauaūce Nachor y ◠time hauyng y ◠gouernaūce Of the Ebrues as made is mencion After Nembroth by true rehersayle Thre hundred yere by computacion Foure score .xii. which time it is no fayle That Vexores begā warres great bataile Of volunt ayenst straunge nacions And to conquere Cityes borowes townes By force only without title of ryght He wan al Egipt to encrease his name But for al that who lyst to haue a sight There is nowe left no reporte of his fame Saue Bochas wryteth howe he first dyd attame Hys mighty conquest of intencion That the glory and the high renoune Ascriued were vnto his worthynes And the residue and surplusage Of golde treasure of good and of richesse Turne should to common auauntage Of al hys people that euery maner age Report mighte it was to him more nerre Aboue singularite his cōmon to prefer Also Tanais of Cithie fyrst kynge Whan Sarneke was duke and souerayne Ouer the Iewes by recorde of writynge Two hundred yere .xl. also and twaine After Nēbroth this Tanais gan ordayne A mighty power a stronge battaile Them of Cithye proudly to assayle Conqueryng from thens vnto the yle Called Ponte in a ful cruel wyse And though his lordship lasted but a whyle All that he wan was for couetise And as Bochas doth of thys folke deuise Proces of yeres for al their great puissaunce Hath put their names out of remembraunce Zoroastes also for all his great myght Of Bactrians kyng and possessoure Lorde of Trace and a full myghty knyght Of all his dedes and his great laboure Of his conquest ne of his great honoure Is nothing left of writyng vs beforne Saue y t he lough the houre y t he was borne He began full sone for to be mery With sodaine laughter at his natiuitie And worthy Ninus that was kyng of Assiry Expowned his laughter to great felicitie The which Ninus wan many a fayre coūtry And day by day his power gan encrease For which he would not of his cōquest cease For this is the maner of these conquerours Whan they haue had in armes victory Do their might their paine their labours With newe emprises to be put in memory For their courage surprised w t vayne glorye Can not be styll content in their estate Till their Parady say to them checkmate Fortune of armes in bokes ye may read With a false laughter on folkes dothe smyle She frowarde euer ere they can take hede Of nature will falsely them begyle Conquest by warre lasteth but a while For who by death dothe sturdy vyolence God will by death his vengeaunce recōpence This worthy Ninus gan mightely preuayle Ayenst zoroastes of whom I spake tofore For he with hym fought last in battayle In whiche Ninus hath him so well ybore That zoroastes hath the felde ylore And he was aucthour as bokes specify Of false Magyke and Nygromancy He fonde the nature of euery element Their kindely workyng their mutacions The course of starres and of the firmamente Their influences their dispositions Their aspectes and their coniunctions Wrote in pillers deuised of metall The seuen sciences called liberall Also in pillers of Brycke full harde ybake There were vp set longe large and huge He began also write them and vndertake To make them sure as for their refuge That they shoulde by floude ne deluge Defaced ben as of their scripture But in their grauyng perpetuall endure But though zoroastes these craftes out fond Full little ornought it myght to him auayle And though he were a good knight of his hōd He was of Ninus slayne in batrayle Lost his realme and royal apparayl And Ninus dyed within a litle throw But in what wise the story is not knowe Also Moydes kyng of Sodome I fynde of him no memory by writyng Saue in a story as men may reade and se He and his people were freell in liuynge But he that was of Assiriens kyng Through false Fortune that can so oft vary To Babylon made them tributary We haue sene and redde also The vengeaunce and the pestilence Done in Egypt to kyng Pharao For that he made a maner resistence Ayenst God of wilfull insolence Therfore his people vpon a day and he Were drent echone in middes of the see The people of God ledde by Moyses Without trouble of any maner wawe Went echone in quiet and in peas And Pharao as he gan after drawe Them to pursue by a full mortall lawe In his pursuite forward was atteynt Among the waues with his host and dreynt In Exodi ben these mencions Ceriouslye put in remembraunce The. xii plages and persecutions In Egypt done by full great vengeaunce And of their treasour their great substaūce They were dispoyled by Ebrues it is tolde Of their vessels of siluer and of
enterchangiÌ„g y â— eche should reigne a yere The tother absent to play come no nere This concluded by their both assent And by accorde of that region Polynices rode forth and was absent Ethiocles toke fyrst possession But whan the ye re by reuolucion Was come about he false of his entent Vnto the accorde denied to assent Thys was a cause of theyr both striues Polynices was thus put out of his ryght Tyll Adrastus that kyng was of Argyues which thorow al Grece gretest was of might Sent vnto Thebes Tideus a knyght Hys sonne in lawe to treat of thys matter And the cause finally to lere Wher through the kyng called Ethiocles Would condiscende of truth and of reason To stynt warre and to cherishe pece After the accorde and composicion Vp to deliuer Thebes that mighty towne Vnto his brother whych abseÌ„t was without Now that his yere was fully come about But he was false and frowardly gan vary Ethiocles from hys conuenciâ—n For whych Adrastus no lenger would tary Whan Tideus had made relacion But called anone throughout his region All the worthy both nere and farre Ayenst Thebes for to begyn a warre For thys cause lyke as ye shal lere Polynices to force hys partie Ywedded had the kynges doughter dere I meane of Adrastus floure of chyualry Whan Tideus dyd him certifye Touchinge the answere of Ethiocles And of his truth how he was recheles False of hys promyse cursedly forsworne For to hys truth none aduertence had he Neyther to the accord y t was made beforne Touchyng y â— deliuerauÌ„ce of Thebes the citie But who that lyst the storye clerely se Of these two bretherne and their discencion And howe Adrastus lay to fore the toun And howe Tideus through his high prowes Fought by the way going on message And how of Grece all the worthines Wyth kyng Adrastus went in this viage And of the mischefe that fyll in that passage For lacke of water tyll that I siphile Norishe of Ligurgus so fayre vpon to se Taught Tideus to fynde out a riuer She that dyd in fayrnesse so excell Ne howe the serpent most vgly of his chere Of â—ig Ligurgus y â— childe slough at the well Neyther howe Amphiorax fyll doun to hel All to declare me semed was no nede For in the siege of Thebes ye may it rede The storye hole and made there is mencion Of either parte their puissauÌ„ce their might And how Adrastus lay tofore the toun And how they inette euery daye in fyght And howe Tideus the famous knyght So reâ—omed in actes marcial Was slayne alas as he fought on the wal And howe the bretherne met among the prese Lyke two Tigres or lions that were wode With sharpe speres this is doutlesse Eueryche of them shed others hert bloud This was the fyne thus with theÌ„ itstode Saue at their feestes called funerall There fell a marueyle which I tel shal Whan they were brent in to ashes dede Of their enuy there fyll a ful great wonder Amonge the brondes and the coles rede Hyghe in the ayre the smokes went a sunder The one to one party and that other yonder To declare the storye me list not fayne The gret hatered y â— was bitwixt hem twayn Thus for their yre and false discention All the lordes and all the chiualrye Were slayne of Grece and also of the towne And rote of all myne aucthour list not lye Was false alyaunce and fraternall enuy And chefe grounde with all the surplusage Who serche aright was vnkyndly maryage The quene Iocasta felt her part of payne To se her chylder eche of them slea other Her son her lorde blynde on his eyen twayne Which to his sons was father also brother Fortune would it shoulde be none other Also Parchas sisters which be in nuÌ„ber thre Spanne so the threde at their natiuitie Also whan Iocasta stode thus disconsolate And sawe of Thebes the subuersion The countrey destroyed and made desolate The gentle bloude shedde of that region Without comfort or consolacion Thought she myght be no more appeyred But of all hope fully loe dispayred Trist and heauy pensyfe and spake no word Her sorowes olde and newe she gan aduert Toke the sworde of hym that was her lorde w t which Edippus smot Layus to the hart She to â—inyshe all her paynes smarte And fro the body her soule to deuide Roâ—e her selfe throughout euery syde She wery was of her wofull life Seyng of Fortune the great frowardnes How her diffame and slaunder was so rife And of Edippus the great wretchednes Also of her sonnes the great vnkindnes All these thinges weyed on her so sore That for distresse she list to liue no more Bochas writeth concernyng her fayrenes Constraynt of sorow caused it to fade The famous light also of her noblesse And all the clearenes of her dayes glade With vnware harmes she was so ouer lade Of very anguyshe that she her selfe did hate So inly contrary disposed was her fate Thus death deuoureth with his bitter gall Ioye and sorow auoyde of all mercy And with his dart he maketh downe to fall Riche and pore them markyng sodaynly His vnware stroke smiteth indifferently From him refusyng fauour and all mede Of all estates he taketh so little hede Better is to dye than liue in wretchednes Better is to dye than euer lyue in payne Better is an ende than deadly heauines Better is to dye than euer in wo remayne And where y â— mischefe doth folke to coÌ„plaine By wofull coÌ„straynt of long coÌ„tinuaunce Better it is to dye thaÌ„ liue in suche greuauÌ„ce Taketh ensample hereof and a priefe Of kyng Edyppus that was so long ago Of quene Iocasta that felt so great mischiefe And of their children remember also Whiche euer liued in enuy sorow and wo. Fortune alas duryng all their dayes Was so frowarde to them at all assayes Touching Edippus processe finde I none What ende he made in conclusion Saue Bochas writ howe that kyng Creon Cosen and heyre by succession Exiled him chayned farre out of the towne Where he endured mischefe sorow and drede Tyll Attropos vntwyned his liues threde ☞ Lenuoy IN this tragedy thre thinges ye may se The pryde of Iabin false presumption Of quene Iocasta the great aduersitie Of kyng Edippus the inclinacion To vyces all and the diuision Of the two brethren playnly vs to assure Kyngdomes deuided may no while endure ☞ Omne regnum in se diuisum desolabitur For who sawe euer kyngdome or countrey Stande in quiete of possession But if there were ryght peace and equitie And iust accorde without discention Voyde of vntruth and false collusion â–ª Plainly declaryng by ensample and scripture Kingdomes deuided may no while endure Seeth here example of Thebes the citye And how that noble myghty region Through their frowarde false duplicitie With warre were brought to destruction Their promise broken their couert treason Shewed by their harmes ipossible to recure
wall Slewe fourtye M. the Cronycle ye maye se Of Affricans by vengeaunce full mortall And their constable called Hastruball Was slayne that day by him it is no doute That he most trusted next was him aboute And this whyle most manly of corage The worthy Tribune Publius Scipion By very force is entred in Cartage And sixe dayes as made is mencion He his knightes constrayned so the toun That dispaired with their deedly cheres They of the towne yelded them prisoneres Mekely requiryng vnto Scipion To receyue them in thys mortall rage That men women dwellyng in that toun With the cite sins yong and olde of age Myght abyde and lyue in seruage Vnder the Romains there was no better refute And yere by yere pay them a tribute And of Affrike that other Hastruball Whych among theÌ„ afore was crowned kyng Left his estate and his power royal Yelded hym prisonere humbly knelyng And his wyfe most pitiously weping Whan that she sawe her lorde taken so Ran in to fyre and brent her selfe for wo. Sixe and twenty thousande as I fynde Where led of women into captyuyte Thirty thousand of men came behinde Take prisoners in great aduersite And seuentene dayes brent that citye That in theyr walles was none so hard stone But to poudre it was brent anone And this was done breuely to conclude By the prowesse of Publyus Scipion Sold in seruage was a great multitude Their olde lordes led fettred to pryson Thys was of Cartage fynall distruccion On their coÌ„plaints Bocas abideth no whyle But into Grece turneth agayne hys style ☞ The .xiii. Chap. ⧠Howe kynge Perseus was by Romaynes outrayed and after take IN Lacedemoyne remembrynge on a kynge Called Perseus a full proude werryrour Claymyng a tytle vpon hym vsurpyng For to succede as trewe enherytour To gret AlisauÌ„dre most myghty conquerour Fully affirmyng agayne a certayne day He wyll be crowned maugre who sayth nay And his name to put in memory Cast in his persoÌ„ to renewe the prowesse Of kinge Alisaundre to encrease his glory To folowe his traces in knighthode nobles And fyrst of all of hasty wilfulnes That his conquest might sprede ferre Gan of purpose w t Romaines to haue werre But after this he was better auysed Whan he perceyued the Marcial apparayle Of the Romayns whereof he was agrised Wext aferde their noblesse to assayle Which aye were found victorious in battaile And where afore he had ben recheles Sent ambassatours w t them to treat of pees They had perceyued his presumpcion And howe he was proude and surquedous Sent a Consul with a great power doune The name of whome was Sulpicius Whych deedly hated the sayde Perseus Through rancour agayne him wext solayne Of his ambassade hauyng but disdayne And their partie for to fortify With their saide Consul Sulpicius They sent another experte in chiualry A Consul also Paulus Emylius Amonge Romains notable and famous And folowyng after the selfe same nyght The mone eclypsed fully of hir myght A clere token as made is mencion That kynge Perseus shoulde haue a sharpe shoure And that his lordship his region Shoulde be oppressed voide of al socour And that Macedons shuld haue no fauour Agayne the Romains togider whaÌ„ they met With rounde speares swordes sherpe whet â–ª The day of battaile to his encrease of glorye For the party of them of Rome toune There was a knyght that caused the victory Yonge freshe lusty that called was Caton Which brought their enemies to confusion For Macedonoys through his great might Outraied were Perseus put to flyght But Emplius the noble Consulere Sent a capitaine called Octauius To pursue after in costes ferre and nere The proude kyng the sayde Perseus And he was take for there was no rescus With his soÌ„nes that were in numbre twaine Philip Alisaundre the story is certaine Myne auctour telleth here of kinges many Thurty in numbre the first Gramaus Which haue reigned within Macedony And last of all was this Perseus The numbre of yeres Bochas wryteth thus Was nyne hundred as I remembre here Space of their reigning with .xxiiii. yere After translated was the region With al their yles vnto the obeysaunce Of them of Rome without excepcion To great lords that were of most puâ—saunce Abode there long vnder gouernaunce And Perseus discoÌ„late of chere Durynge his lyfe abode there prisoner The .xiiii. chapiter ¶ Howe the people of Achaia with their chefe citye Corinthe by Romains was distroied THus the lordeshyp weared out and spent Of Macedoyne as made is mencioÌ„ The two countreyes therto adiaceÌ„t That one Achaia a litle region And Spartonoyse goynge enuiron Myghty of people and of great substaunce In one confederate and of one alyaunce They were coÌ„ioyned both made al one By a maner faithful conuencion And whan the Romaines knew theÌ„ for their fone Hauinge their frendshyp in suspeccion They cast to make a disiunction Bytwene these laÌ„des in bread and length For thig dysceuered is weked of hys streÌ„gth Ordayned cytyes townes here yonder Wheron the Romayns gan make a decre That their lordshyppes shuld be set a sonder Whych made the people in euery great citie WhaÌ„ they knewe their subtylite To ryse at ones most cruel of their cheres And wold haue slaine y e Romayn messaÌ„gers And fynally by thys occasyon Romayns agayne them gan wexe furious Toke hardynes of their deuysion And a Consul called Meuius A manlye knyghte in armes full famous In to Achaya was from Rome sent It to distroy by great auysement They of Achaya by theyr negligence And by their frowarde wylful rechelesnes Of verye pride list make no diffence Thought them self wythout auisenesse Of power able and stronger in southnes Than were Romains verely in dede Thus were they stroyed afore or they tooke hede They stode in hope in their sturdines By that battayle to haue had greate pyllage Of the Romayns to haue won great ryches And for a pompe of wylful false dotage They toke theyr wiues womeÌ„ youÌ„g of age And set them vpon an hye mountayne That their maÌ„hode myght in the feld be seine Whan the Romains met them in battayle They dispurueyed and out of ordynaunce Slayn lyke beastes their power gan to faile Of froward pride recheles gouernaunce That Achaya was brought to mischaunce Women chyldren for sorowe almooste mad To lyue in seruage were to Rome lad Corinthe that tyme was their chefe cytye Distroyed by Romayns brought to ruyne Whych among cityes in Bocas ye may se Aboue all other dyd in honour shyne Of al Sciences there floured the doctrine And of craftes artificers most wyse Reken al the world ther was chefe marchauÌ„dise Thus vnwarly in their most noblesse Sittynge of fortune in the hygh stage They were distroied of treasour rychesse Brought to noughte by slanghter pyllage Their walles broke in that cruel rage And in that breÌ„nyng Bochas sayth the leuin Raught a great part vpwarde to the
Belset Tarquiniaine Fro him by force toke many a region Mesopotamie to his possession Toke by strong hand through his chiualry Maugre Diogenes almost all Surrye Belset Tarquiniā made him selfe so stronge By manly force Diogenes to assayle And for Diogenes thought he did him wrong He gan ordaine great stuffe and apparayle A day assigned they met in batayle Diogenes of froward auenture He his knightes brought to discomfyture Take he was brought by great disdayne In whom as tho there was no resistence To kinge Belset called Tarqumiaine And whan he came to his presence Against him was yeue this sentence To lie downe plat and that king Belset Should take his fote and on his throte set This was done for an hie dispite Diogenes brought forthe on a chayne Without reuerence fauour or respyte At great feastes assigned was his payne And alder last put out his eyen twayne The whele of fortune tourneth as a ball Sodayne clymbing asketh a sodayne fall The .xix. Chapiter ¶ How Robert duke of Normandy foughte with the Turkes was named to the crowne of Jerusalem and died at mischefe AWorthye Prynce spoken of in manye reem Noble Robert duke of Normandy Chose to the crowne of Jerusaleem But for cause he did it deny Fortune vnto him had enuy The same Robert next in ordre was That came to playne his fall vnto Bochas For Christes fayth this mighty champion This duke Robert armed in plate and maile With manly Godfray Godfray de Bollion Againe turkes fought a great batayle For Christes faythe that it should auaile To sustene the lawe in their entent To all the kinges of the Occident Of Turkes Sarazins was so gret a nōbre Gaine Christes law gadred in puissaunce The fayth of Christ falsly to encombre But there were made hasty ordinaunce By kinges of England Normandy Fraūce First to socour did their busy paine Godfray de Bollion y t was duke of Loraine Which on Sarazins made a discomfyture Maugre Turkes for all their great might In which battaile Christ made him recure The felde that day to supporte his right Where Robert was found so good a knight That for his noblesse by recorde of writyng Of Jerusalem was named to be king He assented nat to the election Bycause of new that he did vnderstande His elder brother for short conclusion Y called Willyam was dead in Englande Wolde in no wyse take y ◠crowne on hande Of Jerusalem but like a manly knight Came to Englande for to clayme his right And yet or he came he had knowledging His yonger brother called Henry Had vpon him take to be crowned kyng Tolde his lordes and princes fynally He was next heyre entred rightfully As enheritour to succede in that reem His brother being king of Jherusalem God wot the cause stode all in other wyse The said Robert duke of Normandye Purposed him by marciall emprise From his brother to take the regalye Toke his princes and his chyualrye Thought he wold like a manly knighte Arryue in England and reioyse his righte Both in one felde assembled on a day The brethren twayne ech w t strong party To darraine and make no delay Eche with other to holde champarty But whan these lordes the mischefe did espy They busied them and were nat recheles Atwene the bretherne to refourme pees The said bretherne were fully condiscended Vpon this poynt for shorte conclusien As in the accorde was iustly comprehended Henry to holde and haue possession During his life of al this region And Robert should haue for his party A summe of golde with all Normandy Thre thousande poūde put in remembraunce Eche yere to Robert sent fro his region Of which payment to make full assuraunce Was layde hostages as made is mencion But yet of new fyll a discencion Atwene the bretherne of hatred and enuy For a certaine castell y ◠stode in Normandy Which castell longed of heritage Vnto the kinges iurisdiction Of which the duke toke his auauntage Maugre the king and held possession Turned after to his confusion And whan the king this thing did espye With stronge hand came to Normandy Where the duke was layde a siege about Made ordinaunce to recure his right Gate the castell toke his brother out Emprisoned him of very force and might Left him alone out of all mennes sight Fourtene yere the cronicle writeth so There he died in mischefe and in wo. Whyle Bochas was busy in his labour His boke tacomplyshe with great diligence To him appered the great emperour Called Henry shewed his presence Gan complaine vpon great offence Done to him the mischefe and distresse By his sonnes great vnkyndnesse The which sonne was called eke Henry Greatly accused of ingratytude Cause he wrought so disnaturally Toke his father with force and multitude Entreated him boysteously and rude And afterward there gayned no raunson At great mischefe he dyed in pryson The .xx. Chapiter How Joceline prince of Rages for pryde slouth and lechery dyed in pouerte NExt in ordre with trist ded visage ▪ Vnto Bochas to shew his heuines Came Jocelyne lord and prince of Rage Which is a cite famous of ryches And this prince mine auctor bereth witnesse Was greatly yeue to slouth and slogardy And all his lust he set in lechery Left his lordshyp out of gouernaunce For lacke of wisdome and discrecion In fleshly lust set all his plesaunce And of the countreis about him enuyron He was nat had in reputacion Certayne princes mine auctor doth discryue Of his lordshyp cast him to depriue Amonge whiche the prince of Alapy Called Sanguyne the story who lyst se To Joceline hauing great enuy Layde a siege to Rages the cite He beyng absent ferre from that countre And thus for slouthe wylful neglygence Rages was take by mighty violence And Joceline commaunded to prison To him fortune was so coutrarious Lost his lordshyp and dominacion Lo here the fyne of folkes vicious Slowe delicat proude and lecherous Dyed in pouerte in mischefe and in nede Of vicious princes lo here the fynall mede The .xxi. Chapiter ¶ Howe the emperour Andronicus slewe all that were of the blode royal cheryshed vicious people and after was hanged AS very heire here and trewe successour By election and also by lynage Came Andronicus lorde and emperour Of Constantinople crowned king of age Next to Bochas with trist and pale vysage Beseching him to do his busy cure To remembre his woful auenture Amonge grekes by story and scripture This Andronicus gouerned nat aright Againe lawe and eke agayne nature Founde with his suster fleshly on a night Bothe of assent toke them to the flight Agayne him his cosyn was so fell Lorde of that countre called Emanuell For a time stode as a man exiled For his discēcions many an vncouth strife By his princes after reconsiled Standing in hope he should amende his lyfe But in the tyme that he was fugitife He was made lorde stode so for a whyle Reignyng
the name of king Siculus Trinacry a countre merueylous Toke first his name of famous hylles thre The chefe of them is called Peâ—orus The next Pathmus the third Lyllybe Not ferre from Ethua the sayd hilles be Beside a sea full perilous and ylle With two dangers Caribdis and Scille The sayd Lewes kyng of Jerusalem And of Cecile the boke maketh mencion Which was chased and put out of his realme By another Lewes and put down Ended in pouerte for short conclusion This last Lewes of pite dyd hym grace Tyl he died to haue a dwellyng place The .xxxviii. Chapter How king John of Fraunce at Poyters was taken prisoner by prince Edwarde and brought into Englande NExt of all and last of euerychone Cursyng Fortune with all her variaunce Makyng hys complaynt to Bochas came king John Tolde his tale how he was take in Fraunce By priÌ„ce Edward for all his great puissauÌ„ce And after with strong and mighty hand He was fro Poyters brought into England Afore distroyed his castels and his townes And ouerthrowen manly in battayle His princes slayne theyr baners penouns Nor brode standers might them not auayle The trace out sought spoiled of plate maile Maugre his might kiÌ„g John was prisoner In England after abode full many a yere Set afterwarde to full great raunson The worthy slayne on the Frenche party The same time in Brutes Albyon There floured in suche noblesse chyualry With high prudence and prudent policy Mars and Mercury aboue eche nacion Gouerned that tyme Brutus Albion Mars for knighthode theyr patron i batraile And Mynerua gaue them influence Meynt with brightnesse of plate mayle To stour in clergye and in hie prudence That prince Edward by marciall violence That day on liue one the best knight Brought home kinge John maugre all hys might Though Bochas gaue him fauour by laÌ„gage His heart enclined to that partye Which vnto him was but small auauntage Worde is but winde brought in by enuye For to hinder the famous chiualrye Of English meÌ„ ful narow he gan him thinke Left speare shelde fought with pen ynke Though the sayd Bochas floured in Poetry His parcial writyng gaue no mortal wouÌ„de Caught a quarell in his melancoly Which to his shame afterward did rebounde In conclusion lyke as it was founde Agayne king John a quarel gan to take Cause that he would of English men be take Helde them but small of reputacion In his report men may hys writyng see His fantasy nor hys opinon Stode in that case of none authorite Their kiÌ„g was take their knightes did flee Wher was Bochas to helpe theÌ„ at such nede Saue with his pen he made no man to blede Of right wisnesse euery croniculer Should in his writyng make no exception Indifferently conuey his matter Not be perciall of none affection But gyf the thanke of mortal guerdon Hys style in order so egally obserued To euery party as they haue deserued Laude of king John was that he abode In that he quit hym like a manly knight His lordes slayne some away they rode Most of his meyny toke them to the flight This iourney take for king Edwardes right The feelde y wonne haue this in memory Trouthes hold hath gladly the victory Of king John what should I write more Brought to this land with other prisoners Vpon which the realme complayned sore By rehearsayle of olde Croniclers Died in England within a fewe yeres Led home agayne after theyr writynges Lieth at S. Denys with other kinges ⧠Lenuoye OF Bochas boke the last tragedye Compendiouslye put in remembraunce How prince Edwarde w t his chiualrye Fought at Poiters w t king John of FrauÌ„ce And through his mighty Marciall puysauÌ„ce GrouÌ„ded his quarell vpon his fathers right Toke him prisoner ful like a manly knight By collusion kyng John dyd occupye Set out of order the royall aliaunce Scepter and crowne with all the regalye Was down desceÌ„ded to Edward iÌ„ substauÌ„ce CoÌ„ueyed y e brauÌ„ches by lineall concordaunce For which title grounded vpon right Prince Edward fought like a manly knight His clayme and quarel more to fortify In token y â— god his quarel would auaunce Discomfiture was made on that party Vpon kyng John by violent vtraunce An heauenly signe by influent purueyaunce Sent from aboue to shew Edwardes right For which y e priÌ„ce fought like a maÌ„ly knight Noble princes your heartes do applye Justly to way this matter in balaunce All thing paysed ye mâ— it not denye If ye consider euery circumstaunce In right Judges may be no variaunce The fielde dâ—rreyued deme who hath right For whiche y e priÌ„ce fought like a maÌ„ly knight Thing of assent put in ieopardy And committed to Gods ordinaunce There may be after no contrauersy Atwene party quarel nor distaunce Who shal reioyse in this case stode Fraunce Sith at Poyters declaring who hath right PriÌ„ce Edward fought like a manly knight ¶ Here Bochas maketh a rehearsayl how Fortune hath made highe estates vnwarely to discende LEt folke of wisdom coÌ„sider in their wit Gather vp a sum count in theyr reason To all estates how Fortune hath her quit To popes prelates gyn first in Rome town To cardinals most souerayne of renown When they sat hiest coude them not defende Agayn Fortune by no proivsion But with a turne she made them to diseend After in order call to remembraunce The state imperial of famous emperours Which as Appollo through theyr puyssaunce Theyr fame vp blow to Jupiters tours And forget not these olde conquerours Aboue Mercury cast them to ascende Tyl that fortune with her frowarde shours Most sodaynly made them to discende Kinges and princes of diuers regions In Asye Europe Affrike and Cartage Of Ethiope the marciall champions Monsters of Inde hydous of visage Athlas Hercules iÌ„ their most furious rage Against whose might no man coude hiÌ„defeÌ„de What folowed from their hyest stage Fortune vnwarely made them to discende Priestes prelates well fed fat persons And patriarkes that had great soueraynte Reken vp religioÌ„s w t al their brode crownes Byshops abbottes confyrmed in their see Beholde of fortune the mutabylite Seculere chanons w t many great prebende whan they sate hyghest in their felycite Howe sodaynly she made them to discende All y t is written is written to our doctryne One courbeth lowe another gothe vpright Some be vicious some in vertue shyne Phebus now clipsed soÌ„tyme shyneth bright Somtyme cloudy somtyme sterlight Some folke appayre some dothe amende Shew of Fortune the power the might One goth vpward another doth discende Some man holy encreaseth in vertue Another rechelesse of frowarde wilfulnesse One is perfit and stable in Christ Jesu Another braydeth vpon frowardnesse One encreaseth with treasour richesse Who list thriue to labour must attende Maugre the world Fortunes doublenesse Doth one arise another doth discende One is busy and setteth ail his labour Early to aryse his good to multiply Another spendeth and is a great wastouâ— Some tre is barayn some tre doth fructifye One can say sothe another can well lye One can gather another can dispende Vnto fortune this matter dothe applye She maketh one to arise another to disceÌ„de All these matters combined into one Of which this boke maketh mencion Voyde the wede of vertue take the corne As reason teacheth in your discrecion And for to make a short conclusion In a brefe summe this b 〈…〉 o comprehende Fortunes whele by reuolâ—â—ion Doth one clymbe vp another to discend ☞ The wordes of the translatour W 〈…〉 letters leues this lytell boke treÌ„bling Pray to the prince to haue on the pyte Vâ—â—â—e of all picture and enlumynyng Wâ—â—â—h hast of Cicero no curious dyte 〈◊〉 of his gardayne no floures of beaute 〈…〉 graunt grace thy rudenesse nat offende 〈…〉 hygh noblesse and magnanymyte 〈…〉 s presence whan thou shalt ascende And for my parte of one hert abyding 〈…〉 de of chaunge and mutabylite 〈◊〉 present this boke with hand shakyng Of hole affection knelyng on my kne Praying the lord one two and thre Whose magnificence no clerke may coÌ„preheÌ„de Sende you might grace and prosperite Euer in vertue to encreace and ascende To kisse y â— steppes of theÌ„ that were furtheriÌ„g Laureat poetes whiche had soueraynte Of eloquence to supporte thy makyng And pray all tho that shall this processe se In thyne excuse that they lyst to be And where it is amysse for to amende Set thy grounde vpon humylite Vnto their grace that thou mayst ascende In a shorte clause thy content rehersyng As one vp clymbeth to great prosperite So another by experte knowlegyng From great rychesse is brought to pouerte Alas O boke what shall I say of the Thy tragedyes thrugh all y â— worlde to sende Go forthe I pray excuse thy selfe and me Who loueth most vertue highest shal ascende Blacke be thy wede of coÌ„playnt mourniÌ„g Called fall of princes from their felycite Lyke Chaunteplure now singing nowe weping Wo after myrth next ioy aduersyte So entremedled there is no suerte Lyke as this boke doth prayse coÌ„prehende Nowe on the whele now set in lowe degre Who will encreace by vertue must ascende The ende of Bochas Volumes
Andriscus of low byrth borne hauyng no tytle became kinge of Macedone was taken died in prison The xxiiii ca. Howe Alisander Ballas kyng of Surry for extorcion pride vnkyndnes dyed at mischefe with a Lenuoy The xxv chap. Bochas agaynst the rebellions and sedicions in Rome betwene Tribunes and the commons The .xxvi. chapter Howe the wyfe of â—asdrubal brent her selfe and her children The .xxvii. chapter Of Machabeus Jonathas taken by the kyng of Surry The xxviii ca. How Demetrius the seconde lost at the last his head The .xxix. cha Howe zebenna kyng of Surry by intrusion entrynge had a mischeuous endynge The .xxx. Chapter How Bitynctus kyng of Auergnoyes by the Romaynes was taken and died in prison The .xxxi. chapter Howe the tyraunt Euergetes wedded quene Cleopatra and howe he slewe her sonne exiled hys wyfe wedded her doughter The .xxxii. chapter How Jugurtha by intrusion was king of Numidy slew the ryghtfull heires and howe he was after drowned hym selfe with a Lenuoy The .xxxiii. chap. Thus endeth the table with the chapters of the fifth boke and here foloweth the table of the syxt boke which contayneth seuentene chapters BOchas syttynge in his studye all alone wryteth a great processe how Fortune like a monstruous ymage hauyng an Câ—haÌ„des appeared vnto him and spake and Bochas vnto her makynge betwene them manye great argumentes reasons of Fortunes chaunces Leaf .cxxxiiii. In y e first chapter of the syxt boke Fortune rehearseth her condicions vnto Bochas she wynge hym howe she hath many one enhaunsed for a tyme and anone after she hath them sodaynly ouerthrowen Howe Gayus Marius of lowe byrthe borne came to hie estate which blent with couetyse after many great batayls dyed at mischefe The seconde chap. Howe kynge Mithridate abode seuen yere in wyldernesse and had great tourmentes bothe on sea and land by hys blode brought to vttraunce and howe he slewe hym selfe with a sworde with a Lenuoye Howe Eucradites kyng of Sithie was slayne by Demetrius and after hys carrayne cast to houndes The .iiii. chapter Howe Herodes king of Parthoys warred with the Romayns whiche after hys sonne and heyre was slayne made his bastarde sonne kynge that anone after slewe hys father The fifth chapter Howe Fimbria a consull of Rome slew hym selfe The syxt chapter Of Albinius that was slayne with stones The seuenth chapter Howe Adrian borne of lowe degre falslye vsurped to be kyng of Rome whych w t his churles was after brent The eyghte chapter Howe Sinthonius king of Trace y â— all coueited all forwent and died in pouerte The .ix. chapter Bochas in briefe sentence maketh a discription of the kyngdome of Trace and pasleth ouer lyghtlye vnto the accomplishment of hys boke The tenth chapter Howe after manye great conquestes of duke Pompey there beganne great warre betwene hym and Julius and how there were thre hundred thousande slayne and at the laste the head of Pompey smyt of with a Lenuoy The .xi. chapter Howe the noble Julius Cesar brent the vessel of Tholome sloughe Achyllas that woulde haue murdred hym and after hys great victoryes he hym selfe was slayne wyth bodkyns by Brutus Cassius The twelfth chapter Howe y â— last Scipion coÌ„sulere of Rome for he woulde not lyue in seruage of Julius roue hym selfe to the hearte wyth a Lenuoye The thirtene chapter How Octauian succeded next and how the murdrers of Julius dyed at mischefe The fourtene chapter Howe Tullius was two tymes exiled and at last slaine by Pompilius The fyftene chapter A chapter agayne ianglers and diffamers of rethorike The sixtene chap. Howe Sextus warred agayne Triumuir and of the death of great Anthony and Cleopatras The seuententh chap. Thus endeth the table wyth the Chapters of the syxte boke â–ª and here foloweth the table of the seuenth boke which contayneth xi chapters OF Antony sonne heire to the great Antony and of Cesarius Julia Agrippa Cassius and Galbus The fyrst chapter How the tyraunt Herodes slew his wyfe and children and afterwarde hym selfe died at michefe with a Lenuoy The ii chap. Of Antipas exiled by Octauian and of Archelaus sonne of Herodes the seconde The thyrde Chapter Of the strife betwene Calligula Tiberius and Messalyne The thirde chap. Of the moste vicious and cruell tyrant Nero that slew Peter and Paule and last of all hym selfe with a Lenuoy The fyfth Chapter How Eleazarus a Jewe borne for extorcion and robbery was brought into prison and there ended The syxe chapt Howe the heade of Galba was smitten of fylled full of golde and offred at the sepulture of Nero. The seuenth chapter How Occho and Vitellius for glotony lechery ribaudy and tyrannye ended mischeuously The eyght chapter Bochas complayneth agayne the foule vyce of glotony The nynth chap. A chapter diseriuyng the golden worlde that is to saye whan temperaunce had the gouernaunce with a Lenuoy The x. chap. How the kinred of Jacob was distroied Christ borne crucified JerusaleÌ„ distroyed and xi hundred M. slayne by sworde hungre fyre pestilence The xi chapter Thus endeth the table with the chapters of y â— seuenth boke and here foloweth the table of the eyghte boke whiche contayneth xxvii chapters The table of the eyght boke THe Prologne of the translatour The first chapter of the eyght boke expoundeth howe the proude tyraunt Domician emperour of Rome and manye other emperours nobles for their great outrage and wretchednesse ended mischeuouslye Howe Gallyen sonne of Valerian was slayne The seconde chapter How Quintilius was murdred by women The thyrde chapter Of Aurelian in Denmarke borne The fourth chapter Howe Probus discomfited the Romaynes and after was slayne The fyfth chap. Howe Clarus and hys two sonnes were mischeued The syxt chapter How the noble Queene zenobia fought with Aurelian and howe she was take The seuenth chapter Howe Galerius oppressed martyrs and christes fayth and of his mischeuous end The eyght chapter How Maxence the emperour enemye to Christes fayth ended mischeuouslye The nynth chapter How Lucinius enemy to Christes faith was slayne The tenth chapter Of Constantine and Crispus and how Dalmacius was slayne The eleuenth ca. Of the brethren Constaunce and Constancius and how Magnencius Decius murdred them selues The twelfth chapter Howe Constantine baptised by Siluester was cured of his lepry The xiii chap. Howe Julian Apostata enemy to Christes fayth by false illusion was chosen emperoure and after slayne The fourtenth Chapter Howe the emperour Valence slewe holye hermites shed thristen bloude distoyed churches and after was brent him selfe The fiftene chapter Of kyng Amasicius and howe Gracian and Theodosy distroyed temples of false goddes and howe Gracian was putte to flyght The syxtene chapter A goodly processe howe Theodosy with prayer and small numbre gate the victorye of a great numbre The seuentene chapter How knightes and gentle men chase Alerike kyng and howe the commons chase Radagassus which had a mischeuous end The eyghtene chapter Howe Ruffyn chamberlayne with Theodosy vsurped to be Emperour for hys
euidens playne That of elde no token shoulde be seyne In all his membres as lusty and entere As was a lambe eyned of one yere And here vpon in suche sleyghty wise She began a processe of full false treason The sisters made vpon the lambe to practise Drewe out his bloude like her enteneton And she by craft of false illusion Blent their eyen by apparaunce in vayne The olde Ram to seme a lambe agayne Thus Medea by her sleyght compassyng Of enuy and venemous hatred Excited hath the sisters in workynge Ayenst their father mortally to procede w t sharpe kniues thei made their father blede Amiddes the hart throughout euery vayne Supposyng the sely sisters twayne That Pelleus renued shoulde be To youth ayen of force and of substaunce But finally by treason of Medee He lost his life suche was his wofull chaūce She this wrought onely for vengeaunce As rote and grounde of this cruell dede Ayenst the nature of all womanhede Supposyng in her opinion That the death greatly shoulde please Of Pellius vnto her lorde Iason Through great encrease set his hart at ease But it rebounded vnto his disease That finally Iason her forsoke For her offence and he his way toke Into Corynth to the kynge Creon Whose daughter Creusa for her great beauty Was afterwarde wedded to Iason But whā this wedding was knowē to Mede Cast she woulde theron auenged be Began to conspyre of malice and enuy And through her magyke and her forcery In full great haste gan to ordayne A little coffer onely of entent And by her yonge fayre sonnes twayne With other iewels she hath it sent Vnto Creusa makyng a present Whiche of malyce she list to dispose That whan Creusa the coffer did vnclose The fyre brast out a full large space Brent Creusa by full great vyolence Set a fyre playnely all the place By enchauntment there was no resistence All went a fire that was in her presence By vengeaunce did full great domage But whan Iason this fire sawe in his rage And considered the malice of Medee Thought he woulde do execution For to punishe the great iniquitie Ayenst him compassed of treason For she of vengeaunce ayenst all reason After that Creusa consumed was and brent Her owne sounes whylom that she sent Without ruth or womanly pitye She falsly murdred the children that she bare Like a stepmother auenged for to be Cut their throtes or that they were ware Ayenst nature there was none other spare But for hatred she had vnto Iason After this murder she fled away anone So escapyng his indignation By craft of magike she went at libertie To Athens and in that region She wedded was vnto the kyng Ege Not longe after a sonne by him had she The which child mine auctour telleth thus After Medea called was Medus After whose name the famous region Ynamed was which called is Mede But folowyng euer her olde condicion This Medea voyde of shame and dread Compassed hath of wilfull false hatred That Theseus the sonne of kyng Ege With newe poyson shall deuoured be But Theseus full like a manly knyght In repayryng home to his countrey Of high prudence aspied anone ryght The mortall vengeaunce the great crueltie Of this stepmother whiche of enmitie Concluded hath in her entencion Him to destroy vnwarely with poyson Her hart of malice cruell and horrible As she that was with treason euer alied Whan that she sawe her purpose moste odible By king Egeus fully was aspied She hath her hart and wittes newe applied As in their bokes poetes haue compiled Ayen to Iason to be reconciled She fled away for feare of Theseus Lest he would done on her vengeaunce And finally as writeth Ouidius And morall Seneke concludeth in sentaunce In his tragedies makyng remembraunce Howe Medea like as poetes sayne Vnto Iason restored was agayne Touchyng the ende of their furious discorde Poetes make therof no mencion Neither tell no meane how they fyll accord But if it were by incantation Whiche so well coulde turne vp so down Sondry thinges of loue and of hatred And in Bochas of her no more I read Saue whan she had fulfilled her purpose Mine aucthour telleth that Iason Mede Restored haue ayen vnto Colchos Her father Oetes and from his pouertie Brought him ayen into his royall see And to his crowne by force they him restore Touching his ende of him find I no more Thus his fortune hath turned to and fro First like a kyng hauyng ful great riches After liuyng in pouertie and wo Sythen restored to his worthines Thus euer sorow is meint with gladnes Who can aduert in all worldly thing Record of Mynos the noble worthy kyng To whom I must now my style dresse Folowyng the traces of Bochasius The wiche Mynos as Ouid doth expresse Touchyng his byrth he writeth playnly thus That he was manly wise and vertuous Sonne by discent of Iupiter the great And of Europa borne to be heyre of Crete And of his person wonders delitable Full renowined of wisdome and science By diuers titles of laude commendable Of byrth of bloud of knighthode prudence For by his study and entyre diligence He founde first lawes grounded on reason Wherby of Crete the famous region Gouerned was and set in stablenes All iniuries and wronges to reforme Made statutes extorcions to represse Of right wisenes they toke the first forme And that eche man shoulde him conforme Like their degrees subiect and souerayne That no man had a matter to complayne He made his lieges to liue in quiete Cleare shinyng in his royall noblesse With sword and sceptre sittyng in his sete And while he floured in his worthines He toke a wife of excellent fayrenes Doughter to Phebus in Bochas ye may se And she was called faire Pasiphae And her father by record of writyng In his time was holden full famous Of the yle of Rhodes he was lorde and kyng And in his dayes of port full glorious Right proude in armes and victorious Takyng witnes of Methamorphoseos His daughter had thre children by Mynos The first a sonne called Androge And afterward full faire daughters twayne Ryght goodly and womanly on to se But like as fortune did for them ordayne They felt them selues in trouble and in payn The one called Ariadne Phedra the other Folowyng their fate it might be none other Androgeus by kyng Mynos was sent For he should profite in cleargy To Athens of vertuous entent There to study in philosophy And for he began to encrease and multiply And passe all other by study in learnyng And to excell his felowes in cunnyng They of enuy and false malice alas Made ayenst him a conspiration And from a pinacle sacred to Pallas Of ful great heigth thei made him tūble doun For which iniury Bochas maketh mencion His father Mynos auenged for to be Layed a great power about the citie He cast him fully y ◠no man shoulde him let But that he woulde do cruelly vengeaunce And
dresse To entre the water plainly if she mighte For very shame her selfe for to shroude And whan the goddes thereof had a sight They turned her as they y ◠might coude In to a quaile for to sing loude Her father Nisus they dyd also transmewe In to a sparhauke the quaile to pursue This was the ende of Nisus Scille And afterwarde of Athenes the toune Was yelded vp to stande at the will Of kinge Minos with this condicion Euery yere by reuolucion They of the citie should not delay Nyne of theyr chyldren for a tribute paye This was by Minos the imposicion Vpon Athenes and of very drede They obeyed as made is mencion And their children yere by yere they lede In to Crete the Minotaur to fede Vnto this monstre ordeyned for repast Which at their cōming deuoured were in hast But or that I forther do procede In this mater I wyl do my cure To declare if ye lyst to take hede Of this monstre to tell the engendrure Vncouth to heare and ayenst nature For by the writynge of Ouidius Thys vgly beaste was engendred thus In Methamorphoseos the maner ye may se. Minos had a bulle of greate fayrenes White as milke and the quene Pasiphae Loued him so hote the story bereth wytnes And Dedalus dyd his busines By subtell craft and made his gynnes so That ayenst kinde with her he had to do And conceyued a beast monstruous That was departed halfe bull halfe man And as the poete by writinge techeth vs Of al Minotaures thus the name began And Dedalus not longe after whan This mōstre was by the quene forth brought This subtle workmā hath an house ywroght Called Laberinthus diuers and vncouth Full of wrynkels and of straungenes Vgly to knowe which is north or south Or to what parte a man should hym dresse Folkes were there blent w t furious derknes Who that entred his retourne was in veyn Wythout a clewe for to resort ageyn Of Minotaurus thys was the habitacle Lyke a prison made for turmentry For dampned folke a paynefull tabernacle For all that lay there in ieoperdy The monstre must deuoure them and defy And specially was ordayned thys turment For all that were doun from Athenes sent But in this mater some folke vary And afferme how that quene Pasiphae Of kyng Minos loued a secretarye Called Taurus in Bochas ye may se And thus the kinge for all his ryalte Disceiued was for who may any whyle Him selfe preserue where women lyst begile◠For by this Taurus Bochas bereth witnes Quene Pasiphae had a childe full faire Minos not knowing by no likenes But the childe was borne to be his heire His trust was good he fell in no dispaire For some husbandes as poetes haue cōpiled Whych most assure rathest ben begiled Innocentes can not deme amys Namely of wiues that ben founde true Clerkes may write but doutles thus it is Of their nature they loue nothynges newe Stedfast of hert they chaunge not their hew Haukes best preued sūtime a chek can make Yet for a faute the foule is not forsake Of this mater wryte I wyll nomore But aye the tribute and seruage of the toun Procedeth forth they cōstreyned were so sore Lyke as their lot turned vp and doun For there was made none excepcion Of high ne lowe neyther soure ne swete But as it fell they were sent into Crete The statute was so inly rigorous They toke their sort as it came aboute Tyll at the last it fell on Theseus That he mought go forth amonge the route Kyng Egeus son beynge in great dout Touchig his life which might not be socored But that he must wyth other be deuoured Which Theseus for hys worthynesse And of his knighthode for hys great encrese Through manly force and for his prowes Somtyme was called the seconde Hercules Among Amasones he put hym selfe in prese Wedded Ipolita as bokes specifye The hardy quene called of Feminye And afterwarde to Thebes he is gone Holpe the ladyes in especiall Which that cōpleined vpon the king Creon Which thē distroubled lyke their estate rial To holde and halowe the festes funerall Of their lordes quenes and princesses Of wifely truth to she we their kyndnesses For whan thys duke the maner had sene And of Creon the great iniquite To the ladyes he made deliuer ayene The lordes bones of ruth and of pyte Yet in his youth out of this cite He was deliuered by statute ful odible To be deuoured of this beast horrible He gothe to prison for all his semelynesse As the statute felly dyd ordeyne But of ruth and tender gentylnes Hym to preserue from that deedly payne Of king Minos y e goodly doughters twaine Ariadne shope a remedie And feire Phedra that he shoulde not dye Through their helpe he hath y ◠mōstre slaine That was dredful and vgly for to se By them he scaped whereof he was ful faine Led them wyth hym towarde his countre And by the waye deuoyde of all pyte Ariadne ful falsely he hath forsake Ayenst his suraunce Phedra he hath take In myddes the sea he left her in an yle Towardes no partye she knewe no declyne She wepeth she crieth alas the hard while For of her fate thys was the mortall fyne That for pite Bachus the god of wyne Toke her to wife whose croune of stones fine Doth nowe in heauen with .ix. sterres shyne Thus of Theseus ye may beholde and se To Ariadne the great vnstedfastnes The great vntruth the mutabilite The broke assuraunce the newe fanglenes But sely women kepe their stedfastnes Euer vnfouled saue sumtyme of theyr kinde They must thē puruey whan men be vnkind Of Theseus I can no more nowe sayne In this matter to make of hym memory But to kynge Minos I wyll resort againe To tell howe fortune euer false transitory In what poyntes defaced hath his glory Fyrst of eche one Bochas doth specifye Of Pasiphae the foule aduoutry Which was his wyfe stode well his grace To his pleasaunce she was most soueraine But a cloude of a small trespare Made her lorde at her disdayne But he of wysdome bare preuily his paine For in suche case this is my sentence Let prudent husbandes take them to paciēce On other thynges Mynos gan also cōplaine Hauynge in hert thereof full great greuaūce That he so lost his fayre doughters twayne And Minotaurus slayne wyth mischaunce Also to hym it was a great greuaunce That Theseus was gone at liberte And from all tribute deliuered hys cite It greued him also in countinaunce there That Theseus Ariadne forsoke It liked him also not the manere Vnto his wyfe that he Phedra toke And yet thys Phedra lyke as sayth my boke Had two sonnes by this Theseus First Demophoon and next Antiochus Also Theseus after gan hym drawe Towarde Cecile in stele armed clene With Peritheus in armes his felawe For to rauyshe Proserpina the quene But of entent Phedra ful vnclene Loued her
he came to nought His renowne sprade through many a reme And all people gan hym magnifye A siege he layed vnto Jerusalem In the tyme of kyng Sedechye But in hys most frowarde surquedy Gods aungell tofore the citye An hundred M. slough of his meyny And the more to make hym aferde Amyd of hys people the selfe same nyght Gods aungell shoue away his berde With a sharpe sworde that shone full bryght Left hys siege and toke hym vnto flyght And in a temple hys gods worshyppynge Slough him selfe as he sate knelyng ¶ The .xxi. Chapter ¶ How king Sedechy as for false for swearyng was slayne and made blinde in pryson TOuching y â— coÌ„playnt of kyng Sedechy And of his sorowes to shew y â— manere Holy write doth clerely specify Wherfore it were but vayne to tell them here For there men the processe may playnly lere How Joachim kyng of Jerusalem His owne brother was led out of his reame Wherof in hart he felt full great sore This Sedechias as it is there founde Because the kyng Nabugodonosor His brother helde strong in pryson bounde Fully in purpose the Jewes to confounde For this tyrant had in that mortall strife His bothers children in pryson and his wyfe And yet this tyrant in his tyranny This fauour did in his fell rage Vnto this most wofull Sedechy To suffer him rayne in his great age From yere to yere to pay him a truage By fayth and othe â–ª and composition Raysed of his people and brought to Babilon Yet Sedechias in especiall By a maner of false felicitie Hym selfe reioysed in his see royall To occupy that noble dignitie And so forgate the great aduersitie Of his brother and other frendes all Touching the mischefe that they were in fall Of pryde he fell into presumption Whan he remeÌ„bred his brother his lynage Considered how fro kyng Salomon He was discended by title of heritage Gan disdayne to pay his truage And to maligne in hart he was so wrothe And falsly brake his assuraunce and his othe He had a maner indignacion Whiche he caught of olde remembraunce How tyme passed to kyng Salomon By hys manly prudent gouernaunce Kinges about for a recognisaunce Payed trybute and durst it not wythsay Fro yere to yere his nobles to obay Whiche thing remembred of kyng Sedechiâ— As he wext great stronge in puissaunce Of hye disdayne his tribute gan denye Set aside his fayth and assuraunce So that his othe stode in no substaunce For he agaynst the kyng of Babilon Presumptuously fyll in rebellion And his kyngdome to strength and fortify Thought he woulde to his aduauntage The kyng of Egypt haue on his party Of pryde he fell into so great outrage That he no more woulde pay his truage But fynally suche wayes he hath sought That of his othe little he ne rought But wo alas it is a dolefull thing To be remembred in hye or lowe degre That any prynce or any worthy kyng Should false his othe or vntrue be Or that men should suche variaunce se In their courages whiche ben so hye borne For any cause falsly to be forsworne By reporte it dothe their fame trouble Infortuneth and clipseth their nobles Whan a prince is of his heste double And chargeth not of wilfull rechlesnes Al be his promisse conclude on doublenes Though god awhile suffer them and respite At vnset houre their falsenes he will quyte His warnyng oft he sent to them afore Because they lackt prudent policy Recorde I take of Nabugodonosor Whiche came vnware on kyng Sedechye For he his tribute gan falsely him denye With all his power as it did abrayed To Jerusalem a mighty siege layed They within constrayned were of nede The kyng him self there was no better defeÌ„ce With mans fleshe his people for to fede While the Caldeys by mighty vyolence Of very force without resistence On false forswearyng for to take wreke Their mighty towers their walles breke To slea and kyll they list none to spare Who soeuer they met or came in their â—ight Sedechias left the towne all bare But take he was as he him toke to flyght In chaynes bounde and fettred anone ryght In whose preseÌ„ce tencrease his paines anone His yonge children were slayne euerichone His wyues most wofull in their cheres Whiche in their tyme goodly were and fayre Deliuered were in handes of straungeres And more alas to put him in dispayre Into his kyngdome neuer to haue repayre With sharpe tonges it was to great a payne Out of his head was rent his eyen twayne Of Jerusalem his citye was brent Playne to the grounde into ashes dede His great riches his treasour wholy sent To Babilon with stones blewe and rede Vessels of golde whiche richest were in dede Without mercy or remission Caldeis toke to their possession And thus in sorowe and in wretchednes He dyed alas fettred in pryson Lo here the ende of periury and falsenes Lo how fortune can turne vp so doun Of mortall men the condicion Now richest shynyng in hye prosperitie With vnware chauÌ„ge to hatefull pouertie Now men lift vp to royall dignities Now hye aloft by fulsum aboundaunce But what auayleth to syt in royall sees To folke that haue therin none assuraunce â–ª Namely whan fortune holdeth the balaunce Whiche aye of custome vnto hye estates Hath a false ioy to shewe her checkmates Recorde I take of prynces more then one Their wofull fates hangyng in ieopardy Remembred late and amonge eche one The wofull fall of kyng Amazie His sonne eke lepre whiche called was Ozie And last of all how in Babylon Kyng Sedechias dyed in pryson ¶ Lenuoy NOble prynces consider the fallas Of fortunes frowarde flattery Sith her disceits in many diuers caas How she first mocked manly Amazy Whiche slayne was for his surquedy To yeue you warning by exaÌ„ple ye may rede WhaÌ„ ye sit hyghest your fall is most to drede And as it is remembred in Bochas Eke in the Bible of king Ozie In his time how famous that he was Bothe of ryches and of chyualry Punished with lepre bokes specify For his presuming remeÌ„bryng this in dede Whan ye syt highest your fall is most to drede All worldly glory flyeth â—ence a pas I take wytnes of kyng Sedechye For false forsweryng he slayne was alas Made blynde in pryson the story can not lye Thus sheweth fortune through her frowarde enuy To you prynces if ye list take hede WhaÌ„ ye sit hyest your fal is most to drede ¶ The .xxii. Chapter ☞ How kyng Astiages laboured to disherite Cyrus but god suffred his malice not to preuayle AFter these kinges one folowed in y â— prees And to Bochas his coÌ„platâ—t can discure He was called the great Astiages Whiche tolde in order his vncouth auenture Lorde of Asye as bokes vs assure And had of treasure duryng all his life Aboue all kynges a prerogatyfe Most fortunate in all his gouernayle Felt of fortune none aduersitie Saue an heyre male nothing did him fayle
lyst not in no maner wyse Againe the lawe to be fauourable But assented parcel for couetyse Vpon Remus to be more vengeable Of thys entent to make his reigne stable That he alone myght gouerne non other By no clayme brought in by his brother And that the people shuld thē more delite There to abyde and haue possession As olde auctours of Romulus do write Within the boundes of the same toun That he deuised by great prouision In compas rounde so croniclers compyle A teritory that called was Asyle This Asylum by Romulus deuised Was a place of refuge and socours Like a theatre with liberties fraunchised For to receiue all forayne trespasours Theues murdrers wayliggers robbours By great resort within the walles wide To foster all brybers y ◠durst no where abide And with fled people fro diuers regions The citye gan to encrease and multiplye And banished folke of straunge nacions To finde refuge thither gan them hye And thus by processe gan their chiualry First through tyrantes retcheles of workyng Till all the world obeyed their biddyng Of wilfull force without title of right They brought all people vnder subiection A claime they made by violence and might And toke no hede of trouth nor reason And the first auctour of their foundation Was Romulus that gathered all this route Within the citye and walled it about And many day as made is mencion He had this citye in his gouernaunce And was the first kyng crowned in that toun And raigned there by continuaunce Full many yeres till the variaunce Of fortune through her false enuye In Campania made him for to dye Vpon a day whan it gan thunder loude His name foreuer to be more magnified Some bokes saye he was rapt in a cloude High vp in heauen to be stellified With other Gods stately deified There to be stalled by Jupiters syde Like for his knightes as Mars list prouide Lo here of panyms a false opinion To Christes lawe contrary and odious That tyrantes should by false oppression Be called goddes or named glorious Whiche by their liue were founde vycious For this playne trouth I dare it well tell They rather ben fiendes ful depe in hell For but in earth their dominacion Conueyed be by vertuous nobles And that their power and hygh renoun Be set on trouth and rightwisenes Like their estates in prince or princesse I dare affirme of them bothe twayne For vycious liuinge they must endure payne But whan they ben faythfull of entent Right and trouth iustly to maintayne And in their royall power be not blent Wronges redressyng and pore folke sustene And so contune with conscience so clene Such life more rath than pompe of warres Shal make thē raigne in heuē aboue y ◠stars For whiche let princes vnderstand atones And worldly princesses w t all their riches That their high hornes fret w t riche stoues To heauen their passage dothe not dresse But vertuous life chatitye and mekenes Whan they list pride out of their hart arace That causeth thē in heauen to winne a place There is no more straunge abusion Ne tofore god greater ydolatry Than whan princes list catche affection Creatures falsly to deifye By collusion brought in by sorcery Now god defende all princes well disposed With suche false craft neuer to be enoysed And their eyen by none illusions Be not avieugled neither with hoke nor line Nor by no boytes of false inspections Wrought by Cyrenes by drinke or medicine Whiche of their nature resemble to a shrine Through riches outward beauty soueraine And who loke inwarde be like to a caraine God of his grace amende all suche outrage In noble princes saue thē from such werre And them enlumine disposyng their courage In suche false worshyp they no more ne erre Like to Argus that they sene a ferre That no false fagyng cause thē to be blynde Gods nor goddesses to worship againe kynd And though y t Romains did worship honor To Romulus by a constraynt drede Let no man take example of their errour But to the lorde whose sides were made rede To saue mankinde and on a crosse was deed Let men to hym in chefe their loue obserue Which can thē quite better than they deferue ¶ The .xxix. Chapter ☞ Howe Mecius kyng of Albanoys beynge false of his othe and assuraunce was drawen into pieces NExt Romulus w t teares al bespraint Vnto John Bochas appered Mecius Of chere and loke of his port faynte His fall declaryng frowarde dispitous And he was called eke Sufficius Lowe of byrthe and simple in vpgrowyng Of Albanoys tyll fortune made him kyng Again whose pride the Romains gan warrey Full mightely oppressyng his countree And for kyng Mecius list them not obey They cast them fully auenged for to be Because his byrthe was but of lowe degre And was risen vp vnto estate royall They thē purpose to yeue him a sodayne fall Hasty clymbyng of pouert set on hight Whan wronge title maketh him to ascende With vnware peyse of his owne might A sodaine fall maketh him to discende Whan he list not of surquedy entende Fro whence he came nor him selfe to knowe Till god fortune his pōpe hath ouerthrow For this Mecius of presumption Thought again Romayns his pride might auaile Gan warre againe thē by rebellion Was not fearfull their nobles to assayle Till on a day was signed a battaile Bothe their hostes within a felde to mete To take their part be it soure or swete That tyme in Rome raigned Hostilius A manly man and a ful worthy knyght Twene him concluded and kyng Mecius They twayne to mete in stele armed bryght For bothe battayles to trye out the ryght By iust accorde and therin not vary The party vaynquished to be tributary And wholy put him in subiection Without entreatyng or any more delay And finally for short conclusion Kyng Hostilius the triumphe wan that day That Albanoys coulde not say nay But that Romayns as put is in memory By singuler battayle had wonne the victory Thus had Romayns first possession Of Albanoys to obey them and to drede Mecius yelded and sworne to the toun Neuer to rebell for fauoure ne for mede But for he was double founde in dede Of his assuraunce and false to their citie He was chastised anone as ye shall se. Agaynst Fidinates a countrey of Itaile King Hostilius for their rebellion Cast he woulde mete them in battayle For common profite and for diffension Bothe of his citye and of his royall toun And for to afforce his party in workynge Of Albanoys he sent vnto the kynge To come in haste with his whole chyualry And tary not in no maner wise But make him stronge to sustaine his party Like his behest as ye haue hearde deuise But kyng Mecius full falsly gan practice A sleighty treason and a couert wyle Agaynst his promise the Romayns to begyle Yet he outwarde pretendyng to be true Came to the felde with ae full
robbers for their great offence Sluggy truauntes for theyr negligence And fayned beggers that greatly disauayle Constrayneth them to labour and trauayle Founders of lawe by antiquitie Caused in landes was suffred none erroute And made of prynces the royall magestie To shyne in worshyp by diligent labour Wrested courages of many conquerour That their tryuÌ„phes no further shuld attaine Than lawe of god and nature dyd ordaine Wyll was that tyme vnder subiection Of ryght wisnes by trouth full wel coÌ„ceiued Sensualitye was seruaunt to reason And froward lust was vnder locke ykeyed Sentence of statutes was not disobeyed The ryche did ryght through euery lande Pore folke lyued by labour of their hande Lordshyp y â— tyme anoyded mayntenaunce Holy churche lyued in perfitnesse Knighthode tho dayes for trouth whette his lauÌ„ce And false extorcion had none entresse MarchauÌ„tes winning came al of rightwisnes Artificers the worke day were not ydell And busines of labour helde the brydell Women that age farced were nor horned Nor theyr tayles were not serpentyne Wise men of foly nor clarkes wer not scorned Whyche in scyence most freshely dyd shyne Lawe disherited none heyres from theyr lyne Lesyngmongers found y â— time no socours And flaterers were made thaÌ„ no coÌ„fessours This golden world flouryng in vertue Borne vp by loue grounded on stablenes Of auoutry sprange out none issue Prices w t doctrine established their nobles Preesthod in praier knighthod in worthines Ech thing by law stode vnder gouernaunce MarchauÌ„ts by mesure iust peis of balauÌ„ce First Phoroneus by dyligent laboure Fonde out lawes y â— kyng was of Argyues The grekes study he giit w t great honoure This politick priÌ„ce auoided theÌ„ from striues His statutes kept duryng all their lyues Found first the maner Bochas doth deuyse Howe to Jupyter was made sacrifyse Eke mighty Minos whilom kinge of Crete Ordayned lawes agayne transgressions To feare by rygour foles that were vnmete And staunche of surfetes all occasyons Made for robbers mightye stronge prisons And Dedalus his chefe artificere Made laborinthes by diligence entere And Mercurie borne by the stode of Nyle As writeth Lactance was of Egipt kynge Vnto marchauntes dyd lawe firste compyle Of weight and mesure to vse in chaffaryng And for his wisdome and excellent connyng Of olde poetes that whilom were so wyse He called was God of marchaundyse Solon also the best lawes made As Valery writeth him self to magnify Athenienses therof were full glad His great wysdome whan they did espy They fonde therin so muche policy And euer he was redy for to debate Agayne tyrauntes so sore he dyd them hate Kyng Lygurgus yet whilom dyd his cure To make lawes to comon auauntage And that they shuld perpetually endure He made his people be sworne of euery age While that he went out on pilgrimage Fro point to point to kepe them in certaine Vnto time that he came home agayne And for his lawes wer of great substaunce And profitable to euery comonte He chase to liue in exile and penaunce Neuer to resort againe to his cite That his statutes by eternite Shuld nat be broke as ye haue herd toforne By the coÌ„uencion to which they were sworn To comon profite had he such tendernesse That he forsoke his kingdome and kinrede To liue in exile his story beareth witnes But or he dyed as he lay bedrede He bad his bones shuld be cast in lede Amid the see fer out from the strande That his statutes might in their streÌ„gth staÌ„d He eschued eueryche occasyon As a thyng hatefull which was not fayre That his forsayd royall mighty toun Shuld breke their oth because of his repair But touching that he put them in dispayre Cast him neuer resort in their dayes Lest they wold breke the seÌ„teÌ„ce of his lawes The .xv. chapter ¶ Here Bochas maketh an exclamacion of the extorcion of the officers of Rome JOhn Bochas here maketh a digressioÌ„ And by rebuking cast him to assayle Thylke officers y e wer in Rome toun Which by extorcion oppressed the porayle And agayne iudges also of Itayle And namely them that for lucre or mede Set trouth asyde and toke of it none hede He maketh agayne them an exclamacion Such as to vertue were contrarious And vnder colour and occasyon Of their offyce lyst to be lecherous Like condicioned vnto Apius And fynally as it was after sene False in their domes of their life vnclene O quod Bochas O trouth o thou iustise Whych in your nobles whilom dyd excel Where in effect is now your exercyse Wher is your wonning alas wher do ye dwel Of your practike ful few men can tel So fer put backe is nowe your disciplyne Your kyn exyled and your noble lyne Aduocates that nowe done occupye Your olde sees and places full royall All to falshede their wyttes they apply Suche couetyse now reigneth ouer all Causes of ciuile and causes crymynall Their domes take wher they be fals or true All after wyll by statutes chaunged newe There ben eke other called accessours Syttyng by iudges to yeue them counsayle Which may full well be called rauenours For they nat labour but for theyr auayle A nombre of robbers folow at theyr tayle To pylle the people as ye haue hard to forne Bare as a shepe that is but newe shorne There is no more in this matter to sayne Saue onely this trouth stant desolate And rightwisnes dare to no wight coÌ„playne With wrong oppressed weping desolate Wherfore ye prynces that syt in high estate Such thing to meÌ„de but ye better hede take God shal w t you a full harde rekenyng make Your office is in your magnificence Twene man man all wronges to redresse And wher a matter is agayne conscience It to refourme onely of ryghtwysenesse To staÌ„de by trueth mayntayne no falsenesse And let wise counsayl such matters examine Or ye of haste theron determine Haue suche thynges in your mynde amonge Thynke god wyll quyte lyke as ye deserue Ye spot your noblesse yf that ye do wrong His sworde of punishyng drede or it kerue Let your reason and conscience conserue Your noble estates thinke like your werkiÌ„g The lord of you wyl aske a rekenyng The .xvi. Chapiter ⧠Of Alcibiades exyled and after brent in hys bedde AFter other that put them selfe in prees Tofore Bochas their coÌ„playntes to discure Came of Athenes Alcibiades That time alyue the fayrest creature And as it is remembred by scripture He was discrete and was at all assayes One the strongest and manly in hys dayes He was first borne of full high linage Aboue all other of most semelynesse Well proporcioned and hardy of corage Loued and fauoured for his great fayrenesse Famouse in knyghthode for hys worthinesse Subtyll witted and coude by cloquenâ—â— Boche comprehende vnder shorte sentence His wyt enclined to manyfolde sciences Had of conyng a passyng retentife Loued clerkes fond them theyr dispences Suche as in practife he saw most inuentife To rede in bokes
neuer ceace Such ioy he had the common we le tencreace Thys was also hys vsaunce euermore What euer he gate to part it in largesse Of golde nor coyne he set but lytle store For all his heart was set on gentlenesse By manly fredome and playnly to expresse He spared no good it shewed well in dede Hys true seruauntes to helpe in theyr nede He kept nat in cofers hys treasour Of his nature he was so liberall For to releue eche manly soudiour Suche as were preued in actes marciall And for to holde hys feest funerall After his dethe his storie maketh mynde He was so fre he left nothyng behynde All his offices and famous dignities And great emprises in hys tyme wrought Encresed frāchises through Grece ī his cities With liberties by hys prudence out sought For common profit and for him selfe nought With great augmenting of strāge teritories All this came in by meane of his victories And amonge all hys knyghtly excellences By diuers auctours vnto mynde is brought How all hys lyfe he studied in sciences And vpon connyng set holy hys thought By manly prowesse of dethe he fered nought That was shewed as it is well founde The day whā he receyued his dethes woūde He was home borne vnto hys pauillion All his armour with bloude stayned reed And on a couche by his men layed downe And gan abrayde as he lay halfe deed Sirs quod he of one thyng take heed Hath any enemy thys daye in the felde When I was wounded taken vp my shelde And when hys knyghtes had tolde hym nay By a maner of knyghtly reioysyng He them commaunded without more delaye To his presence that they should it bryng And thervpon full pitously lokyng Full lyke a knyght and with mortall chere He kyssed it and sayde as ye shall here Thou were my felow in armes my brother That neuer wouldest my felowshyp forsake Sure abyding ther was nat such another In euery iourney that I dyd vndertake To me welcome an ende I must nowe make After my deth my soule shall haue plesaunce The to be kept yet for a remembraunce Afore hys deth as it is put in mynde The same hour it came to hys memorie To enquire he left it nat behynde Haue we quod he this daye had victorie Or in the felde who hath y ◠palme of glorie His knightes he prayed y ◠day he should dey The playne trueth they would to hym sey And they hym tolde playnly all the caas How his partie had wonne the feld of might And with that worde he so reioysed was That he hys spirite yelde vp anone ryght And so he died lyke a worthy knyght In whō is shewed what aueyleth in sentence Nobles of knighthode ioyned w t prudence And by the meane of hys wyse doctrine Philyppe that laye with hym in hostage Gan encreace in knyghtly discipline He wext in vertue ryght as he wext in age Whose father was by furions outrage Called Alysandre as made is mencion Slayne by hys mother by false trayson After whose dethe Perdicca in dede The yonger brother the story doth deuise To the crowne gan linially succede Slayne anone after in full cruell wyse Suche false murder euery man shuld agrise As ye haue herde first of Amynta Of Alysander and of kyng Perdicca The .xxvi. Chapter ☞ Howe the proude tiraunt Aman was hanged and the innocent preserued THe horrible fall furious for to rede That foloweth after of y ◠great Aman A ful false tyraūt foūd in word dede And was of byrth a Macedonian Which as the bible full well reherse can Was chefe maister who can well conscerne With Assuerus hys people to gouerne He was exalted hye in pryde To goddes people most contrarious Hys hatefull venym he lyst nat for to hyde But lyke a tiraunt most malicious Of wylful rancour fell and dispitous Fully disposed and coud him nat withdrawe To destroy the Jewes and theyr holy lawe To hys entent he gate auctoritie By hys subtell false compassyng Sent out letters into eche countrie Thrugh al Perce by biddyng of the kyng That hye and low within the land dwellyng No wight except that people all about Should vnto Aman obey knele and lout Thys was the byddyng of kyng Assuere Whan quene Vasty was voyded for her pride And Hester chosen a mayde most entere Was brought to court with y ◠kyng to abyde Which had in youth for to be her gyde A worthy Jewe called Mardoche Within Susis a fayre large cite By whose counsaile euery thyng she wrought Passyng fayre and of great mekenesse And when the Enukes to y ◠king her brought She was accepted for her great fayrenesse Vnto hys grace her storye beareth witnesse And there cherished in especiall Aboue all the maydens in the court royall And of all Perce she was crowned quene A pees commaunded through al tho regions Duryng the feast that men might sene The kynges nobley in cities and touns And of thys feast the ryche royall souns Came to the eares of simple Mardoche Whiche came with other the maner for to se. Tofore the palays as he dyd abyde With other Jewes in hys company Of happe as he cast hys eare asyde He of two porters the counsaile dyd espy How they them cast by false conspiracie To slee the kyng some day of the yere Like their entent whan they foūd best leisere Whan Mardocheus prudently gan fele The secrete malice of theyr compassyng Of compassion he would it nat concele But made Hester discure it to the kyng Wherof conuict they were led to hangyng As me semeth a competent guerdone For all that falsely ymagine suche treasone By which meane the sayd Mardoche Was wel accepted to the kyng Assuere Lykely also to stande at liberte Out of the malyce and fell daungere Of cursed Aman which made hym no chere But compassed in full fell manere Hym to distroy and Jewes all yfere Thys Mardocheus the Byble tell can Withdrew hym selfe to do reuerence Vnto thys tyraunt this frowarde Aman Lyke as the statute cōmaunded in sentence Whiche thing tauenge by frowarde violence This Aman made of hatrede to be set Afore the palais a myghty stronge gybet But who that cast hym to do vengeaunce And innocentes for to oppresse with myght And wylfull malice tagrege theyr greuaunce As God were blynde had of them no syght But at the last he wyll of very ryght Punysh the proude for furious violence The poore supportyng for theyr pacience As Mardocheus by innocent lyuyng By meane of Hester and her great mekenes Accepted was to Assuere the kyng The lawe of Jewes set in more surenes Frowarde Aman for hys cursednes Vengeable of pride in the bible ye maye see Was hye enhanged vpon a galowe tree Mardocheus of prudence and reason The furious daunger of Aman set asyde Preserued hys people fro destruction The tyraunt hanged for hys frowarde pride Thus can our lorde hys iudgementes deuide When he seeth tyme most mighty
puissaūt Support the simple punyshe the tyraunt The .xxvii. chapter Of the two brethren Artaxerses and Cyrus and howe Artaxerses slew his children and concubines and howe they ended AFter the fall of Aman doubtles Whē he best wēd to haue be ī his flours Tofore John Bochas came Artaxerses Most renomed in his time of conquerours Which gan declare his sodeyn sharpe shours With all the parcels of his mortal payne Which that fortune agayne him gan ordayne This Artaxerses as put is in memorye All other prynces excelled in rychesse Whiche in hys chare famous of glorye And with hys trone of worldlye hye noblesse Sate in his tyme the story beareth wytnesse Highest exalted y ◠was of any kyng That he shoulde fall was it nat an vncouth thyng Kynges he had vnder his obeysaunce An hundred prouinces twentie eke seuen Son vnto Dary prince of moste puissaunce His fame drede more than fyry leuen None so mighty vnder the starred heauen Accompted was that tyme in warre and pees As was this kyng called Artaxerses He had a brother that named was Cyrus Out of one stocke came theyr bothe lynes But Artaxerses the story telleth thus Was lorde of graynes of oyle and of wines And had also by diuers concubines An hundred children lyke as it is tolde And fiftene ouer tofore or he wexe olde Of bothe brethren the power last farre Duryng theyr tyme stode in full hye estate Yet atwene them was ful mortall warre Agayne nature an vnkyndly debate For thylke warres be most infortunate Whan blode w t blod let no man deme other Lyst warrey as brother agaynst brother And finally cause why thys warre gan Atwene these brethren as made is mencion Through whiche debate died many a man The grounde of all and first occasion Was onely thys for succession After king Dary reigning in Perce Mede Whiche of them twayne shoulde next succede But Artaxerses by a maner prouidence Put his brother priuely in prison That he ne should make no defence Nor gather people to hys destruction This yonge Cyrus as made is mention Was fast stocked and eke as it is tolde That his stockes and fetters were of golde And though it be nat remembred in Bochas Howe that Cyrus escaped fro pryson Yet also soone as he delyuered was Through Perce Mede rydyng vp doun He gadered people of entention Through olde hatred hys brother tassayle The felde assigned they mette in battayle Wher Cyrus proudly put hym selfe in prees To shewe hys manhode in speciall Sought his brother called Artaxerses And gaue to hym a wounde ful mortall Without frendshyp or fauour fraternall That Artaxerses his wounde gan so ake Constrayned was the felde to forsake And Cyrus than furious as a Lyon Hys aduersaries gan mortally to wake But false fortune full of collusion Vnder faynt smilyng a mow gan him make Whiche caused alas y ◠he that day was take Afore ywounded it woulde be none other And then presented to his vnkynde brother And though this Cyrus had afore be found Yonge freshe lusty and manly of his honde By the constraynt of his mortall wounde He dyed anone for he no succour fonde Than the two kingdomes w tin Perce londe Fyll to the handes of Artaxerses In whiche after he liued longe in pees Thus a great space like a mighty kyng All Perce he helde vnder his obeysaunce By famous nobles full gloriously shinyng Hauyng of riches most fulsom abundaunce And as it is put in remembraunce To more encrease of his prosperitie In true wedlocke he had sonnes thre The fyrst of them called Darius Arobratus named the seconde And the thirde named was Othus Manly prynces like as it is founde And of nature lyke as the kyng was bound Vnto Dary as made is mencion Aboue echone he had affection And for he dempt him able to the warre By likelyhode of yeres yong and grene He cast fully his nobles to prefarre Of hye prudence thus he dide mene His impotence to support and sustene For he was feble in Perce to raygne alone He set vp Dary with him in his trone Whiche was a thing straunge contrarious Agayne the custome of Perciens vsaunce But he supposed his sonne Darius Shoulde in suche case encrease and aduaūce His fathers party of naturall attendaunce And shew vnto him trouth and kyndnes His impotence to cheryshe of gentlenes But in estates oft it dothe thus fall Whan that prynces be runne farre in age Their childrens loue ayen thē dothe appall Shewyng no frendshyp saue for adauntage How that they may reioyce their heritage And in suche case whan they wexe stronge Thinke their fathers liue all to longe And Artaxerses stode in the same caas As in the story playnly ye shall fynde By rehearsayle and writyng of Bochas How this Dary was false and eke vnkynde Forgetfull and had nothing in mynde How his father the trouth to reherce Hath made hi equal w t him to raign in Perce And to declare the first occasion To his father how the sayd Dary By a false maner of rebellion Gan in his workyng for to be contrary Whiche to discure I wyll no lenger tary But wyth my penne in all haste procede Here to discriue how it fell in dede Artaxerses among hys concubynes It is remembred how that he had one Whiche for to reken wyues and vyrgynes Was fayrest holde of them euerychone Called Arthasia of full yore agone And was that tyme her beauty to discryue Among the Perciens the fayrest holde alyue And though she were yrun farre in age Lyke as bokes lyst of her expresse Both of colour and also of vysage She kept her beauty her natyfe freshenes Whyche was afore for her semelines To the sayd Cyrus briefly to termyne Chose long afore to be his concubyne But whan thys Cyrus was passed into fate Which for his brother might not liue in pees Anone vpon wythout lenger date She was take vp for kyng Artaxerses Because she was of beauty pearles After long tyme when he fell in age She claymed was by title of heritage Of kyng Dary by hys fathers lyue Faynyng his clayme by succession And though his father agayn it dyd stryue And thus began as made is mencion Of their debate the fyrst occasion For Dary cast all be he bare it styll Her to reioyce agayne hys fathers wyll And to accomplyshe falsely his entent Of her to haue full possession To afforce his party he made thys argument Cyrus quod he as made is mencion Raygnyng in Perce that mighty region And this story do the playnly determyne For her beuty made her hys concubyne And after time whan Cyrus was dede Artaxerses his father ye may se Next him succeadyng in Perce it is no drede Lyst her to clayme eke for her great beauty And so quod Dary she longeth now to me Because she is so pleasaunt to my syght By succession I will her clayme of ryght Thus kyng Dary to his father sayde He would haue Arthasia
dronke myghty wynes To fyll their paūches they were so desyrous That they forgate their marciall doctrines To ascēd y ◠moūtayne feble were their chines Their heades totter their braine gan faile The temple aloft to spoyle or to assayle In their assending by wayes that they chees Vpon the roche they were beat doune Priestes of the temple put thē selues in prees One bare a standard another a penoune Clad in chesibles for hye deuocion And with their other vncouth apparayles Bothe on the roche lowe in their battayles The people of Brennus was incomperable Spred all the felde the story beareth witnes But it is sayd of olde and is no fable That no defence is in dronkennes And wisdome fayleth where is greate excesse And in a felde playnly to conclude Victory alwayes standeth not in multitude For they were set as Bochas dothe deuise Not to knighthode but to false outrage To spoyle and robbe by gredy couetise And stuffe their somters with great pillage Furious rauine hath brought thē in a rage And farewell knighthode marciall noblesse Where couetise is lady and maistresse Two mighty dukes were with Brennus Whiche that were chefe of his counsayle Euridanus that one that other Thessalonus Which as they thought to their great auaile Began a purpose and it was disauayle To robbe the people the countrey ech toun Whiche turned after to their confusion Thus auarice w t stomake vnstaūcheable Hath strāgled y ◠power of many a worthy knight And couetise her sister vntretable Hath of high nobles full oft quaint the lyght Wher Tātalus raigneth a lion hath no might This to meane honger and couetousnes Turneth all nobles into cowardnes For by the counsayle of these dukes twayne Brennus set all his opinion To spoyle and robbe dyd his busy payne To pyll the cities of all that region But in this while as made is mencion Myd their battayles Bochas dothe me lere The God Appollo and Pallas did appere Appollo first shewed his presence Freshe yonge lusty as any sunne shene Armed all with golde with great vyolence Entred the felde as it was well sene And Diana came with her arowes kene And Mynerua in a bright haberion Which in their cōminge made a terible soun The noyse was herd of their bright armure Which made their enemyes almost to raue That they might afore them not endure Fled the felde for drede them selfe to saue And there was herde an hidous erthquaue And from heauen in this mortal batayle Of colde constreyning great stones do hayle Their aduersaries beate downe grounded And afore them durst not abide And Brennus so mortally was wounded Both brest heed hurt through eyther syde Lo here the ende of couetise and pride For Brennus for constraynt of his smert Roue with a dagger him selfe to the herte This was his ende vēgeable merueylous And his dukes slayne both twayne Called Euridanus and Thessalonus The grekish goddes gan at him so disdayne Of sacrilege se here the greuous payne For to goddes who lyst do no obseruaunce Shall vnwarly be punished wyth vēgeaūce It is not holsome with goddes to play Nor their puissaunce presūptously to attame For where as they by vengeaūce lyst werray who lyst assay shall fynde it no game For his presūpcion Brennus founde the same For Appollo Diana and Mynerue For his outrage vnwarly made hym sterue ⧠Lenuoye THis tragedy declareth who lyst here Of duke Brennus many great batayle His extorte conquest and holy the maner Howe by force he rode through al Itayle After how he the Romayns dyd assaile His fall in Grece by vengeable violence For he to goddes would do no reuerence Toke al the treasours iuels most entere Out of their temples and richest apparayle Golde and perle and al that yfere To his encrease whych that myght auayle The rich he robbed oppressed the porayle Of verye pompe and frowarde insolence And lyst to goddes do no reuerence This mighty tiraūt most surquedous of chere With couetyse brent in hys entrayle Whose gredy fret ther might no mesure stere Tyll that fortune at mischefe dyd hym fayle He lacked might her variant whele to nayle Agayne whose fall there was no resistence For he to goddes lyst do no reuerence Noble prynces conceyue and do lere The fall of Brennus for misgouernayle And prudently paysyng thys matere Vertue is strōger than outher plate or maile Afore considred what Brennus doth coūsayle Chefe preseruatyfe of your magnificence Is to god to do due reuerence The .xxiiii. Chapter ⧠Howe Pyrrus kynge of Pyrothe lyst nat lyue in peace but of pryde and presumption in warre came vnto mischaunce IN Bochas boke next folowīg on y ◠rig Came yong Pirrus sonne of Earides Borne by discent to reigne be kyng And to enherite the lande of Pyrothes Yet in his youth and his tender encrees The frowarde people dwellynge in y ◠place Without his gylte gan his dethe purchace But to preserue hym as made is mencion He was committed and take in kepyng Certayne yeres for hys sauacion To one Glaucus of Illirie king Whose wife was cosyn by record of writing To the sayde famous Earides And she in story called Beronices He nye of blode to thys noble queene Bothe twayne borne of one lynage Wonder gracious to all that did him sene And well fauoured of fetures and visage And in the whyle of his tender age One Cassander of Macedone kyng Compassed his deth by subtel false workyng And his purpose for to bryng aboute He sent for hym by false collusion Puttyng Glaucus playnlye out of doute But yf he came lyke hys entencion He wolde worke to hys destruction Gather people bothe nye and farre And on Glaucus gyn a mortall warre But kyng Glaucus toke herof no hede Hauyng to Pyrrus so great affection Of him receyued verely in dede To be his sonne by adoption Purposyng of whole entencion To make Pyrrus plainly if he may To be his heyre and raigne after his day Pyrrus alway vp growyng by encrees Full amiable bothe of there and face And in this while the people of Pyrothes Knowyng that he stode in Glaucus grace Chaunged their hartes cast thē in short space For to restore all of one courage The sayd Pyrrus to his heritage Thus by assent he was crowned kyng Yonge freshe and lusty semely ther withal Wonders well thewed in his vp growyng Like his lynage of courage wext royall The whiche was cause in especiall He was beloued offrendes about And of his enemyes greatly had in doubt The name of him gan to sprede farre Through all Grece about in eche countrey The lande of Tarent gan in his tyme warre Agayne the Romaynes as ye may se Requiryng Pyrrus that he woulde be Fauourable and helpyng of entent To the party of them of Tarent To their request he can condiscende And of purpose cast him not to fayle If that fortune woulde him grace sende With myghty hande marciall apparayle For
Howe with a smale sodayne infirmite When deth age lyst she we theyr presence Disdayne al freshnes with vnware violence Agayne whose might there is no other grace Processe of yeres all beaute doth deface Though Demetrius was fayre vpon to se As ye haue herde rehearsed in sentence Gayne law and ryght he loued Arcynoe Thoccasion founde by her false insolence Bycause reason made no resistence Nat aduertyng how euery hour and space Processe of yeres all beaute doth difface Full horrible was their iniquite And tofore god hatefull their offence For through false lust and sensualite Lost was the bridell of inwarde prouidence Sharpe mortal sworde made y e recompence Drowned in teres whan she dyd hi embrace With blody woundes disfigured all hys face O noble prynces let thys story be A clere myrrour to your magnificence Therein considred the false fragilite Of worldly fayrnes which is but apparence And transitory but so be that prudence Gouerne the passage vicious lust to enchace Processe of yeres all beaute dothe difface The .ii. Chapter ¶ Howe the two brethren Seleuchus and Autiochus eche desyrous to excell other fyll at discorde and ended in mischefe THere is no man that can in story rede Of more mischefe nor of more debate Than of debate that is atwene kinrede Twene blode blod gayne kide infortunate Namely in persons whiche ben of hye estate As it fyll ones the story beareth recorde Atwene two brethren that were at discorde That one Seleuchus Antiochus the other As the story hereafter shall deuy se Eche desyrous for to excell other In worldly worshyp wonderly they were wyse And both blent by worldly couetyse For to clymbe vp to hye estate Whiche caused them to be at debate Both mighty kinges Bochas maketh mâ—cioÌ„ And of one wombe sothlye they were borne Vnder a cursed fell constellacion Of frowarde sede may grow no good corne And through couetyse bothe they were lorne And distroyed by the mortall werre That was atwene them in Asie nye ferre It is to me verye contagyous To rede the batayles and discencions The false promyses of Antiochus With the disceytes and conspirations Bretherne of byrth and of condicions Contrarious wayes euer they dyd wende Frowardly they began so made an ende Their mother was called Leodices And in Asya Seleuchus was reignyng Euer in werre coude nat lyue in pees And in Surry Antiochus was kyng And among robbers they made theyr ending Where euer they fought in wronge or ryght Neuer they bode but toke them to flyght Though Seleuchus was at his gynnyng Shynyng in glory and in hye prowesse And of Asya he was lorde and kyng With great diffame was derked his noblesse Bycause that he of great vnkyndnesse Ful falsely slewe without iudgement Hys yonger brother that was innocent And by the byddyng of Leodices Which was his mother of hatefull cruelte Falsely to murdre the quene Beronices Wife to the kyng called Tholome Reygnyng in Egipt but it stode so that he For all his power fayled of hys pray Bycause that she was ware fled away Yet afterwarde of olde hate and enuy This Seleuchus by full false treason Murdred Beronices by conspiracy Her sonne also as made is mencion The sclaundre arose through many a region And was reported vnto hys diffame Wherthrough he lost his worship his name And on thys murder auenged for to be For the horrible great abusion The kyng of Egypt the sayde Tholome Gan make him strong came w t people doun But for there was so great discention Through al his land the story saith certayne He was constrained to returne home agayne Seleuchus than made a stronge armee Gathered shyppes stuffed them w t vytayle Towarde Asye he taken hath the see But suche tempest gan hys people assayle That hertes and power of them gan fayle w t thundring lightning veÌ„geably distrained To take the land of nede he was constrained The people of Asye seyng thys mischefe Had of Seleuchus great compassion And their succour to set at a prefe They hym receyued into that region Though it stode as made is mencion That aforetyme for hys cruell dede They had his person in full great hatrede And for he fonde fortune fauourable Nat considryng her mutabilite He cast of rancour for to be vengeable And gyn a werre agayne Tholome His men outrayed he was constrayned to fle Knewe no refute nor succour of none other But for great mischefe sent to hys brother I meane hys brother called Antiochus Behestyng him for to crowne hym kyng Of all Asye hys story telleth thus Toke truse thys whyle by subtyll false workyng With Tholome for ten yere enduryng And when his brother came with his powere Falsed his promise double of hert and chere Thus of newe they fyll at debate Eche gan other myghtely werray False couetise to encreace theyr estate Caused that nouther lyst other to obay Met in a felde there is no more to say Fought haÌ„de for hande their hostes both two Seleuchus fled as he was wente to do Thus a false werre of hatred fraternall Agayne nature set them at discorde Eche busy was in especiall As their story remembreth by recorde Neuer their lyfe to be at one accorde But whaÌ„ Seleuchus was put thus to flight The people of Surry gan deme anonryght That he that day was outher take or dede And Gallougreis a people of great poste Of Couetyse gan hast them in great spede To entre Asye and spoyle all that countre To Antiochus they had eke enmyte That he was fayne for hys fauacion To pay to them a full great raunsom Their heart was yeue onely to pyllage Takyng of hym of golde a great quantite And he seyng of robbyng the outrage Drew to the pyllours one of them was he And through al Asye they robbed eche couÌ„tre For Seleuchus they gan so purchace That he nat durst abide in no place Than Antiochus drewe to Tholome Voyde of saueconduyte or any assuraunce Though y t atwene them was great enmyte For a season as made is remembraunce To haue founde succour in his gret greuauÌ„ce But all for nought for in conclusion Tholome hym toke and cast in derke prison There constrayned of necessite Knowyng no meane to make his raunson By a woman that lyued in pouerte He was holpe out of that derke prison Lo here of fortune a false condicion That coude make a kyng without pere Of a woman to stande in daungere To proude folke this maye be a myrour To se a prynce thus sodaynly brought lowe That shone in ryches lyke an emperour Which of disdayne lyst no man to knowe Now is he cast nowe is he ouerthrowe Now hath he cause to plain wepe mourne Knowyng no frende for succour him to turne He was aferde to holde hys passage By hye wayes or for to come in syght Fyll amonge theues they by great outrage All mercylesse slew hym anone ryght And his brother for all his great myght
cowarde knowe in y ◠felde was he The pore toppresse a wolfe most furious And by disceite a foxe for subtilte No man more froward of hie nor low degre Nor more deliting in falshed nor flatery What was his ende◠a sodain deth parde For his outrages of pride and lechery Noble Princes of prudence full famous In al your greatest roial maieste Remembre playnly if ye be vertuous Ye shall perseuer in longe prosperite Where the contrary causeth aduersite As this story afore doth specifye Of Antiochus cast from his dignite For this great pride riot and lecherye ☞ The .xvi. Chap. How Jeronimus kig of Ciracuse was slayn how Scipio Affrican y t laboured for cōmon wele of Romains was exiled by them and so dyed After the deth of thys Antiochus Ther came a price to Bocas cōplaining Which that was called Jeronimus Of Cyracuse whylom lorde and kyng Whych of his lieges he nothing trespasing Slayne was wyth his thre susters dere Of hatred myne auctour wryteth here Ciracusanes had a condicion Through chaūges newe aye to be vnstable Of wilful malice voyde of al reason On their kinges for to be vengeable They loued not to haue them perdurable But euery yere of custome this is trewe Them to gouerne to haue a prince newe And for their chaūges their vncouth striues Wyth variaunce of their condycions Because no frute is founde in their liues Nor in their stories nor in their successions I wyl passe duer and speke of Scipions And first to write of the worthy man Called in his tyme Scipio Affrican A famous knight in al nacions For his conquest shortly to conclude Which had brought full many regions More by wysdome than by multitude To obey the Romayns but for ingratitude Whych that he fonde in them as I rede How he wrought to tel I wyll procede It is remembred of his worthynes While that he was flouring in yonge age How Rome was made lady maystresse Of many a lande to their auauntage And specially all Affrike Cartage By hys prowesse as made is mencion Were brought of Romayas vnder subiection But they againeward were to him vnkynde By accusacions fonde out by their falsenesse Sayd agayne hym as it is put in mynde By recorde of many a false wytnesse That he should haue imbezeled the rychesse Of Cartage and Affrike the countre Whych appertayned to Rome the cyte But againeward this noble Affrican Proudly gaue answere to his accusours He neuer wythhelde fro tyme y t he began Toward him selfe no parte of theyr tresours Saue as the manere is of conquerours For to conserue hys worshyp his name As most was profit to the townes fame This is to meane playnly and not tary He neuer accroched treasour nere nor ferre Towarde hym selfe but that was necessary For their worshyp to mayntayne theyr wer And yet that tyme he was their lode sterre To encrease their boūdes fully his delite Was al hole set to the cōmon profyte He toke none hede of all the surplusage Of their treasours nor their great rychesse The name reserued of Affrike Cartage To hys knyghthod and his hye noblesse But their malicious expert vnkyndnesse Was in cause breuely to compyle Hys body fro them perpetually to exyle Cast him neuer wythin Rome toun After that daye amonge them to be seyne Vnkyndenesse gaue hym occacion To absent his person of hye dysdayne To exyle hym selfe neuer to come agayne But for to abyde in a smal vyllage Called Lynterne whan he was fal in age And for men should mynde on hym haue By a maner of indignacion An Epitaphie he set vpon hys graue Which saide thus to them of Rome toun O people vnkynde vnkynde agayne reason My funeral ashes nor my bones dede In thy walles thou shalt neuer possede In thyne vnkynde frowarde teritory My bones shall not rest nor abyde But thyne vnkyndnesse to put in memory To remembraunce shal be red full wyde Of these letters graue on euery syde By report onely of this small scripture Whych here is set vpon my sepuiture Lo here the cause by brefe dyscripcion Set on my graue for a memoriall Why that my bones out of Rome toun Be buried here lowe vnder thys wall In exile holde my feast funerall Vnkyndnesse me droue out of that cyte That wrought so much for the cōmonte ¶ The .xvii. Chapter ¶ Howe Scipio Asian lorde of Asye that laboured euer for the cōmon wele was murdred AFter the ende of thys Affrican Called i his time worthy Scipion Came next his brother Scipio Asyan Which in Asie had dominacion Gayne whom was made an accusacion To al the Senate that he vntruly shold Certayne tresours towarde hym selfe w t hold Whych that he in Asie had wonne In hys conquest by many strong battayle Which accusacion falsly was begonne Of olde enuy causlesse thys is no fayle Whose worthynesse full muche dyd auayle To comon profyt by these two conquerours By great ritchesse encreasyng their tresours The tone in Affrik as ye haue hard me tell By hys wysdome and his chinalry That other in Asia whych dyd excell In hye prowesse as bokes specifye Flalsly hyndred of hatred and enuy By compassyng of one Antiochus Hym to distroy he was so desirous Not withstāding these twayne Scipions Had in their tyme by manifolde battayls Brought vnto Rome so many regions To obey their citie w t marcial apparayls And euer more to their great auails Brought in tresours to encreace w t their toun Yet haue they wrought to their distruccion The tone in exyle as made is mencion Dyed alas whan that he was olde The seconde was murdred in prison Their boeth storyes remembred here tolde To yeue example to princes manyfolde That who that laboureth for a comonte Leseth oft his thāke by Scipions ye may se. ☞ The .xviii. chapter ¶ How the Duke Philopomenes was take put in prison after dranke poison and so dyed AFter the processe of these two Scipions Twene two peoples wylfull and recheles Began in Grece newe discencions Twene Acheoys and Etholois doutles And a great Duke Philopomenes A Prince y ◠tyme of full great puissaunce Had of Messenois holy the gouernaunce This sayde Prince Philopomenes Leadyng his host vpon a ful fayre playne As he rode armed and put him selfe in prees Myd his people as gouernour wardaine Folke out of rule for to call agayne Vpon his stede as he gan them fette In due ordre his wardes for to set And this Prynce of port most marcial In the pursute which that he gan make Amonge his enemies he had a sodaine fall Voyde of al rescue vnwarely he was take Of al his frendes lyke a man forsake Amonge his enemies brought vnto prison There made an ende by drinkynge of poyson Of Philopomenes this was the fatal caas Out of gouernance his people disolate Except a captaine called Ligorias Whych in the werres was wonder fortunate Of Acheoys toke on him the state Them to gouerne and
But through fortunes mutabilite That blind lady so made her power stretche As he began to ende lyke as a wretche Reken the estates of worldly regaly NoÌ„bre of meyny golde treasour richesse Stately castels paleys on eche party CoÌ„quest by fortune cumbinge to hie noblesse Cruel sworde conueyed by wyifuinesse Power extort with couetyse oppressyng Causeth destruccion of many earthly kyng But in contrary who lyst hym selfe knowe And is by grace inclined to mekenesse Though he in pouerte be brought vp lowe And is by vertue enclined to worthynesse With scepter of peace sword of rightwisnes Indifferently his domes demeanyng Suche one is able to be cleped a kyng What is chefe cause grounde and occasion That princes ofte stande in ieopardy Of worldly chaunges in suche diuision Reygnyng amonge them y t serpent of enuyâ— Symulacion faynyng flatery The south out serched who so lyst to loke By many tragedy expert in thys boke The .xxxi. Chapter ¶ Howe Bitynctus kyng of Auergnoyes by the Romains was taken and died in prison BItynctus next of Auergnoyes kyng Came tofore Bochas ginnig his coÌ„plaint Of his distresse thordre rehersyng And howe that he was made feble and faint Againe the Romains mischeuously attaint Nat withstanding to maintayne his quarel He cast of pride agayne them to rebell But it is first put in remembraunce How Auergnoyes is a nacion Hanging on Gaule longeth vnto Fraunce Of which Bityncte stode in possession Hauing dispite in his opinion To the Romains in any wise to obey But proudly cast againe them to werrey His labour was to stande in franchise And be at large from their subiection Gau of pride their lordship to dispise Gadred people of presumption Whom for to mete Fabius was sent doun A mighty consul which knightly toke on haÌ„de For theyr party Bitynctus to withstande Of whose coÌ„myng Bytictus toke dysdayne By cause the folke whyche Fabius dyd lede Were but fewe and whan he hath them seyne He sayd of scoru this people who taketh hede May not suffise my houndes for to fede WhaÌ„ they be slayne to fewe they be in noÌ„bre With multitude y t I shall them encombre An hundred thousaÌ„d in hys vaoward he had That passe shoulde of Auuergne the ryuere And fowerscore thousande beside that he lad the Consul Fabius met him with good chere Whan he was passed of Rodanus y â— daâ—gere Fought al the day tyll it drewe to night The Romayns wan their fone put to flyght At the ryuere lyke as saieth the boke There were drowned brought to mischauÌ„ce Fyfty thousande as they water toke Through fortunes frowarde variaunce And by attaynt tencrease of his greuaunce Bitiâ—â—tus take was of the Romayns Dampned to prison there to dye in chayns ☞ The .xxxii. Chap. How the tyrant Euergetes wedded quene Cleopatra slewe her eldest sonne exyled hys wyfe and wedded her doughter AFter whose deth pitously to rede sene Of Epiphanes the great Tholome Came the doughter Cleopatras the quene Gan complayne her greate aduersitie Her sorowe furious diffaced her beaute Her chekes whyte of blode teares meynt Rent w t her haÌ„des were pitously bespreint To Philometor she wedded was aforne Whylom sonne to Tholome the kynge And by her lorde in true wedlocke borne Two sonnes she had as by olde wrytyng After whose deth anone vp suynge To Euergetes a prince yonge of age She was agayne ioyned in mariage By title of her in Egipt lorde and syre Kyng of that lande cruel and dyspytous Whose story sheweth no kigdom nor Empire May of them selfe make no man vertuous For lyke a tygre this tiraunt furious Her eldest sonne day of their mariage Borne to be heire he slewe of mortal rage Not longe after this extorte cruelte Albe they had children atwene theÌ„ twaine Out of Egypt he made her for to fle And of malyce he gan at her disdaine I trowe she had matter for to plaine He toke her doughter whan y t she was gon Agayne nature and wedded her anon She called was Cleopatras also But Euergetes to she we him more veÌ„geable Againe her mother that was fro Egipt go The citie which was to her fauourable The people exyled he wode vntretable In her dispyte gaue that notable toun Of hateful malyce to a straunge nacion But whan he know through his cruel dedes And gan conceyue howe he was culpable Sawe againe hym y â— many folde hatredes And conspiracion of states honorable He at large to be more vengeable Game Cleopatras to gyn an vncouth stryfe Went in to exyle wyth hys newe wyfe Gadred people his olde wyfe to assayle On her chyldren to shewe more vengeaunce A day assigned helde with her battaile But which of them was driuen to vttraunce Myne auctour plainly put not in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce But suyng after thus of him I rede Howe of malice he wrought a cruel dede Which to reherce is nouther good ne fayre But terible and abhominable He dismembred her sonne and hys hayre On peces smal this tirauÌ„t most vengeable And whan the mother sate at her royal table With body and heed at a solempnite Let her be serued of frowarde cruelte Wherof al Egipt had indignacion And for to auenge his cruel great outrage They toke his plates basnet haberion And his cote armure wrought of gret costage Fro their temples rent out his ymage In token he was a tiraunt most attaint Eche thing diffaced y t was of him depaint Whose hateful story replete of wretchednes Full of vengeaunce fro warde mischeues Therfore I deme Bochas lyst not expresse More of his life fulfylled of al repreues Of Cleopatra wrote not the fynal greues In this chaptre what fatal way she toke Lest y â— matter shoulde difface his boke ¶ The .xxxiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Jugurtha by entrusion was kynge of Numedy slew y â— rightful heires after he hym self was drowned AFter thys woful deadly auenture Of Cleopatras whose storye is full olde Came Jugurtha the manly man to lure And to Jhon Bochas hath his tale told Of his conquestes and dedes manyfolde Subtyl of wyt as myne auctour sayeth Gaue lytel force for to breake his fayth But in ordre the story to conuay Of Jugurtha and of hys kinted Massmissa kyng of Numedy soth to say His vncle was and also as I tede The sayd kyng had a sonne in dede Called Mysipsa eldest in wrytinge After his day to reigne as kynge This Massinissa ordayned afterwarde Tofore his deth of hole entencion By cause Jugurtha was borne a bastarde To depriue him of al succession In his Testament but in conclusion His sonne Mysipsa afterwarde made kynge Was to Jugurtha frendly and louynge Mysipsa had two sonnes as I fynde The tone of them called Adherbales The seconde the story maketh mencion Was that tyme named Hyempsaies Wyth whom Jugurtha put him selfe in prees For to abyde dwell in especial Lyke as their cosyn in their corte royal Cherished full wel bycause y e he was wyse And right
lykely of disposicion Chosin afterwarde for a synguler prise To go to Spayne to helpe Scipion Gaine NumeÌ„taynes a famous mighty toun And there Jugurtha so knyghtly hath begon That by his nobis the town anon was won And to remembre his knyghthod of entent His worthynesse and his hye renoun To Mysipsa letters were downe sent By the forsaid worthy Scipion Which gaue so great a coÌ„mendacion To Jugurtha him callyng in that werre â–ª Of manly prowesse the yonge lode sterre Of king Mysipsa receyued notably Called hun sonne by adopcion The king dead sone Jugurtha traitourly Slewe Hiempsales heire by succession He of that realine to haue possession This was his custome how euer y â— tytle stode By slaughter and murdre for to get good He lyst to goddes do no reuerence Of his nature wylful and recheles Hauynge nouther remors nor conscience Touchyng the slaughter of Hiempsales Falsly practised for his owne encrees For which murdre Romains haue set doun A Consulere to do correccion Calphurnius he called that was sent Onely to punishe that horible dede But with treasour hys eyen were so blent Of execucion that he toke none hede The Romayns ouercome with mede Gaue to Jugurtha by collusion Of this murore a coloured false pardon By which he toke a maner hardinesse Of tyranny which he dyd exercyse Gathered people of hareful cursydnesse And in him selfe gan curledly deuyse To execute the leâ—fe same gyse Of false murdre I meane nowe none other To slee Adherbales the seconde brother That he alone by false intrusion Of Numedy might be lorde and kyng Thus of his cruelte murdre false treason The noyse was borne by laÌ„gage wrytyng Of which the graffes flasly abrode spredynge Brought forth in hyndring of his name Frute of disclaundre reporte of diffame Mortall treason was couered vnder flours To saue him selfe by some subtylte And specially with his great treasours To appease the Senat if it would haue be But theragayne al the coÌ„monte Made agayne him a coniuracion On his salse murdre to do correction Foure Mâ—men of armes were downe sent With a pretour called Actilius The which pretour set al his entent To gather treasour for he was couetous And couetyse is contrarious Vnto knighthode as auctours all expresse And stepmother vnto worthynes A siege he layde aboute a myghty tour Wherin Jugurtha put all hys rychesse The siege was layde for loue of the treasoure More than for worshyp or for worthynesse Wherby his name and his noblesse Ther discomfyted brought vnto mischaunce After for mede made hys alyaunce With Jugurtha to his encrease of shame Caused Affrike through false cheuysaunce They togyther disclaundred by diffame Them to withdrawe fro the obeysaunce Of the Romains more them selfe tauauÌ„ce To theyr purpose corrupted wyth treasour Many a Tribune and many Senatour Of newe againe al the comonte Fro Rome sent Gayus Marius For the murders and horible cruelte Wrought by Jugurtha the tiraunt furious Which to refourme the sayd Gayus A Consulere of purpose was sent doun A manly knyght and famous of renoun Full notably the werres he began Wrought euery thyng of hie prouidence And fortune whyche helpeth hardy man Gaue him great fauour by her influence And alderfirst he dyd his diligence For to auoyde al that were vicious Delicate people and folkes lecherous A day was set and taken a batayle But Jugurtha by false subtilte Profered much good which might not auaile To haue corrupt if it would haue be The sayde Marius but euer in one degre He stode aye stable vpright as a wall And toke none hede to his profer at all Than Jugurtha in party dispaired Greatly astonyed within hym selfe musynge But lyke a man hyndred and appayred He gan purpose anone a newe thynge Of Mauritaine he went to the kyng To get helpe whych called was Boccus Him to succour agayne this Gaius Twene them was made of new an alyauÌ„ce The whyche last but a lytle space For kyng Boccus gan fal in repentaunce Cast he woulde resorte to the grace Of the Romayns and nomore trespace And to perfourme his entencion He made to Gayus this mediacion There was one Scylla called a Questour Of Gayus host had gouernaunce For king Boccus he was mediatour That ther was newely accordaunce Twene him Gayus and by the purueyauÌ„ce Of thys Boccus Jugurtha anone was hent Maugre his myght and tâ— Gayus sent And al his kyngdom without resistence Gaine to Romains came vnder obeysaunce And Marius forgaue them their offence Receyued them vnder assuraunce That he shall by dome do no vengeaunce To punyshe y â— trespaces that they dyd aforne The space coÌ„pted fro tyme they were borne Jugurtha taken almost for angre mad Brought to Rome and fettered in prison To Terpeya an hye hyl he was lad Jugement yeue for his false treason bound to a stone and after throwe doun Fro the place full hye where he stode Without mercy in to Tibre flode ¶ Lenuoye THis may be wel called a tragedy By discripcion takynge auctorite For tragedy as Poetes specify Ginneth with ioye endeth with aduersyte From hye estate cast in to lowe degre Example taken this story sayth aright Of Iugurtha that was fyrst a good knyght At his ginnyng famous in chiualry Gate NumeÌ„taigne of Spaine a great citye But in repairing home to that party I meane whan he came home to his countre He chaunged knyghthode into cruelte With couetise so blinded was the syght Of Iugurtha that first was a good knighte His wyt his power he holy dyd apply To hateful murdre fraude and subtylte By extorte title him selfe to magnify Slew rightful heires reft theÌ„ their lybertie By false intrusion clambe vp to their se And gaue no force were it wrong or ryght A thyng contrary to euery worthy knight Noble princes lift vp your hertes iye Within your selfe remembre and do se Of this murdre the hateful tyrrany With oppression done to the commoÌ„te His gynnyng good a cursed ende had he Murdre axeth vengeaunce day and night A thynge contrary to euery worthy kyght ⧠Here endeth the fyfte booke and here after foloweth the sixte ¶ Here Bochas sittinge in his studie alone wryteth a greate processe howe Fortune lyke a Monstruous Image hauynge an C. handes apeared vnto hym and spake and Bochas vnto her makynge bytwene them both many great arguments and reasons of fortunes chaunces ¶ The Fyrst Chapter IN hys studye alone as Bochas stode Hys pen in hande of sodayne auenture To remeÌ„bre he thought it dyd hym good Howe that no man may him selfe assure In worldly thynges fully to recure Grace of fortune to make her to be stable Her dayly chaunges be so variable She braydeth euer on y â— chauÌ„tipleure Now songe now wepyng now wo now gladnesse Nowe in myrth nowe paine to endure Nowe lyght now heuy nowe in swetnesse Nowe in trouble nowe fre nowe in distresse Shewyng to vs a maner resemblaunce No worldly welth hath here non assurauÌ„ce Whyle
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
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
maketh mynde How of their cite there sholud nat lye a stone Vpon another for their mortal fone Should theÌ„ besiege he told them so certaine And make Ierusalem with y e soile al plaine With weping eyen Christ told theÌ„ so beforne Of their ruine and their distruction Synne was cause that they were lorue For they nat knewe to their confusion Time of their notable vysitacion Whan Christ came down borne here in erthelowe For their saluacioÌ„ they lyst him nat to know Thyrty yeres fully cronyculers write And somwhat more after his passion Amonge the Iewes playnly to endyte Within them selfe fyll a diuision Murdrers to se vp within their own toun So great a nombre with many an homicide That in the cite no man durst well abyde Their presidentes reigning in Iude Seing this horrible foule rebellion And of murderers the mortall cruelte That longe endured in that region Which for to appese romains sent doun Vaspacian with many a manly knight Whiche in to Galylee toke his way right And to chastyse tho murderers robbours Brent their couÌ„trey as he rode vp and doun So continued with his soudyours Tyll vnto time the countreys enuyron Of Ierusalem entred be the toun With their oblacions in many sondry wyse As Paskâ— required to do their sacrifyse Tofore tho dayes was Ierusalem Had in great worshyp of all nacions Called princesse of euery other reem Whose fame stretchyd through al regyons Their treasour great and their possessions Double walled of buylding most notable Dreding no enemy for it was impregnable Among romayns was many a manly man Willing echone of one affection Through the knighthode of Vaspasian Echone to labour to the distruction Of Ierusalem for great diuision Amonge them selfe was gon in the cite By certaine captains y t were in nombre thre Simon Iohn and Eleazarus Horrible tyrauntes oppressing the porayle Of gouernaunce frowarde and outragious Falsly deuided eche other dyd assayle Amonge them selfe had many gret batayle Werre without and werre was within Thus of vengeaunce mischefe dyd begyn Vaspasian nat beyng rechelees For his party lyke a prudent knight By notable meanes exited them to pees But all for nought blent their owne sight To chese the best they coude nat se a right And in this while this noble werryour Vaspasian was chosen emperour By Alexsaundrie to Rome he went againe Receiued there themperiall dignite His son Titus he made his chefe capitaine His procuratour to gouerne in Iude Beset enuyron Ierusalem the cyte With men of armes sieged it so about That none might entre nor none issue out Stopped their coÌ„dutes their waters clere Enfamined them for lacking of vitayle A certain woman thus saith the croniculere Rosted her childe whan vitaile did fayle She had of store none other apparayle Theron by layser her selfe she dyd fede Which in a woman was to horryble a dede Their mighty walles with gons cast downe Two stronge towres take of their cite Resistence gan fayle in the towne They stode of hungre in such perplexyte Tytus of knighthode and magnanimite Throughout the toure called Antonian Is entred in like a knightly man The people in streates lay for hunger dead To bye nor sel no lyfelode in the town There was no succour of drinke nor breed In paine of death borne nouther vp ne doun Vomyte of one was the refection Vnto another there was such scarcite Who redeth Iosephus the trouth he may se. Brent was the temple made by Salomon Which had endured thus writ y e croÌ„yculere That was so royal buylt of ryche stone Fully a thousande two hundred yere Romains entred maugre their portere With speare pollax sworde sharpe whet Lyke wode lions slewe whom they met Their riche gates couered with plate of gold Were brent and molten without excepciou The siluet ymages y â— forged were oâ— gold The vyolent fyre made them renne â—oun Noble Tytus had compassiou His marciall dukes spated nothing certain Lest of presumpcion they wolde rebel again A leuen huÌ„dred thousande were there staine By sworde by hungre by fyre pestilence Stynke of carayns y â— in the strâ—â—â—s layne Caused of deathe most sodayne vyolence And Titus gaue among them this sentence I meane of them that dyd aliue dwell For a penny men shoulde thurty sell. So as Iudas solde Christ for thurty pence Titus againe thought of equyce Of marchaundyse to make recompence Thurty Iewes founde in the cyte For a penny and for nomore parde They to be solde for theyr great outrage Euer amonge Sarazyns to liue in seruage Of the temple a priest that was full olde Two stately lantarnes y â— were bright shene Tables basyns violes of bright golde He presented and thus he dyd mene That their treasure should wele be sene Of the temple and shewed to Titus In token it was whilom so glorious To shewe eke there he did his busy cure Silke sinamone frankencens withall For sacrifise the purpurate vesture With Vrimthumun the ryche pectorall Whiche ordained were in especiall For the solempne place of places all Sancta sanctorum and so men dyd it call Of the cite a prince called Ihon To Titus came and shewed his presence Pale for hunger there came also Symon Brought by a duke y t named was Terence Clad in purple brought by violence Receiued of Titus whan this noble town Castels towres walles were smyt downe In to a castell called Mazadan Eleazarus had take his flight Belieged of Scilla or he the castell wan This Eleazar like a furious knight Within the castel the selfe same nyght Styred euery man father childe brother With sharpe swordes erche man to sle other Thus was this cite most stately of bilding That whilom was of this worlde chefe toun Where Melch yâ—â—der reigned preest kyng By dayes olde as made is mencion Restored by Dauid builded newe of Salomon Princesse of proninces was no wher such another Now is it ahiect refuse of al other Vnto the Iewes Christ Iesu gaâ—e respite Full thurty yere or he toke veingeaunce In token the lord hath ioye great delite Whan that sinners dispose them to penauÌ„ce By contricion and vertely repentaunce This blessed lorde this king most merciable Lengest abideth or he lyst be vengeable He was to them so gracious and benygne Bade that they shoulde to him conuert sone Shewed vnto them many an vncouth signe During twelue daies eclipsed was y â— mosis The people atones knew nat what to done But indurate in their froward entent Like folke abashed wyst nat what it ment Afore the siege or Titus gan the werre Ouer the cite wherof they wext aferde There appered a comete and a sterre The sterre was shape like a sharpe swerde Touching the comet there was neuer herde Of such another so firy bright and clere Which endured the space of al thâ— yere Their festiual day halowed in Apryl Their priestes busy to make oblacion So great a light in the temple fyll That
hath shyppes by the sea to sayle Bachus at Wynchester gretly doth auaile Worcestre with frutes haboundeth at the ful Herford with beastes Cotswolde with wul Bathe hot bathes holsome for medicine Yorke mighty timbre for great auauntage Corn wall mynes wherin to myne Salisbury beastes full sauage Whete mylke hony plente for euery age Kent and Canterbury hath great cōmodite Of sondrie fyshes there taken in the see Bochas reherseth there is eke in Bretayne Founde of Gete a full precious stone Blacke of colour and vertuous in certayne For sickenesses many mo than one The poudre of whiche wyll difcure anone If it be dronke though it be secre Of maydenhede broken chastite Ther ben of peerles founde in muskil shelles And the best that haue most whitenesse And as the boke of Brutus also telles How king Arthure to speke of worthynesse Passed all kinges in marciall prowesse Touchyng his line his royall kynrede Who that lyst se in Brutus he may rede His father called Vter Pendragon A manly knight and famous of corage Right notable in his actes euerychon Arthur but yonge and tendre of age By full assent of all his baronage By succession crowned anonright Called of Europe the moste famous knight Curteys large and manly of dispence Myrrour called of lyberalite Hardy stronge and of great prouidence And of his knightly magnanimite He droue Saxons out of his countre Conquered by prowesse of his mighty hand Orcadoys Denmarke and Holande Irland Gaule Norway Scotlād fran̄ce As Martes son to the werres mete Wrought by counsaile and by ordinaunce Of prudent Marlyn called his prophete And as I fynde he let make a sete Among his Britōs most famous notable Through all the worlde called y ◠roūde table Most worthy knightes proued of their hand Chosen out by Arthur this order was begō Their famous nobles through euery land Shone by reporte as doth the midday sonne To Fames palays the renome is vp ronne Statutes set by vertuous ordinaunce Vnder profession of marciall gouernaunce The first statute in the regestre founde Fro which they should na◠decline of right By full assuraunce of othe custome bounde Aye to be armed in plate forged bright Except a space to reste them on the night Seke auentures and their time spende Rightful quarell to sustene and defende The sebler partye if he had right By theyr power manly to supporte If that they were required of any wight Folke disconsolate to beare vp comforte At all times men may of him reporte No maner wyse they do no vtolence And again tiraūtes make knightly resistece That widowes maidens suffre no domage By false oppression and hateful cruelte Restore children to their true heritage Wrongly exiled folke to their countre And for holy churches liberte Redy euer to make them selfe stronge Rather to die than suffer them haue wronge For cōmon profyte as chosen champyons Pro Republica defending their countre Shewe aye them selfe hardy as lyons Honoure to encrece chastise dishoneste Releue al them that suffre aduersite Religious folke haue them in reuerence Pylgrimes receiue y ◠faile of their dispence Called armes seuen dedes of mercy Buryed soudiours that fayle sepulture Folke in prison deliuere them graciously Suche as poore be their raunsome to recure Wounded people that languyshe endure Which pro republica māly spent their blood By statute bounde to do suche folkes good To put them selfe neuer in auenture But for matters that were iust and trewe Afore prouided that they stode sure The ground wel know were it olde or newe And after that the matter whan they knewe To procede knightly and nat fayne As ryght required theyr quarel to darrayn A clerke there was to cronicle theyr dedes By purciuauntes made to him reporte Of their exployte and their good spedes Rad songe to folke gaue great comforte These famous knightes making their resorte At hygh feastes eueriche toke his sete Lyke to their estate as was to them mete One was voyde called the see perilous As Sanke royall doth playnly determyne None to entre but the most vertuous Of god prouided to be a pure vyrgine Borne of discente to accomplyshe to fyne He alone as chefe and souerayne All auentures of Wales and Bretayne Amonge al kynges renomed most famous As a bryght sonne set amyd the sterres So stode Arthur notable and glorious Lyke freshe Phebus cast his lyghte aferres In peace like Argus most marcial in werres As Ector hardy lyke Vlixes tretable Called amōge christen king most honorable His roial courte he dyd so ordayne Through eche coūtre so fer spred out the light Who that euer came thider to complaine By wronge oppressed required of right In his defence he shulde fynde a knyght To hym assigned finally to entende By marciall dome his quarell to defende If it fell so that any straunge knyght Sought auentures thyder came fro ferre To do armes his request made of right His chalenge sene were it of peace or werre Was accept to the courte came nerre Lyke as he came wyth many or alone They were deliuered forsake was neuer nōe There was the schole of marcial doctrine For yonge knyghtes to lerne al the gyse In tendre age to lerne ful disciplyne On horse and fote by notable exercyse Thing take in youth doth helpe in many wise And ydelnes in grene yeres gonne Of al vertues clypseth the clere sonne Wydowes maidens oppressed folke also Of extorte wronges wrought by tiranny In that countre what nacion came therto Receyued were there lyst no man denye Of their complayntes founde sone remedy Made no delay but forth anone ryght Them to defende assigned was a knyght Eke by their order they bounde were of troth By assuraunce and by othe sworne In their emprises let for no slothe Playnely to tell howe they haue them borne Their auenture of thinges done beforne Right as it fyll spare in no manere To tel eche thinge vnto theyr regystrere Thynge openly done or thinge that was secre Of auenture as bytwene twayne Or any quarel take of volunte Trewly reporte and platly not to fayne Them to be sworne the statute dyd ordayne Not conceled of worshyp nor of shame To be regestred reporte the selfe same And to conclude the statute hath vs leared Euery quarel grounded on honeste In that courte what knyght was requyred In the diffence of trouth and equyte Falshed excluded and duplicite Shall aye be redy to sustayne that party His lyfe and hys body to put in ieoparty Thus in Bretayne shone y ◠clere light Of chiualrye and of hie prowesse Which through the world shad his beames bright Wel of worshyp condite of al noblesse Imperial courte all wronges to represse Head sprīg of honor of largise chefe cesterne Myrrour of māhod of noblesse the lanterne Yet was there sene neuer so bryght a sonne The sommers day in the mydday spere So freshly shyne but some skyes donne Might percase curtaine his beames clere Oft it
that one Reigning in Damas of his true ryght Cathabadyn there beyng eke soudan Which in tho daies was holde a good knight And right notable in euery mannes sight And for the Soudan of Babilon aferre Called Saladyn oppressed was with werre For socour sent to these princes twayne To come in hast wyth all their chiualry Him to supporte and do their busy payne Enforce their myght to sustene hys partye Whose request they lyst not deny Abode no lenger but made them selfe stronge To stande with hym were it ryght or wrong Of thys matter the substaunce to conclude These princes came Salech Cathabadyn For their guerdon they founde ingratitude In this forsayde Soudan Saladin Founde him vnkinde plainly thys is the fyne From their estates as it was after knowe Disgraded theÌ„ both broughte theÌ„ ful lowe Of him in so the they had none other mede For their labour nor for their kyndnes What fyll after in Bochas I not rede For he forthwith leaueth this processe And vnto Robert doth his style dresse Called Farentyne reigninge in Taurence Who lost his lordshyp by sodayne violence This to say he reigned but a whyle Thys sayd Robert lost his gouernaunce Next to Bochas came Guylliam of Cecile Kyng of that couÌ„tre lorde of great puâ—saunce Lost his kingdom thrugh fortunes variance His eyen twayne rent out of hys heade After died in mischefe and in drede Which Guilliam reignyng in Cecile Was by discent borne â—ye of alye â–ª To Robert Guisterde as bokes do compile That whylom was duke of Normandye Greatly deliting in chyualry With his brother ful notable of renoun Which brought Naples to subiection His brothers name was Rogere Which had a sonne to be his enheritour Called Tancret as sayth the croniclere Which toke vpon him to reigne as successour Thus in Cecile Tancret was gouernour Agayne whom by title sought a fer Of aliaunce he gan a mortall werre For a mayde that called was Constaunce That doughter was to the kyng Rogere Whych was set of spirituall pleasaunce To be religious of hole hert and entere And by recorde of the croniclere This Constaunce hath the world forsake And to religion hath her body take Of this Constaunce the selfe same yere That she was borne as made is mencion There was a clerke a great astronomere Tolde of her byrth by calculacion She shoulde cause the desolacion Of that kingdome by processe of her age By the occasion onely of mariage Some that were to Tancret great enmy By their vngoodly exhortacion Moued the Emperour y â— Called was Henry To take Constaunce from her religion And by the Popes dispensacion She wedded was to theÌ„perour by his might By tytle of her put Tancret from hys ryght Wyth a great nombre of Italiens The Emperour entred in to that region But by fauour of Ceciliens Tancret long time stode in possession But through fortunes transmutacion The same tyme to conclude in sentence The saide Tancret dyed on pestilence Hys sonne GuilliaÌ„ y â— was but yonge in dede With Ceciliens cast him not to faile To kepe hys land and his ryght possede Met the Emperour wyth stately apparayle Made him redy wyth him to haue a battayle But the Emperour to great auantage Cast otherwyse of fraude in his corage Fayningly duryng the dyscorde The Emperour cast another whyle By a fase colour to fall at accorde And yong Guilliam vngoodly to begile Vndre treaty taken in Cecile Falsly depriued of hys region Sent to Itaile and throwe in prison By wey of treaty the story who lyst see All concluded vnder false treason With Guilliam take were his susters thre His eyeu put out for more conclusion He perpetually dampned to prison Dyed in pouerte lost his enheritaunce Lo here the fyne of worldly variaunce Further to write as Jhon Bochas began After that Guilliam was put froÌ„ hys reem To hym appered Guyot Lucinian Those afore kynge of Jerusalem Whose knightly fame shone lyke the son beem Which by his noblesse he whisoÌ„ dyd attayne GodfraÌ„y present that was duke of Lorayne But by the Soudan named Saladine He was enchaced of that dignite Al worldly pompe draweth to declyne So for the constraint of his aduersite The yeres passed of his prosperite Wente in to Cipres as a fugitife What fil after I rede not in his lyfe To make hys coÌ„playnt after hym came one Which had stand in great perplexite Erle of Bryeâ—ne and was called Jhon Whych afterwarde was kynge of the cyte Called Jerusalem and had also parde A faire doughter yonge and tender of age Joyned after to Frederike in mariage Beyng that tyme lorde and Emperour Was desirous aboue al other thyng Of Jerusalem to be gouernour And of Eecyle to be crowned kyng Whiche alderlast for his subtyle workynge Constrained was downe fro that partye To be a capitaine serue iâ— Lombardye The .xxiii. Chapter ¶ Of Henry the eldest Sonne of Frederike the seconde myscheued by hys father NExt to Bochas croked halte and sycke One called Henrye caÌ„e for to plaine The eldest sonne vnto Frederike Whiche by siknesse had felt great payne Megre and pale contracte in euery vayne Of whose langour the chefe occasion Was that he lay so longe tyme in prison Al hys dysease at great aduersite Ycaused was for shorte conclusion By his fathers frowarde cruelte As Bochas after maketh mencion And thys Henry by generacion Sonne vnto Frederike lyke as it is founde I meane Frederike called the seconde This Henry by discent of lyne Of Cecyle fyrst was crowned kinge And of Jerusalem whose renome dyd shine Through many a lande at his beginnyng And fortune also in her workyng Was to this Henry passyng notable In al his workes inly fauourable Of his person he had this auantage To all the people he was right acceptable Well coÌ„mended in his flourynge age Of there face and loke ryght amyable And of his porte very demure and stable Called in his ginninge suche fauoure he hath wonne Of princes al very lyght sonne But ofte it falleth that a glad morning Whan Phebus sheweth his beames brighte The day somtyme therupon folowyng With some derke skye is clipsed of hys lighte And semblably through fortunes myght This said prince by her false variaunce Fonde in her whele full noious greuaunce Who may the furies of fortune appese Her troubly waues to make them plaine Wher meÌ„ most trust they fynde most disease Where double corages stande in no certaine A shining day is ofte meint with raine Thus of Frederike the great vnstablenes Hath brought his son in mischefe dystresse This Frederike set vp in great fauour By the Popes diligent busines Vnto the state lyft vp of Emperour But through his fatal frowarde vnkindnes Of couetyse fyl in such excesse Toke vpon him the Patrimony to gye Of Christes church that parte to occupy Fyl in the Popes indignacion Counsayle nor treaty myght none auayle But of malice and presumpcion Cast wyth the Pope to haue a great battaile The sayd