liege men of Thebes citezynes Made ayenst him conspiration Put him in exile and his wife also His sons daughters brought to destruction And to the encrease of his mortall wo He and his wife compelled bothe two For very pouerte and very indigence In their last age to purchace their dispence Thus of Cadmus the sorowes to discriue And his mischiefe to put in remembraunce He banished was twise by his lyue First by his fathers cruell ordinaunce Of his sister to make enquiraunce And alder last in his vnweldy age He was compelled to holde his passage Out of Thebes his wife and he alone In sorow wepyng to accomplishe their daies Into Illery togither they be gone Their pacience put at fell assayes Whose bitternes felt none alaies Also of their ende and vnhappy fate Ne of their death I finde none other date Saue that Ouide maketh mencion And Iohn Bochas the poete excellent Say that two brethren zethus and Amphion Out of Thebes by one assent Haue this Cadmus into exile sent His wyfe also after their high noblesse To ende their life in sorow and wretchednes But the Gods of mercy and pitye WhaÌ„ they theÌ„ saw by fortune thus cast doun From their estates into great pouertie Hauyng of them full great compassion They made of them a transformacion Of bothe twayne them yeuyng a likenesse Of serpentes to liue in wyldernes ¶ Lenuoye OWhat estate may him selfe assure For to conserue his life in sikernes What worldly ioy may here long endure Or where shall men finde now stablenes Sithe kinges princes froÌ„ their high nobles Record of Cadmus ben sodeÌ„ly brought low And from the whele of fortune ouerthrow Who may susteyne the pyteous aduenture Of this tragedy by writyng to expresse It is like to the chaunte plure Beginnyng with ioy endyng in wretchednes All worldly blisse is meinte with bitternes The sodayn chauÌ„g therof may no man know For who sytteth highest is sonest ouerthrow Was in this world yet neuer creature Reken vp princes for all their hygh noblesse But fortune coulde enclyne them to her lure And them enperishe through her frowardnes Wherfore ye lordes w t all your great riches Beware afore or ye daunce in the rowe Of such as fortune hath froÌ„ her whele throw The .viii. Chapter ☞ A processe of Oetes kyng of Colchos Iason Medea Theseus Scilla Nisus and other mo WHan Iohn Bochas was most diligent To consider the successions Of lynages withall his entent In his writyng and discriptions To compyle the generations Of many noble famous of estate I meane of suche as were infortunate In his serchyng he founde not out a fewe That were vnhappy founde in their liuynge To his preseÌ„ce anone there gan hym shewe A multitude full piteously wepynge Among whiche full dolefully playnyng Came forthe Oetes hath coÌ„playnt beguÌ„ne Kyng of Colchos and sonne vnto the sunne For of Phebus which is bryght and clere Poetes write that he was sonne and heyre Because he was so myghty of power So freshe so lusty so manly and ryght fayre But of fortune he fell in great dispayre Cursyng his fate and his destayne When Iason first entred his countrey againe By Pelleus sent from Tessaly There to accomplishe by diligent labour The great emprises through his chiualry If God and fortune list do to him fauoure That they might winne the excellent treasour This is to meane that he were so bolde The ram to assail which bare y â— flece of gold This Iason through counsaile of Medee By sorcery and incantacion The bulle slough horrible for to se And vainquished the venimous dragon The kyng dispoyled of his possession Accomplished with carectis and figures Of Colchos the dreadful aduentures And afterwarde when he his purpose had He left Oetes in full great dispayre And Medea forth with him he lad And her brother which was the kyngs heyre But as I finde howe in his repayre Out of Colchos whan they gan remue Kinge Oetes after them gan sue Vpon Iason auenged for to be Without tariyng he folowed proudly The whiche thing when Iason did se This Medea gan shape a remedy She toke her brother and slewe him cruelly And him dismeÌ„bred as bokes make minde And piecemele in a felde behinde She gan him cast all bespreint with bloude Wherof his father when he had a syght Full pale of chere still in the felde he stode While she and Iason toke them vnto flyght I trowe that tyme the most wofull wyght That was on liue whan he did know His childe dismembred and abrode ysowe Whiche cause was alas and welaway That he so stout as man disconsolate While that Iason fro Colches went away And Medea most infortunate Was rote and ground of this mortall debate For who saw euer or redde of suche another To saue a straunger list to slea her brother Forsoke her father her countrey and kinred The lande emperished through her robbery Of her worshyp toke none other hede Loue hath her brought in suche a fantasy And while that she abode in Tessaly And with Iason did there soiourne She made Eson to youth returne A yarde she toke that was drie and olde And with her herbes and commiâ—tions She made it boyle in Ouide it is tolde And by charectes and incantacious And with the craft of her coniurations The yarde began to bud and blossome newe And to beare frute and leaues freshe of hew And semblably with her confections His olde humours the hath deputed cleane And with her lusty freshe pocions His empty skynne tremblyng and right leane Pale and wanne that no bloude was sene But as it were a deadly creature All this hath she transformed by nature Made him lusty and fresh of his courage Glad of hart liuely of cheare and syght Right well chered and clere of his vysage Wonders deliuer both of force and myght In all his members as weldy and as lyght As euer he was in the same estate By craft of Medee he was lo alterate After all this ayenst kyng Pelleus She began to maligne vncle vnto Iason And of enuy she proceadeth thus The kings daughters she draweth to her anoÌ„ Them counsaylyng that they should gone Vnto their father playnly vnto him sayne If he desired to be yong agayne Full restored his force to recure And therwithall in lusty age floure She behight to do her busy cure Lyke his desire to helpe and socoure And in this matter so crafty laboure Fynally stande in the same case To be made yonge as his brother was Touchyng whiche thing for more euidence This Medea hath to the daughters tolde Of entent to yeue the more credence She bade theÌ„ take a ramme y â— was right old And wyth a knyfe for to be so bolde To slea the beast before them there he stode And in a vessell drawe out the olde bloude Fullye affirmyng like as it were true That he should be a lambe agayne For she by craft would his bloude remue In such wise by
brake The .iiii. Chapiter ⧠Howe Pausanias duke of Lacedemon was exyled by them of Athenes THys was his end after this Bochas Gan in hast hys style auaunce Of Pausanias to tel the pitous caas And all the maner of hys wofull chaunce Whiche was a duke had in gouernaunce Lacedemone there foundyng a cite Which of olde tyme was called Bysaunce They of Athenes that cite gate with might And it conquered by theyr chiualry And afterwarde were it wronge or ryght They exyled the same Pausany And thus fortune through her false enuy Caused that duke without more delayes In payne pouerte for to ende his dayes ☞ The .v. chapter ⧠How Heliarchus the tyrant for extorcion and oppression was slaine by the knyght Leonides AFter the fall sothly of these twayne Iohn Bochas was moued of courage For to rehearse with all his busy payne The great fury and the odious rage Of Helyarchus whiche by great outrage Though he ne were famous in chiualry He noyed all Perce with his tyranny Wherfore Bochas gan at him disdayne Cast he woulde onely for his sake Touche of tyrantes mo than one or twaine And by writyng agayn theÌ„ a warre make And in his hande he gan a penne take Tolde in order the perillous pestilence Whiche they wrought by mortall vyolence First he declareth how fortune of right Againe tyrantes furious and wode Hath full cause for to shew her myght To appal their dignities in which they stode Suche as reioyce for to shede blode Do nought els but labour and deuise To spoyle the temple in many sundry wyse And Helyarchus through hys cruelte And his contryued false extorcions Was mortall enemy to a fayre citee Called Heraclye and many other townes And by extort false oppressions As the dede concluded at a prefe All that countrey he brought to mischefe Turnyng his grace and fauour to hatrede Mercy and pitie vnto crueltie Franchise of people to seruitude and drede Oppressed their fredome and olde lybertie And all their statutes by which they wer fre He interrupted of force and not of right Whiche made him odious in all mennes sight But to restrayne his great extorcions Fortune this while was not retchles For his horrible abhominacions She gan to auale him this goddesse merciles By a good knyght called Leonides Whiche with a felow borne of that countrye Cast on this tyrant auenged for to be They dempt it was an almesse dede To set their lande in quiete and in ease Of a tyrant the furious bloude to shede His importable malyce for to appese Whyche to their citye did so great disease And of assent with their swerdes kene They slew the tyrant in their mortall tene Of whose death many a man was fayne And specially of Heraclie the cite Dempt it was medefull y t he was so slayne To set in quyete all a commonte Lo here men may the rightfull guerdon se Of tyrantes whiche by their vyolence To oppresse the people haue no conscience The .vi. Chapiter ☞ How the vycious Dyonis kyng of Cycyle slewe his brethren and kynrede and after exiled dyed at mischefe AFter this tyrant with a full heauy chere And countenaunce piteous lamentable Vnto Bochas Dionys dyd appere Whiche in tyranny most was importable Through his lande hatefull and reprouable But for all that he gan myne auctour pray Of his maners sumwhat to write and say Bochas lyst not rehearse his lynage Nor make no processe of his genealogy Because he was with all hys great outrage Full of all vyces pryde and lechery Of auarice ofyre and of enuy In Cicyle helde his royall see At Cyracusis a mighty stronge citee Thys Dyonis was cursed of nature Most malicious both of thought dede For as it is remembred in scripture He slewe his brethren his cosyns kynrede That he alone in peace might possede Wythout trouble or interruption Of all Cicyle the mighty region Among all vyces Bochas dothe specify He gan drawe vnto ydlenes Folowed his lustes of foule iechery And oft of custome he fell in dronkennes And thought it was most souerain blessednes Lyke as he had be master of fortune To solow his lustes and aye therin contune He waxt ryght fatte and right corcious And his eyen gan darke of his syght That vnneth this man most vycious Ne myght not well beholde the dayes light And of malyce thys tyrant agayne right With helpe of robbers of false foreyns Slough of his citte nye all the citâ—zeyns His vycious lyfe in order to rehearce Were contagious to the audience His extort pillages done in Grece Perce For to write or tell them in sentence Would infect the ayre with pestilence But I wyll briefelye remember and discriue The sacrileges whyche he dyd in hys lyue In Venus temple besyde Cytheron A great number of women he dyd call Fâ—ll well beâ—eue and by oppression He made his meyny vnwarely on theÌ„ fall Dispoyled them so that one and all By hys outrage and frowarde vyolence They naked stode echone in his presence And whan he sawe their shape and feytures He suche chose out as were to his pleasaunce Robbed the other and toke their vestures And let them go without ordinaunce And for this vncouth abhominable chaunce Their city Loâ—roys arose w t stronge hande For hys outrage banished hym their lande An other tyme also he dyd soiourne Wythin the temple lyke as it is tolde Of Jupiter sonne vnto Saturne There beholdyng his relykes manifolde Sawe among other a mantyll large of gold Wherupon whan he cast hys loke That ryche iewel vnto his vse he toke And thus he sayde him selfe to excuse It was to heauy and to comerous In somer season that mantyll for to vse Bicause it was to large and poâ—derous And ouermore he aledged for hym thus Sythe the garment forged was of golde For wynter season how it was to colde And whan he gan away thys mantel pulle Than ryght anone thys tyrant deceyuable Gaue hym another single made of wulle Affirmed sothely it was more conuenable To other season more meâ—e and agreable CoÌ„cludyng thus for somer it was â—yght And warme for wynter in the colde nyght An other tyme this tyrant eke also Whiche was of hart most auaricious Entred ones the temple of Appollo And of his sonne Esculapius And whan this tyrant fell and contrarious Beheide Appollo beardles that was olde And Esculapius with a long bearde of golde Quod Dionis than as semeth vnto me Here is a straunge froward coÌ„uenience That the father beardles should be The sonne bearded standyng in his presence Made anone by sturdy vyolence To take away the bearde which in his syght Of most fyne golde shone so clere and bright Through Grece Perce where he did gone In all the temples this was his vsaunce The stately relyques wyth many ryche stone And massy tables of full great substaunce To take them all that were to hys pleasauÌ„ce He spared none thus liuynge lyke a thefe Til he
away besyde And at the siege lyst no lenger abyde Lucullus then the myghty Consuler Pursued after slew of hys meyne Such a multitude that Asopus the ryuer Was made with blode lyke the reed se w t winde tempest fordriuen also was he And when he saw no succour in the lande To shyp he went w t strong and mighty hand He founde fortune cruell aduersary On lande and se this worthy Mithridate And Neptunus made the see contrary Agayns him his puyssaunce to abate What shall men call it influence or fate So sodaynly a prynce of hye renowne Fro hye noblesse to be plounged downe For any mischefe he kept aye one visage This Mithridate and lothe was for to plye Or for to bowe so stronge was hys corage But efte agayne goth with hys chiualry Towarde Adrastus an hyll of Armeny Where as Pompey beset hym enuyron Sent fro Rome to his distruction Mithridate makyng his lodgyng place Vnder that hyll when it drew to nyght The troubly heuen w t thuÌ„dring gan manace The firy leuyn dyrked hath hys syght The cloudy moue eclipsed of her lyght Astonied hym by vnware violence That he stode confuse of all prouydence He was by tempest and vnware derkenesse Almost made wery of hys wofull lyfe Yet I fynde of very kyndnesse Hipsicrata whiche that was hys wyfe Nouther for werre nor no mortall stryfe Left him neuer disguysed of vysage Folowed him arayed as a page Yet in hys most mortall heuynesse Whan cloudy fortune gan him most manace Of his corage the naturall quickenesse Appaled nat nor remeued from his place So hie prowesse dyd hys heart enbrace Nat dispayred for no sodayne fall Of condicion he was so marciall In token wherof he standyng at mischefe Chaunged nouther chere nor countenaunce An euidence and a full great prefe Of manly force and heartely assuraunce Defiyng fortune with all her varyaunce Whan that he founde to hys distruction Of dispayre greatest occasion With hym he had a baylife as I fynde Called Castor whiche of condicion Was to his lorde false and eke vnkynde And conspired agayne him false treason In token wherof vp to Rome toun Hys lordes children yonge tender of age â—yke a thefe he sent them in hostage One of his sonnes he murdred by treason Which Mithridate toke ful sore at herte Another sonne as made is mencion False to his father which whaÌ„ he did aduerte The vnkyndnesse made him sore smerte For of all vyces shortly to conclude â—orst of al is hatefull ingratitude This same childe of whom I make mynde Called Pharnax whych agayne nature To his father traytour and vnkynde And his purpose agayne hym to recure In al hast dyd his busy cure For to accomplyshe his purpose in party Drewe to him hole his fathers chyualry By sleight mede whaÌ„ he was made strong He besieged his father rounde aboute Vnto nature me semeth he dyd wrong To put his father in so great a dout Kyndnesse was ferre shyt wythout Whan the sonne wyth hate set a fyre Agayne his father falsly dyd conspyre Wyth multitude his father was constrayned Maugre hys myght in to a toure to flee Hys sonne vnkynde hath at him disdained And yet for al his straunge aduersite Of his corage the magnanimite In his person stode hole lyst not vary Though fortune was to hym contrary Yet myne auctour Bocas beareth recorde That Mithrydate if it would haue be Requyred his sonne to be at accord And set asyde al olde contrariouste But he vnkynde indurate was parde Euer frowarde malycious of corage So disposed from his tendre age So that the kyng Mithrydate alas Was ouercome by vnkyndenesse That neuer afore in no maner caas Stode dismayed but of hye prowesse Kept aye one face all passions to represse This vertue force by marcial doctrine For none aduersite suffred hym declyne Ende of his werres his mortall stryues Of his debates and discencions Hys concubines his daughters hys wiues By meane onely of certayne pocions Slewe them al by drinkynge of poysons For he not woulde the cause to dyscriue After his death they shoulde byde on lyue Hys owne death of mortall fell rygour Compassed afore thus he gan deuyse Made a french knyght y â— was a soudiour With a sharpe sworde in ful cruel wyse To ren him through wherby the frauÌ„chyse Conserued was his purpose to fulfyl He woulde not dye but by his owne wyll Lo here the ende of kyng Mithridate Let princes all of his deth take hede Howe rechelesly he passed in to fate And by assent made his herte blede And Bochas here who lyst hys boke to rede Playnly rehersynge but in wordes fewe To worldely princes doth his coÌ„ceyte shewe ¶ Lenuoye MYghty prynces lyfte vp your corrages Towarde heauen doo youre hertes dresse Of your memory turne vp the vysages Wher ioy is euer peace concorde gladnesse True armonye celestiall swetnes Counterpayse in your remembraunce Worldly chaunges fortunes variaunce Aduertise the mortal fell outrages Of blody werres impossible to repres Whyle false enuy wyth his furious rages In sondry realmes hath so great entres Slaughter murdre deuision falsenes Which conscience haue brought to vttrauÌ„ce Through soden chaunge of worldly variauÌ„ce Reken vp princes that sate hye on stages What was the fyne of their royall noblesse Or of tirauntes reken vp the blody wages Sodaine slaughter guerdoned their wodenes Mithridate can beare hereof wytnes By blode vnkynde brought vnto vttrauÌ„ce Through soden chauÌ„ge of worldly variaunce Prynces remembre vpon the golden age Whan Saturne ruled y â— worlde in rightwisnes Next Jupiter for peoples auauÌ„tage The silueren worlde conserued in clennes Which Mars hath nowe turned to felnes Made it steelen w t sworde dagger launce Through soden chauÌ„ge of worldly variauÌ„ce Of Mithridate regestre the vyages Conspired poysons taffray his prowesse On land and see tempestious passages By coÌ„straynt bode .vii. yere in wildernesse Of his wandrynge payse the vnsykernes Hys ende myschefe knewe no auoydaunce Gayn worldly chauÌ„ge nor fortuÌ„es variauÌ„ce If neglygeÌ„ce haue brought you in rerages Towarde God or he reken in streyghtnesse Let reason medle for you to lay hostages Compassyon mercy partynge of almesse Towarde heuen to support your feblenesse Whan your merites shal paise in balaunce Of worldly chauÌ„ges fortunes variaunce Deth spareth nother hye nor lowe lynages Haue mynde heron for any rechelesnes Transitory be here your pylgrimages Set with brigaÌ„ts vnwarely you toppresse But of prudence by great auysenesse Wyth prouydence preserue your puyssaunce Gayn worldly chauÌ„ge fortunes variaunce ☞ The .iiii. chapter ⧠Howe Eucratydes kynge of Sythie was slayne by Demetrius and after his carayne cast to houndes NExt in ordre to Bochas dyd apere A woful prince that put hym selfe in prees Reignyng in Sithia his story doth vs lere The name of whom was Eucratides But to disturbe his quiet and his pees Agayne him plainly as I fynde Came Demetryus y â— myghty kyng of Inde Of whom the power
it fyll set by their bothe auyse They had a batayle not far fro Parise This Gracien was there put to flight By the prowes of a proud captayne Called Merobandus an hardy knight Which with his power hath so ouerlayne That Gracian was constrained in certaine Whan his power myght not auayle Gayne Maximus to flye out of Itayle This Maximus of pride gan desire In his hert by false ambycion To reigne alone and of the hole Empyre In his handes to haue possession But in what wyse fortune threw him doune With such other as be in nombre fiue In this chapter Bochas doth discriue Against this same tyrant Maximus When that he had slain Gracian The noble Emperour Theodosius To venge his death a warre in hast he gan Because also that Valentinian was wrongly banished thrugh the cruelte Of Gracian farre from his countre with Maximus to holde vp his partie was Andragacian a ful notable knight which was made prince of his chiualrye That toke vpon him of very force and might To kepe y ◠mountains that no maner wight with Theodose armed in plate and mayle No man shuld ouer the Alpes of Itayle Theodose made a great armye By grace of God and marcial corage Layde a siege to Aygle a great cyte And wan the towne maugre his visage Toke the tyrant and for his great outrage Berafte him fyrst his royall garnement And slewe him after by rightfull iudgement whan Adragracian knewe that Maximus That was his Lord was slayne in such wise Anone for sorowe the storie telleth thus He drowned him self as Bochas doth deuise Thus can fortune make men aryse ▪ And to the estate of Emperours attaine with vnware stroke gyue him a fal agayne This Maximus of whom I spake tofore Before his dethe made an ordinaunce That his sonne which called was Victore Shuld after him gouern Gaule Fraunce whome Arbogastes had in gouernaunce A great constable with Valentinian Slewe this Victore to reigne whan he begā The .xvii. Chapter ¶ A goodlye processe howe Theodosye wyth prayer and smal nombre gate the victory VVhan Valentinian with great apparayl By Arbogastes toke possessyon Of Lombardy and of al Itayle Brought al that land to subiection Than with his power he came to Gaul doun There receyued with great solempnyte At Vienne a famous old cyte Arbogastes of whom I spake but late His chefe constable as ye haue heard deuyse Of his Lord by full cruel hate The dethe conspired of false couetise Therby supposyng that he shuld aryse Vnto thestate to be chose Emperour whan he were deed lyke a false traytour Vp in a towre he heng him traytourly To more sclandring hindring of his name Reported outward and said cursedly This Arbogastes to hide his own shame His souerayne Lord to put in more blame Stiffely affirming a thing that was false Howe he hym selfe hyng vp by the halse Thus lyke a murdrer and a false traytour And of condicions hateful and odious Labored sore to be made Emperour That he alone with Eugenius Might exclude Theodosius First to let him he shuld in no partye Passe thrugh Itayle nor thrugh Lombardy Sette spyes to bring him in a trayne which that time as they vnderstode Like a iust prince did his busye paine As he that thought nothing but gode In the hylles of Lombardy abode whom Arbogastes of furious outrage Cast him to trouble and stoppe his passage He and Eugenius beyng of assent Theodosy mortally to assayle which whan he knew their mening fradulēt Albe that he had but scarce vitaile On euerye cost he set with a batayle And of his knightes forsake in manere He left all thinge and toke him to prayer with him was lefte but a smal meyne True and faithful in their affection And first of al he fil down on his kne And to Jesu gan make his orison O Lorde quod he thine eares enclyne doun And of thy mercyful gracious goodnesse Deliuer me out of my mortal distresse Consider and se howe that I am thy knight Whiche ofte sith thrugh my fragilite With fleshly lustes blynded in my sight A thousand times haue trespased to the But gracious Jesu of mercy and pite To my request beningly take hede Me to socour in this great nede My trust is holy plainly to conclude Thou shalt forther and fortune my viage With fewe folke agayne great multitude To make me haue gracious passage After the Prouerbe of new and olde langage How that thou maist canst thy power shew Gayne multitude victory with a fewe And as thou saued whilom Israell Agayne Pharaos mighty puissaunce And from the lyon deliuered Daniell And saued Susanna in her mortal greuaūce Saue me this day fro sorow and mischaūce In this mischefe to graunt me this issue To escape from daunger by grace of y ◠Jesu This blessed name by interpretacion Is to saye most mighty Sauiour There is no drede nor dubitacion That Jesus is in al worldly labour To all that trust him victorious protectour Now blessed Jesu pauise of my defence Make me tescape mine enemyes vyolence Let myn enemies that so great bost doblow Though their power be dredful and terrible That they may by experience knowe There is nothinge to the impossible Thou two and thre and be indiuisible Though I with me haue but a few men Saueme this day Jesu fro dethe amen The day gan clere the son gan shine bryghte whan Theodosy deuoutly lay knelynge And by grace ad awne gan his syght Fro cloudy wawes of long pitous weping His chefe hope was in the heuenly kyng Jesu his captayne in whose holy name That day he escaped fro mischefe and shame The holy crosse was bette in his armure Borne as chefe standerd tofore in his bataile God made him stronge in the field to endure Hardy as lyon his enemies to assayle Jesus his champion his plate eke his mail Jesu alone set in his memory By whome that day he had the victory There was a knight prince of the chiualry Of Arbogaste and Eugenius which gouerned al hole their partie Arcibio called manly and vertuous whiche goodly came to Theodosius Did him reuerence and with glad cheare Saued him that day fro mischefe dangere whan Theodosius on his enemies gan set Lyke a knyght not tournynge his visage And bothe battailes togither when they met Of Theodosy to explete the passage Fyll a myracle to his auauntage By sodayn tempest of wynde hayle and tain Troubled all tho that sieged the mountayne Vulcanus which is chefe smyth of heuen Gayne Arbogaste gan him redy make To bend his gūns w t thūder and with leuyn And Eolus his wyndes gan awake Out of the cauernes hidous brown blacke All of assent by sturdy violence With Theodosius to stand at defence Againe Eugenius and Arbogast his brother Their people and they departed here yōder With winde and mist y ◠non of the saw other By vnware vengaunce of tēpest of thūder Their speres brast
enuy excluded Thoughe to forne him translated was this boke Within him self â–ª be fully hath coÌ„cluded Vpon that labour when he cast his loke He woulde amend it but first he forsoke Presumption and toke him to mekenes In his prologue as he dothe expresse In whiche processe lyke as I am learned He in his tyme of cunnyng did excel In their language he was requyred Of estates whiche gan him compell Among them holde of rethorike the well To vnderfong this labour they him prey And their request lowly he did obey Full well he felt the labour was notable The fall of nobles with euery circumstance From their lordships dreadful and vnstable Howe they fyll to put in remembraunce Therin to shewe Fortunes variaunce That other might as in a myrrour se In worldly worship may no surety be By example as there is no Rose Sprigyng in gardeÌ„ but there be sum thorne Nether fayrer blossom theÌ„ nature list dispose TheÌ„ mai their beuty as meÌ„ hath sene toforn With bitter winds be froÌ„ the brauÌ„ches born Ne none so high in his estate contune Fle froÌ„ the wayting daunger of Fortune Wherfore Bochas for a memoriall Consideryng the great dignities Of worldly princes and their power royall Great emperours estates and degrees How Fortune hath cast them froÌ„ their sees Namely such as coulde them self not know Full sodainly to make them lye full lowe This the sayd aucthour wise ryght sadde Hath gadered out wyth Rethorykes swete In diuers bokes whiche that he hath radde Of philosophers and an olde Poete And busied him bothe in colde and heate Out to compile and write as he fonde The fall of nobles in many diuers londe Vpon whose boke in his translation The saied Laurence rehearceth in certaine And holdeth this in his opinion Suche language as open is and playne Is more accepted as it is often sene TheÌ„ straunge termes which be not vnderstaÌ„d Namely to folkes y â— dwel vpoÌ„ the laÌ„d He sayeth also that his entencion Is to amende correct and declare Not to condemne of no presumption But to report playnely and not to spare Thinges touched shortly of the story bare Vnder a style briefe and compendious Them to prolonge when they ben vertuous For a story whiche is not playnely tolde But construed vnder wordes fewe For lacke of truth where they be new or old Men by report can not the matter shew These okes great be not downe yhewe Fyrste at a stroke but by long processe Ne long storyes a worde may not expresse For whiche playnly thys noble translatour Cast of purpose these storyes for to wryte And for to do his diligent laboure As they fyll in order to endite That men after myght them selfe delyte The aduentures so as they fyll in dede Of sundry prynces to beholde and reade And haue a maner contemplacion That things al where fortune may attaine Be transitorye of condicion For she of kynde is hasty and sodayne Contrarious her course for to restrayne Of wilfulnesse she is variable WheÌ„ men most trust theÌ„ is she most chauÌ„geable And for her chaunge and for her doublenes This Bochas biddeth y â— men should enclyne To set their hartes voyde of vnstablenes Vpon thynges whyche that ben diuyne Where as ioye perpetually dothe shyne Wythout eclipsyng in that heauenly see Voyde of all cloudes of mutabilitye Among these Bochas writeth of swetenes And of matters that lusty ben and glade And sometyme he wryteth of wretchednes And how fortune can floure and after fade Ioye vnder cloude prosperitie in the shade Enterchangyng of euery maner thyng Which y â— men fele here in this world â—â—uyng And in hys processe who so lyst beholde Of all estates of hygh and lowe degre And of prynces bothe yong and olde Fro the beginning which in this world haue be Lykyng in ioye or in aduersitye Fro the fyrst descended he adowne Of theyr fortune by playne description Of the most noble he ne spareth none But setteth them in order cereously Begynneth at IdaÌ„ endeth at kyng John Theyr auentures rehearsyng by and by Of this kyng John concludyng finally How y â— he was for all his great puissaunce Of price Edward take prysoner in FrauÌ„ce Thys sayd Bochas aucthour of thys boke Whiche of stories had great intelligence Some he left and some also he toke Suche as he left was of no negligence Supposyng and demyng of credence All the storyes whythe that commune be Other knowe them also as well as he And lest that folke would haue had disdain Thynges coÌ„mune for to put in memory Therfore Bochas thought it were but vain And to his name more encrease of glory To remember no cronicle ne historye But tho that were for their merite notable Aucthorised famous and commendable In his labour hauyng a delite That the matter greatly myght auayle Do pleasaunce to the commen profite Of noble storyes to make a rehearsail Shewig a myrror how al y e world shal fail And how Fortune for all their hye renowne Hath vpon Prynces iurisdiction The whiche thyng in full sober wyse He considered in his inwarde intent In his reason began to aduertyse Seyng of Prynces the blynde entent With worldly worshyp how y â— they be blent As they shoulde euer their estates kepe And as Fortune were ylayed to slepe And as they had of Fortune the maistry Her enchaunted wyth their pocions By some newe craft of sorcery Or by power of incantacions To make stable their dominations Wyth yron chaynes for to last longe Locked to rockes wyth adamantes strong Supposyng in their surquedy Their estates should be durable But Fortune can frowardly deny And plainly preue that they be changeable And fro prynces when they be most stable Fortune full fast for all their great estate Vnwarely chauÌ„geth saith to theÌ„ che 〈…〉 For lordes some in their magnificence Of royal power set of God tyght nought They not conceyue his long pacience Neither peyse his power in their thought But in their hartes if it were well sought How he is meke and pacient to abide They would of reason their pompe lay aside But for their tariyng and their negligence That they to him will not returne agayne Yet of his mercy and his beneuolence Without vengeaunce rigour or disdayne As a meke father in all his workes playne Assayeth his yarde of castigation So for to bryng them to correction Some he can full fatherly chastice Where he loueth by punishynge of sickenes And of his mercy in many anotherwise By aduersitie of worldely distres And he not asketh for his kindenes Of high ne lowe who so can aduert None other treasure but a mans hart And as mine aucthour list to comprehende This John Bochas by great aucthoritie It is almesse to correct and amende The vycious folke of euery comminaltie And by examples whiche that notable be Of Prynces olde that sumtime did fall The lower people from their erroure call By small whelpes as sume clarkes write Chastised is the
stepsonn called Ipolitus But for he was to her daungerous And to her lust froward and contrary In his apport not goodly ne benigne Of her false entent anon she gan to vary Ayenst hym full felly to maligne And to her prince of many token and signe Of womanhede she gan hym accuse Her auoutry falsly to excuse Who sayth that women can not ymagyne In their deffence tales vntrue To their desire if men list not enclyne Neither on their feyned false wo to tue ▪ Anon they can compasse thynges new Fyshe and finde out of their entencion A couert cloude to shadowe their traison She hath accused yonge Ipolitus Of false auoutrye in hys tendre age Tolde and affirmed to duke Theseus With ful bolde chere and ful playne visage Howe he purposed for to do outrage Only by force her beaute to oppresse Her lorde beseching to reforme and dresse The great iniquitie done to his wife Whyle he was absēt for thing y ◠bare charge Wyues of tales somtyme ben inuentife To suffre their tonges falsly flyen at large But folkes y e list of domage thē discharge Of such accusyng ne take they none hede Tyll the truth be tried out in dede I meane nothynge of wyues that ben good Neyther of women y e flouren in innocence For god forbede and the holy roode But men should do due reuerence To their noblesse and their excellence Declare their bounte their vertue shewe And thē cherishe because there be but fewe Touching the accusing ayenst Ipolitus Though if so were that it was fals in dede Yet he for shame and fere of Theseus As in the story ye may behold and rede In his hert he caught a maner drede That he alas thys sely yonge knight Fled withdrewe hi out of hys fathers sight Hys indignacion playnly for to eschewe Though by desert in him there was no lacke Of hasty drede as he gan remewe Or in a chare or on horse backe His horse afrayde there fel a sodeine wracke Doun frō a roch pendaunt as ye shall lere He and his chare were drowned both in fere Thus vngilty in his most lusty youth He was conueied to his distruction The sclander conspired as it is wele couth By false Phedra but in conclusion The sclander turned to her confusion For whan she wyst Ipolitus was dede Through her defaut anon for shame drede She toke a swerde full sharpe ygrounde And there with all she raft her hert a tweine Lo howe y t vēgeaūce woll euer ayen reboūde On them that falsely do their busy peine To sclaunder folke for like as they ordeine With their diffames other folkes to wyte God at last their malice can aquite But some bokes of Phedra do recorde That she ashamed and confuse of this dede Hing her selfe vp full high with a corde Lo how false sclaunder can quite folkes mede Wherefore I counsayle euery man take hede In such maters as stande vncertaine From hasty langage his tonge to refraine Amonge these stories woful for to rede All besprent with teares in his face Full sodenly Jhon Bochas gan take hede In middes the prease zisara came to place And howe that fortune gan also to manace This proud duke full myghty and notable Of kyng Jabyn called the great constable Of his host leder and gouernour To Israell very mortall fo With people he rode lyke a conquerour And where that euer his meyny dyd go The earth quoke people dredde him so Fled fro hys face where as he came a ferre Nyne hundred waynes he had for the wet Strōgly inarmed w t hokes made like sithes ▪ Who y e approched to mayme to wounde For this tirant of custome oftsithes Had great delite the Jewes to confound And all tho that his swerde hath found Kynge Jabyn bad prince of Canaan In Israel to spare childe ne man This zisara was sent to be their scourge By goddes suffraunce their sinnes to chastise Their olde offences to punishe to purge As a flagell many sondry wyse But whan of reason they gan better deuise And for their trespaces to fall in repentaūce God gan w t drawe the hand of his vengeaūce For in their mischefe they gan their lorde to knowe Felynge the pricke of his punicion And mercy than hath vnbent the bowe Of hys fell yre and castigacion To God they made their inuocacion And he them herde in their mortal drede In Judicum the storye ye may rede Howe in the whyle that this zisara Shope hym of newe the Jewes to oppresse In their defence god sent them Delbora I prophetesse the story bereth witnes To yeue thē counseil their armeis to dresse And by the spirite of her prophesie For to wythstande the great tyrannye Of zisara whych was discended doun With a great host into the felde repeired But Delbora of high discrecion Whan that she sawe the Jewes dispeired And for to fight their corrages sore apeired She made them first deuoutly in that drede To crye to god to helpe them in their nede She was their iudge their gouernes Chefe of their counsaill and of custome she Causes dependinge of great auysenes That stode in dout by dome of equitie She tried them out vnder a palme tre ▪ And was not hasty no mater to determyne Tyll she the parties aforedyd examyne And whan that she herd of the cōminge Of zisara wyth full great puissaunce That was constable of that mighty king Called Jabyn wyth al his ordinaunce Vpon Jewes for to do vengeaunce This Delbora gan prudently entende The Jewes party by wysdome to defende She bad Barach her husbande anon ryght Of Nemptalym .x. M. with him take Ayenst zisara to fyght for their ryghte And that he shoulde a great enarme take But he for drede thys iourney gan forsake And durst not ayenst him tho werrey But she were present and lyst hym to conuey Wel wel quod she syth it standeth so That of wantrust ye haue a maner drede I wyl my selfe gladly wyth you go You to support in this great nede But trusteth fully as ye shall fynde in dede That a woman with laude honour glorye Shal fro you wyn the price of this victory It folowed after sothly as she sayd Auisely she made her ordinaunce And the chefe charge on her selfe she layde As princesse of Jewes gouernaunce And prudently gan her selfe auaunce With god conueyed support of his grace With zisara to mete in the face And specially touchyng this viage God toke away the spirite and the myght Fro zisara his force and his corage That he was feareful to entre into fyght Kepte his chare and toke hym to flyght Knowyng no place in suertie to abyde Tyll that Jaell a woman dyd hym hide Within her tente and al most dede for drede Vnder a mantell desirous for to drynke She gaue him mylke the slepe fyl in his heed And whyle that he for heuines gan wynke And sadly slept she gan her to
Cynarus hath his daughter founde And cruelly began enhaunce his hande With his sworde to geue her a wounde But the goddes of mercy most habound Hath fro the death made her to go fre And through their power traÌ„formed to a tree Which after her beareth yet the name Called Myrra as she was in her life Out of whiche aucthours say the same Distilleth a gome a great preseruatife And of nature a full good defensife To kepe bodies from putrifaction And them franchise from all corruption By influence of the sunne beames Myrre is engendred by distyllyng of his kind With round dropes ayenst Phebus streames And doun discendeth through the hard rinde And through the riftes also I finde The sayd Myrra hath a childe forth brought In all this worlde if it were sought Was none so faire formed by nature For of his beauty he was pereles And as Poetes recorde by scripture He called was the fayre Adonydes And to his worshyp and his great encrees For he of fairenes bare away the floure Venus him chase to be her paramour The whiche Goddesse gaue to him in charge That he should in his tender age In forestes while he went at large Hunt at no beastes whiche were sauage But he contrary to his disauauntage Through wilfulnesse I can say no more Was slayne vnwarely of a Tuskye boare At the whiche he felly did enchace But of folly in vayne was his laboure For he lay slayne full pale of chere and face Whom Venus turned to a full freshe stoure Whiche was as bloude of purple the coloure A budde of golde w t goodlye leaues glade Set in y â— middes whose beauty may not fade And whan Myrra froÌ„ Bochas was w tdraw And declared her great aduersitie And of her fate tolde the mortall lawe Came Orpheus full vgly vnto se Sonne of Appollo and of Calyope And appeared with a full dolefull face Sumtime brought forthe yborne in Trace Full renoumed in armes and in science Famous in musike and melody And full notable also in eloquence And for his soote sugred armony Beastes and foules as poetes specify Wodes floudes of their course most strong Stynte of course to harken his sote song An harpe he had of Mercurius With the whiche Erudice he wanne And to Bachus as write Ouidius Sacrifices solemnely he began And vnto hell for his wife he ran Her to recure with sote touches sharpe Whiche he made vpon his heauenly harpe But whan that he this labour on him toke I lawe was made which that bouÌ„d him forâ— That if he backeward cast his loke He shold her lese and se her neuermore But it is sayd sythen gone full yore There may no lawe louers well constrayne So importable is their deadly payne If some husbands had stand in the caas To haue lost their wiues for a loke sodayne â—hey would haue suffred and not sayd alas â—ut paciently endured all their payne â—nd thanked god y â— broken was the chayne â—hich hath so long them in pryson bounde â—hat they by grace had such a way founde â—olye in pryson it is a ful great charge â—nd to be stocked vnder key and locke â—t is meryer a man to go at large â—han with yrons to be nailed to a blocke â–ª But there is a bonde that called is wedlocke â—ettryng husbandes so sore that it is wonder â—hich with a file may not be broke asunder But Orpheus father of hermony Thought Erudice y â— was his wife so fayre For her sake he felt that he must dye Because that he whan he made his repayre Of her in trouth nothing embraced but ayre Thus he lost her there is no more to sayne And for the coÌ„straynt of his greuous payne At his hart her partyng sate so sore The grene memory the tender remembrauÌ„ce That he would neuer wine no more So fayre he was escaped his penaunce For wedlocke is a life of muche pleasaunce But who hath ones infarnall paynes sene Will neuer after come in the snare I wene This Orpheus gaue counsaile full notable To husbandes that haue endured payne To such as ben prudent and tretable One hel is dredful but more dredful is twain And who is ones bounde in a chayne And may escape out of daunger blyue If he eft resort God let him neuer thriue Vpon this sentence women were vengeable And to his writyng full contrarious Sayd his counsaile was not commendable At the feast they halowed to Bachus They fill echone vpon this Orpheus And for all his rethoryke swete They slough alas this laureate poete And of his harpe if ye lyst to heare The God Appollo made a translation Among the ymages of the starres cleare Wherof men may haue cleare inspection But fortune to his confusion Denyed him frowarde of her nature Whan he was slayne fredome of sepulture Next Orpheus there did appeare also Of Amasons worthy quenes twayne Merpesia and her sister Lampedo Whiche in conquest did their busy payne And great worshyp in armes did attayne Namyng them selues by writing nere farre Doughters to Mars which is god of warre Merpesia rode out in regions And conquered full many a great citye For couetise of great possessions To encrease her lordshyp if it would be And her sister kept surely their countrye Of all enemies so that there was no doubt While Merpesia rode with her host about But while she was in conquest most famous â–ª And her enemies proudly did assayle Fortune anone wart contrarious And caused that she was slaine in battayle Lo what conquest or victory may auayle Whan that fortune doth at them disdayn Se here ensample by these quenes twayne ☞ Lenuoy THis tragedy remembreth thynges fyue Of Narcissus the excellent beauty And of Biblis dothe also discriue The great luxury and dishonestye Myrra diffamed turned to a tree To exemplify that lechery and pride Ben from all vertue set full farre aside How Orpheus endured in his liue Joye entermedled wyth aduersitye In his youth whan he did wyue He felt in wedlocke full great felicitie His worldly blisse meynt with duplicitie As fortune her chaunges can deuyde Whiche from all vertue be set full farre aside Merpesia for her list to stryue Wyth wylfull warres to encrease her couÌ„tre But her pompe was ouerturned blyue Whan in battayle vnwarely slayne was shet For of all warre death is the fyne pardee So furious Mars can for her folke prouide Whiche from all vertue ben set farre aside Ye mighty princes let witte and reason dryue Your high nobles to consider and se How fortune estates can depryue And plonge theÌ„ downe from their prosperitie Pride and luxury I counsayle that you flye Falce auarice ne let not be your gyde Whiche from all vertue is clene set asyde ¶ The .xvi. Chapter ¶ Of Priamus kyng of Troye and how the monke of Bury translatoure of this boke wrote a boke of the siege of Troy called Troy boke AFter these complayntes and lameÌ„tacions Which that Bochas did in his boke coÌ„pile Medled
with ful great reuerence All be the bytche made resistence Complayninge stode fully at a bay The lytel chylde whan she sawe led away Ful pitiously she gan to houle and crye At their departynge dolefully complayne And after them ful fast gan to hye The childe to let she felt so great a payne Lo howe that god of mercy can ordayne A cruel beast such sorowe for to make And so to mourne for a chyldes sake But euery thyng y â— god wyll haue preserued May not fayle to stand in siâ—ernesse His secrete domes ben to hym selfe reserued There can no man expowne theÌ„ as I gesse For he shope fyrst that this sheperdesse Of Sparagos the true pore wyfe For to be meane to saue the childes lyfe Home to her house the childe she led anone And it to fostre dyd her busines Of other salary god wote knewe she none Saue that her hert thereto dyd her dresse And more entierly y e story beareth wytnesse She tendred hâ—m wyth more busy cure Than him y â— was her chylde borne of nature And as the story plainly doth expresse This yonge chylde as he wext in age Fro day to day encreased in noblesse Lyke for to be ryght manly of corage Cyrus he was called in that langage To say in latyn playnly in substaâ—â—câ— A man yborne to great enheritaunce And whan the renowne of his excellence By longe processe of hys great encres Came by reporte vnto the audience Of his ayel the great â—stiages And how the kyng was found rechles Called Harpagus for to do vengeaunce On yong Cirus he fyll in displesaunce This is to meane Astiages was wroth That Harpagus was founde merciable Cyrus to saue and for that he was lothe Agaynst all ryght for to be vengeable To slee a chylde a thyng not commendable Demyng of trouth in his conscience God was not payed to murdre innocence Astiages cast hym to be wreke On Harpagus by false collusion Because that his bidding he did breke And was contrary to his entencion Cyrus to slee agayne all reason And for that cause Astiages I rede Of Harpagus let sley the chylde in dede This is to say by false compassyng And couert murder wrought by Astiages The sonne was slayne of Harpagus the king And after rosted alas ful causeles And syth presented amonge all the prees Tofore his father a thynge most lameÌ„table With Astiages as he sate at the table But whan this kyng called Harpagus Conceyued hath this murdre most terrible And howe his sonne heire was slaine thus In his ire most furious and odible In al the hast that it was possible He is repayred home to his housholde And al the case to Cyrus he hath tolde And how his sonne was slayne for his sake In the most hateful odious cruelte Exciting him with him to vndertake On this false murdre auenged for to be To him declaringe of trouth equite Howe he was borne by discent in dede As ryght heire to reigne in Perce Mede To him declaryng the story by and by First of the dreme of Astiages And howe that he by fraude ful falsly Made his doughter called Mundanes Porely to be wedded vnto Cambises Which was his mother how in tedre age He was out cast to beastes ful fauage â–ª By a shepherde and sheperdesse Fostred he was in great pouerte And brought from beastes out of wyldernes Bycause god woulde he saued should be For thilke lorde which euery thynge may se Whan that he hath a thyng afore disposed Nedes it must fal may not be deposed This said Cirus at his natiuite Ordeyned was by reuolucion Of the heuenly spheres in numbre thrise thre So stode that tyme his constellacion That he shoulde haue the dominacion Ouer al Asye by influence deuyne Afore fygured by spredyng of the vyne What may y â— fraude of sleyghty folke auayle Innocentes to put out of their ryght Though trouth be hyd amonges the poraile Harde brought forth dare nor shewe lyghte Yet god wyl ordayne that the beames bryght Shal some one day shewe out his clerenes Maugre al tho that wold his title oppresse For this Cirus as clerkes of him write Was by the tytle of his mothers syde Borne to be kyng al Asye to enherite Al be his ayel from him woulde it deuide But god that can for trouth best prouide Hath for Cirus by processe so ordayned That he of Asye the lordship hath attained Cirus y â— time was growen vp wel of length Wel proporcioned of membres stature Wonder deliuer passynge of great strength Straunge emprises proudly to endure And to ieoparte and put in auenture His owne person the fame was of hym so Was none more lykely where men had ado And by the counsayle of kyng Harpagus Whan this Cirus was wel woxe in age With Perciens proude and surquedous And Archanites cruel of corage For to recure his ryghtful heritage Began w t Cyrus armed wyth plate mayle Wyth Astiages to holde batayle And he agaynewarde gan to take hede And with him toke many a worthy knyght With al the puissaunce of the land of Mede Hath take the felde the same day forth righte To disherite Cyrus of his ryght But god trouth was atwene theÌ„ twayne Egal iuge their quarel to darayne The felde ordayned splaied their baneres On eyther party ful proudly on they set At thassemblyng lyke lyons of their cheres In the face as they freshly met With round speares sharpe grouÌ„de whet Tyl y â— Cirus of grace more than nombre Of his ayel the party dyd encombre This mighty Cirus this yonge champion Throughout y â— felde gan such slaughter make With his knightes as he went vp downe That as the deth his fomen hym forsake Astiages vnder his baner take The felde veÌ„quished for al his veynglorye To shewe that right hath alway the victory A man of malice may a thyng purpose By a maner frowarde prouidence But god aboue can graciously dispose Agayne such malice to make resistence Men for a while may suffer violence And wronges great where so y t they wende But trouth alway venquisheth at the ende Astiages fouÌ„de ful soth his dreame Though he agayne it made purueyaunce To haue depriued Cirus of his reame He was disceyued of his ordinaunce For where that god through his puisaunce Lyst for heires iustly to prouyde Sleyght of man in such case is set aside Maugre the myght of Astiages Cyrus on hym made a discomfiture And al Asye reioysed eke in pees Of very right as was his aduenture And by iust title he dyd also recure The land of Mede lyke as was his fate And in to Perce he dyd it hole translate Agayne his ayel he was not vengeable Which had wrought to his distruction But was to him benygne and merciable And graunted hym of hole affection The fourth part of the region Of Archany of whych afore I tolde Hym to sustayne in his dayes
euery table And in his meanyng passyng disceyuable Lyke as he had in maner dredful be Toke al his host and gan anone to fle This yonge prince of meanyng innocent Nothyng demyng as by supposayle But y ◠Cirus was with his meyny went And sled for feare he durst hym not assayle And whan he founde such plente of vytayle He his knightes through misgouernaūce To eate and drinke set al their plesaunce They had of knyghthode lost the disciplyne Forsoke Mars put hym out of syght And to Bachus their heades gan enclyne Gorge vpon gorge tyl it drough to nyght And proude Cirus came on thē anonryght With all hys hoost they out of their armure On beastial folke made a discomfiture Cruel Cirus left none alyue Of hygh nor lowe made none excepcion They were to feble again his might to striue For chefe cause of their distruction Was drōkennesse whych voydeth al reason And wyse men rehercen in sentence Where folke be dronken there is no resistence And whan thys slaughter by relacion Reported was brought to the presence Of Thomiris quene of that region Vnto her hert it dyd ful great offence But of ire and great impacience Seyng her sonne slayne in tendre age For sorow almost she fyll in to a rage But for al her woful deedly payne She shewed no token of feminite But of prudence her weping gan restrayne And cast her playnly auenged for to be Vpon kyng Cirus and on his cruelte Sente out meyny to espyen his passage If she hym fynde myght at auauntage And with her meyny gā feyne a maner flight Vp to the mountayns dredful terrible And Cirus after gan haste hym anon ryghte In hope to take her if it were possible Among whiche hilles more than it is credible Ben craggy roches most hideous of entayle Perilous of passage voyde of al vitayle And Cirus ther fyl in greate daunger Al vnpurueyed of drogemen or of gyde To fostre his people vitaile was none ther Erryng as beastes vpon euery syde And they of Cithie gan for hym so prouyde Wherof their quene god wote was ful fayne At great mischefe y t al his men were slaine None of al was taken to raunson Nor he hym selfe escaped not her boundes Such wayte was layde to theyr distruction And he through perced with mortal woundes On peces rent as beares ben with hoūdes The quene cōmaūding whā he lay thus torne To her presence his body to be borne Fyrst she hath charged to smyte of his heade Whan she hath thus the victory of hym won And in a bath that was all blode red She gan it throwe within a litel tonne And of dispite ryght thus she hath begonne Most tirauntly in her woful rage To dead Cirus to haue this langage O thou Cirus that whylom were so wode And so thrustlewe in thy tiranny Agayne nature so to shede mannes bloud So woluyshe was thyne hateful dropsy That mercy none myght it modefye Thine etyke ioyned gredy and vnstable With thrust of slaughter aye to be vengeable It is an horrour in maner for to thynke So great a prince rebuked for to be Of a woman mannes blode to drinke For to disclaundre his roial maieste But gladly euer vengeable cruelte Of ryght requireth wyth vnware violence Blod shede for blode iustly to recompence Of myghty Cirus the imperiall noblesse Was by a woman vēquyshed borne doune God made her chastise his furious wodnes And for toppresse his famous high renoun For where vengeaunce hath dominacion In worldly princes playnly to deuyse With vnware stroke god can thē chastise Th ende of Cirus can bere ful wel recorde How god w t standeth folke y ◠ben vengeable Lordshyp mercy whan they ben at discorde Right wyll not suffer their state to be stable And for this Cirus was so vnmerciable He with vnmercy punished was in dede Deth quyt for deth lo here his final mede In slaughter blode he dyd greately delyte For in tho twayne was his repast in dede He founde no mercy his vēgeaunce to respyte Where he founde matter any blode to shede Such ioy he had by deth to se folke blede ▪ And for the syght did him so much good His fatal ende was for to swym in blode Lo here thexequies of this mighty king Lo here the ende of his estate royal There were no flames nor brondes shinynge To bren his body with fires funeral Nor obseruaunces nor offringes marciall Nor tombe of golde with stones rych fyne Was none ordained to make with his shrine Epitaphie ther was none red nor songe By no poete wyth their poetries Nor of his triūphes there was no bell ronge Nor no wepers with sobbynge tragedies None attendaunce but of hys enemies Which of hatred in their cruell rage Cast out his carayne to beastes most sauage Lo here of Cirus the finall auenture Which of al Asie was whylom emperour Now lieth he abiect without sepulture Of high nor low he founde no better fauoure Lo here the fyne of al worldly labour Namely of tiraunts which lyst not god drede But set their lust to slaughter blodeshede Lenuoye RYghte noble prynces considre in youre syghte The fine of Cirus pitous lamētable How god punisheth of equitie ryght Tirauntes echone cruel and vengeable For in his syght it is abhominable That a prince as philosophers write In slaughter of men shoulde hym selfe delyte This saide Cirus was a full manly knight In begynning ryght famous and notable Nature yaue him semelinesse myght For in conquest was none sene more able Tyl tiranny the serpent disceyuable Merciles his corage dyd atwite In slaughter of men whan him gan delite Wherefore ye princes remēbre day nyght Tafforce your nobles make it pardurable To get you fauour loue of euery wyght Which shal your states cōserue kepe stable For there is conquest none so honourable In governaunce as vengeaunce to respite Mercy preferring in slaughter not delite The .xv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Amilius for couetyse slough his brother and Remus and Rumulus nourished by a wolfes AFter king Cirus Bochas did espy Two worthy brethern wyth faces pitous Borne by discent to reigne in Albanye Both of one father the story telleth vs The one of them called Amulius And to remembre the name of that other Numitor ycalled was his brother They had a fader whyche named was Prochas Kyng of y ◠land the story doth deuise After whose deth playnely thys is the case Amulius for false couetise His brother slough in ful cruel wyse That he vniustly by false tiranny Might haue the kingdom alone of Albany This Albany by discripcion Like as Bochas affirmeth in certeine Is a citye not ferre fro Rome toun Set on an hyl beside a large pleine The building stately rych well beseine Stronge walles with many a high toure And Ascanius was fyrste thereof foundour Which called was in his foundacion Albania for the great whytnes There kynges after
my selfe dispose And my wittes specially apply Cause of my cōmyng clerely to vnclose And tell the effect of mine ambassatry And my speache so gouerne and gye After I am receyued to thy grace My selfe declaryng if I haue time and space For like thy mother if thou receiue me And me accept vnto thy presence I must therafter so gouerned be To tell my tale playnly in sentence So that thou geue me frendly audience And if I be not receiued in suche wise More strongly my tale I must deuise This noble prynce this Corolian When that he heard his mother thus cōplaine Full like a lorde and a knyghtly man Gan her embrace in his armes twayne In lowly wise there is no more to sayne Saue like a sonne of due and ryght To her he sayd full lyke a manly knyght Madame quod he be it to your pleasaunce To hear my conceyt as in this matere With faythfull hart humble attendaunce I you receyue as for my mother dere But and ye lyke benyngly to here The ingratitude done in most cruel wise To me of Romayns I purpose to chastise Ah sonne quod she touching their offence Done to thy nobles their great outrage They shal by menes their trespace recōpence And thinke thou art borne of their linage And suffer y t mercy thy rigoure may asswage And think of nature thou maist not wel w tsay Thing for the which thy mother doth pray Thou shalt not close thyne entrayles of pitie To the requestes of me and of thy wife Nor gynne a warre agayne thy countrey To stroy thy lyne by newe mortall strife Thy children and me to make vs lose our life Wey in balaunce to Romayns thy hatred Against the loue of me and of thy kynred Sende home agayn thy straunge souldiours Which ben so redy y ◠Romains bloud to shede Let stand in peace our walles our towers Suffer thy grace thy rancour to excede So that thy pity may put away all drede And condiscende to receyue for hostage Me to be pledge for their great outrage Behold the wōbe in whiche thou were borne And se also my naked sydes twayne By whiche thou were fostred here toforne If there were lack thou woldest cry plaine Remember theron and at me not disdayne But vnto mercy receyue this citee At the request here of thy wife and me Whilom my milke thy chrishing was fode To stynt thy cry whan thou diddest wepe Their sote drops full holsome were and good Thy tender youth for to preserue and kepe And like a mother to bryng the a slepe I woke full oft to the I was so kynde Wherfore dere sōne on my request haue mind If that thou lyst this city now torment Their demerites by rygour recompence Punyshe me for them and I wyll assent To beare the gylt of their great offence But dere sonne let thy magnificence Suffer of knighthode y t mercy may in dede Attemper thy rygour or thou to dome procede Suffer Romayns to liue in quiete Graunt thē peace agayne their great outrage Some drope of pity let in thyne hart flete And thinke thou art borne of their linage Loke vpon them with mercifull vysage Whiche offer them selfes as they shal fulfill Their lyfe their death all wholy at thy will Remember of nature how that the lyon Set aside his rage and his wodenes To them that mekely afore him fall doun His royall kinde will do them no duresse To exemplify to knyghtly noblesse w t rigorous swerd thou shalt no more manace Them that be lowly yelden vnto thy grace And whan this prynce this Corolian Had heard all that his mother list to sayne He goeth to her in all the haste he can Besprent w t teares y ◠on his chekes rayne And her embraced with his armes twayne And sayde mother there may be no lettyng Me hole of hart to graunt your askyng The siege he made for to auoyde away And to repayre home to their countrye And wyth his mother and wife he was y t day With great gladnes and solemnitie Anon receiued into that citye Like as fortune him neuer wold haue fayled But she fone after of newe hath him assayled The gery Romayns stormy and vnstable Whiche neuer in one styll coulde abide Against this prynce most knyghtly notable For to conspyre of new they gan prouide And banished him to Tuskan there beside Where he was slayne within a little space For he the Romayns afore toke to grace ☞ The .ix. Chapiter ¶ Howe Melciades Duke of Athens with small nombre vanquished .vi. C M. Perciēs and after by his comonte that aye of custome desyreth a chaung of princes new he was chayned in pryson and so dyed AMonge other that putte theym selfe in prees For too bewayle their greuous heauynesse Came of Athens Duke Melciades which thrugh his manhod hygh prowesse And thrugh his knightly renomed noblesse Like as auctours his triumphes lyst cōmēd Faught many a batayle his city to defend And of victories as it is compyled For comon profyt of that noble toune Faught wyth a tyraunt y t was tofore exiled Called Hippias which by false treason Had to kyng Dary made a suggestion Vpon Athens in al the hast he might To rayse al Perce agayn the town to fyght Sixe hundred M. accounted was the nōbre Of Perciens armed in plate and maile Them of Athenes by force to encombre Echone assembled them proudly to assayle But this Duke for nothyng wold fayle Melciades but knightly toke his place With ten thousande he met him in the face For both he was manly and ryght wyse And of his handes proued a ful good knight Set vpon them with so prudent auyse That they of Perce for all their great might Were four tymes put vnto the flyght By thylke Duke if I shall not fayne And by the noblesse of other knyghts twain Themystocles ycalled was the tone Which of his hand as auctours list discryue Was in a felde proued on hys fone The manlyest knight in his time alyue Whych thylke day so proudly dyd stryue Agayn thē of Perce such a slaughter make That fynally the field they haue forsake Cynegirus a knyght eke of that towne The same day through his chyualry With blody swerde as he went vp and doun without nombre in his melancoly Slough Perciens bokes specify That for the tyme they no refute can Saue to their shyppes for drede of dethe they ran And there he wrought a straunge marueyle As writeth Bochas affyrmyng it certayne The greatest shyp that bare largest sayle with his righthand he gan it so restrayne Lyke as it had be fastned wyth a chayne Maugre Perciens whiche did thē sore greue That by no craft they could it not meue But whan that they none other refute wyst Frely to escape out of his daungere Tyl they his right hand cut of by the wrist But w t his left hand he gan approche neare And helde it styll an vncouth thing to
Whiche from aboue by heauenly influence Had from her byrth a maner knowledgyng In suche augury great practike and science Whiche to Gordius expowned euery thyng Sayd of Asie he should be lorde and kyng And raygne there duryng all his lyfe In hope wherof she became his wyfe After his weddyng he waxt fortunate The cronicle can beare me well recorde There tyll in Frigy a sodayne great debate Among the commons a mortall discorde Knowyng no meane to bryng theÌ„ at accorde Tyll their goddes by notable prouidence Taught them a way to appease their violeÌ„ce How that debate shoulde among them last Vnto the time they had chosen a kyng And they gan cry pray their goddes fast By some signe or myracle out shewyng To geue to them a maner knowlegyng That they myght to their notable encreace Chose such one y â— should them set in peace They had aunswere to waite be wel ware To set spyes by busy attendaunce On whom they met ridyng in a chare To Joues temple to do his obseruaunce And hym receyue by goddes ordinaunce Vpon his heade withouten more tariyng To set a crowne in Frigie to raygne kyng And Gordius in his chaire ridyng Toward the temple they on the way him met And awaytyng chose him to their kyng And solemnely home they did hym fet Vpon his head a ryche crowne they set And he to them so egall was and mete That he them brought into rest and quiete Thus to the crowne Gordius did attâ—yne By tokens shewed vnto hys great auayle And their discordes and stryues to restrayne He to his lieges gaue notable counsayle That they should with royall apparayle Take his chayre as he did them deuyse And offer it vp in most lowly wise In the temple that was consecrate To Jupiter a full solempne place And more to make their offryng fortunate They should it set without lenger space Tofore the goddesse that was called Grace Whiche by myracle their hartes to appease Set all the people in quiete and in ease And whan the kyng Alexander had Losed the knot of whiche I haue you tolde And of the chaire whiche Gordius ladde The secretes seyne misteries manifolde Worldly presuÌ„ption gan make his hart bolde Without title of any ryghtwisenes The citye Gordy to spoile of his riches And all Affryke he robbed eke also Vp to the mountayne y t called was Taurus The whiche hyll hath famous names two For it is also named Caucasus Where this prynce most vyctorious Ordeyned first with speare and shelde Agaynst kyng Dary for to holde a felde Vpon a mountayne they together met The marciall plaine named Horestes And most proudly their wardes there they set All for the warre and nothing for the pees Where Alexander in knyghthode peerles All the Perciens battayled in his syght And Darius party were put vnto flight Kyng Alexander shortly to conclude In his most stately royall magnificence Set not his trust in no great multitude But in his knyghts which long in his preseÌ„ce Had had in armes longe experience Were well preued in marciall disciplyne Tenhaâ—ce his coÌ„quest by their prudeÌ„t doctrin Whiche in y â— iourney haue theÌ„ so well borne That in their nobles founde was no lacke For syxty thousande of fotemen theÌ„ beforne They slewe of Perce and men on horsbacke Other ten M so mortall was the wracke And .xl. thousande as made is mencion Were prisoners and put to theyr raunson On Grekes partie the story dothe wel shew Macedonoys on Alysanders syde In comparison were slayne but a fewe For of fote men and men that dyd ryde Through the feldes y â— were so large wyde There were that day in theyr mortal striues Nat full thre C. whiche y â— loste their lyues Dary coude none other rescue make Fled at mischefe in full great distresse His wife his doughter led awaye and take His tentes spoyled his story bereth witnesse Grekes made glad with full great rychesse His cofers spoiled he fonde no better succour And he enpouerished of hys whole treasour Whan Dary saw his deedly auenture Ful pitously in heart he dyd mourne And anone after thys disconfiture To Babylon in hast be gan retourne And while that he dyd there soiourne Knowyng no recure to hym y t might auayle With Alysandre to holde more battayle Than of purpose to set hym selfe in ease And for taleye hys deedly fell greuaunce In his entent kyng Alysander to please Cast for to sende him letters of pleasaunce Yeue hym giftes in full great abundaunce But al y â— sleight which darius hath wrought Kyng Alysander set them echone at nought This manly kyng kept his conceyte close Lyst nat shewe what he ment in dede But cast fully after hys purpose Vpon his conquest farther to procede After the gettyng of Perce and eke of Mede To wyn Surry Egypt and Libye lande Demyng fortune redy to hys hande And of hys conquest farther to endyte Whan his glory gan most freshely shyne The temple of Jupiter cast hym for to visite Whiche stode in Libye auctours determine Sayde how he was discended from the lyne Of thylke god borne to be hys heyre As lorde of heauen fire water earth ayre And that the priestes fully shoulde assent With heauenly gods to make hym egall Great richesse and treasour he them sent Thus drede and mede made hym celestiall Falsely forgâ—t that he was mortall And of ambicion by Marciall apparayle Cast with Dary agayne to haue battayle And as I fynde howe they dyd mete The two prynces with people innumerable In the confront of the lande of Crete And kyng Dary of folkes defensable Brought to the felde a people incomparable Four hundred M. of fotemen fet fro farre With Alysander for to holde warre An hundred M. there came with him also On horsbacke in stele armed bryght And all thys people whan they had a do All be that daye full longe last the fyght Were slayne and take and yput to flyght Where Alysander to hys encrease of glorye Had of kyng Dary that day the victorye And Perciens to theyr final mischefe Without mercy or paying of raunson With kynge Dary were put to great reprefe Voyde of all hope and consolacion Fâ—ed as I fynde into the region Called Parthe where as it is tolde He of that people was take and put in holde And though hys fetters were of golde ryche He had therof god wote no pleasaunce Fortunes gyftes be nat aye ylyche In her false whele there is suche variaunce Diuers of there strange of her countenauÌ„ce Made Alysander with a lytle numbre The multitude of Dary to encombre Within a towne called Tharsa he was take In a charet with cheynes strong ybonde Of all his frendes pitously forsake Ledde hurt with many a mortal wounde And this murdre contriued was and founde By one Bessus a froward recheles knyght Which stode afore most forthered in his sight And was assured by fayth of his legiaunce To kyng Dary to be true in
dede But this false traytour god sende hym myschaunce Caused his woundes mortally to blede Yet or he died he sent in all his drede A Percien knyght sad and of great age To Alysander to tell hym his message To thanke that prince of his hye noblesse Which of his grace mercy most habounde Hym lyst to shew so great gentylnesse Vnto my wife and children as it is founde For which to hym I am so muche bounde That he myne enemy of hys benignite In theyr distresse lyst haue of them pite And sith I see that nedes I must dey Through blody wouÌ„des whiche I maye nat recure Say Alisander of grace that I pray For to haue ruth of myne auenture Next to ordayne for my sepulture And condiscende to graunte myne askyng For to be buryed as longeth to a kyng Praying the gods which be immortall Whan he hath done to quyte hym hys mede That of his mercy most imperyall Hym lyst of grace for to take hede To bury me kyng of Perce and Mede For yf this tauour be in his hert founde To his noblesse the fame shall aye rebounde Requyryng hym of his imperyall myght Of my foule murder to see eche circumstauÌ„ce For murder alway calleth to god of ryght Neuer cessyng but by continuaunce Vp to the heauen to crye for vengeaunce Namely on murder compassed and thought Which by auisement is execute wrought And sythe I haue layd on the thys bonde To Alysander to do my message And him coniured here with my ryght hande Tauege my deth wrought by great outrage My blode out shed with pale deed visage Here boude in stockes to gods most benigne With ryght hole hert my sprite I resygne Thus he lay starke ther was found no abode Lyke as another mortall creature When Alysander the murder vnderstode As ye haue herde remembred by scripture He dyd ordayne for his sepulture The funerall feast to holde in all thynges As by olde tyme longed vnto kynges ¶ Lenuoye THis tragedy pitous for to here Sheweth of tortune y â— chaunges lameble Of royal trones of gold stones clere Of worldly princes howe they be vnstable Their fatal whele most diuers chauÌ„geable With vnware turne lyst nat her course tary To throw theÌ„ downe recorde of king Dary Who can or may be ful assured here To make fortune to be so treatable To finde out a way or searche out the manere By obligation to fynde her immutable Her double face the worlde aye disceyuable Shew eche daye howe falsely they can vary By couert fraude recorde of kyng Dary Example how Phebus with his bemes clere Sheweth some day his lyght most agreable But long or eue darkenes dothe appere Through cloudy mystes raynes durable To vs declaryng by tokens full notable Worldly dignities now fresh now contrary Can change her tydes recorde of king Dary Through al Asye Perce and Mede yfere His lordshyp last a thing incomparable To Ethiope vnder the mydday spere Ful of treasure with golde innumerable His boundes raught fortune eke seruisable To obey hys lustes tyll she gan falsely vary By expert fraude to preue her might in Dary Noble princes with hole hert and entere Lyfte vp your corages holde thys no fable Though ye syt hye conceyue with good there No worldlye lordshyp in erth is perdurable And sith ye be of nature reasonable Among remembre as thyng most necessary All stant vpon chauÌ„ge recorde of king Dary The .xii. Chapter ¶ Here Bochas remembreth the batayles and losse of realmes of antiquitie with the fallyng of diuers nobles HEre gineth Bochas remeÌ„bre in certaine The great sorowes y â— mortal disaueyls The losse of realines y â— blod shed i vaine Begon of warres and marciall appareyls Called to mynde of olde the fell batayls Gon of antiquitie as made is mencion First atwene Grekes them of Troy â—ouâ— A pitous hert it woulde make blede To haue in memorie the great outrage As ye haue heard wrought in Perce Mede Atwene Dary and Alysandre in theyr age Eke at wene Romains them of Cartage The wofull troubles of warres firste begon Causeth all mischefes that ben vnder the son On outher partie who can remembre aryght Nowe losse nowe lucre cometh of diuision Now disencrease now heauye now lyght Now life now dethe for short conclusion For Bochas sayth suche false discention Hath many kyngdomes y â— stode in hye estate Tourned to tuyne and made them desolate RemeÌ„bre of Troy the walles broke downe In Grece distroyed manyla stronge cyte In Perce and Mede great desolation Rome dispurueyed of marciall surete Castels and tours of olde antiquite Made ruynous in Affryke and Cartage Caused by warres Martes cruel rage Who lyst consider wrought by dayes olde The course of conquest of these warriours In Alysander he clerely maye beholde By remembraunce of his progenytours And of hys blode howe all the successours Had fatally or they dyd hence wende A sodayne deth or a shamefull ende Full many reckened that wer of hys lynage For to succede in hys possessions To syxe and thirty partyng his heritage To eche assigned theyr royall portions First as he made hys diuisions He gaue of Frigie the prefecture of ryght To Leonatus that was so good a knyght But a lytle whyle last hys possession For the countrees lyst hym nat obey They of Athenes had indignation With Antipater for he dyd warrey Yet in that warre playnly for to say Leostenes theyr duke theyr gouernour Was slayne y â— day he found no better succour And Leonatus that was his aduersary Of Antipater the partye to sustene Founde fortune that daye to hym contrary For in the felde though he rode armed clene With a spere his wounde was made grene At mischefe slayne myne auctour doth coÌ„pile Thus his lordshyp last nat but a whyle Antipater another successour Of Alysander as made is mencion Was by recorde the same false traytour That for his death tempered the poyson Hys son CassaÌ„der accoÌ„plished the trayson Bare the cup which that made hym sterue With y â— strong poyson when he dyd him serue Antipater of this crime culpable Greatly desyred in his opinion Vpon all tho than to be vengeable That likely were to espye his trayson Drede hym sore hauyng suspection Lest he were accused to the estates Of crime called lese maiestatis Hys soone assented to that horrible dede Which to Alysander beyng in Babylone Most traytourly without shame or drede As ye haue heard presented the poysone And yet the kyng as made is mencion Though he to hym false was and contrary He made him prefect lord of y â— land of Cary. And among other notable warriours There were thre more ful worthy famous Set in the numbre of his enheritours Polycarpus and Neoptolonius And eche of them to other enuious Within a felde the storye dothe vs lere Eueriche slewe other as they met yfere Of Perdicas what should I write or sayne Which among all was one the best
tripet And fro my whele I cast him low doun In his moste hyest domynacion Toke no hede where he dyd laugh or mourne For with no man I do alway soiourne Bochas quod fortune take good hede also Howe I can bothe further and disauayle For ensample se howe Athenyo That whylom was a shepherde in Itayle A brigaunt after marchauntes to assayle Laye in wayte besyde a great mountayne Of fugitiues he was made a captayne Slewe first his lorde a ryche Senatour By violence brake many a stronge prison And for a tyme I gaue hym great fauour To gather robbours about him enuyron All the churles of that region He assembled through his iniquite To holde a werre with Rome the cite Besieged castels brake doun mighty tours Slewe and robbed about in eche countre Spoyled palayses of worthy Senatours Tytle had he none saue tytle of volunte Toke vpon hym of pride and cruelte For to be clad in purple lyke a kyng Bare a scepter amonge his men ridyng Vpon his head ordayned for the nones His golden heare tressed lyke an emperour A â—oyfe enbrouded all of ryche stones Me lyst to laughe that a false robbour By supportacion of my gery fauour Which last nat longe for after in short whyle As is my custome I dyd hym begyle I suffred hym and made hym fayned chere As I haue doen to other mo full ofte Tyll downe fro Rome was sent a Consulere Which toke him proudly henge him alofte His churles slayne some of them nat softe In cheynes bounde for shorte conclusion Were dempt by lawe to die in prison By whiche story Bochas thou mayst lere A great party of my condicion But now in hast a story thou shalt here Howe in the yere fro the foundacion More than sixty C. I meane of Rome toun Was a gatheryng a great company Together sworne by false conspyracy Them to withdraw fro the obeysance Of a Tribune called Clodoue Which for knighthode had gouernaunce And was sent downe from Rome cyte With myghty hande to rule a great countre Called Champayne and playnlye for to say The people there lyst hym nat obay Thre score and four were of them in numbre That named were chefe conspyratours Whiche y â— cast theÌ„ their captayne to encoÌ„bre w t multitude of theues robbours Whiche chase amonge theÌ„ to be their supportours Thre mighty captaynes of which there was one Called Spartharcus chefest of echone Gadred churles made them selfe stronge On an hye hyll toke their dwellyng place Hauing no regarde were it right or wronge To spoyle the countre beastes to enchace I cherished them with a benigne face For a season and gaue them liberte By false rauyne to robbe the countre What thing is more cruel in comparison And more vengeable of wyll nat of ryght Than whan a churle hath domination â–ª Lacke of discretion blyndeth so the syght Of comuners for defaute of lyght When they haue power couÌ„treis to gouerne Fare lyke a beast that can nothyng discerne Gladiators folkes dyd them call For their swordes wer with stele made fyne For to fight gayne wilde beastes all As lyons beares bores and wylde swyne And the mountayne where they dyd lyne Called Venuse and through their cruelte Slewe and robbed about in eche countre Spartharchus was their chefe captayne Brought vp of nought borne of low degre But Claudius a mighty stronge Romayne Was sent with power fro Rome the cite For to defende and saue the countre The hyll besieged before them as he lay He was rebuked beate and driuen away Many of them that kept the mountayne Were hurte that day the story telleth thus AmoÌ„ges which was slaine a great captayne That was felow vnto Spartharchus As I fynde he hight Inomaus For whose deth was take so great veÌ„geauÌ„ce That all the countre felt therof greuaunce They of the mountayne all of one assent Without mercy or remission Most vengeable haue robbed and brent All the countre about them enuyron Tyll two Consulers came fro Rome doun The first of them called Lentulus Both put to flight by y â— sayd Spartharchus Wherof the romayns greatly dismayed The Senatours of indignacion Bothe ashamed in them selfe affrayed Sent one Crassus a great lorde of the toun With the nombre of a legion And whan y t he on Spartharcus fyrste set Slewe of his men sixe M. whan they met And afterwarde besyde a great ryuer Called Salayre they had a great batayle Where Spartharcus stode in great daunger For his chere and countenaunce gan fayle Thurty thousande clad in plate mayle Were slayne y t day there gayned no raunson All their capitayns assigned to prison Without all this as made is mencion Sixty thousande in the felde lay dede And sixe thousande were sent to prison The felde with bloude stayned made rede And fourscore M. quakyng in their drede Were thylke day after the romayne gyse Take to mercy receyued to fraunchyse And Spartharcus at mischefe put to flight Whan I from him turned my visage He loste chere he lost also his might Whan I appalled the fyne of his passage And for he was a churle of his lynage Of his encrees I lyked nothyng wele Therfore vnwarly I cast him fro my whele Of my maners to make a greatter prefe There was another famous greate robbour Which through Spayne was a disclaundred thefe And for he dred of iustice the rigour Trusting he shulde fynde in me socour Called Vrinatus he Spayne anon forsoke And to Rome the right way he toke Gadred meyny of his condyrion Of euery secte to make him selfe stronge Theues and robbours of euery region Many a churle was medied them amonge His name tencreace were it right or wronge What euer he gate in cyte or village With his soudyours he parted the pyllage Thus by my helpe he came to greate richesse Which brought in pride and presumpcion He nat prouyded of my doublenesse Gan to maligne agayne Rome toun But by the prudence of last Scipion Sonne of Lepidus makyng therof no boste He slayne was by them he trusted moste By whiche ensample notable of remeÌ„brauÌ„ce Shewed heretofore John Bochas vnto the Thou mayst know in party my puysaunce My sodayne chaunges my mutabylite And for to auoyde all ambuguite To declare the summe of myne entent Great Marius to thee I do present Blacke his wede and his habyte also His heed vnkempt his lockes hore and gray His loke downe cast in token of sorow wo On his chekes the salte teares lay Whiche bare recorde of his deadly affray Wherfore Bochas do thy penne dresse To discryue his mortall heuynesse His robe stayned was with romayne blode His sworde aye redy whet to do vengeaunce Lyke a tyraunt most furyous and wode In slaughter murdre set all his plesaunce Yet nat forthy I gaue him gouernaunce Ouer the people rose on my whele vp fast But as vnwarely downe I dyd him cast Twene him Scilla y â— woful deadly stryues At large herafter Bochas thou
worlde one the best knyght Thus erthly princes w t at their poÌ„pus fame Which ouer the world yeueth so gret a soun Of slauter and murdre they toke firste their name By false rauyn and extorcion Clambe so vp fyrst to dominacion BreÌ„nyng of countreis conquest by vyolence Set them in chaires of worldly excellence In this batayle that called was ciuile Holde atwene Pompey Cesar Julius Thre hundred M. slayne within a whyle Thre thousande take the story telleth thus Without princes not able and glorious As kynges and pretours reckned al atones Tribunes Consuls and Centuriones Phebus on y â— soil might not his bemes spred Nor on the grouÌ„de shewe out his clere lyght Men that were slayne laye so thicke on brede That of the earth no man had a syght Wolues beares rauinous foules of flight Came great plente to fede there eche day Besyde the ryuer of Nile where they lay Gobbets of fleshe whych foules dyd arace Fro dead bodies borne vp in the ayre Fyl fro the clawes vpon Julius face Amydde the felde where he had repaire Made his visage blody and not fayre Albe that he to his encrees of glorye Had thylke day of Romayns the vyctory The head of PoÌ„pey brought w t his stately rig Offâ—â—d vp to Julyus hye presence He by compassyon the murdre aduertisyng Of his innate imperyal excellence Brast out to wepe and in his aduertence Thought it pyte a price of so great myght Shuld so be slayn y â— was so good a knight The corse abode without a sepulture Tyll one Codrus of compassyon After the batayle and disconfyture Besought hym of great affection To hyde the trunke lowe in the saÌ„des doun Sought tymbre there he fonde but small To do exequies with fyres funerall Nowe sith thys prince came to suche mischefe Murdred slayne by Tholome the kyng Here of her power fortune hath made a prefe What trust there is in any worldly thynge After his deth wanted he not buryeng This proude PoÌ„pey so famus of his hande Of fyshe deuoured as he lay on quicsande What shall men set by power or noblesse Of slyding goodes or any worldly glory Which to restrayne may be no syckernes Fortune and the worlde is so transitory Though Mars to day gyue a man victorye Parcase to morowe vnwarely he shal dey I take recorde of Cesar and Pompey Sith al stant vnder daunger of Fortune Ye worldly men do your loke vp dresse To thilke place where ioy doth aye coÌ„tune The blynde lady hath there none entresse Set pride asyde take you to mekenesse To sue vertue do truely your labour Gaine al pompe make PoÌ„pey your myrrour ¶ Lenuoy THys tragedy of Duke Pompey Declareth in grosse the chefe occasion Why he and Cesar gan fyrst warrey Eche againe other through vayne ambicion To haue lordshyppe and dominacion Ouer y e Romains by fauer fraude or mighte Possession take no force of wrong nor ryght To trouthes partie pride is loth to obey Extort power doth great distruction Wyse policye al out of the waye Prudent counsaile age with discrecion Lost their liberte of free eleccion Who was most stronge with him helde euery wyght Possession take no force of wronge nor right Such deuision made many man to dey Brought the cyte to desolacion With two princes fortune lyst to pley Till from her whele she cast theÌ„ both doun Subtel disceit fraude and collusion By ambicious climbinge blent their syght Possession take no force of wronge nor right Noble princes remembre what I saye Peyse this story wythin youre reason Of false surmouÌ„ting auarice beareth the key Recorde of Cesar Pompey of Rome toun Whose wylfull warres hateful discencion Geueth clere warning to you euery wyght No claime is worth without title of ryght The .xii. chapter ¶ Howe victorious Julius Cesar brente the vessels of Tholome slough Achilas that woulde haue murdred hym and after great victories was murdred with him selfe bodkins by Brutus Cassius AFter the woful complaynte lamentable Of Pompeyes deth pitous for to here Warres remeÌ„bred w t tresoÌ„s importable Compassed fraudes faced with fayre chere Conspired murdre rehersed the manere How kinge Tholome fraudulent of courage The dethe conspired of Pompey fall in age The processe tolde I holde it were but vayne Thereof to wryte a newe tragedy Thing ones sayde to reherce agayne It were but ydel as for that partie But howe Cesar went out of Thessaly Came to Alisandre to lodge him in that place I will remeÌ„ber with supporte of youre grace He lodged was in the paleys royall Where he was busy by diligent labour Through that region in temples royal To spoile goddes and haue al their treasour Where he was mocked and founde no fauour For Achilas whych that slewe Pompey Cast him with Cesar proudly to warrey His purpose was to fall vpon Cesar As of nature was hys condicion Falsely to murdre men or they were ware By some sleight to fynde occasion To distroy Julius by treason And to accomplyshe hys purpose in party Had twenty thousande in hys company This Achilas false cruel and disceyuable Cast him disceyue Cesar if he myght â–ª Of the Egipciens leader and constable With the Romayns purposeth for to fyghte But whan Cesar therof had a fyghte He is discended â–ª and fast by the see Brent al the nauy of kynge Tholome All the vessels were driuen vp wyth a flode To great domage of the sayd Tholome Julius brent them euyn there he stode And a great parte besyde of the cite And there was brent which was great pite The famous lybrary in Egipt of the kyng Full .xl. thousande volumes there lying In which thing Bochas reherseth in sentence Howe Tholome was greatly commendable That through his busy royall prouidence Made him selfe a librarye so notable For to al clerkes in study that were able Of seuen sciences the story bereth mynde Lyke their desire myght bokes fynde After this fyre in Farus the countre The Egipciens had a great battaile Wher Cesar was of great necessite That day constrained whan y e felde can fayle Toke a barge from Egypt for to saile But so great prees folowed at his backe Almost the vessel was lyke to go to wracke Cesar armed with letters in his hande Put his person that daye in a venture Two hundred paas he manly swam to lande And coÌ„nyngly to lande he doth recure Notwithstandyng his heuy great armure But yet tofore or Cesar toke the see He in the felde had take Tholome And Achilas the murdrer of Pompey With al his felowes that were of assent Were slayne that daye there went non away Many Egipcien the same tyme brent Cesar of mercy for Tholome hath sent To Alysandre sent hym home of newe Charging he should to Romaynes be trew But whan he was deliuered from prison Of Egipciens in Alysandre the cite From euery coast gadred great foyson Againe Julius came downe with his meyne But yet for all hys hasty cruelte Such
suffre death or els greuous paine Folowing the day called the secound This Constantine hath ordayned a decre That who that euer in towne were founde Or els where aboute in the countre What euer he were of hye or lowe degre That blasphemed the name of Jesu By dome shuld haue of dethe a plain issue The thyrd day in euery mannes sight By a decre confyrmed and made stronge To euery christen who that did vnright By oppression to collaterall wronge It shuld notbe taryed ouer longe Who were conuicte or gilty shal not these By lawe ordained halfe his good to lese The fourthe day amonge romayns al This priueledge pronounced in the toun Yeue to the pope sytting in Peters stall As souerayne head in euery region To haue the rule and iurisdiccion Of preestes all alone in al thyng Of temporal Lordes like as hath the kynge To the church he graunted great fraunchyse The fyfth day and specially lyberte If a felon in any maner wise To finde socoure thider did fle within the bounds of danger to go fre To be assured and haue therof full refuge From execucion of any temporall iudge No man presume within no cytye The sixt day he gaue this sentence No man so hardy of hye or lowe degre To buylde no church but he haue licence Of the Bishop beyng in presence This to say that he in his estate By the pope afore be approbate The seuenth day this law he did eke make Of all possessions which be royall The tenth parte yerely shall be take By iudges handes in party and in all Which treasour they deliuer shall As the statute doth plainly specify Hole and entere churches to edify The eight day mekely he did him quite with great reuerence and humble affection Whan he did of al his clothes white And came him selfe on pilgrimage doune Tofore saint Peter of great deuocion Notwithstanding his roial excellence Made his confession in open audience His crowne toke and knelyng thus he sayde With weping eyen and voyce lamentable And for sobbyng as he might abrayde O blessed Jesu O Lord most merciable Let my teares to the be acceptable Receiue my prayer my request not refuse As man most synfull I may me not excuse I occupied the state of the emperour Of thy martyrs I shed the holy bloud Spared no sayntes in my cruel erroure Them to pursue moste furious and wode Now blessed Jesu moste gratious and good Peysed and consydred myn immortal offēce I am not worthy to come in thy presence Nor for to entre in to this holy place Vpon this ground vnable for to dwell To open mine eyen or to lyft vp my face But of thy mercy so thou me not repell As man most sinful I come vnto the well Thy well of grace of mercy and pite For to be washen of mine iniquity This example openly he hath shewed His state imperiall of mekeneslaid aside His purpyl garment with teares al be dewed Swerd or septer ne horse vpon to ride There was none nor baners splayde wyde Of marcial triumphes was no token found But crying mercy the inperor layon ground The peoples gladnes was medled w t wepig And their weping was medled with gladnes To se an emperour and so noble a kyng Of his fre choyse to shew so great mekenes Thus entremedled was ioy and heuines Heuynes ferre passed old vengaunce With new reioising of ghostly repentaunce ▪ This soy was lake a feast funeral In folke of custome that do their busy cure To bring a corse which of custome shal Haue al the rightes of his sepulture And in this time of sodayne auenture To life againe restored be his bones Causing his frendes to laugh wepe atones Semblably dependyng atwene twayne The people wept and ther with reioising To se the emperour so pitously complayne For his trespace mercy requiring Of ioy and sorow a gracious medlyng That day was sene gladnes meynt w t mone with wepyng laughter all in one persone After all this he digged vp him selue Stones twelue where he was knelyng And put them in coffins twelue On the .xii. Apostles deuoutly remembrynge Compassed a ground large for buildinge Besyde his palays cast theron to wyrche In Christes name to set vp there a chirch The place of olde called Lateranence Buylded and edifyed in the apostels name Constantinus bare al the dispence Ordained a law mine autour saith the same If any poore naked blynde or lame Receiue wold the faith of Christ Jesu He shuld bi statute be take to this issue In his promyse if he were found true were not fayned nor no faytoure He shuld first be spoyled and clad new By the costage of the emperour Twenty shillings receyue to his socour Of which receyte nothyng was withdrawe By statute kept and holde as for a lawe It were to longe to put in memory His hye prowesse and his notable dedes And to reherce euery great victory which that he had with hostes that he ledes And to remembre al his gracious spedes The surplusage who lyst comprehend Let them of Syluestre rede the legend Amonge other touching his vision which he had in cronicles men may lere whan he slept in his royall dongeon How Christ to him graciously did appere Shewed him a crosse sayd as ye shal here Be not aferde vpon thy fone to fall For in this signe thou shalt ouercome thē al. By which visiō he was made fullight Thrugh gods grace and heuenly influence First in his baner y ◠shone so clere bryghte The crosse was betē chefe tokē of his defēce Slew the tyran̄t that called was Maxence After whose death thrugh his hye renoun Of all the mpyre he toke possession In whiche estate he mayntayned the ryghte Vpon al poore hauyng compassion During his time hold the best knyght That any where was in any region Of Christes faythe the imperyal champion Through his noble knightly magnificence To all christen protector and diffence After his name which neuer shal appal Chaunged in Grece the name of Bisance ▪ Constantinople he did it after call And on a stede of brasse as men may se Manacyng the turkes of the countre He sytteth armed a great sweard in his hād Them to chastise that rebel in that land Reioyse ye folkes that borne be in Bretayne ▪ Called otherwise Brutus Albion That had a prince so notable a souerayne Brought forth and fostred in your region That whylom had the domynacion As chefe monarche prince and president Ouer all the world from Est to occident Tyme of his dethe that moneth of the yere Phebus not sene withdrew hys feruēt hete Was eclipsed and might not appere And longe before shewed a great Comete Alway encreasyng drewe towarde the cete Of Nychomede shone early and eke late Where in his palayes he passed into fate The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Julyan Apostata enemy to Christes fayth by false illusions was chosen emperour and after slaine AFfter the dethe of this marciall
his hande Of whose noblesse Pope Vrban had ioy Him to encrease for vertuous liuing Which that time was duke of Anioy After chosen of Cecile to be kyng Of Pope Vrban required by writyng Toward Rome that he should him dresse Of king Manfroy the tyranny to oppresse Agayne the Pope and holy churche right This said Manfroy dyd great extorcion Noble Charles as goddes owne knight Came with stronge hande vp to Rome toun Whiche in his comming gaue possession To Gyot Manfort for to haue the garde In his passage to gouerne the vowarde To Rome with great ordinaunce They passed ouer the boundes of Itayle This maÌ„ly knight Charles borne in fraunce Lad with him many a stronge batayle The Popes enemy manly to assayle But all this whyle to stande at diffence This said Charles founde no resistence Entring Rome to be their protectour Full well receyued at his first entryng Chose and preferred for chefe senatour By the pope most glad of his comming Of Cecile was after crowned king And of Jerusalem as made is mencion Graunted to him full possession Whiche in his ginning bare him so well Entring y â— land with knightly apparayle Of Cassine gate fyrst the stronge castell At Beneuent had a great batayle With kiÌ„g Manfroy whose partye did assayle To reherce shortly his auenture Charles made on him a discomfyture In which bataile king MaÌ„froy was slaine And noble Charles toke possession Wherof Romains were full glad and fayne Yet in Cecile there was rebellion But they were brought vnto subiection And Conradine recorde of al wrighting Sonne of Conrade claymed to be king Gan make him strong proudly toke his place At Alygate a famous olde cite Noble Charles with knightly chere face Fyll vpon him made him for to flye And to set rest in the countre To auoyde trouble make al thing certaine Gaue iugement Conradyne to be slayne Amonge kynges notable and glorious Charles was put as made is mencion Lyke a prince stronge and victorious In full peasyble and hole possession Of Cecile and all that regyon Agayns whom was no disobeysaunce Yelded of hole herte to his gouernaunce By tytle also of his alyaunce Fortune greatly did him magnifye For as it is put in remembraunce The noble princesse that called was Mary Doughter to Stephane reigning in Hungry Joyned was and knit in mariage To Charles son to thencrece of his lynage This same Charles by auctorite So as him selfe list to ordayne Was made king of the great cyte Called JerusaleÌ„ of townes moste soueraine By whiche title he bare crownes twayne His brother Lewes olde bokes say The same time in Egipt gan werray Gate all the countreys aboute enuyron whiche that sarazyns dyd falsly occupye Brought them agayne to subiection Of Jerusalem that iande to magnifye Cartage in Affrike with all their regalye And all the countreys beyng afore coÌ„trayre To kyng Charles became tributayre This whyle he sate highest in his glory Lyke Phebus shyning in his mydday spere with many conquest many great victory whan his noblesse shone most bright clere The same tyme with a frownyng chere Fortune gan from Charles tourne her face And him berafte her fauour and her grace This lady fortune doth selde in one coÌ„tune She is so geryshe of condicion A sorceresse a traytour in coÌ„mune Cast a false meane to his distruction One of his sonnes slayne with poyson which dyd eclypse myne auctor doth expresse A full great partye of his olde gladnesse He was disclaundred of all the vyce which appertayneth vnto tyranny I meane the vice of frowarde auaryce which is contrary vnto his chiualry Diffamed also of false auoutrye whiche was susteyned through his mayntenauÌ„ce within the lande by a knight of Fraunce The same knight abydyng in his hous All Cecile troubled with that dede The great offence was so disclaundrous Thrugh all the region it began to sprede For thylke woman plainly as I rede was wyfe to one whiche suffred this offeÌ„ce And to be venged dyd his dyligence John Prosith plainly was his name whiche cast him fully auenged for to be That kyng Charles should beare the blame Slewe al the frenchmen that bode in y â— couÌ„tre Without grace mercy or pite And for to do full execucion Required was the kyng of Aragon Lost of Cecile hole the region With obeysaunce of many countre And of Jerusalem the possession Fyll by processe in great aduersite And last constrained wyth greuous pouerte To god most mekely wyth ful heuy chere Soone to be dead was hys prayer Supprised he was w t sorowe in his corage Lost his force fyl in to malady Languished forth tyll he gan faâ—l in age Agayne fortune founde no remedy And by occasion of false auoutry Fyl to mischefe and for sorow drede This Charles died no more of him I rede ¶ Lenuoye Lyke as Phebus in some freshe morninge After Aurora the day doth clarifye Falleth oft that his bryght shining Is derked with some cloudy skye Alykenes shewed in this tragedye Expert in Charles the story doth well preue Youth and age rekened truely The fayre day men do praise at eue The noble fame of his fresh gynning To saint Lowes he was nygh of alye Ryght wyse manly vertuous of liuyng Called of knighthod flour of chiualry Tyll maintenaunce of auoutry Came in to hys courte to hurte hys name and greue His life his deth put in ieoparty The fayre day men do prayse at eue Lyke desertes meÌ„ haue theyr guerdoning Vertuous lyfe doth princes magnify The contrary to them is great hyndring Folke experte the trouth may not denye Serche out the rewarde of cursed lechery Where it is vsed the houshold may not preue In this matter to Charles haue an eye The fayre day to prayse towarde eue Noble princes al vyces eschewing Your hyghe corage let reason gye Withdraw your hand fro riotous watchyng Flye fleshly lustes and vicious companye Oppresse no man do no tiranny Socour the nedy pore folke do releue Let men report the prudent policye Of your last age whan it draweth to eue ⧠The .xxix. Chapter ¶ Of Hugoline Erle of Pise slaine in prison AFter Charles story red the woful fyne As ye haue herde the maner and y â— gyse To Jhon Bochas appered Hugolyne Called whylome the erle of Pyse Tyll they gan againe him aryse Most vengeable cruell and vnkynde Slewe him in prison no more of him I finde Saue his children of haterede and enuy Were murdred eke in a depe prison Next with his coÌ„playnt the kinge of Armeny Came tofore Bochas that called was AthoÌ„ A christen prince full famous of renoun For our fayth from which he lyst nat erre Gayne Tartaâ—ines longtime he held werre This manly king in knighthod full famous It was shewed his story who lyst rede Had a brother fell and dispytous Called Sabath desyrous to succede Sted of his brother the kingdome to possede By false treason reued of his right Kept him in holde and put him out
Gaulter by vnware violence Came fro Naples downe in to Florence The Florentines helde fyrst a parliament For the saluacion and garde of their cyte By great prudence and great auisement Of suche as were highest of degre By one assent they gaue the soueraynte Them to gouerne hopyng to theyr increace With statutes made both for werre peace The greatest states rulers of the toun Called Magnates tho daies in sothnes To Gaulter gaue this dominacion Of entent the commons to oppres And marchauntes to spoile theyr of ryches Streyne men of craft by froward violence Again theyr lybertees vsed in Florence The people alway in awayte lying To be restored vnto theyr lyberte Gan grutche sore among themselfe plaining For great extorcion done to their cyte The greatest also of most auctorite Had leuer to suffre Gaulter reigne Than their actions to modify or restraine The said Gaulter in full subtil wyse By a false maner of symulacion Enemye in herte vnto their fraunchyse All that he wrought for short conclusion Was done onely to theyr distruction With a pretence fayned of frendlyhede To his promise contrary aye was the dede Clambe vp by proces to full hie estate By fayned speche and subtil flattery In his herte wext pompous and elate His working outwarde no man coude espy Lyte and littel drough to his party That to conclude shortly for to sey All Florence his lustes dyd obey Gan subtelly please the commonte For to accomplysh falsly his desyers Made promise to encreace their liberte To suche as were frowarde of maners Made an othe to distroy their officers But they wolde of their fre volunte Graunt vnto him larger lyberte Gretter power and dominacion To encreace his might on euery syde Gan manace the grettest of the toun And day by daye encreace in his pride Felly he gan felly he dyd abyde Therupon kept close in their entrayle The Florentines greatly gan meruayle In this while there was one Reymere Of great auctorite and of great reuerence A mighty sergeant and a great officere To whose bidding obeyed all Florence Which with Gaulter accorded in sentence With soudiours had stuffed eche hostry For to sustene of Gaulter the party And traytourly for to fortifye The entent of Gaulter fell and ambycious To haue the state onely by tyrannye As their chefe lorde froward surquedous To reigne in Florence the case peryllous Whan two tyrauntes bothe of one assent With multytude to accomplishe their entent Which thinge considred by theyr gouernours And Magnates called in the cyte Whan they found among them no socours To remedy their great aduersite Fyll to accord of necessite Gaue their assent without variaunce That Gaulter should haue al y â— gouernauÌ„ce And condiscended they were to this issue That Gaulter should in all his best wyse Vpon the body be sworne of Christ Jhesu Them to restore vnto their fraunchyse Vsed of olde and for no couetyse From their promise for lyfe ne deth decline As the conuencion lyst to termine Herupon was blowe a trompet For to assemble the states of the toun A parlyament was holden Gaulter first set Holy to pronounce the conuencion With euery percell entytled by reason Like their accorde declaring anonright Stode vp a vocate in the peoples sight With men of Armes in stele armed bright Vnto their palayes chefe and principall The said Gaulter conueyed anonright Set in a seate moste stately and royal And the people with voice memorial Gan crye loude concluding in sentence Gaulter for euer chefe lorde of Florence Who to perseuer during all his lyfe Toke in the palayes full possession There durst none agayne it make strife Graunted to him the dominaâ—â—â— Of all the castels aboute enuyron Tuscan Areth and castell Florentine With all lordshippes to mount Appenyne As ye haue herde Gaulter thus began By his owne furious diuinayle Sayd he was borne to be lorde of Tuskan And a great party also of Itayle Tolde he was lad conuayed by a quaile Said euermore were it right or wronge That was the sentence of the birdes songe The same birde brought him first to Florence All the way afore him toke his flight With sote synging dyd him reuerence Hye in the ayre of corage glad and light wolde neuer parte out of his sight Gaue him tokens to set his herte afyre That of Florence he shulde be lorde syre The same birde he bare in his diuyses Full rychely enbrauded with pyrre Toke vpon him many great emprises As chefe lorde of Florence the cite Sate in iugement gouerned the countre Drewe to him flaterers folke y â— coude lye Baudes ribaudes where he might theÌ„ spy Of that cyte toke meruaylous truages Croched to him richesse of the toun Of lechery vsed great outrages Of maydens wyues made none excepcion Voyde of mercy grace and remissyon Founde quarell for to be vengeable That to reherce it is abhomynable Where he hated mercylesse he slee the Brake fraunchyses and olde lybertees The people plained desyred sore his dethe Cried vengeaunce about their citees For tyranny done in their countrees Which was cause of great discencion And of their citee almost subuercion Thus they were among theÌ„ selfe deuided For theyr greuous sodaine oppression Lacke of foresight y â— they were nat prouided To se mischeues that should fal in the toun This is very sothe where is diuysion By wytnes and recorde of Scripture May no kingdom nor cite longe endure For which they gan complaine one and all Bothe of the greate and comonte And of accord amonge them selfe they fal To refourme the hurte of their cyte And fynally they condiscended be By a maner fell coniuracion To procede to his distruction Vpon a day they armed in stele bright Magnates first with commons of the town All to assent rose vp anone right Gan to make an hidous sowne Let slee this tyraunt let vs pull him downe Layde a siege by mighty violence Aforne his palays where he lay in Florence Suche as were enclyned to Gaulter Amyd the palais the story doth vs lerne To eschue the siege with full heuy chere Ordained them selfe to flye away full yerne Out of the towne by a smal posterne Whan Florentines dyd their labour To vndermyne round about the tour Of which thing whan Gaulter toke hede This message sent vnto the toun Nat of trouth but fayningly for drede Made promyse by false collusion For to make full restitucion Of their fredoms as they lyst deuyse Sent them out Guyllamine Dassyse Which to the cite was proued vtter foe Had aforne done them great domage With Guyllamyne he sent to them also His sonne and he yre to stint al their rage Worse than his father of wyll and of corage Bothe at ones were hanged anon right Tofore the palays in Gaulters sight Another also that called was Henry Which had afore yeere instruction Vnto Gaulter and was eke enemy To stire him agayne that noble toun Gynner and grounde of their diuysion Which