Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prince_n	death_n	king_n	wales_n	2,767	5	10.1787	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19170	The life and death of Hector One, and the first of the most puissant, valiant, and renowned monarches of the world, called the nyne worthies. Shewing his jnvincible force, together with the marvailous, and most famous acts by him atchieved and done in the great, long, and terrible siege, which the princes of Greece held about the towne of Troy, for the space of tenne yeares. And finally his vnfortunate death after hee had fought a hundred mayne battailes in open field against the Grecians: the which heerein are all at large described. Wherein there were slaine on both sides fourteene hundred, and sixe thowsand, fourscore, and sixe men. VVritten by Iohn Lidgate monke of Berry, and by him dedicated to the high and mighty prince Henrie the fift, King of England.	Colonne, Guido delle, 13th cent. Historia destructionis Troiae.; Benoît, de Sainte-More, 12th cent. Roman de Troie.; Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? Troy book.	1614 (1614)	STC 5581.5; ESTC S119764	480,848	336

to me some skill That loftie verse by stately tearmes may yeild To valiant Knights their honour due in field Assist herein likewise i ft be thy will Calliope to Orpheus mother deare Who insweet musicke so exceld for skill That with the sound of harpe as doth appeare He pleasd the monster Cerberus so well That he had leaue to enter into hell To fetch his loue out of th' infernall lake Where Pluto held her for his owne sweet-hart But with the musicke he to them did make He graunted she with him should thence depart And with the dew of thy sweet liquor wet My tongue so harsh and in right tune it set For thou art sayd of Rethoricke to beare The onely praise and patronesse for skill And eke of musicke pleasant to the eare Thou canst direct each instrument at will Deny not then sweet Muse thy ayd to mee And I shall rest beholding vnto thee Els will the clowds of ignorance enclose And round incampe my wits that are so bare And cause the rude to Poets vtter foes To laugh at me But such as learned are I will intreat what faults soere they find To winke thereat and keepe them in their mind And if that in my verses I haue err'd As no man but may erre what ere he be I must confesse I never yet deseru'd To haue the praise for excellent Poetrie For God he knowes when I this worke began I did it not for praise of any man But for to please the humor and the hest Of my good Lord and Princely Patron Who dained not to me to make request To write the same least that obliuson By tract of time and times swift passing by Such valiant acts should cause obscur'd to lie As also cause his Princely high degree Provokes him study ancient Histories Whereas in Myrrour be may plainely see How valiant Knights haue won the masteries In battailes fierce by prowesse and by might To run like race and proue a worthy knight And as they sought to clime to honors seat So doth my Lord seeke therein to excell That as his name so may his fame be great And thereby likewise Idlenesse expell For so he doth to vertue bend his mind That hard it is his equall now to find To write his Princely vertues and declare His valor high renowne and Maiestie His braue exploits Marshall acts that are Most rare and worthy his great dignitie My barren head cannot devise by wit T' extoll his fame with words phrases fit This mighty Prince whom I so much cōmend Yet not so much as well deserues his fame By royall blood doth li●ally descend From Henrie king of Englād forth by name His eldest Son heire vnto the Crowne And by his vertues Prince of high renowne For by the graft the fruit men easly know Excreasing th' honour of his pedigree His name Lord Henrie as our stories show And by his title Prince of Wales is hee Who with good right his father being dead Shal weare the Crown of Brittain on his head This mighty Prince hath made me vndertake To write the siege of Troy the ancient towne And of their warres a true discourse to make From point to point as Guydo sets it down Who long since wrot the same in latin verse Which in the English now I will rehearse The time when first I tooke the same in hand To say the truth was in the fourteenth yeare Of famous Henrie King of England The Fourth by ●●ne my Princes Father deare When Phoebus shew'd in altitude to be Fine three times told and foure and one degree When he did in his Chariot downe descend With golden streames into the Ocean strand To bath his steeds and light to others l●nd That farre remote inhabite th' Indian land Where when our Summer is clean● past and gon Their spring beg●●s but newly to come on And when Lucina faire with paler light Began in cold October to arise T'enhase the darkenes of the winters night And glistring starres appeard in christall skies And then was in the signe of Scorpion And Hesperus then westward running downe His course to hasten gainst tomorrow bright As Lucifer that driues darke clouds away Is sayd to bee the messenger of light And shineth at the dawning of the day When Phoebus early shoes his glistring face Ascending from Proserpins obscure place Where Pluto sits environed about With furies of the fowle infernall Lake In this yeare moneth and time as it fell out This Historie I first in hand did take And of the Troyan wars the truth vntwind As in my ancient Author I it find For if no Authors had the truth set downe In written Bookes of things that are forepast Forget fulnes would soone haue trodden downe Each worthy act and cleane extinct at last Which Serpent never ceaseth to assaile The world to cause all truth on earth to faile And had no ancient Histories been found But all things vnto memorie were left Truth surely then would soone be layd in ground And men of knowledge vtterly bereft But God intending Sathan to prevent That hath foreseene and writers alwaies sent From age to age still to renew the same That truth might alwaies spring and come to light And thereby win an everlasting name Against the which sowle envy still doth fight But famous Clarkes not ceasing truth to show By writing leaue the same to vs to know Els time with syth would soone cut downe the grasse And re●ening death extirpe the root and all And nothing whatsoere on earth did passe Should haue record the same to mind to call Nor honor due to valiant Knights be read But it with them should rest and lie as dead And so not onely name but fame would die And wholy be defaced out of mind But Histories explain the same to th'eie As daylie by experience we may find Nere ceasing spight of envy to vnfold The truth of all which may not be controld Therein we see of high and low estate The life and acts as it were on a stage For writers that are wise in heart do hate To speake vntruth or flatter any age For tyrauts being dead they will not feare To write and shew their follies as they were And t'yeild each man as he shall well deserue Be 't good or bad and therefore it i● best For every one that credit will preserue In life to vertue cleaue and vice detest For after death know this and marke it well Clarkes will not spare the truth of them to tell For such vnpartiall dealing in their daies Great Princes in them tooke no small delight For truely blasing forth their laud praise Their high renown their power their might Their knightly acts their victories fame Eternally with glory of their name For they still sought to shun the sisters three Fraud Negligence and Sloth that none might doubt Ought was forgot or more p●t in to bee Then truth requird and as the truth fell out Els worthy acts

were wholy done in vaine And those that honour sought had lost their paine And time by length of yeares and ages past Would haue defaced name and honor cleane Of Conquerors for what can ever last Vnlesse record thereof were to be seene Which Clarkes for which they merit and deserue Continuall praise haue sought still to preserue For Histories and Bookes are sayd to bee The keyes of learning memory and skill In them and by them all men plainely see What hath forepast and what is good or ill Witnesse the fall of Thebes the ancient Towne In Stacies Booke for truth at large set downe Where you may read and see how Polinece Was nere content with Etocles a day Nor would like louing Brother liue in peace Till Thebes Towne was brought vnto decay And h●w Tedeus through that mortall ctrife And by dissention was bereft of life How Oedipus with sorrow griefe and woe Did loose his eies so bitterly he wept And how the Smo●kes devided were i● two Of fiers made when funerall feasts was kept Which fier brothers hatred did engender And death to both for iust reward did render Mine author Guydo in like sort doth show As by his Booke most plainely it appeares Of all the Troian Princes overthrow While Greeks besieg'd the towne so many yeares In very truth and though t is long since past No time nor age the storie hath defast For maugre them you may it still behold In Bookes set downe most plainely to mens eies For truth by lying will not be controld Though enviously some seeke it to disguise Transforming all the substance of the matter By fayned tales dissembling to flatter As Homer did who truth would seeme to show Yet covertly did seeke the same to hide And by vntruth which he full well did know With Artificiall words doth truth deride Who seeming Greecians honour to defend Doth faine the Gods from heaven to descend In shape of men and openly were knowne To helpe the Greeks against the Troians fight And many such vntruths by him are showne In sugred words and phrases for delight Pretending so his malice for to hide For falsehood seekes in darkenes to abide The cause why he the Greeks so smothly prais'd Was for that he vnto them was allide And therefore sought their glory to haue rais'd But such as loue the truth cannot abide Gainst conscience for to praise or discommend Where no desert their action may defind But Cupid as the Poets faine is blind And giues his doome more after lust then law So Sicophants as we by proofe doe find Commend and praise the men they never saw By false report extolling them to skie Of whom in heart they know full well they lie Whereby such men as never merit fa●e But iust disgrace are highly magnified And they contrary that deserue good name Are either not remembred or beli'd For favor now doth beare so great a s●ay That true desert is driven cleane away Ovidius Naso likewise hath devis● A Booke in verse of Troian ●●●s to show Part true part false but in such sort disguisd That who so reads it can by no meanes know Which way to sound the deapth of his intent His phraise therein's so mis●ically bent Like story also Virgill doth declare When of Aeneas tra●●●les he doth write Where truth to tell in part he doth not spare Although s●●● time he seemth to delight In Homers course with Rethoricke to glose And truth with falsehood often to compose Dares an ancient Author first was found And Ditus eke of Troian warres to write Who both set down the truth perfect groūd As being there and did behold the fight And thogh their books in seuerall language be Yet they are knowen in all things to agree The Books in time to Athens being brought Salustius cousen one Cornelius By diligent enquirie out them sought And being of a mind industrious Translated them with great earnest care In each respect as th' Authors doth declare His only fault was that he did not write The story full at large as he it found But ●ure he did in breuity delight Els would he not haue spar'd to shew the groūd And first beginning of that mortall strife Which cost so many thousand men their life And how the Greeks came both by sea lād The nūber of their ●en and of their ships The manner how they first did take in hand To plant their siege all this he ouerskips How envy was the root and cause of all The mischiefe that on Troy at last did fall How many Kings and Princes thither went In warlike wise to win them high renowne How they agreed all with one conscent To see the full sub●er●i●●● of the Towne What armes they ●are what men they did retaine Who in the siege did longest there remaine How one the other Knightly did assaile How many valiant Princes lost their life How of t they met in field to giue battaile How hatred still increast and bred new strife Nor of their deaths ●e ●iteth not the yeare Thus much he leaueth out as doth appeare Which lately causd an Author to arise Whose truth in writing is not to be bla●'d That tooke in hand this st●●i● i● such wise As that of Ditus and of Dares nam'd He hath not sought one sentence to neglect Nor yet in ought the meaning to reiect This Clarkethat wrote so true so iust so well Was Guydo of Columpna by his name Who in sweet Rethoricke did so much excell That he enricht his storie with the same So Eloquently hath he set it downe That he deserueth praise and high renowne For which in heart and voice I will not stay To giue him praise and commendation due And with applause in truth and rightly say He was the flower most certainely and true Of all that sought this storie to compile For wit and soveraignty of stile Whose treces as I can I will obserue If God vouchsafe me time and grace to do 't And graunt my labour may of him deserue The Princely praise that first provokt me to 't Beseeching all that see 't with heart mind Not spare to speake if any fault they find And with good will I shall amend the same For many eies may see much more then one Correct then freely where you find the blame But find not fault whereas deserueth none And so in hope I shall your favours win With your support this storie I le begin THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HECTOR THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. 1. I How Peleus King of Thessalie lost his people men women and Children by diuine punishment and after by prayer vnto the Gods obtained others IN Thessalie King Peleus once did raigne For vertue held a Prince of worthy fame Whose subiects as mine Author doth explaine Were Myrmidons so called by their name Of whose beginning Ouid doth rehearse The History at large in Latine verse And saith that in that Countrie downe did fall So furious a tempest from the skie

In presence of her Mother to fulfill And satisfie his fierce and bloody will And Priamus as you likewise may read Had thirty valiant bastard children All sonnes which did so much in armes exceed That in their times they proved valiant men Whose names to show as now I le overpasse Till that occasion serues in other place WHile Priam so the castle did inclose To win the same by force dayly sought All meanes he could to ouercome his foes The wofull newes vnto him there was brought How that the Greekes the towne of Troy had won And kild his father King Laomedon The walles and howses thereof cleane cast downe The people all slaine with great cruelty And left nought standing vpright in the towne But all on ground did flat and euen lie And Exion made to Thelamon a prey Who had her captiue led with him away He was in mind so much astonished And sodaine woe his sences so did straine That for a while he seem'd as one were dead And inwardly did feele such mortall paine That he did thinke his heart within his brest Would cleaue in twaine so much he was opprest With sorrow griefe perplexitie and woe And therewithall the teares did fast distill Out from his eies downe to the earth so low That sure if that he might haue had his will He rather would haue chosen there to die Then to haue felt so great extremitie Wherewith he did on fortune much exclaime That she to him was so deceaueable To worke him such disgrace and open shame And shew'd her selfe to be so mutable With most despightfull sterne and cruell face As one cleane void of mercy and of grace For she of envious heart and spightfull thought In cruell wise did shew her fell intent And all at once her malice on him wrought As vnto his destruction fully bent So wauering and vnconstant is her mind Wherein her greatest pleasure she doth find For which forthwith he made no more delay But with a heavy heart and face full pale He did put off his faire and rich array And never ceast his fortune to bewaile With mournfull cheare still casting downe his head And in that sort a dolefull life he led Apparelling himselfe in mournfull blacke And minding there no longer to abide In all the hast he could the ●iedge vp brake And presently to Troy ward forth did ride With all his hoast who likewise were full sad And for his losse and theirs great sorrow made And when the towne so much defast he found And that the walles that were so huge and strong So plaine and even beaten were to ground And nothing stood but all was laid along The towers that reacht allmost vp to the skie And builded were so faire and sumptuously Cleane overthrowne with great confusednesse His people slaine and Sister led away And all made wast like to a wildernesse For griefe and woe he wist not what to say Such and so great was his extremitie But at that time he could't not remedie Which made him most extreamly sob and weepe For nothing could his sorrow great asswage And from his brest to fetch great sighes and deepe And in that wofull plight and furious rage His men and he a mournfull life did lead And in the same three daies continued Till at the last when clowdes of sorrow backe Began to cleare and stormes of woe to cease And that their mourning somewhat seem'd to slack And causd them in their minds to find some ease For when the floood of warre is gone and past An ebbe of ioy doth follow it in hast Still to lament and mourne doth not amend But more impaire and though we vse to waile And weepe for friends our sorrow once must end For after death teares will then nought availe King Priamus abandoning all care Devising how he might the towne repaire Determin'd in that great extremitie To show himselfe a Prince of courage braue And making vertue of necessitie Couragiously his credit then to saue When as his sorrowes great orepassed were And that the aire began somewhat to cleare And void the mists of his adversitie And that the prime of woe and heauinesse Night past and gone was forst away to flie By sonne-shine of some new found joyfulnesse For that the friend of woe and miserie Is joy when men haue past extremitie When he had grieu'd in mind a little space And long indured sorrow woe and smart And that his care did somewhat overpasse He rous'd himselfe and plucking vp his heart More ioyfull to his souldiers did appeare And so hegan to worke as you shall heare CHAP. II. ¶ How King Priam Sonne to Laomedon butl● the Cutie of Troy againe much stronger greater and fairer then euer it was before KIng Priams sorrow great and griefe ore-past As vnto you before I did declare He purposed vpon the ground made wast Where as the ancient monuments first were To build a towne much stronger then it was Which to effect he did no time let passe But straight sent forth into each Countrey For certaine men or wit ingenious And skilfull worke men in Geometrie That could invent workes fine and curious As Masons Cervers Carpenters and all That skilfull were in Arts mecannicall And wheresoere he could once know or heare Of any expert workemen of that kind He would not spare to send both farre and neare Nor never ceast vntill he did them find For such as could devise a stately wall With battlements and rauelings great small For men that were of fine and subtill head The Marble stone to pollish with the graine And Alablaster white and Purphier read To hew and cut and make them smoth and plaine For gravers of all kind of Images And such as Art of painting did professe And cunning were their works to beautifie With colours fresh that long time would indure And that could make an Image with an eye As if it were a liuely creature And counterfeit in mettall wood and stone As curious worke as ere Pignalion Devised or as Histories doe tell Apollo could invent for he did frame Darius Tombe the which did so excell For wormanship that none ere past the same Which th' emperor commanded him to raise That men thereby his worthy fame might praise He sent likewise for ioyners that had skill In Cedar Cipresse and in Walnut-tree To worke and with imbossed flowers to fill The creasts that round about the walles should bee And whosoere in building was erpert And praise deserued therein by desert Or had the name in workeman-ship ●excell The King would his direction therein haue How farre or wide soever he did dwell Or what soever wages he would craue No cost he spard in any kind of thing That he his worke vnto effect might bring Intending such a sumptuous Towne to frame That it should passe all others whatsoere And in most spacious wise to build the same For widenes breadth length that it should beare And with so high so thicke

comming thither told them that he wold Go downe into the well to fetch the gold Supposing to haue found it there indeed But being downe into the bottome gone As they before between them had agreed When aid and succor for him there was none For vp againe himselfe he could not rise They stoned him to death in cruell wise And went their waies vnto their tents with speed Where down they laid themselues to take their ease As if that they had never done the deed And so they said that King Pallomides Was murthered by Ulisses treachery And Diomede and it was but a lie Deuis'd to slander them that guiltlesse were And also all the Grecians else beside For he was with an arrow slaine in warre By Paris while they did in siege abide But they that are to falshood wholly bent Can tales devise that nere were done nor ment And as for those two letters that were brought Out of the towne as by them was surmis'd No such thing by Pallamides was wrought It only was maliciously devis'd And nothing else but falshood vntroth Of purpose told to make king Naulus wroth And angry with the Greeks in generall Thereby to worke their ruine and decay And mou'd him for that cause on them to fall As they returned homeward on their way For presently king Naulus and his sonne Belieuing that such treason had beene done And wrought by Greeks as was vnto them told Did sweare and vow reveng'd to be therefore Vpon them by all waies and meanes they could And vnto them in heart such hatred bore That without any favor merciles When as the Greeks were on the surging seas And saild along the shore by Naulus land He caused fires to burne and set vp lights Vpon the coast the which on hills did stand And might be seene farre off in winter nights To make the Greeks to erre and go aside Out of the way for when they had espi'd The lights on shore and did not vnderstand The reason but supposing harbor neere They did direct their course vnto the land And thinking them for sea-marks placed there To shew them how to fall on land by night Without all feare they made vnto the light Whereby vpon the rockes sand they stroke And by that meanes two hundred ships they lost Which sodainly were all in pieces broke And cast away vpon king Naulus coast Which cost the life of many a worthy man And so to take revenge he first began Vpon the Grecians with destruction Of them and of their Navie huge and great But yet by fortune King Agamemnon Escaped death and safely home did get With Menalus King Diomed and more That followed them yet there was great store Of Earles Kings and Princes cast away At that same time But when as Oetes knew That they were gone and that he could not stay Them as he would he vowd some should it rew And presently imagined a wile Wherewith he did Agamemnon beguile By writing of a letter to his wife Which set so great contention tweene thē twaine That it did cost Agamemnon his life The letter did in it thus much containe That her deare Lord and king Agamemnon A great and mighty wrong to her had don The which could not but breed most extreame blame And detriment vnto her in the end Although she nere had merited the same The which he said was that he did intend A daughter of king Priamus to take To wife and would her vtterly forsake Though she surpast her much for excellence Of beauty and of comely feature That never had vnto him done offence Whereof he did her certainly assure And that it was his purpose and intent That she should into banishment be sent A thousand miles frō thence when he came home Advising her that she should warily Looke to her owne estate This was the sum And generall contents of that which he Within his letter sent vnto the Queene Although the king was innocent and cleane Of that which he to her did falsly write And loud her while he liu'd with all his heart And in none else but she did take delight Nor had no such intent from her to part But 't may be that the letter which he sent Made her to do more then she ever ment And to giue credite thervnto too soone Who thanked Oetes for his carefulnesse In her behalfe and his compassion Shewd therein to preserue her from distresse And yet as in the story you shall find She was a most false Lady and vnkind To him while he was absent in the warre But nerethelesse she was so diligent To looke vnto her selfe and to prepare A bait for him and thereby to prevent All mischiefe whatsoever might ensue To her by that which she thought to be true That finally she brought him to his end What trust can man repose in worldly glory Though all men to obtaine't their wits do bend Which proues to be so vaine and transitory Or in the wavering ioyes of prowd ambition Which sodainely are turned vpside downe Or flying fame that mounteth vp so hie And is orethrown in twinckling of an eie Or as vaine boasting of great victory That vanisheth away so sodainly Or in dissembling fortune most vniust In whom no man could ere so surely trust As that he might assure himselfe that she Would vnto him a constant friend remaine Gainst whom no man whats'euer that he be Can once resist or victory obtaine For on her wheele though he clime nere so fast Let him be sure shee le throw him downe at last Her favor's not to be relide vpon For she 's so full of mutability That he which doth repose his trust thereon Doth build vpon a meere vncertainty To day shee le be a friend and seeme to smile To morrow she will falsly men beguile Her pride is such she spareth no degree Great Emperors Kings Dukes Princes all are one With her for in their greatst felicity When they are plast in high and Princely throne And liue and raigne in honor and renowne For all their mighty power she casts thē downe As you may see by King Agamemnon Who while he liu'd so puissant was of state That mong the Greeks there was not any one Esteemd nor found to be more fortunate Nor greater yet for all his excellence He could not make resistance nor defence With all the power that on him did attend Against conspired murther nor prevent The treason wrought to bring him to his end Which his Queene Clytemnestra did invent And purposely deuise But he that knows All things on earth his iudgment often shows On such as take delight in murthering Of men which God doth vtterly forbid And specially the murthering of a king Which is so foule and horrible a deed That all the paine that Exion fe●les in hell With other foule infernall spirits that dwell With Belzebub are not sufficient To take revenge nor punish such ●one As hath a heart so mischieuously bent For that

solemnity They crownd him king of all that land made Such triumph at his Coronation And also such a royall banquet had That if I should thereof make mention It were too much and I must it forbeare Because mine Author writes not thereof here But briefly tels that Pyrrhus by his might Encreased much the Land of Thessalie And raign'd long there with equitie and right And no more thereof speaketh presently But vnto other matter turnes his stile And shews how king Idumeus dīd the while In Creet where he long time had raigned king And after him his sonne Prince Merryone Succeeded who vntimely death did bring Vnto his end and children hauing none His brother Prince Leorica obtaind The Crown of Creet therin long time raignd And while in Creet this change of Princes fell Atastus by consent of Pyrrhus made A rich and sumptuous tombe which did excell For workmanship wherein when as he had According to his mind full finished All that thereto belong'd he buried His sons which by king Pyrrhus had been slaine Within the wood And leaving him doth show How while that Pyrrhus prosperously did raigne In Thessalie and did in wealth oreflow He was provoked want only to lust For that which by Gods law is held vniust And fell in loue with faire Queene Hermion Horestus wife and had so great desire To her that he did wholly thinke thereon Whereby his heart was set on such a fire Of lust that he by no meanes could content His mind till he vnto Methena went And there his purpose brought so well about That watching time and oportunity When Horestus her husband was gone out He ravisht her and after secretly Tooke her away and held her as his wife And long with her liu'd an adulterous life For which Horestus hated him so sore That he sought all the meanes he could devise Or find to be reveng'd on him therefore But held his peace as being very wise And for a little while sustaind that wrong As knowing well that Pyrrhus was too strong For him to deale withall t'revenge the same At home within his land Who also made Andromecha Prince Hectors wife that came With him from Troy his Concubine and had A child by her who by his Grandsiers name Achillides was cald and with the same She nourished Prince Hectors eldest sonne Laomedon who Pyrrhus being slaine And left no child to be his heire but one A bastard borne his kingdome did obtaine By gift of yong Achillides his brother Whome Pyrrhus did beget vpon his mother Which women being both of high estate And living in great pleasure and delight Could not content themselues but so did hate Each other that Queene Hermion in despight And iealousie that Pyrrhus loved better Her Feer then he did her did send a letter To Menalus her father t'whome she wrot That notwithstanding her so great degree She well perceau'd that Pyrrhus lou'd her not But favored more Andromecha then she Desiring him with speed to come to kill Her and her sonne who granted to her will And in great hast went vnto Thessalie To be reveng'd on them that never had Offended him but yet his cruelty Could not so farre extend but he was made To leaue the same by those that did withstand Him in the towne and tooke her out his hand And did abhorre such inhumanity Especially in him that was a king Vnto a woman done which certainly In my conceit is such a hainous thing That it doth make me blush for very shame That I should be compeld to tell the same But you must vnderstand that this was done When Pyrrhus was from home gone away For he that time on pilgrimage was gone To Delos there to sacrifice and pray Devoutly for his fathers soule vnto Apollo and such other things to do As he had vowd and promist to fulfill For ioy of that revenge that had been made At Troy on those that did his father kill And for that great good fortune that they had To triumph ore his Troyan enemy Which vantage when Horestus did espy Who still laid watch for him both day night He did no time nor no occasion let But straight to Delos went with many a knight And on him there so furiously did set That Pyrrhus was not able to withstand Horestus but was slaine there by his hand And all that were with him in company And so king Pyrrhus dy'd and lost his life For iust reward of his adultery And foule abuse done to Horestus wife And let all those that vse to do the like Remember this know that God will strike Them likewise when they little thinke thereon Whose body was in Delos Temple layd Within a costly Marble tombe which done Horestus there no longer time delayd But straight when as his enemy was slaine He went and got his wife by force againe Out of the towne of Thessalie whereas He found not one that durst against him stand Such feare griefe amongst them then there was When they of Pyrrhus death did vnderstand And that to rule and governe them was none Then left but yong Achillides his sonne A child as then not fully three months old Whose yong and tender age was not to take So great a charge in hand and yet they would Not put him from 't but for his fathers sake They were content that he ore them shold raigne But when he did to lawfull yeares attaine He did resigne his crowne and all his right In Thessalie vnto Laomedon His brother by the mothers side a knight Of worthy Troyan blood Prince Hectors son Begotten on his wife Andromecha Protector while he liu'd of Phrigia And made him king Soveraigne of that land Despight of all that durst the same denie Who when he had the Crowne chiefe command Of all the puissant Realme of Thessalie He let the Troyan captiues all go free Where as they list at their owne liberty And no exception made of any one But freed them of all ransome whatsoere They were to pay and when he had so done And set all things in peace and quiet there And much encreast the bounds of Thessalie He raign'd long there in great prosperity But of the acts of king Laomedon Or of king Pyrrhus and his kindered I le cease to speake as now because thereon Mine Author writes no more that I can read Who briefly by the way somewhat doth show But to what purpose well I do not know Of Menons wife whome fierce Achilles slew Because when he Prince Troyelus had kild And at his horses taile his body drew He valiantly withstood him in the field And made him leaue his body by force Sore wounded beat him down off frō his horse Whose body was entomb'd by Priamus In Troy within a little Temple where It lay close by the Tombe of Troyelus And after did stand therein many a yeare Who saith that long time after she was dead And in her natiue

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Hector ONE AND THE FIRST OF the most Puissant Valiant and Renowned Monarches of the world called the Nyne worthies Shewing his jnvincible force together with the marvailous and most famous Acts by him atchieved and done in the great long and terrible Siege which the Princes of Greece held about the towne of Troy for the space of Tenne yeares And finally his unfortunate death after hee had fought a Hundred mayne Battailes in open field against the Grecians The which heerein are all at large described Wherein there were slaine on both sides Fourteene Hundred and Sixe Thowsand Fourscore and sixe men Written by Iohn Lidgate Monke of Berry and by him dedicated to the high and mighty Prince Henrie the fift King of England AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoot Anno. Dom. 1614. THE EPISTLE AS IT vvas dedicated vnto the high and mightie Prince HENRY the Fift MOST puissant Prince whose fame is knowne so well And whose renowne so farre abroad doth shine That it is found all others to excell And equall with that of the worthies Nine Borne by discent of right Paternall line To be the heire and th●onor to obtaine To weare the Crowne of mighty Kingdomes twaine Who even as farre as Phoebus in the spheare Celestiall doth spread his beames most bright And as Lucina with her face most cleare The world doth compasse round cast her light Art held to be the most renowned knight And worthy for the honor of thy name To sit on high in throane of Lady Fame And ●hold the palme of honor in thy hand In triumph for thy noble victory For which thou feared ●●●t by sea and land And ever with perpetuall praise and glory Shalt for thy conquest fresh in memory Sit opposite before her to be seene With wreath about thy head of Lawrell greene In former time for Conquerors ordain'd That constantly persever'd to the end And valiantly warre once begun maintain'd For causes iust and did their right defend And therevnto their forces did only bend Whose fame's still spread was long time agone Among whom thou by right mayst sit for one For through the world it 's known to every one And flying Fame reports it farre and wide That thou by naturall condition In things begun wi lt constantly abide And for the time dost wholly set aside All rest and never carst what thou dost spend Till thou hast brought thy purpose to an end And that thou art most circumspect and wise And dost effect all things with providence As Iosua did by counsell and advise Against whose sword ther 's none can make defēce And wisedome hast by heavenly influence With Salomon to iudge and to discerne Mens causes and thy people to governe For mercy mixt with thy magnificence Doth make thee pitty all that are opprest And to withstand the force and violence Of those that right and equity detest With Dauid thou to piety art prest And like to Iulius Caesar valorous That in his time was most victorious And in one hand like worthy Prince dost hold Thy sword to see that of thy subiects none Against thee should presume with courage bold And pride of heart to raise rebellion Thereby to shake off thy subiection And in the other Scepter to maintaine True iustice while amōgst vs thou dost raigne Then sith thou art adorn'd with Maiestie Grace wisedome pitie and benignitie With humble heart I craue submissiuelie That thou wilt not disdaine but pleased be T' accept this Booke though rudely done by me Thereby thy great and Princely mind t' expresse By taking pitie of my simplenesse And in thy high and magnanimious hart With naturall jngrafted Sapience Remember Christ accepted in good part The wido wes almes of two poore single pence When she without expecting recompence Gaue to the poore with willing heart and glad That little gift being all that ere she had Let this if that it may thee not offend Example be vnto thy Noblenesse And of thy great benignitie extend Thy favor vnto me with gentlenesse Not to disdaine me for my barrennesse Of wit and though I haue no skill in muse Let my good will and meaning me excuse More then good heart none can whatsoere he bee Present or giue to God nor vnto man Which for my part I wholy giue to thee And ever shall as farre foorth as I can Wherewith I will as I at first began Continually not ceasing night and day With sincere mind for thine estate thus pray First that thou maist Gods mercy so procure Vnto thy selfe that he may still advance Thine honor and that thou maist here endure Thy raigne ore vs with long continuance And all thy Subiects true obeysance And that he will vouchsafe to giue to thee All vertues whatsoere may reckned bee Lenvoy GO forth my Booke vaild with the Princely Grace Of him that is extold for excellence Throughout the world but do not shew thy face Without support of his magnificence And whosoere against thee takes offence Be thou not stubborne with presumption But see thou arme thy selfe with patience And gently yeeld to their correction The Translator to his Booke ANd sith thou art not limb'd with trees not flowers Of Eloquence but clad in white and blacke Thou must prepare thy selfe t' abide the showers Of them that of dislike occasion take And when thou likeliest art to go to wracke Seeme not gainst them thine error to defend But rather yeeld a little and giue backe And pray them that they will thy faults amend THE PREFACE TO The READER MY Muses subiect tending to intreate Of ancient warres and acts of Chivalrie Whereby renowned Knights much honour get And with Eternall parises deifie Their names and fames is forced to require Thee mighty Mars with Art him to inspire Whose fiery nature bent to wrath and thrall As being of complexion hot and drie Melancholicke and furious withall For in thy bowels chollor hid doth lie Doth rightly cause all Poets sound thy fame And thee the God of warres in stories name Sith then thou art of warlike influence And that my stile of battailes must indite Assist me with some Marshall Eloquence That I may frame my hand and pen aright With words of Art and arteficiall phrase Of valiant Knights to sing th' eternall praise And if at my request thou dainst to list Or graunt the thing which I of thee do craue Yet for her sake that lovingly thee kist Blacke Vulcans wife and further fauour gaue Vouchsafe thy ayd my verse so to infuse That I therein fit tearmes and phrase may vse Els truth to say so barren is my wit And void of Aureat liquord Eloquence That I confesse my selfe to be vnfit Or able to accomplish my pretence Helpe then God Mars for faire Bellonaes sake And of my worke vouchsafe protection take And thou sweet Clio with thy sisters deare Whose chiefe aboad is on Pernassus hill By Helicon the fountaine faire and cleare Lend me thine ayd and giue

hath power and is availeable By liuely force and kind humiditie Life to infuse in flower hearb and tree And likewise did the power thereof extend Into each vaine and sinew in his brest Backe armes hands and downeward did discend Through all his bones and ioynts and ne're did rest Till it did run into his thighs and feet At which a voyoll full of gumme most sweet And balme was set which neuer would decay Nor yet impaire by no distemperature But still increast and waxed euery day Of greater force and sweeter did endure Where of the vapor vpward did assend And such a pleasant savor forth did send And made all round about the aire to rise For that it t' was most exquisitely good That it did seeme an earth by Paradize And fore the corps foure lamps of gold there stood Within that place continually gaue light And neuer ceased burning day nor night All ●●ld with oyle if it be credible The which is sayd to be of such a kind That it was sound ●●be impossible To 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 tempest 〈◊〉 or wind Not neuer 〈…〉 in many yeares Which lampes did hang high 〈…〉 by wiers And such 〈…〉 That 〈…〉 the same to s●ell And when this worke was brought vnto an end And euery thing was done exceeding well And pleasd the eies of all that did it see They made a grate of wood of Heban tree Which wood a●●rmed is will ere indure And being cut doth smell exceeding sweet ●●d can by no meanes wast for this is sure T will neuer burne by any extreame heat Of fier as it hath been tried oft ●● wa●er ●● n●re swimmeth vp alo●t But downe into the bottome straight doth go And as some men thereof make mention This tree hath been long since esteemed so And heldon in such reputation That in the fertile soyle of India And in the land of Ethiopia They vsd to pay a tribute as t is sound Of Ivory fine gold and Heban tree To th' Emperor as they thereto were bound And when King Priam saw the worke to bee Performed in so braue and sumptuous wise That he in heart no better could deuise He did ordaine a quier of Priests to pray Continually with great deuotion Before that Princely throne both night and day For Hectors ●oule and gaue them pentions To liue vpon and roomes wherein to lie And bound them to do 't perpetually But while that they are in their orations With Hectors death my third Booke I will end And for a while will leaue the Troians In sorrow great and woe the time to spend And show you what the Grecians meane while do If that you please to hearken therevnto FINJS THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HECTOR THE FOVRTH BOOKE CHAP. 1. ¶ How the Grecians depriued Agamemnon of his place of Genorall of their Armie and made Pallamides Generall in his place THe worthy Champion Hector beeing slaine And fierce Achilles borne vnto his tent Whereas he lay in danger great and paine King Agamemnon for the Grecians sent Next day betimes assooue as sonne did rise To aske of them their counsell and advise What would be best for them as then to doe Sith they by vallant Hectors death were free From danger great which he had put them two And out of feare of his great crueltie And when that they were altogether met Within his tent and there in order set And silence made he spake vnto them all And sayd my Lords and Princes euery one That now are heere If you to mind will call What good the Gods of late for you haue done You ought to giue them thanks with humble voice And inwardly in heart and mind reioyce To thinke on Hectors death for he alone Was th' onely prop and chiefe support of Troy Their whole defence and their protection Their chiefest trust their honour and their ioy And vnto vs confusion and death For that while he enioyed vitall breath We neuer could his valor great withstand Nor victory against our foes obtaine For when that we did first set foot on lend Prothesalus by him was fiercely slaine And next day when in field againe we met He did vpon Patroclus fiercely set And with his sword did cleaue his brest in twaine And after kild King Menon furiously And next by him Archilagus was slaine And in his wrath and extreame crueltie He slew the most renowned Prothenor And then the valiant King cald Alphenor King Phillis also and Epistrophus And Merian a Prince of great renowne And after him a King cald Zantipus And in the field as he road vp and downe He flew two Kings the one cald Dorius The other had to name King Cedius And after that he kild strong Polibet L●●aboni● Policenes and more For in his wrath he slew King Phi●b●● And to the ground in surious wife he bore And kild the valiant King Isidius And then the noble King cald Humorus For eighteene great and worthy Kings and many Braue Earles Dukes and Princes he hath slaine With thousands more So that not euer any Likevalor to him showd nor could obtaine Such victory gainst vs for that his hand Was th' onely terror to vs in this Land But'now he 's dead to our no little ioy The Gods be thankt therefore and to the woe And great distresse of all that are in Troy As by experience time to them will show Laud also and much honor giuen be To Fortune for her great benignitie Vnto vs showne in helping vs so well To bring that furious Champion to his end By turning of her ●alse and fickle wheele And vnto vs such fauor did extend That by his death while this warre doth endure All we that now are here may liue secure With comfort great and ease of extreame care And feare we had of him while that he liu'd Where contrary the Tr●ians all now are By death of him that onely them relieud Texpect nought els but their destruction And finally their townes subversion For now he 's gone they cannot long endure For be assur'd we will them so much grieue That from hence forth we may our selues assure To haue our wils on them ere we them leaue And make this siedge to them importable If we doe hold together firme and stable Their ship in th' end is like to proue a wracke And ready with huge billowes t'orewhelme For all their hope and comfort goeth backe And deepe despaire is guider of the●● helme And maketh them continually depend On death while we our state do still amend By ayd of God both on the sea and land For now without all ambiguitie We may expect the victory at hand And boldly light with great securitie Against our foes without all feare or dread But yet my counsell is ere we proceed T' assaile our foes as we intend to doe To stay a while and not to passe our bonds Till that Achilles to the fieild may goe With vs when he is healed of his wounds And then we will assaile

meaning and intent What you thinke best by vs now to be done And whether that you will the warre maintaine And hold the siege still here before the towne Till that it be destroyd or go againe Home into Greece sith our chiefe Champion Our sole defence and our protection Achilles now is slaine Whose death alone Vnto vs will a mighty hindrance be And therefore I entreat you euery one To giue me your advise herein what we Shall doe sith that the case now standeth thus For that delay oft proueth dangerous Which having said the Princes all began To fall in great dissention and to varrie Amongst themselues and many of them than Were halfe in feare no longer there to tarry And doubtfull were what they were best to do But some reply'd and answere made thereto That happen life or death they would still stay And never leaue the siege till they had woone And cleane destroyd the towne and some did say They would not stay but presently be gone And into Greece returne againe with speed And in that sort a while they disagreed And every man was of opinion Contrarie each to other But in th' end They did all with full resolution Agree to stay and ceasing to contend Said flatlie they would neuer leaue the towne Till they had it destroyd and beaten downe Although their chiefe and onelie Champion Achilles then was slaine of whome they made So great account for their opinion Was sith that all the Gods decreed had They should destroy the same they did not doubt But in short time to bring the same about And to confirme their resolution And that they might still firmelie therein hold The worthy Grecian Knight cald Thelamon Surnamed Aiax did with courage bold Stand vp and when he had obeysance made Vnto them all in this wise spake and said My Lords and Princes all assembled now If you will take my counsell and advise I am perswaded it is best for you Sith that Achilles in such traiterous wise Is slaine that we a messenger should send To fetch his Son yong Pyrrhus to the end He may revenge his fathers death and aid Vsto atchieue our enterprise in hand● Who at this time as I haue hard it said Remaineth with King Licomedes and As men of him repor t is said to be A valiant Knight and likely if that he While he is yong take on him armes to beare To proue a knight of great renowne and fame And also i ft be true as I do heare By prophesie which doth foreshow the same Troy nere shall be destroyd vnlesse that he With vs to doe the same here present be And further that till Pyrrhus do come hither We never shall obtaine the victory Against our foes and therefore let 's together Agree to send one thither presently To fetch him Wherevnto they did consent And Menelaus of that Embassage went Who entring ship saild forth the selfe same day And soone arriu'd where Licomedes dwelt Where with him for a while I le let him stay And show you how the Greeks and Troyans dealt Together when truce past in fight they were As in the Chapter following you shall heare CHAP. V. ¶ How Paris and Thelamon Aiax slew each other how Queene Helena Lamented for the death of Paris the Grecians remooue their tents necrer vnto Troy and the truce is ended betweene them WHē Phoebus by due course as time doth passe Into the signe of Cancer entrie made And in the height of his assention was Which vsually men Summer call and had Drawen from the root of every flower tree The vertue sweetnesse and humiditie And made them mount into the hearbs leaues● And when each flower doth fresh gay appeare Till Cancer place by course to Leo giues Which is the time and season of the yeare When as the Sun being in the highest degree Descends and is said retrograde to bee And with his mighty heat feruor cleane Dries vp the sap of roots trees hearbs flowers And that which spring time made shew fresh and Cōverts to white for want of April showers green To mollifie his strong decoction For that by naturall digestion The moysture which in fruits flowers abounds By reason of the great humiditie Which is in them he dries vp confounds And with his heat extreame fervencie Which hotest is when it is Summer weather Doth ripen them and make them sit to gather And pull off from the branches as they spread And hang thereon in their due time and season When Cheries gin to ripen and wax red And other kinds of friuts are yong and geason In Iune and at the latter end of May When as the hot and pleasant Summers day By course of time is sixteene howers long The Greeks with hearts repleat with wrath and ire Presuming of their force that was so strong And hoping to attaine to their desire Into the field couragiously did go Well arm'd to fight against their Troyan foe Conducted by the Kings Agamemnon Ulisses valiant Diomede and mo As Menestes and furious Thelamon Who that same day into the field did go Without an armor helmer speare or shield Onely his sword which in his hand he held And naked in that sort most brauely fought Gainst whom the Trayans though in feare doubt Did issue forth for that King Priam thought His force too weake so often to go out As he was woont sith his Sons valorous Hector Deiphobus and yong Troyelus Vnfortunatelie were all dead and slaine Yet not to giue the Grecians cause to say He feared them he sent them out againe And gaue the chiefe command of them that day To Paris that his eldest Sonne then was Who with King Philomene Pollidamas King Esdras and Aeueas valiantly Against the Grecians went and on them set With courage stout resolu'd that day to die In their defence o● honor great to get Vpon their deadly and inveterate foes As 't pleased God the victorie to dispose And furiously the onset on them gaue Where Paris with his Persian Archers shot Vpon the Greeks so swiftly and so braue That soone he had advantage on them got And they compelled were in extreame need To flie to saue themselues Till Diomede Perceauing them so fast to run away T'●eleiue them like a stout and valiant Knight Did turne them backe againe and made them stay Still in the field and valiantly to fight And at his entring in amongst them met King Philomene on whome he fiercely set Who brauely vnto him did likewise ride Where each of them the other did assaile And valiantly their strengths and valors tride● But neither gainst the other could prevaile And yet they fought most furiously and long For both of them were passing stout and strong And would not yeeld one ●o● vnto his foe So much they did in courage great excell But while they were together fighting so The Troyans fought so furiously and fell Against the Greeks that they could not

Porter staid Whom I entreated courteously to pas And churlishly put backe with words most vile I seeing that he did me so revile Much grieued that he vsd me in that sort Did kill him with a blow on th' eare which whan The guard did see that watch held in the fort They issued and together on me ran And I compeld to fight though gainst my will In my defence fifteene of them did kill Whereby I am thus wounded as you see And like to loose my life as well as they That sought if that they could t' haue killed me And this if these here present truth will say The reason was we fought and they were kild By me which when Ulisses heard he wild Him to declare where he was borne and what His Father was and where he then did dwell Who answered the King and told him that He would the truth thereof vnto him tell And said he was borne in an Isle that stood Within the sea of high and Princely blood And that he to his mother had a Queene Cald Circes who both f●r and n●●● was knowne And how he had his Father neuer ●●erio But said that by his mother he was showne That he was gotten by a king who as He did returne from Troy did chance to pas Along that way and as she told to me Said he his name Vlisses was Whom I Did long and such desire had to see That taking ship I set sayle presently And in short space I came into this land Where I was told and given to vnderstand That I should find my Father in this place But now I see my labour is in vaine And feare that I shall never see his face And therefore sith I haue tane so much paine And cannot vnto my desire attaine I will if that I liue returne againe Into my natiue soylo and seeke no more With danger of my life for that which I So long to find and yet it grieues me fore T' haue tane such paines and cannot satisfie My mind This is all that I can you show Said he of that which you desire to know Whereby Vlisses sighing sore when as He had heard him that answere to him make Perceiving he his Son by Circes was With griefe began to tremble and to quake And sheading store of blood out of his wound He fainted and did full into a swound And with a countnance heavy dead and pale Said now I see my woefull Destiny Fulfilled is for by this young mans ●ale I know and find there is no remedy For me and that the time is now too l●●e To strine against my hard and cu●s●● Fa●e For now my Son which here by me doth stand Hath given me●●y death and made an end Of his old Fathers life and with his hand Hath finishe that whereto my dreame did tend Which words pronounst young Thelagon began With countnance sad and face ●oth pale wan To sigh when as he knew and vnderstood That gainst the lawes of nature he had flame His Father and so fiercely shed his blood That him begot and felt such grieuous paine In heart that he did presently sincke downe And fore them all did fall into a swone And comming to himselfe when he had torne His clothes and puld his haire off from his head He said alas that ever I was borne That by my hands my Father should be dead Curst be my hard and woefull Destiny And fortune fell the which I could not flie Curst be the hand that hath been so impure Whereby this wicked deed by me is don Accurst be I of every creature Accursed be my constellation And cursed be and most vnfortunate The hower wherein my father me begat Oh would to God for this vnhappy deed T' excuse his death I might for my reward In presence of you all die in his steed And wholy of all comfort be debard And that men would me vtterly forsake But when the King such sorrow hard him make And knew he was his Son that Circes bore By him in th'isle Aulides as be found By many signes which he rehearst before He made him to be tane vp from the ground Whereon he lay and pardned him his death Being ready then to yeild his vitall breath And lying in so great extreamitie With speed did call for his Son Thelamon Who at that time in prison straight did lie Who presently when as he heard thereon Vnto his Father went and when he saw That he began vnto his end to draw And by enquirie knew the truth and found That Thelagon who fore him there did stand Was he that had given him his deadly wound With mighty rage he tooke his sword in hand And thought his brother Thelagon to kill But ere th●● he of him could haue his will Ulisses made his men to run and hold His hand and then for all the paine he had He cald his Sons and told them that he would Haue them t' agree and to be friends made Them gra●● and promise to be so which ●on He did expresly charge Prince Thelamon That he without dissimulation Should loue and in most friendly manner liue While vitall breath did last with Thelagon His brother and to him the halfe should giue Of all his goods as heire by true discent To him whereto he freely did consent And neuer from his Fathers will did varry Which said his men a Chariot did provide And did him to his chiefest Citie carry Where afterward within three daies he dide Whose body was interred by hie Sonne Within a costly Tombe of Marble stone And after that they Crowned Thelamon And made him King with great solemnity With whom a whole yeare after Thelagon His brother staid to whom most lovingly And kindly he nere any thing denide And when he would n● 〈◊〉 there abide He dubd him Knight and after did prepare A ship and gold for him whereof he had Great store wherewith he did againe repaire Home to Aulides Isle and thereby made His mother Circes heart exceeding glad That had for his long absence been full sad For she by Negromancian Art could tell That he through many dangers great had past And scapt them all And after that she fell Into an extreame sickenes and at last Well stricken in yeares she died as all men must When as their time is come For God most just Hath death ordaind for every living thing Who having vnto nature paid her debt Prince Thelagon her Son was Crowned King Of Aulides whereas with honor great He did his Crowne Kingdome long maintaine And threescore yeares full cōpleat ther did raigne While Thelamon liu'd in Achaia land And thereof held the Scepter and the Crowne For seaventy yeares together in his hand Till from his throne death proudly puld him down Vnto the ground and with his piercing dart In cruell wise did strike him to the hart This shall suffiice to let you see and know Th'adventures of the Greeks by sea and land When