wall Slewe fourtye M. the Cronycle ye maye se Of Affricans by vengeaunce full mortall And their constable called Hastruball Was slayne that day by him it is no doute That he most trusted next was him aboute And this whyle most manly of corage The worthy Tribune Publius Scipion By very force is entred in Cartage And sixe dayes as made is mencion He his knightes constrayned so the toun That dispaired with their deedly cheres They of the towne yelded them prisoneres Mekely requiryng vnto Scipion To receyue them in thys mortall rage That men women dwellyng in that toun With the cite sins yong and olde of age Myght abyde and lyue in seruage Vnder the Romains there was no better refute And yere by yere pay them a tribute And of Affrike that other Hastruball Whych among theÌ„ afore was crowned kyng Left his estate and his power royal Yelded hym prisonere humbly knelyng And his wyfe most pitiously weping Whan that she sawe her lorde taken so Ran in to fyre and brent her selfe for wo. Sixe and twenty thousande as I fynde Where led of women into captyuyte Thirty thousand of men came behinde Take prisoners in great aduersite And seuentene dayes brent that citye That in theyr walles was none so hard stone But to poudre it was brent anone And this was done breuely to conclude By the prowesse of Publyus Scipion Sold in seruage was a great multitude Their olde lordes led fettred to pryson Thys was of Cartage fynall distruccion On their coÌ„plaints Bocas abideth no whyle But into Grece turneth agayne hys style ☞ The .xiii. Chap. ⧠Howe kynge Perseus was by Romaynes outrayed and after take IN Lacedemoyne remembrynge on a kynge Called Perseus a full proude werryrour Claymyng a tytle vpon hym vsurpyng For to succede as trewe enherytour To gret AlisauÌ„dre most myghty conquerour Fully affirmyng agayne a certayne day He wyll be crowned maugre who sayth nay And his name to put in memory Cast in his persoÌ„ to renewe the prowesse Of kinge Alisaundre to encrease his glory To folowe his traces in knighthode nobles And fyrst of all of hasty wilfulnes That his conquest might sprede ferre Gan of purpose w t Romaines to haue werre But after this he was better auysed Whan he perceyued the Marcial apparayle Of the Romayns whereof he was agrised Wext aferde their noblesse to assayle Which aye were found victorious in battaile And where afore he had ben recheles Sent ambassatours w t them to treat of pees They had perceyued his presumpcion And howe he was proude and surquedous Sent a Consul with a great power doune The name of whome was Sulpicius Whych deedly hated the sayde Perseus Through rancour agayne him wext solayne Of his ambassade hauyng but disdayne And their partie for to fortify With their saide Consul Sulpicius They sent another experte in chiualry A Consul also Paulus Emylius Amonge Romains notable and famous And folowyng after the selfe same nyght The mone eclypsed fully of hir myght A clere token as made is mencion That kynge Perseus shoulde haue a sharpe shoure And that his lordship his region Shoulde be oppressed voide of al socour And that Macedons shuld haue no fauour Agayne the Romains togider whaÌ„ they met With rounde speares swordes sherpe whet â–ª The day of battaile to his encrease of glorye For the party of them of Rome toune There was a knyght that caused the victory Yonge freshe lusty that called was Caton Which brought their enemies to confusion For Macedonoys through his great might Outraied were Perseus put to flyght But Emplius the noble Consulere Sent a capitaine called Octauius To pursue after in costes ferre and nere The proude kyng the sayde Perseus And he was take for there was no rescus With his soÌ„nes that were in numbre twaine Philip Alisaundre the story is certaine Myne auctour telleth here of kinges many Thurty in numbre the first Gramaus Which haue reigned within Macedony And last of all was this Perseus The numbre of yeres Bochas wryteth thus Was nyne hundred as I remembre here Space of their reigning with .xxiiii. yere After translated was the region With al their yles vnto the obeysaunce Of them of Rome without excepcion To great lords that were of most puâ—saunce Abode there long vnder gouernaunce And Perseus discoÌ„late of chere Durynge his lyfe abode there prisoner The .xiiii. chapiter ¶ Howe the people of Achaia with their chefe citye Corinthe by Romains was distroied THus the lordeshyp weared out and spent Of Macedoyne as made is mencioÌ„ The two countreyes therto adiaceÌ„t That one Achaia a litle region And Spartonoyse goynge enuiron Myghty of people and of great substaunce In one confederate and of one alyaunce They were coÌ„ioyned both made al one By a maner faithful conuencion And whan the Romaines knew theÌ„ for their fone Hauinge their frendshyp in suspeccion They cast to make a disiunction Bytwene these laÌ„des in bread and length For thig dysceuered is weked of hys streÌ„gth Ordayned cytyes townes here yonder Wheron the Romayns gan make a decre That their lordshyppes shuld be set a sonder Whych made the people in euery great citie WhaÌ„ they knewe their subtylite To ryse at ones most cruel of their cheres And wold haue slaine y e Romayn messaÌ„gers And fynally by thys occasyon Romayns agayne them gan wexe furious Toke hardynes of their deuysion And a Consul called Meuius A manlye knyghte in armes full famous In to Achaya was from Rome sent It to distroy by great auysement They of Achaya by theyr negligence And by their frowarde wylful rechelesnes Of verye pride list make no diffence Thought them self wythout auisenesse Of power able and stronger in southnes Than were Romains verely in dede Thus were they stroyed afore or they tooke hede They stode in hope in their sturdines By that battayle to haue had greate pyllage Of the Romayns to haue won great ryches And for a pompe of wylful false dotage They toke theyr wiues womeÌ„ youÌ„g of age And set them vpon an hye mountayne That their maÌ„hode myght in the feld be seine Whan the Romains met them in battayle They dispurueyed and out of ordynaunce Slayn lyke beastes their power gan to faile Of froward pride recheles gouernaunce That Achaya was brought to mischaunce Women chyldren for sorowe almooste mad To lyue in seruage were to Rome lad Corinthe that tyme was their chefe cytye Distroyed by Romayns brought to ruyne Whych among cityes in Bocas ye may se Aboue all other dyd in honour shyne Of al Sciences there floured the doctrine And of craftes artificers most wyse Reken al the world ther was chefe marchauÌ„dise Thus vnwarly in their most noblesse Sittynge of fortune in the hygh stage They were distroied of treasour rychesse Brought to noughte by slanghter pyllage Their walles broke in that cruel rage And in that breÌ„nyng Bochas sayth the leuin Raught a great part vpwarde to the
rounde about so sore he them beset With men of armes and with his ordinaunce That finallye he brought them to vttraunce And them constrayned within a little space Their life their death submitten to his grace But while they made ayenst him resistence Supposyng his power to withstande Nisus that was kyng of Megarence Ayenst Mynos their party toke on hande And oft times as ye shall vnderstande Whan kyng Mynos did the citye assayle Nisus within with myghty apparayle Vpon the walles stode in his defence Whan that Mynos full like a manly knyght Fought without with sturdy vyolence Like Mars him selfe in stele armed bryght Wherof whan Scilla once had a syght Daughter to Nysus aduertyng his prowes Anone for loue she fell in great distresse She was supprised with his high noblesse His manly force expert many folde Set Scilla in great heauines For loue of Mynos in Poetes it is tolde Made her hart presume and be bolde First her life to put in ieopardy Her fathers life the citye the cleargy From her hart loue hath set aside Ayenst nature her bloude and her kynred And all frendshyp from her gan deuide And of her worshyp she toke no maner hede Loue made her cruell ayenst all womanhede First her hart so sore set a fire Her fathers death falsely to conspyre For kyng Mynos beyng a straungere Was so emprynted in her opinion Of creatures there stode none so nere And for his sake by full false treason She compassed the destruction First of her father and than of the citye So straunge a thing alas how myght it be That a woman of yeres yong and tender Coulde ymagen so marueylous a thing But it falleth that creatures slender Vnder face of angelike lokynge Ben very wolues outwarde in workynge Also vnder coloure of their port feminine Some ben found very serpentyne Lambes in she wyng shadowed w t mekenes Cruel as Tygres who doth to them offence Of humble chere pretendyng a likenesse But wo alas what harme doth apparence What damage doth counterfaite innocence Vnder a mantell shroude of womanhede Whan fayned falsenes doth the brydle lede For this Scilla the kynges daughter dere In whom he set his whole affection His hartes ioy his pleasaunce most entere His worldly blisse his consolation But she all turned to his confusion Not like a daughter but like a sorceresse His death cōpassed the story beareth witnes Her father had a fatall heer that shone Bryghter then golde in which he did assure Manly to fight ayenst his mortall fone For in his head while it did endure He should vainquishe and recure And through his knighthode to his encrese of glory In euery quarel wyn the victory But whā kyng Nysus her father lay a slepe Vpon a night parcell afore day Full secretely or that he toke kepe The heere of golde this Scilla cut away And vnto Mynos armed where he lay She him presented through her ordinaunce Of false entent him for to do pleasaunce But in this matter like as writeth Ouyde Methamorphoseos who so taketh hede Her father sleping she knelyng by his side Toke a sharpe knife without feare or dreade While he lay naked she carft a two his head And stale away of full false entent And to kyng Mynos y e head she doth present And in her commyng to his presence Her fathers head when she afore him layed Nothing ashamed of her great offence Vnto Mynos thus she did obrayed And with bolde chere euen thus she saied My lorde quod she w t support of your grace Yeueth to my tale leasure time and space Certes my lorde loue hath excyted me And constrayned to this cruell dede To slee my father destroye my citie To forget my worshyp forsake womanhead And made me hardy to make my father blede Thinges horrible thus haue I vndertake For to accomplyshe onely for your sake My selfe disherited for loue of your persone Called in my countrey a false traytoresse Disconsolate stale away alone Of new diffamed and named a maistresse Of false murder I bryng a great witnes My fathers head and his deadly vysage Ayenst nature to further your voyage Wherfore I pray that ye list aduertise And consider like a gentle knyght How I for loue towarde your great empryse And to great furtheryng also of your right Haue first my father depriued of his myght Raft him his life dispoyled his riches To do pleasaunce to your high nobles And nothing aske I vnto my guerden Neither to my rewarde that may auayle But that I might haue full possession Of your person most worthy in battayle For there is no treasure y ◠might counteruayle To my desire as that you woulde in dede Goodly accept me and my womanhede Ye may me saue and spyll with a worde Make most glad and most dolorous I not require of you my souerayne lorde But that ye would be to me gracious For bloud and kinne and my fathers house All left behinde if ye list aduert And vndeparted yeue to you my hert Which to your highnes ought ynough suffise All thing considered in your royall estate Conceiued also how in vncouth wise For your loue I stande desolate Saue of your mercy full disconsolate Here is all and some your loue I bye so sore But ye do grace I can say you no more And whan she had her tale tolde knelyng With a maner of pretence of womanhede Of all her treason a poynt not cōcelyng The king astonied of her horrible dede By great aduise peysed and toke hede It was not sittyng to prynce nor to kyng To do fauour to so frowarde a thing With troubled hart and with a face pale His loke vp cast sayed God forbede That euer in Cronicle in story or in tale That any man should of Mynos reade How he supported so venemous a dede Fauour a woman alas and well away Whiche slough her father whan he in bed lay ▪ But for your hatefull and vnkynde rage I praye the gods echone and Saturne For to take vengeaunce on your false outrage Euery where whither ye do returne And euery place where as ye soiourne Lande and sea shortly to expresse They ben enfect with your cursednesse Your owne mouth your outrage doth accuse And your actes ben so abhominable That your giftes fully I do refuse They ben so frowarde and so reprouable That your persone disnaturell and vnstable Within my courte it were a thinge not faire That ye shoulde abyde or haue repaire Ye be so hateful on euery side And contrarious of condicion I praye Cellus which oferth is gide And to Neptunus I make this orison As ferre as stretcheth their dominacion Vnder the bound of their regaly A dwellinge place that they to you deny Whan Minos had his answere thus deuised On reason grounded and equite And Scilla sawe howe she was dispised Knewe no partie passage ne countre To finde socour whether she might flye But dispeired lyke a traitouresse Towarde the see anone she gan her
dye in suche aduersitie â–ª We had also read full many a day tofore The great banishment and persecution Of Argiuois how kyng Gelanorâ— Was cruelly put from his region And his lieges of indignacion In his place they set one Danaus Sonne and also heyre to the God Belus The people of malyce did him so encomber To encrease his sorow and his aduersitie And fyfty daughters he had also in number And Edippus his brother also pardy Had fiftye sonnes the stories ye may se At wene the whiche in surety of hoâ—de In mariage there was made a bonde Vnder the which compassed was treason Couertly though they did it hide But if ye list haue cleare inspection Of this story vpon euery side Reade the legende of Cupide Which that Chaucer in order as they stode Compyled of women that were called good Touchyng the story of kinge Pandion And of his goodly fayre daughters twayne How Thereus false of condicion Them to deceiue did his busy payne They bothe named of beauty souerayne Goodly Progne and yonge Philomene Bothe innocâ—utes of intent full cleane Their piteous fall in open to expresse It were to me but a presumption Syth that Chaucer did his busines In his legende as made is mencion Their martyrdome and their passion For to rehearse them did his busy payne Is chiefe Poete called of Brytayne Of good women a boke he did write The number vncomplete fully of ninetene And there the story plainely he did endite Of Thereus of Progne and Philomene Where ye may se their legende thus I mene Do them worshyp forth their life shew For a clere myrror because there be but fewe I will passe ouer and speake of theÌ„ no more And vnto Cadmus forthe my style dresse In my wrytynge yet it greueth me sore Touchynge women of fayeth or stablenes Blessed be God I fynde none excesse And for there be so fewe as thinketh me The good shoulde be had in more deyntie ☞ Lenuoye THis tragedy beareth to you wytnesse How Saturnus by disposition Maliciously of his frowardnes Causeth of Iuno full great infection She of nature conueyeth the nature doun The ayre infect whiche no man may succour CoÌ„meth death anone al thing doth deuour Time froÌ„ Adam mine auctour dothe expresse Downe to Nemrothe by computation His stile conueyed by great auisenes From zoroastes to kyng Pharaon Of two deluges he maketh mencion In Tessaly the vengeaunce gan laboure And in Achaia Thebes to deuoure Ye haue of heates hearde the excesse Of princes pryncesses full great destruction Of Egistus the great wretchednes The fury of Thereus the wo of Pandion Of the two sisters the confusion And how their fate gan vpon them loure Their felicitie vnwarely to deuoure Prynces princesses your eyen do vp dresse I meane the eyen of your discresion Se of this worlde y â— chaunge the doublenes The great vnsurenes the variacion And aduert for all your great renowne Fortuns dewes whaÌ„ they most swetely shour Than is she falsest your glory to deuoure The .vii. Chapter ¶ How Iupiter rauished Europa how Cad mus was sent to seke her in diuers regions THe rehersal of many an olde poete By discent the line conueyed downe Next Saturnus the mighty kyng of Crete Ioue was crowned by succession As next his heyre by procreacion After his father the lande to enherite Raygning in Crete as poetes list to wryte One of the linage as I you tolde beforne Of the Gods most souerayne and entere And though he were of bloude so high yborne He chose Europe for to be his fere And downe discended froÌ„ his heauenly spere As he that was for all his deitie Surprysed in hart with her great beauty And she was daughter to a mighty kyng Called Agenor by line all discent Whose mighty kigdom ryal faire dwellyng Was in Phenice toward the orient And to Araby his lande was adiacent Farre by south as ye may read and se Toward the parties of the redde sea But Iupiter whan he did aduert Of Europa the great semelinesse He thought he was wounded to the hart Vnto the death beholdyng her fayrenes And for his coÌ„straynt his mortall distresse Seyng she was so fayre in his syght He rauished her of very force and might But Agenor her owne father dere Began on this case full piteously complayne When she alas most goodly and entere Was him biraft whiche doubled al his paine Recure was none though he did pleyne Tyll he remembryng on his regaly Thought he woulde sende to aspy His sonne Cadmus her to recure ayene For to searche her in many a region Where so his labour wer fructuous or vaine His father set him a fell condicion Not to returne by none occasion And therupon made him to be bounde Tyll y â— he had the kinges daughter founde He toke his shyps by great auisenes And began to sayle in many a straunge see Did his labour and his busines With many a worthy that were w t him preue But when that he of reason did se There was no meane for which that he was sent For to accoÌ„plishe the fine of his entent With glad hart deuoyde of grutchyng Seyng the case frowarde and contrary Humble of his cheare toke his exilinge And of manhode list not him selfe dispayre But with his meyne knightly gan repayre Towarde Grece piteously there to lande Of Appollo for to vnderstande To what party that he might drawe He prayed God to wyshe him or rede Some token shewe or some maner sawe Into what I le that he myght him spede Or that he woulde graciously him leade Where as he myght builde a citye That were accordyng to him to his meynie And to Appollo he did sacrifice And made to him his oblation The God requiryng goodly to deuise To what lande or to what region For his dwellyng and habitacion He should drawe withouten more obstacle For him and his to make his habitacle And Cadmus thus before Appollo stode Knelyng among with full great reuerence And in the temple of Delphos styll abode With huÌ„ble entendaunce deuout diligence Mekely besechyng by word or by sum senteÌ„ce That Appollo woulde to him vnclose To what party he should him selfe dispose This was his aunswere in conclusion As the statue to him did expresse To go and serche countreys enuyron And tyll he found do his businesse A bulle that were excellent of fayrenes Whiche by precept of Appollos lawe Had neuer aforne in yoke ydrawe And where that euer sekyng that he fonde A bull stande styll in his pasture Appollo bade vpon that same loâ—de Where as he seeth this syght of auenture That he shoulde do his busy cure To builde a citye he and his folkes all And Boecia after the Bulle it call And whaÌ„ that Cadmus y â— precept vnderstode And in searchyng did his busines He founde a place where a bulle stode Feadyng hym selfe whiche as by likenes Was a place full pleasaunt of largesse Where as he stynt he gan
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
hye renounes And of their loue write a great history And how they conquered diuers regions Gouerned cities countreyes also townes Tyll fortune their prowes did appall To shew their suger was meint w t bitter gal Prynces pryncesses se how deceptory Ben all these worldly reuolutions And how fortune in her reclinatory With her treacle tempreth false poysons So marueilous ben her confections Of frowardnes she wyll what so befall Euer with her suger of custome temper gall ¶ The .xiii. Chapter ¶ Here Bochas writeth agaynste them that geueth hastye credence to lyers and flatterers IN this chapter Bochas in sentence Repreueth blameth not onely princes But all them that lyghtly geueth credēce To euery tale and fable whiche is Reported vnto them for sothfastnesse And list nothing do as it were due To proue the truth were it false or true All though so be in euery maner age Folkes ben diuers of condicions To turne plye and chaunge in their courage To outher party with sodayne mocions And for to bowe by transmutations With euery wynde as the vnstable leaues Which hang on trees in forestes in greues But of al chaūges y ◠chaunge is most to drede And most fearfull is that variaunce Whā that princes whych may the people lede Ben founde vnstable in their gouernaunce For their nobles and their hye puissaunce Assureth them by a maner of forme What euer thē list to accomplyshe performe To cōmen profite they most may aueyle Whan they ben ruled by wisdome and reason And to the people they may most disaueyle Whan they lacke wytte and discrecion Thus betwene twayne in euery region The people draweth who that can discerne To good or badde as prynces them gouerne They may not be to hasty ne to sodayne But do all thyng by good aduisement Kepe thē fro tonges y t parted be in twayne Not be to hasty to geue no iudgement And of folkes whan they ben absent Lieue no tales ▪ neither geue no credence Tyll that the party may come to euidence Sumtime hath happed that slowe credence Hath in some be founde full noyons But hasty credence I dare say in sentence A thousande folde is more perillous For vnaduised all haste is odious For haste full oft for lacke of reason Of muche people hath ben destruction There is no domage that men can purpose More to be dradde nor more lamentable Than a prynce his eares to vnclose To euery tale and euery fable It is a token their hartes be not stable Whan they to flatterers their eares do apply Namely to suche that can well forge lye Folke ben diuers some false some true In diuers studies done their busines Some can study and finde out tales newe And some for lucre can maintayne falsenes And holde vp quarels ayenst ryght wisenes Pretendyng truth vnder a false entent To hinder folkes whiche ben innocent Men to suppose it were a great folye That folkes shoulde in their opinion Speake or pronounce all on one party Or holde one way in their intencion For semblably as there is a diuision Of courages of hye or lowe degre So is there truly a great diuersitie In rehearsall or report of a thing For to his party eche man is fauourable Some man can say well in al his rehearsyng Some man is double and some disceauable Some men say true and some be variable Wherfore a prynce of ryght as it doth seme Should well examen before that he deme For there is none more dreadfull pestilence Than a tonge that can flatter and fage For wyth his cursed crabbed vyrulence He enfecteth folke of euery age Wo to tonges froward of their langage And wo to tonges false furious and wode Which of no person neuer can say good Bochas rehearseth it is right well sittyng That euery man other do commende And say the best alway in reportyng For in well saiyng no man may offende Where men say well god will his grace send After as men be mē must their praise vpraise Like their merites alowe them or disprayse But where a thing is vtterly vnknowe Let no man there be hasty of sentence For ryghtfull iudges sittyng on a rowe Of their wisdome and of their hye prudence Will of trouth haue first some euidence I meane such as gouerned be by grace Or any dome forthe of their lippes pace A prynce should assemble thinges twayne Within him selfe full prudently Shut vp the domes betwene lockes twayne One of the soule to reason for that party Prudence chosen and right for the body And betwene them bothe or he geue sentence To counsayle call truth and good conscience First to consider wyth euery circumstaunce And diligently do theron his laboure Of discrecion to take the balaunce And first wey out who is the accusour And whether that he for falsenes or fauoure In his processe list to procede Hereof a prynce must of ryght take hede He must also consider by and by What he is that to him is accused And whether the accusour be frend or enemy Or whether he shal be accept or refused In his actes this must afore be mused And whether he be by report of his name A man well noysed or slaundred by diffame If Thesius thus had ben auysed And considered of reason the manere He had not so hastely deuised His sonnes death like as ye shall leare For if there had assembled be in fere In his person prudence and reason He shoulde haue sene in his descrecion By knowlegyng of long experience Of his wyfe the great vnstedfastnes Which through her false compassed eloquence Was ready euer to bryng folke to distresse And in his writyng Bochas beareth witnes Of their nature women can flatter and fage And be sumtyme to copious of their langage Also of wisdome duke Thesius Should haue considred afore in his entent How that his sonne called Jpolytus Of all vnclennes was founde euer innocent And how that he by custome made his went Into forestes durynge his yonge age To hunt at beastes which that were sauage Rennyng on fote as ye shall vnderstande On hilles and valeys to eschue idlenes Mother of vices with his bow in hand Diana to serue of huntyng chefe goddesse Sumtime to hauke he did his busines Also vnto fishyng greatly he was applyed So that his youth was neuer vnoccupied Thus he liued in woodes solitary And of Venus dispised the seruice Among women he would neuer tary Their felowshyp he did alway despise For he demed by sentence of the wise Who toucheth pytche by a saye men may se It fayleth not he shall defouled be Jpolitus sawe wel this thing before Kept him at large from such contagiositie His grene youth he would not haue it lore To be defouled for lacke of chastitie For he liued euer in virginitie And neuer did Bochas will not vary Nothing that was vnto God contrary Thus of entent he kept his body clene Duryng his life both in thought and dede Whose mother was Jpolita the
lowe doun And al his heer as bristles were horible Hys robe also ful maruaylous of facion Was of the skynne of a fierce lyon Whych from his backe of very force he rent Within a forest a lone whan he went In his hand he bare a mase of stele Whych to beholde was wonder long huge By apparence as Bochas felte wele Demed of reason a ryghtful iuge That Hercules had to his refuge Wysedome w t force for to encrease his fame As beastes wylde for to make them tame And vnto Bochas he gan loude crye Take right good hede for it is no fable I for my merites to speake of chiualry And noble triumphes am most cōmendable To be preferred most worthy and most able Which haue accomplished al that may excel Through hyghe prowes y t any tong can tel Also of my byrth in heuyn ful yore ago Fully conceyued my constellacion Myghty Jupiter sayd vnto Juno On such a day in such a region One shal be borne most myghty of renoun Noblest of nobles both in warre and pees Of whom the name shal be Hercules The whych dome whan Juno vnderstode Of Jupiter conceyuing the entent And knewe my fate should be so good To Lucina her messanger she sent But some saythe howe her selfe downe went To thys goddesse goddesse of childing And her besought to graunt her her askynge That she would from Hercules translate The influence of his natiuyte Helpe to rescue his name and hys fate And graunt it holy to yonge Euristee And that Lucina present would be The same hour by Jupiter prouyded It to possede all hole and vndeuided Thus to the mother of this Euristee Juno the goddes graunted her fauour Therby disposyng that he should be Mighty of puissaunce lyke an emperour But of his nobles the conquest labour And of his manhode the prowes pursute By Hercules was fully execute This Hercules had the trauayle And Euristeus bare away the name Also Hercules fought in plate and mayle And highe emprises proudly dyde attame But the report of hys noble fame To Euristeus fully was ascriued Thus of his thanke was Hercules depriued Full oft in armes some man doth wele And oft causeth that the felde is won And another that dyd neuer a dele The price out spredeth lyke as shineth y ◠son And oft it happeneth he that hath best ron Doth not the spere like his desert possede Where false fauor giueth euery mā his mede Fame in her palice hath trūpes mo than one Some of golde that geueth a freshe soun Some man hath laude and deserueth none And some haue be ful worthy of renoun Nothinge preferred by commendacion As by report of states hye and lowe So frowardly Fame her trumpe hath blowe Touchyng armes the pore ne the riche Be not of hertes echone corragious Neither al men may not be yliche Neyther of theyr name egal ne gracious And though the pore haue bene victorious Of auenture to do full wel some daye Other haue pinched to take his thāke away On sleeth the dere wyth an hoked arowe Whose part is none yet of the venison One beteth the y ◠bush another hath y ◠sparow And all the byrdes in his possession One draweth his nettes in riuers vp doun With sondry baytes cast out lyne and hoke And hath no parte of al that euer he toke An euidence hereof ye may se Ful notable to be put in memorye Of Hercules and of Euriste For Hercules gate aye the victory And Euristeus receiued hath the glorye Thus the palme departed was in twayne That one reioysed that other bare y e payne Euristeus was prince of Athene Sonne and heire by dyscent of lyne Vnto the kyng that called was Stellene Vnder whose myght as Bochas dothe determine Hercules through knightly disciplyne Proued so most manly and most wyse That from al other he bare away the prise But wo alas that euer it should fall So manly a knyght so worthy and notable That any spotte should his price appall Or cause hys corage for to be vnstable Which is a thinge doleful and lamentable From his knighthode as a thinge straunge That euer a woman should his hert chaunge I wyll excuse them because their nature Is to chaunge hertes and corrages Agaynst their nature no force maye endure For their flatery and sugred fayre langages Lyke Sirens full freshe of their visages For to chaunge of princes the noblesse Mo than Hercules can bere hereof witnesse Thus Hercules astonied and ashamed Vnto Bochas shewed his presence Said alas my knighthode is diffamed By a full false amorous pestilence So sore constrayned by mortal vtolence Whereby alas my manhode was applied By sleye of women oppressed maistried To take their habit cloth me in their wede To shere my berde and farce my vysage With oyntmentes against al manhede To make it souple chaunge my langage And to complayne more of myne outrage Vpon my fyngers fyue twyse tolde I had ringes richely wrought of golde Thus was my corage chaunged femynine For loue of one called Iolee Of condicions though she were serpentyne Me thought she was fayrest vnto se That all my ioye was wyth her to be And that none should aperceiue my trespace I chaunged both habite loke and face And was a woman outwarde in apparence Of entent to haue more liberte To vse my lustes and haue experience Of appetites which that vnlefull be Wherof the sclaundre reboundeth vpon me That I dare say my outragious trespace Doth al my knyghthode prowes difface Wherof Bochas I pray the take good hede For to discriue in termes playne clere Mine infortune lyke as it was in dede That whan other conceyue the manere Of myne vnhappes contagious for to here They may by example of me do their paine From vicious life their hertes to restraine For these folles that al wysdome dispise And be contrary to bertuous discipline May gyue example to folkes that ben wise And ben to them a lanterne of doctrine Vyces to eschewe and prudently declyne Fro fleshely lustes for it is taught in scholes That wysemē al day ben ytaught by foles Whan Bochas had conceyued the pleynt Of Hercules in his appering And how his nobles by women was ataint Through his disordinate liuing He thought anone hym remembringe It had be ruthe for to put in mynde Hys vires all and vertues left behinde Considered also it was impartinent Eyther by lāgage to write ayenst al ryght Any thing that should in sentment The fame amenuse of so noble a knyght Or to discrese in any mans syght Hys glorious prowes sith poetes for hys werres Reise his renome so highe aboue the sterres For he was both knyght and Philosopher And for his strength called a giant For commen profit he gan promptly profer Of manly corage gyue thereto full graunt To entre in to Egipt to slee the giaunt Called Busyris who of ful false entēt Slewe al straūgers that through his kingdū
treasoure Badde him aske what thyng that he woulde That might him please or do to hym succour But of all that he nothinge ne tolde But prayed him ful lowly that he shoulde Not drawe frō him that thynge ayen al right Which for to giue lay not in his myght What thyng is that quod Alexander agayne I haue by cōquest al erthly tresour wun The philosopher said he spake in vayne Thou hast quod he no lordship of the sun Thy shadow letteth his bemes fro my tun And sith thou hast no power of hys lyght I pray the hertely forbarre me not his sighte Though Alexāder was myghty of puissance And all the world had in his demeyne Yet was hys reason vnder the obeysaunce Of fleshly lustes fettred in a cheine For in hys person wyl was souereyne His reason bridled by sensualite Troublyng the fredome of ryght equite For where that wyll hath dominacion In a prince which should sustayne ryght And parcial fauour oppresseth his reason And trouthes titel is bornedoun with myght And equal doome hath lost his clere light Though for a season they sit in hie cheyres Their fame shal fade within a fewe yeres In this make I comparison Bytwene Alexander and Diogenes That one endured but a short season For that he loued warre more than pees And for that other was not recheles But helde hym content wyth giftes of nature Vnto great age his pouert dyd endure Alexander was slayne wyth poysone In his triumphes whan he dyd excell But in a tunne that lay ful low downe Diogenes dranke water of the well And of their end their difference to tel Alexander wyth couetous was blent The philosopher wyth litel was content Blessed be pouert that may endure longe Maugre the fraude daunger of fortune Where as kynges and emperours strong In their estate no whyle may contune And al vertues rekened in cōmune Twene indigence and great habundaunce Is a good meane content with suffisaunce For with great plentye men be not assured After their lust alway to lyue in ease And though y ◠mē great tresure haue recured With their riches they fele many disease Lords haue not al thyng that may thē please But hertely ioy philosophers expresse Is grettest tresour twene pouert riches For this chapiter sheweth a fygure A maner lykenesse and demonstracion Howe Diogenes lenger dyd endure Than mighty Priam or kyng Laomedon So to exemplifye in conclusion There is more trust in vertuous symplesse Than in presumynge of vicious false riches For the auoutry of Paris and Heleine Brought al Troye to distruccion Pryde and luxury were also meanes tweine Why grekes layd a siege to the towne And finally cause of their confusion To eyther partie losse of many a man The groūd conceiued why fyrst that war gā Lenuoye THis tragedy piteous and lamentable Ful dolorous to write and to expresse That worthy Priam of kinges most notable Was fal in pouert for al his great richesse Fro kyngly honour in to wretchednes From sceptre croune and from his regaly To mischiefe brought through false auoutry ▪ Was not fortune froward and disceuable For to suffer by her doublenesse And by her course whych euer is variable That worthy Hector flour of al prowesse Should vnwarly most famous of noblesse Be slayne alas chefe stocke of chiualry For a quarel of false auoutry Agamemnon accompted incomparable Among grekes for trouth rightwysnesse To gouerne most glorious and able Within his paleis the storye bereth wines His wife Clitimnistra through her cursednes Assented was to murdre hym of enuy For the occasion of false auoutry Ye noble princes cōceiue howe chaungeable Is worldly honour through vnstedfastnes Sith of king Priam the glory was vnstable Fixe in your minde thys mater doth impresse And your corages knightly doth vpdresse Agayne al tytles holdeth champarty Whych appertayneth to false auoutry ¶ The .xix. Chapter Of mighty Sampson whiche tolde hys counsayle to Dalyda whereby he was disceiued WHo was more stronger thā Sampson None more deliuer y ◠byble bereth wytnesse Without weapen he slough a fierse lyon And for his enemyes to hym dyd expresse His vncouth problem anon he gan him dresse Agayne Philistines and slough of thē thirty To paye hys promyse spoyled them by by His problem was the text thus rehersyng After the letter in very sothfastnesse There came out mete of a thynge etynge And fro the strong there went out swetnes But hys wyfe of frowarde doublenes Which euer wrought to his disauayle Of worthy Sampson tolde the counsayle What is more stronge than is a lyon Or more swete than hony in tastyng But women haue thys condicion Of secrete thynges whan they haue knowleging They bolne inwarde their hertes aye freting Outher they must dye or discure So britel of custome is their nature This was the case the lyon that was deed Agayne the sonne gapynge lay vp right Aswarme of been entred in his heed Of whom there came hony anone ryght And whan Sampson therof had a syght He fautasied in hys opinion Full secretly this proposicion As ye haue herde gan it forth purpose That philistines to hym it should expowne Vnder a payne the trouth to hym vnclose But wyth hys wife they priuely gan rown And she on Sāpson gan cōpleyn and frowne And faymngly so long vpon hym wepe That he coud not his coūsayle fro her kepe Which whan she knewe made no taryeng But plaine and hole she gan it to declare Such double trust is in their wepynge To kepe their tonges women can not spare Such wepyng wyues yuell mote they fare And al husbands I pray god gyue thē sorow That tel their counsaile at euyn or morowe She told thē hole she told it thē not halfe And Sampson than gan vpon thē smyle If ye not had herde it in my calfe Ye should not haue found it a great whyle Who may be sure where women lyst begyle Though bokes Sāpson of strēgth so cōmēde Yet durst he not ayenst hys wyfe offende This mighty Sampson did also his payne Thre hundred foxes ones that he founde He toke their tailes knit thē twayn twain And amyd euerich he set a fyre bronde And as they ran in Phylistines lond So furiously vp and downe they went That they their frutes their vynes brent Eke by trayson whan he was ones bound Wyth stronge cordes as he lay a slepe There .iii. M. whych that Sampson founde To haue murdred hym or he toke kepe He brake his bondes and vp anone he lepe Of an asse he caught a chaule bone And a thousande he slough of them anone He gan to faynt and had a sodaine lust For to drinke faded face and chere And god sent hym to staūche with hys thurst From the asses to the water christal clere Which that sprāge out large lyke a ryuere Refreshed his spirite whych afore gan dul Tyl that he had of water dronke his ful After he went to Gasam the citye Amōg hys
For hys hatefull vsurpacions Hys frowarde lyfe and false condycions Among the people bothe styll and loude He called was Tarquinius the proude Full obstinat he was in his entent Ambicious taccroche great rychesse Tyll that fortune wexed impacient Agaynst hym in all his great noblesse Gan her snares and her crokes dresse Thought she woulde but he kept hym wele All sodaynlie cast him from her whele A sonne he had full vycious as I fynde To all vertue moste contrarious To be froward it came to hym by kynde And of nature proude and dispitous Agayne the people fell and malycious Nat loued but dred for tyrany of ryght Is thyng most hated in the peoples syght Thys proude Tarquin y â— story is well couth Agayne Lucrece dyd a great outrage Oppressed her beuty in his vnbridled youth Her trouth assaylyng in a furious rage For which hys father and hys lynage Exyled were and for this hatefull thynge Ther was neuer after in Rome crowned kig Her body corrupt she clene of hert thought By force assayled was her innocence Oppressed her beaute but her spirite nought Her chaste wyll dyd none offence But entred is in to her conscience A greate remorse for all her wyfely trouth To sle her selfe whych was to great a routh And for that Bochas remembreth pyteouslye Her deedly sorowe and lamentacion Write her complaynt in ordre ceryouslye Whyche that she made for her oppression I folowe muste and make mencion After myne auctor percell rehersyng Touchyng her wordes sayd in her dyinge Albe it so by byddyng of my lorde Reherced haue in my translacion After Pierms here and there a worde Of a full dolefull declamacion By hym remembred of entencion For her sake men myght se and rede What wyfely trouth was in her womanhed And John Bochas lyst nat set a syde But that he would reherse in sentence Her wofull complaynt and therupon abyde Of wronges done to her innocence And though I can nat folowe his eloqueÌ„ce I shall sue the trouth of rehersyng As in substaunce theffect of his writyng THe morowe next after thys foule dede Lucrece vp rose w t a full deadly chere Out of her face gone was all the rede And darked were her heauenly eyen clere All clad in blake after the maner Of thylke folke whyche in especiall Be wonte to go to feastes funerall All her frendes beyng in presence Husbande Father with other eke also By and by rehersynge in sentence The cyrcumstaunces of her hartely wo And or that I any further go Vnder hope my Lorde wyll me supporte What that she sayd I wyll to you reporte The .v. Chapiter ¶ The greuous complaynt of Lucrece vpon her oppression FOr as moche quod she as I Lucrece Am by the lawe ioyned in maryage To the mi lord whose loue shal aâ—e encrease Towardes the w t all the surplusage Of wyfely trouth to endure all myne age As humble subiect w t faythfull obeysaunce Vnder thy lordshyp thy gouernaunce O Collatyn my Lorde and true husbande Best beloued of hole affeccyon I wyll no more no quarell take on hande Nor in no wyse take none accion Without that thou lyste enclyne doune Goodly thyne eares to yeâ—e me audyence To that I shall reherce in thy presence Iniury done or any maner wronge Agayne my worshyp or myne honeste By the lawe my sentence is made stronge It toucheth you also we le as me I am so holy yolden vnto the Thou art my heed who clerly can discerne Lorde and husbande my body to gouerne Parciall causes in sothe there may none be Atwene vs twayne nor no disseueraunce For sote and bytter ioy and aduersyte We must them way both in one balaunce Counterpayse our sorowes our plesaunce Entermedle all thynge that stant in doubte Receyue our Fortune as it commeth aboute There may atwen vs be no meaning double But one herte one wyll and one corage And as a woman y â— standeth now in trouble Wythout polysshyng of any fayre langage I must disclose to you the greate outrage Done vnto me and playnly it discure Whyche to redresse lyeth holy in your cure For the mater to speake in wordes playne Aright out serched and the trouth out found As a iuste cause indifferent to twayne Towarde vs both the quarell doth rebounde And more strongly your mater for to grouÌ„de Reherse I wyll so that ye saufe it vouche A mortall wronge which ye me doth touch In a castell whiche called is Collace Of which my lorde here hath y â— gouernaunce Tarquyn the yonge came in to that place I full disware to make purueyaunce Agayne hys commynge or any ordinaunce Tofore nat warned of his offycers Sate vnpuruayed amonge my chamberers Of entent to eschewe ydelnesse We sate and span wolles softe For she of vyces is a chefe maystresse Where she is cherysshed and yset alofte But of custome as I haue done full ofte I and my women duly as we ought To auoyde slouthe full busily wrought His entryng was meke and debonayre Benygne of porte of loke and of vysage With a pretence of many wordes fayre In whose meanyng was full great outrage His chere contrary vnto his corage In thys wyse there he was receyued Wherby alas I falsly was disceyued At prime face as me thought it due I hym receiued at his in commyng Rose vp mekely and gan hym to salue As apertayned in all maner thyng Vnto the sonne of a worthy kyng And truly Tarquine for whiche I say alas Me to traysh stode in the same caas A kynges sonne shulde of duety Be to women wall and protection Preserue and kepe them in all surety That no man shulde of no presumpcion Do them no wronge nor oppression Rather dye than se them suffer vnryght Aduertysinge the offyce of a knight But contrary to knighthod he hath wrought By false outrage done agaynst me Wronge wayes and croked meanes sought Of lawes twayne to breake the liberte And to deface the auctorite Of lawe Ciuile and naturall also In my person offendyng bothe twoe First by his subtyll compassyng He gan espy thestrys of the place And whan a bed alone I lay slepyng Lyke a lyon full sterne of loke and face With his left hande my throte he dyd enbrace And in his other helde agayne all lawe Me to oppresse a naked sworde ydrawe Thus afforsyng my wifely chastyte Agayne knighthod he dyd this great offence My lyfe my worshyp put in perplexite Hauing no might to make resystence Me manasyng by deadly violence The one of twayne to dye in his entent Or to auoutry falsly to consent Thus I stode sole atwene dethe diffame My body corrupte my spyrite abode clene My spousayle broken and my good name For euer disclaundred y â— whilom shone shene Yuell fame of custom wyll alway wax grene Neuer dye the people so them disporte The worste of thynges gladly to reporte Alas alas amonge my sorowes all This one the moste y â— dothe my hert agryse I
mariage y t he myght vnderfonge In his diyng to set a fynall peace Twene these .ii. realmes for their both ēcrece After whose death thus the matter stode Quene Arcynoe most subtyll in workyng Agayne this matter so cruell was and wode Maryed her daughter w t out more lettyng Called Beronices agaynst the biddyng Of her father that called was Agas As heretofore rehearsed is the caas She maried her to one Demetrius That brother was by Bochas rehearsynge Vnto the mighty great Antygonus Beyng in Grece of Macedoyne kyng But infortunate was she after her weddyng As in this story suyng ye shall se By the false workyng of quene Arcynoe And to conclude shortly this mattere Whan thys quene this double Arcynoe Sawe of Demetrius the vysage the there His loke his coloure his langage beautie His manly port and his liberalitie She was enamored of fleshly pleasaunce Lyke her desyre to haue his acquayntaūce Of her nature she was most lecherous And of her frowarde inclination She brought about that Demetrius Assented was by her suggestion For to accomplish lyke her opinion All her desyres of fleashly appetite Thus of accorde there folowed their delite Lefte his wyfe called Beronices The quenes doughter agayne all ryght In a place secret out of prees They lay together almost euery nyght Takyng no hede of god nor of no wyght Tyll of fortune the case is so befall That he was hated of hys knyghtes all Dispyte they had of Arcynoe The dede horrible whan they dede espy Hys wyfe Beronices eke whan she dyd se Holy the maner of theyr ribaudry In heart she caught a great melancoly Ordayned knightes in stele armed bryght In their aduoutry to take them on a nyght Lying a bedde slept and toke no kepe After false lustes whiche they had vsed They fel vp on them whyle they dyd slepe The dede open myght nat be excused To all the worlde thus they were accused With swordes draw y ◠knyghtes thilke night To slee thē both were purposed anone right Out on Beronices cryeth John Bochas Because she badde spare Arcynoe Grounde gynnyng of this horrible caas Sayth her mercy was very cruelte To saue suche one it was a false pite As sayth myne auctour a thyng cōtrarious Her to preserue and slee Demetrius O Beronices small is thy discretion To saue the quene y ◠hath the treason founde First to Demetrius she gaue occasion For which she shuld haue had the first woūde Take for them bothe and in cheynes bounde And after that thys false Arcynoe To example of other shuld haue punished be And whyle they were taken thus in close The sayd Arcynoe made no delay But fro her bedde anone she vp rose Without clothes naked as she lay Ran to their swordes in all theyr gret affray Went atwene them dyd her busy payne To beare of strokes with her armes twayne To saue Demetrius naked as she stode Voyde of all drede dyd her busy cure Her whyte body all bespreynt with blode Gan to cry out on euery creature Alas quod she let me alone endure Deth by my selfe ye be to dispitous To saue my lyfe and slee Demetrius To the erthe anone she fyll adowne To stande vpryght she might nat sustene Deed pale wan with many pitous sowne Dethe of Demetrius gan wofullye bemene Embrasyng him with all his woūdes grene And in her armes albe that he laye deed She kyssed his mouth blew nothyng reed In sorow cōplaynt thus she made an ende I write no more of thys Arcynoe But to Beronices agayne I wyl now wēde For Bochas sayeth in the story ye maye se She after wedded was to worthy Tholome Like as it was her fathers first entent When y ◠he dyed and made his testament ☞ Thus endeth the fourth boke and hereafter foloweth the fyfte Here Bochas vvryteth agaynste them that delyte in beaute and semelynesse callyng to purpose howe a man borne in Tuscan whiche excelled in beaute and fayrnesse and for hys beaute should nat geue other occasion to synne he disfigured hys visage and body wyth manye a great wounde and spotte The first Chapter HEre Bochas scorneth hath disdayne Of thre maner of folke he dyd se In this worlde whiche that in certayne Set at theyr ioy and all their felicite For to excell in fayrenesse and beaute Nat withstandyng as ye well tell can It hath vndone full many a worthy man Recorde he taketh of Demetrius Which in his tyme was fayrest in certeyne Which caused hym to be contrarious To al vertue his story ye haue seyne But of tho folke Bochas hath most disdeyne That busy ben to conquere and recure Beaute by craft which cometh nat of nature The thirde is he y t grutcheth agayne kynde For lacke of stature and of semelynesse And all these thre ben ignoraunt and blynde And agayne reason their corages they dresse Yet aboue beaute vertue is maystresse And lytle worthe is fayrnesse in certeyne In a person where no vertue is seyne Vnto purpose he telleth of a man That excelled all other in fayrenesse Called Spurnia borne was in Tuscan And folke had ioye and great gladnesse To beholde hym for his semelynesse Whose beaute brought women in dotage When they cast her loke on hys vysage Wyues maydens dwellyng in that countre Presed fast on hym to beholde By theccasion of hys great beaute Nat onelye yonge but some that were olde Wyth loues axcesse nowe were they hote nowe colde Thus was hys beaute to many a creature Founde in effecte a perylous lure Husbandes olde caught a fantasy And had a maner suspection Styred by the serpent of false Jelosye Towarde Spurnia as made is mencion But for to auoyde all cruell occasion Of any people that suche malyce thought Ye shall here howe wysely that he wrought To put awaye false dylectacion And all occasions of Cupides rage He of prudence and discretion With many wounde diffaced hys vysage For he dempt it was great domage That by thenchesen of excellent beaute Any creature hyndred shoulde be Philosophers and poetes that were wyse Gaue vnto hym a great commendation That he coude so notably deuyse To fynde a waye within hys reason To set asyde all occasion Of suche vnlefull fleshlye fantasye That might styre women vnto lecherye He knewe afore and saw by experience That all beaute shall waste away and fade Lyke somer flours in theyr moste excellence That growe on hylles or belowe in shade The rose the lyllye whan they be most glade Vpon theyr stalkes theyr prefe is dayly seyne Been beten downe with a stormye reyne And semblably in euery creature Of lowe degre or of hye estate Beauty abideth nat nor lenger doth endure Than youthes ceson w t age is ful checkmate Who thinketh hereon I holde hym fortunate And can afore in his reason caste No worldly beauty in erth mai alway laste ¶ Lenuoye YE worldlye folke that reioyse in beaute Se with the eyen of your aduertence
Called Seleuchus which was a wonder Fil frō his courser brake his necke asōder The .iii. Chapter ¶ Howe the noble Queene Laodomya was in the temple slayne and vengeaunce take vpon hym that slewe her SYxe of estates prynces and pryncesses Shewed them to Bochas pitouslye playnyng To hym declarynge theyr mortall heuynesses And first of all there came to hym wepyng The noble queene her sorow rehersyng Called Laodomya which with heuy chere Complayned the mischefe of her suster dere Called Nereis yonge and tender of age That wedded was of Cycile to the kyng And on the daye of that great mariage There fyll a stryfe and a great meuyng Amonge the commons by a maner rysyng And when the quene therof had a syght To Dianes temple anone she toke her flyght The people was party rose againe y ◠kyng For whiche rumore and sodayne stryfe Laodomya full fearfully quakyng Ran to the temple for to saue her lyfe Supposyng in her ymaginatyfe That for the temples chaste reuerence Men woulde spare to do there violence But there was one by whom the strife began And was first grounde of this great motion Called Milo a false Cecylian Voyde of all reuerence and deuocion Ran to the temple feirser than a Lyon And where the queene the auter dyd enbrace With a sharpe sworde slew her in the place This sacrilege was punished by vēgeaunce Gods were wrothe through this gret offēce And Diana by full great displeasaunce Made in the courte a sodayne pestylence And Mylo was by vnware violence Tourned bestiall made wode in that affray And slewe hym selfe suyng the twelft daye The .iiii. Chapter ☞ How Cleomenes king of Macedone was slayne with his wife and children AFter this vengeaūce taken on Mylo Came Cleomenes of Macedoyne king And to Bochas gan shew his deadly wo His great iniuries of enemies assaylyng His hye emprises his kyngdome defendyng And alderlast how he in his citee Was by the sonne slayne of Tholome First in his countrey the story doth deuise Againe his enemyes he had a great battayle Of his people defendyng the fraunchyse Of knightly prowesse as he y t list not fayle For his ryght to fyght in plate and mayle His lieges echone beyng of one assente To lyue and dye with him in their entent Men women and children yonge of age Were in one hart as in that mattere Whiche made them stronge gate auaūtage That vndeuided they stode echone yfere Of one corage of one will of one chere Greatly assured in their opinion Because among them was no diuision Their cōmon profite they did more prefarre Than they did treasure lyfe or good For their fredome aye ready to the warre Not afrayed to spende their owne bloude And fynallye so together they stode That of one thought eche gan him redy make To lyue and dye for his brothers sake He had an enemy borne of that region The name of whom was Antigonus And he had wedded the boke maketh mencion The olde quene of kyng Demetrius And had her sonne the story telleth thus Called Phylyp fro youth in hys kepyng Therby pretendyng a tytle to be kyng Of Lacedemonoys claymed agayne ryght There to raigne and take possession Lyke a tiraunt vsurpyng of great myght For to be crowned in that region But for all his false presumption He was put of and yset a farre Though he with thē helde a mortal warre And Cleomenes that was rightfull kyng Was in the felde armed euery day Hardy as Lyon drede hym nothyng Gayne his enemyes he stode s◠at a bay That fro the felde he made them flye away His dredefull sworde grounde was so kene That to abyde hym they myght nat sustene And on a daye descendyng from his cite Helde in the felde a full stronge battayle With lytle people made his fone to fle Retournyng home ful wery of trauayle Thought in his heart that it should auayle To stynt the werre hangyng in no certayne Tyll y t his people refreshed were agayne Set ordinaunce through all the countre Gayne all enemyes to make resistence And into Egypt he goth to Tholome With wife children w tdrawing hys presēce There receyued with great beneuolence Lyke his estate out of care and drede And there abode tyl Thotome was dede But the sonne of kyng Tholome Whiche raygned after by succession Of false enuy and vengeable cruelte Slew Cleomenes in that region His wife his children voyde of compassion Alas it was to straunge a cruel thyng Within a kyngdome to murder so a kyng The .v. Chapter ☞ Of kynge Nero Cornely and Hanyball AFter whose deathe thus wrought by violence The story remembreth procedyng Forth came Nero and shewed hys presence Of Siracuse the myghty stronge kyng Tofore Bothas full pitously playnyng Besechynge hym with a full pitous chere Of his mischefe to wryte the manere The whiche Nero wylfull and furious Lyst to presume of false rebellion For to debate with Appius Claudius And to maligne agayne Rome toun But he anone for his presumptioun Constrayned was in all his most pride Lyke a cowarde to flye and nat abyde No more of hym myne auctour writeth here But in his boke as he dothe procede There came Cornely of Rome a consulere Hym selfe complaynyng of y ◠great falshede Whiche vnto hym accomplished was in dede By assuraunce broke of Haniball Which of Cartage was chefe admirall To thys Cornely Haniball was sworne With the Affricans by a maner flatery To succour hym as we haue tolde toforne With the Romains to holde vp his party But whan they met the boke doth specify Cornely was take and fettred in prison At mischefe dyed there gayned no raunson Than Haniball entred of entent With his knightes into a great cite Of Cicile called Agrigent Where Julius Silua of olde enmyte Layde a siege with a great meyne That he constrayned the sayde Hanyball For very hungre to leape ouer the wall By a posterne he toke hym to the fliyght Gathered shyppes and toke the large see And Julius Silua lyke a manly knyght Faught with him and made hym for to flee Vpon the water anone after he Was of his knyghtes stoned to the dethe And so constrayned he yelded vp the brethe The .vi. Chapter ⧠Of the duke zantipas cast into the see AFter that Hanyball was stayne thus And putte to flyght as made is mencion Tofore Bochas came worthy zantipus A famous duke full notable of renoun And he was lorde of the stronge region Lacedemoyne and was come a ferre Into Cartage to helpe them in the werre By whose prowesse to his encreace of glory The proude Romayns were put to flyght Cartaginences had of them victory And there was take the wyse manly knyght Marcus Regulus and brought anonryght Into Cartage and led as prysonere By zantipus as Bochas writeth here Thys noble duke for all his hye prowesse Done in Cartage and shewed to their toun And for all hys notable kyndnesse They most vnkyndly quit hym his guerdon For
dyscencions In regions prouinces and citees Desolacions of townes and of countrees Where of men had firste experience By thy chaungeable gery violence Thus by the opinion of thy whele double As fayre by nature as it was possible Ouerthwertly thou broughtest mē in troble Madest eche to other froward and odible By thy traines vncouth and terrible Lyke as a corser maketh coltes y t be wylde With spurre whyp to be tame and mylde Thus by the tempest of thine aduersitees To make men more tame of their corages In their discordes twene kyngdoms citees After the sharpenes of thy cruel rages Onely by speche meane of faire langages Folke by thy fraude fro grace ferre exyled Were by faire speche to vnyte reconsiled People of Grece of Rome of Cartage Nexte in Itayle with many a region Were indused by swetnesse of faire langage To haue togither their conuersacion To buylde castels and many a royal toun What caused this to tell in briefe the fourme But eloquence rude people to enfourine ▪ Afore tyme they were but beastial Tyl they to reason by lawes were cōstrained Vnder discrecion by statutes natural Fro wilful lustes by prudēce were restrained By assent made one togider enchayned In golden chaines of peace and vnite Thus gan the buylding of euery great cite But whan thou medlest to haue an entresse They that were one to bring them at discorde To interrupt with thy doublenesse Citees regions that were of one accorde Lyke as thys boke can beare me wel recorde Fro the tyme that thou first began Thy mutabilite hath stroyed many a man Thou causedst men to be obstynate In their corages and incorrigible Wilful froward causeles at debate Eche to other contrarious and odible Them to refourme almost impossible Tyl faire speche voidinge diuision Peace reconciled twene many a region For there is none so furious outrage Nor no matter so fer out of the way But that by meane of gracious langage And faire speche may a man conuay To al reason mekely for to obey By an example whyche I reherce shal We le to purpose and historial The hardy knight the cruell Achylles Whan hateful ire assailed his corage There was no meane w t him to treat of pees To styl the tempest of his dolefull rage Saue onely this which dyd his ire aswage By attemperaunce to obey to reason Whan of an harpe he heard the swete soun Which instrument by hys great swetnesse Put al rancour out of hys remembraunce Wrested him againe to al gladnesse From him auoiding al rācoure greuaunce Semblably fayre speche and daliaunce Set men in rest in realmes here yonder By good langage that were ferre asonder With these wordes Bochas wext debonaire Towarde fortune as he cast his loke Withdrewe his rancour and to speke faire Touching his labour y t he vpon him toke Beseching her for to forther his boke That his name which was but little knowe By good report might be further blowe That his name might ferther sprede Which stode as yet shrouded in derknesse By her fauour his name forth to lede His boke to forther do her businesse By good reporte to yeue it a bryghtnesse with laureate stremes shad forth to people al By foryetfulnesse that it neuer appall This was the hyl whych y t Jhon Bochas Made vnto fortune with ful humble style Whan fortune had conteiued al his caas Soberly stoode and gan stynt a while And glad of chere after she gan smyle On myne auctour and with a freshe visage In sentence spake to him this langage Sothly quod she I se the busines Of mortall men howe curious y t they be Howe they study by greate auysenesse Of my secretes for to be priue To knowe the conceites hyd within me And my counsails ye men do al your payne Albe that lightly ye may not therto attayne In this matter your wyt doth neuer faynt Ymaginyng my lykenesse in your mynde Lyke your conceytes ye forge me painte Somtyme a woman w t winges set behinde And portrayen me with eyen y t ben blynde Cause of al this brefely to expresse Is your owne couetous blyndnesse Your appetites most straunge dyuers And euer full of chaunge and doublenesse Frowarde also malicious and peruers By hastye clymbing to worship riches Alway voyde of trouth and stablenesse Most presūptuous serche out in al degrees Falsly to attayne to worldly dignitees Bochas Bochas I perceiue euery thyng And knowe full wele the great difference Hyd in thy selfe of wordes and thynkyng Atwene them both the disconuenience Hast thou not writen many great sentence In thy boke to sclaundre wyth my name Of hole entent my maners to defame ▪ Thou callest me stepmother most vnkynde And somtyme a false enchauntresse A mermaide with a taile behind Of scorne somwhyle me namyng a goddesse Somtyme a witch somtyme a sorceresse Fynder of murdre and of disceites al Thus of malice mortal men me call Al this is done in dyspite of me By accusacion in many sondry wyse Ye oft appeche my mutabilite Namely whā I your requestes do dispyse For to accomplyshe your gredy couetise Whan ye fayle ye lay on me the wyte Of your aduersitees me falsly to atwite And thou of purpose for teslaundre me Hast writen vngoodly a cōtrarious fable Howe I wrestled wyth glad pouerte To whose party thou were fauourable Settest me a backe gayne me y u were vengeable Nowe of newe requirest my fauour The for to helpe and forther thy labour Ascaunce I am of maners most chaungeable Of condicions very femynine Now here now ther as y e wynde vnstable By thy discripcion and by thy doctrine To euery chaunge redy to enclyne As women ben yong and tēdre of age Which of nature be diuers of corage But for to further in party thyne entent That of thy boke the processe may procede By my fauour to the accomplishment I am wel wylled to helpe the in thy nede Like thy desire the better thou shalt spede Whan I am towarde with a benigne face To spede thy ioruey by support of my grace That thy name and also thy surname With Poetes and many an olde auctour May be regestred in the house of Fame By supportacion of my sodaine fauour By assistence also of my socour Thy worke texplete the laurer for to wyn At Saturninus I wyl that thou begin The fyrst Chapiter ¶ Here reherseth Fortune her condicions vnto Bochas shewyng how many one she enhaunceth for a time and anone after them sodainly ouerthroweth AMonge Romayns this said Saturnyne Was outragious of condiciōs Caused in Rome whā he gan malygne Great debates and great sedicions And by hys frowarde conspiracions He was sharpe enemy agayne the prudēt iuge Called Metellus deuoide of al refuge Fro the Capitole set with mighty hande Founde no socour Metellus in the toun The same tyme thou shalt vnderstande Howe by my helpe and supportacion One that was smal of reputacion Called Glaucus in pouert