Belset Tarquiniaine Fro him by force toke many a region Mesopotamie to his possession Toke by strong hand through his chiualry Maugre Diogenes almost all Surrye Belset Tarquiniā made him selfe so stronge By manly force Diogenes to assayle And for Diogenes thought he did him wrong He gan ordaine great stuffe and apparayle A day assigned they met in batayle Diogenes of froward auenture He his knightes brought to discomfyture Take he was brought by great disdayne In whom as tho there was no resistence To kinge Belset called Tarqumiaine And whan he came to his presence Against him was yeue this sentence To lie downe plat and that king Belset Should take his fote and on his throte set This was done for an hie dispite Diogenes brought forthe on a chayne Without reuerence fauour or respyte At great feastes assigned was his payne And alder last put out his eyen twayne The whele of fortune tourneth as a ball Sodayne clymbing asketh a sodayne fall The .xix. Chapiter ¶ How Robert duke of Normandy foughte with the Turkes was named to the crowne of Jerusalem and died at mischefe AWorthye Prynce spoken of in manye reem Noble Robert duke of Normandy Chose to the crowne of Jerusaleem But for cause he did it deny Fortune vnto him had enuy The same Robert next in ordre was That came to playne his fall vnto Bochas For Christes fayth this mighty champion This duke Robert armed in plate and maile With manly Godfray Godfray de Bollion Againe turkes fought a great batayle For Christes faythe that it should auaile To sustene the lawe in their entent To all the kinges of the Occident Of Turkes Sarazins was so gret a nōbre Gaine Christes law gadred in puissaunce The fayth of Christ falsly to encombre But there were made hasty ordinaunce By kinges of England Normandy Fraūce First to socour did their busy paine Godfray de Bollion y t was duke of Loraine Which on Sarazins made a discomfyture Maugre Turkes for all their great might In which battaile Christ made him recure The felde that day to supporte his right Where Robert was found so good a knight That for his noblesse by recorde of writyng Of Jerusalem was named to be king He assented nat to the election Bycause of new that he did vnderstande His elder brother for short conclusion Y called Willyam was dead in Englande Wolde in no wyse take y ◠crowne on hande Of Jerusalem but like a manly knight Came to Englande for to clayme his right And yet or he came he had knowledging His yonger brother called Henry Had vpon him take to be crowned kyng Tolde his lordes and princes fynally He was next heyre entred rightfully As enheritour to succede in that reem His brother being king of Jherusalem God wot the cause stode all in other wyse The said Robert duke of Normandye Purposed him by marciall emprise From his brother to take the regalye Toke his princes and his chyualrye Thought he wold like a manly knighte Arryue in England and reioyse his righte Both in one felde assembled on a day The brethren twayne ech w t strong party To darraine and make no delay Eche with other to holde champarty But whan these lordes the mischefe did espy They busied them and were nat recheles Atwene the bretherne to refourme pees The said bretherne were fully condiscended Vpon this poynt for shorte conclusien As in the accorde was iustly comprehended Henry to holde and haue possession During his life of al this region And Robert should haue for his party A summe of golde with all Normandy Thre thousande poūde put in remembraunce Eche yere to Robert sent fro his region Of which payment to make full assuraunce Was layde hostages as made is mencion But yet of new fyll a discencion Atwene the bretherne of hatred and enuy For a certaine castell y ◠stode in Normandy Which castell longed of heritage Vnto the kinges iurisdiction Of which the duke toke his auauntage Maugre the king and held possession Turned after to his confusion And whan the king this thing did espye With stronge hand came to Normandy Where the duke was layde a siege about Made ordinaunce to recure his right Gate the castell toke his brother out Emprisoned him of very force and might Left him alone out of all mennes sight Fourtene yere the cronicle writeth so There he died in mischefe and in wo. Whyle Bochas was busy in his labour His boke tacomplyshe with great diligence To him appered the great emperour Called Henry shewed his presence Gan complaine vpon great offence Done to him the mischefe and distresse By his sonnes great vnkyndnesse The which sonne was called eke Henry Greatly accused of ingratytude Cause he wrought so disnaturally Toke his father with force and multitude Entreated him boysteously and rude And afterward there gayned no raunson At great mischefe he dyed in pryson The .xx. Chapiter How Joceline prince of Rages for pryde slouth and lechery dyed in pouerte NExt in ordre with trist ded visage ▪ Vnto Bochas to shew his heuines Came Jocelyne lord and prince of Rage Which is a cite famous of ryches And this prince mine auctor bereth witnesse Was greatly yeue to slouth and slogardy And all his lust he set in lechery Left his lordshyp out of gouernaunce For lacke of wisdome and discrecion In fleshly lust set all his plesaunce And of the countreis about him enuyron He was nat had in reputacion Certayne princes mine auctor doth discryue Of his lordshyp cast him to depriue Amonge whiche the prince of Alapy Called Sanguyne the story who lyst se To Joceline hauing great enuy Layde a siege to Rages the cite He beyng absent ferre from that countre And thus for slouthe wylful neglygence Rages was take by mighty violence And Joceline commaunded to prison To him fortune was so coutrarious Lost his lordshyp and dominacion Lo here the fyne of folkes vicious Slowe delicat proude and lecherous Dyed in pouerte in mischefe and in nede Of vicious princes lo here the fynall mede The .xxi. Chapiter ¶ Howe the emperour Andronicus slewe all that were of the blode royal cheryshed vicious people and after was hanged AS very heire here and trewe successour By election and also by lynage Came Andronicus lorde and emperour Of Constantinople crowned king of age Next to Bochas with trist and pale vysage Beseching him to do his busy cure To remembre his woful auenture Amonge grekes by story and scripture This Andronicus gouerned nat aright Againe lawe and eke agayne nature Founde with his suster fleshly on a night Bothe of assent toke them to the flight Agayne him his cosyn was so fell Lorde of that countre called Emanuell For a time stode as a man exiled For his discēcions many an vncouth strife By his princes after reconsiled Standing in hope he should amende his lyfe But in the tyme that he was fugitife He was made lorde stode so for a whyle Reignyng
tofore Gaulter his iudgemeÌ„t to shew With sharp swordes he was all to hewe The execucion done vpon these thrâ— In Tuskan borne the rancour did apease Of Florentines to staunche the cruelte Againe Gaulter to his life great ease He glad to escape out of his disease Fled away in full secrete wyse The towne restored again to their frauÌ„chyse Thus he lost by his insolence All his power and dominacion Bothe of Tuskan and also of Florence And as mine auctour maketh mencion Fro Lombardy he is discended doun Drew to king Iohn reigning tho in FrauÌ„ce And of byrth full nigh of alyaunce As I fynde he was on that partye With king Ihon this Gaulter like a knight Whan that the king with all his chiualry Was take him selfe his lordes put to flighte Into Englande lad after anone righte The said Gaulter hauing no regarde To his worshyp fled like a cowarde Met in his flyght with diuerse soudyours Of Lombardy abiding with king Iohn Which that time as brygantes pyllours Toke this Gaulter led him forthe anone His force his corage his herte was agone Of auenture a certaine Florentine Smit of his head this was his fatall fyne The .xxxv. Chapter ¶ Of Philipot Cathenoise borne of lowe birth which came vnto great estate and after she her sonne her doughter were brent BEspraynt with teares and wofull noyse Tofore Bochas quaking in sorow and drede Next in order came Philipot Cathenoyse Poore of degree borne of lowe kynrede Which rose after to great estate in dede And gan with sorow complaint ful mortal Seriously to tell her woful fall Touching her byrth derke was her linage Of poore bed borne on outher syde Bochas was lothe to spende great langage On her history longe theron to abyde Purposed him nothing for to hide Of the substaunce but tell all the great And superfluite of the remenaunt to leat Whiche was reherced by him in his youth Whan he was toward Robert of Cecyle Kyng of Ierusalem the storye is nat couth Yet in his boke he list it compyle And it reherce by full soueraine stile Lyke in that courte as it was to him tolde By one Bulgare called in slauaine olde The sayd Bulgare was a marynere With him also was a Calabrien Called Constantine which full many a yere Trauailed had and sondry thinges sene In diuers countreis there he had bene Monge other thinges sene in dayes olde This was a storie which Bulgare tolde Duke of Calabre Robert by his name By his father Charles the mighty kyng Had in coÌ„mauÌ„dement y â— storye saith the same Gayne Frederike to make a stronge ryding Which by force proudly vsurping Toke vpon him to be lorde of that yle Which called was the kingdome of Cicyle Depranne in sothe called was the towne Where duke Robert his pauyllions pight Rode armed through his hie renowne Gaine Frederike for the lande to fight And to withstande him plainly if he might And so be fyll the morowe before prime The dukes wife of childing bode her tyme. Violaunt men did that lady call In her time a famous great duchesse Destitute of other women al Whan her childe was borne in that distresse To yeue it souke the story doth expresse Saue for mischefe Philipot was fet nere Of Cathenoyse the dukes chefe laundere By a fysher which was her husbande A childe she had lyuing by theyr trauaile Which fro the sea vnto the courte by lande Day by day caried vitaile And in this case be cause it might auayle Philipot was brought in this greate straytnesse To be norice vnto the duchesse Where she was cherished after her desyres Eche thing redy whan that euer she sent With the duchesse amonge other chambrers In to Naples I fynde that she went Tyll Atropose frowarde of entent Made of this childe there is no more to say The lyues threde for to breke in tway With king Charles of whoÌ„ I spake toforne As mine auâ—tour remembreth in his boke Was one Raymond of Champayne borne Whiche w t the king was called mayster coke And on a day his iourney he toke Towarde the sea a pyrate as I finde Solde him a child which was borneiÌ„ Inde Lyke Ethiopiens was his colour For whoÌ„ this coke Raymonde hath deuysed For in his notable diligent labour Made him christen and so he was baptised Gaue him the name and also practysed Him to promote that he vpon him toke By his doctrine to be mayster coke For he sone after toke the order of a knight The Ethiopien wext a good officere Gate suche grace in the kinges sight To be about him more nere By processe he was made wardyopere And though he was blacke of his visage To Cathenoyse he was ioyned in maryage Wexte malyperte and of presumpcion To be made knight y â— king he gan requere Which of fredom and great affection Is condiscended to graunt his prayere But to declare plainly the manere In this time Violaunt the duchesse Afore remembred dyed of sicknesse After whose death bokes dothe certifye Howe duke Robert of Naples the cite Wedded a Lady that called was Sausye To whom Philipot as fyll to her degre With diligence and great humilite To please her dyd so her deuer That of counsayle there was none so nere Euer redy at her commaundement Wrought atyres plesaunt of delite With holsom waters that were redolent To make her skyn by washing sote white Made confections to serue her appetyte By her husbande the story who lyst se The same Philipot had chyldren three She was connyng of her porte prudent Chosen by fauour for to be maystresse To fayre Iane yonge and innocent Which doughter was to the great duchesse Of Calabre and furthermore to expresse Her husbande the Ethyopyen withall Of Charles houshold was made seneschall O lorde quod Bochas spake of hie disdain What meneth this fortune for to make chere With her fauour to rayse vp a forayne Vpon her whele with bright fethers clere But of custome it is aye her manere Fayrest to appere with chere countenauÌ„ce Whan she wyll bryng a maÌ„ vnto mischauÌ„ce For he that was a boy the last day An Ethiopien borne horrible of sight And afore time in the kechyn lay Amonge the pottes with baudy cote anight Nowe of newe hath take the ordre of knight With king Charles is now seneschall Such sodayne climbing asketh a sodain fal He and Philipot his wyfe fro pouerte Be enhaunced and rissen to great richesse Two of their sonnes stately maryed be And he for fauour more than worthynesse To order of knight in his most highnesse Their father died whose feast funerall Was solempnysed and holde full royall Thus can fortune chaunge as the mone Her bright face derked with a skye His eldest sonne dyed after sone The seconde left vp his clergie To be made knightlgan him selfe apply Stode of his father plainly as I rede In his office by fauour to succede Thus by processe fro Philipot anonright Deathe of
the name of king Siculus Trinacry a countre merueylous Toke first his name of famous hylles thre The chefe of them is called Peâ—orus The next Pathmus the third Lyllybe Not ferre from Ethua the sayd hilles be Beside a sea full perilous and ylle With two dangers Caribdis and Scille The sayd Lewes kyng of Jerusalem And of Cecile the boke maketh mencion Which was chased and put out of his realme By another Lewes and put down Ended in pouerte for short conclusion This last Lewes of pite dyd hym grace Tyl he died to haue a dwellyng place The .xxxviii. Chapter How king John of Fraunce at Poyters was taken prisoner by prince Edwarde and brought into Englande NExt of all and last of euerychone Cursyng Fortune with all her variaunce Makyng hys complaynt to Bochas came king John Tolde his tale how he was take in Fraunce By priÌ„ce Edward for all his great puissauÌ„ce And after with strong and mighty hand He was fro Poyters brought into England Afore distroyed his castels and his townes And ouerthrowen manly in battayle His princes slayne theyr baners penouns Nor brode standers might them not auayle The trace out sought spoiled of plate maile Maugre his might kiÌ„g John was prisoner In England after abode full many a yere Set afterwarde to full great raunson The worthy slayne on the Frenche party The same time in Brutes Albyon There floured in suche noblesse chyualry With high prudence and prudent policy Mars and Mercury aboue eche nacion Gouerned that tyme Brutus Albion Mars for knighthode theyr patron i batraile And Mynerua gaue them influence Meynt with brightnesse of plate mayle To stour in clergye and in hie prudence That prince Edward by marciall violence That day on liue one the best knight Brought home kinge John maugre all hys might Though Bochas gaue him fauour by laÌ„gage His heart enclined to that partye Which vnto him was but small auauntage Worde is but winde brought in by enuye For to hinder the famous chiualrye Of English meÌ„ ful narow he gan him thinke Left speare shelde fought with pen ynke Though the sayd Bochas floured in Poetry His parcial writyng gaue no mortal wouÌ„de Caught a quarell in his melancoly Which to his shame afterward did rebounde In conclusion lyke as it was founde Agayne king John a quarel gan to take Cause that he would of English men be take Helde them but small of reputacion In his report men may hys writyng see His fantasy nor hys opinon Stode in that case of none authorite Their kiÌ„g was take their knightes did flee Wher was Bochas to helpe theÌ„ at such nede Saue with his pen he made no man to blede Of right wisnesse euery croniculer Should in his writyng make no exception Indifferently conuey his matter Not be perciall of none affection But gyf the thanke of mortal guerdon Hys style in order so egally obserued To euery party as they haue deserued Laude of king John was that he abode In that he quit hym like a manly knight His lordes slayne some away they rode Most of his meyny toke them to the flight This iourney take for king Edwardes right The feelde y wonne haue this in memory Trouthes hold hath gladly the victory Of king John what should I write more Brought to this land with other prisoners Vpon which the realme complayned sore By rehearsayle of olde Croniclers Died in England within a fewe yeres Led home agayne after theyr writynges Lieth at S. Denys with other kinges ⧠Lenuoye OF Bochas boke the last tragedye Compendiouslye put in remembraunce How prince Edwarde w t his chiualrye Fought at Poiters w t king John of FrauÌ„ce And through his mighty Marciall puysauÌ„ce GrouÌ„ded his quarell vpon his fathers right Toke him prisoner ful like a manly knight By collusion kyng John dyd occupye Set out of order the royall aliaunce Scepter and crowne with all the regalye Was down desceÌ„ded to Edward iÌ„ substauÌ„ce CoÌ„ueyed y e brauÌ„ches by lineall concordaunce For which title grounded vpon right Prince Edward fought like a manly knight His clayme and quarel more to fortify In token y â— god his quarel would auaunce Discomfiture was made on that party Vpon kyng John by violent vtraunce An heauenly signe by influent purueyaunce Sent from aboue to shew Edwardes right For which y e priÌ„ce fought like a maÌ„ly knight Noble princes your heartes do applye Justly to way this matter in balaunce All thing paysed ye mâ— it not denye If ye consider euery circumstaunce In right Judges may be no variaunce The fielde dâ—rreyued deme who hath right For whiche y e priÌ„ce fought like a maÌ„ly knight Thing of assent put in ieopardy And committed to Gods ordinaunce There may be after no contrauersy Atwene party quarel nor distaunce Who shal reioyse in this case stode Fraunce Sith at Poyters declaring who hath right PriÌ„ce Edward fought like a manly knight ¶ Here Bochas maketh a rehearsayl how Fortune hath made highe estates vnwarely to discende LEt folke of wisdom coÌ„sider in their wit Gather vp a sum count in theyr reason To all estates how Fortune hath her quit To popes prelates gyn first in Rome town To cardinals most souerayne of renown When they sat hiest coude them not defende Agayn Fortune by no proivsion But with a turne she made them to diseend After in order call to remembraunce The state imperial of famous emperours Which as Appollo through theyr puyssaunce Theyr fame vp blow to Jupiters tours And forget not these olde conquerours Aboue Mercury cast them to ascende Tyl that fortune with her frowarde shours Most sodaynly made them to discende Kinges and princes of diuers regions In Asye Europe Affrike and Cartage Of Ethiope the marciall champions Monsters of Inde hydous of visage Athlas Hercules iÌ„ their most furious rage Against whose might no man coude hiÌ„defeÌ„de What folowed from their hyest stage Fortune vnwarely made them to discende Priestes prelates well fed fat persons And patriarkes that had great soueraynte Reken vp religioÌ„s w t al their brode crownes Byshops abbottes confyrmed in their see Beholde of fortune the mutabylite Seculere chanons w t many great prebende whan they sate hyghest in their felycite Howe sodaynly she made them to discende All y t is written is written to our doctryne One courbeth lowe another gothe vpright Some be vicious some in vertue shyne Phebus now clipsed soÌ„tyme shyneth bright Somtyme cloudy somtyme sterlight Some folke appayre some dothe amende Shew of Fortune the power the might One goth vpward another doth discende Some man holy encreaseth in vertue Another rechelesse of frowarde wilfulnesse One is perfit and stable in Christ Jesu Another braydeth vpon frowardnesse One encreaseth with treasour richesse Who list thriue to labour must attende Maugre the world Fortunes doublenesse Doth one arise another doth discende One is busy and setteth ail his labour Early to aryse his good to multiply Another spendeth and is a great wastouâ— Some tre is barayn some tre doth fructifye One can say sothe another can well lye One can gather another can dispende Vnto fortune this matter dothe applye She maketh one to arise another to disceÌ„de All these matters combined into one Of which this boke maketh mencion Voyde the wede of vertue take the corne As reason teacheth in your discrecion And for to make a short conclusion In a brefe summe this b 〈…〉 o comprehende Fortunes whele by reuolâ—â—ion Doth one clymbe vp another to discend ☞ The wordes of the translatour W 〈…〉 letters leues this lytell boke treÌ„bling Pray to the prince to haue on the pyte Vâ—â—â—e of all picture and enlumynyng Wâ—â—â—h hast of Cicero no curious dyte 〈◊〉 of his gardayne no floures of beaute 〈…〉 graunt grace thy rudenesse nat offende 〈…〉 hygh noblesse and magnanymyte 〈…〉 s presence whan thou shalt ascende And for my parte of one hert abyding 〈…〉 de of chaunge and mutabylite 〈◊〉 present this boke with hand shakyng Of hole affection knelyng on my kne Praying the lord one two and thre Whose magnificence no clerke may coÌ„preheÌ„de Sende you might grace and prosperite Euer in vertue to encreace and ascende To kisse y â— steppes of theÌ„ that were furtheriÌ„g Laureat poetes whiche had soueraynte Of eloquence to supporte thy makyng And pray all tho that shall this processe se In thyne excuse that they lyst to be And where it is amysse for to amende Set thy grounde vpon humylite Vnto their grace that thou mayst ascende In a shorte clause thy content rehersyng As one vp clymbeth to great prosperite So another by experte knowlegyng From great rychesse is brought to pouerte Alas O boke what shall I say of the Thy tragedyes thrugh all y â— worlde to sende Go forthe I pray excuse thy selfe and me Who loueth most vertue highest shal ascende Blacke be thy wede of coÌ„playnt mourniÌ„g Called fall of princes from their felycite Lyke Chaunteplure now singing nowe weping Wo after myrth next ioy aduersyte So entremedled there is no suerte Lyke as this boke doth prayse coÌ„prehende Nowe on the whele now set in lowe degre Who will encreace by vertue must ascende The ende of Bochas Volumes
chapiter The authour agaynst couitous people loke the leafe .lxxxvii. Howe Euagoras kyng of Cypre was by Artaxerses outrayed and put from his kyngdome The .xxiii. cha Howe Theon kinge of Egypte was by Artaxerses driuen frome hys kyngdome and howe he fledde in to Arabye The foure and twenty chapiter Howe Amintas of Macedone kynge had by Erudice his wyfe Alysandre â–ª Pet dica and Philyppe who were after slaine The .xxv. Chapiter Howe the proude tyraunte haman was hanged and the Innocentes preserued The .xxvi. chapiter ¶ Of the two brethern Artaxerses and Cyrus and howe Artaxerses slewe hys chyldren and Concubynes and howe they ended with a Lenuoy The .xxvii. chapit Thus endeth the Table with the chapiters of the thyrde boke and here foloweth the table of the fourth boke whiche contayneth xxvi chapiters The Table of the fourth boke THe prologue of the translatour The fyrste chapiter of the fourth boke declareth howe Marcus Manlius wroughte for Rome towne and howe at the laste for all hys laboure he was by the commons cast in to Tybre and so drowned How Bochas writeth in parte against suche as can nat be contente wyth suffysaunce but vsurpe to high dignyties with a Lenuoy The seconde chapiter Howe Nectanabus kynge of Egypte was by Xerxses constrayned to slye hys kyngdome The third chap. Howe Pausanias Duke of LacedemoÌ„ was exyled by them of Athenes The .iiii. chapiter Howe Helyarchus the tyraunt for extorcion and oppression was slayne by the knyght Leonydes The fyfth chapter Howe the vycious Dyonis kynge of Cycyle slewe his bretherne and kynrede and howe he was exiled and died at myschefe with a Lenuoy The sixt chapter The authour againe presumptuous people princes holding theÌ„ selfe as gods The seuenth chapiter Howe kynge Pollicrate for extorcion and tyranny was hanged tyll euery ioynt fyl from other The eight chapter Howe the tyraunte Alexandre slewe his Philosopher Calistenes with dyuers other for sayinge trouth with a Lenuoy The nynth chapter Howe Alexander kynge of Pyrothe aduenturynge to passe the floude of Acheronte was slayne therin by them that he trusted most The tenth chap. Howe Dary kynge of Perce and Mede was outrayed by Alexander kynge of Macedon with a Lenuoy The leuenth chapiter A chapiter of Bochas wherein he remembreth the bataylles and losses of realmes of antiquite with the fallynge of dyuers nobles The .xii. chap. Howe Eumenydes was twise outraied by Antigonus and at last dyed in pryson With a Lenuoy The .xiii. chapiter Howe Queene Olimpiades for she delyted in vyces in murdre and in vengeaunce dyed at mischefe With a Lenuoy The fourtene chapiter Howe Agathocles of low byrthe borne attaygned vnto royall dygnyte and howe he ended in pouerte and wretchednesse With a Lenuoy The fiftene chapiter Howe Cassander slewe the wyfe of Alexander and Hercules her sonne and howe Antipater slew hys mother and of dyuers other murders The sixtene chapiter Of two prefectes Perdicas and Amintas The .xvii. cha How SaÌ„drocottus borne of low degre cherished robbours theues The xviii ca. Howe Seleuchus the myghtye prynce was slayne by the great Tholome kyng of Egypte The xix chap. Howe the two sons of Queene Arcynoe wer by their mothers traitourously slaine and she exyled with a Lenuoy The .xx. Chapter Howe Ceramius of Macedoyne kynge that murdred hys cosyns was slayne in battayle by them of Fraunce The xxi cha How the prince Belgius was discoÌ„fited and brought to nought The .xxii. chap. How duke Breâ—â—us delytyng to robbe and steale mischiuouslye ended wyth a Lenuoy The xxiii chap. Howe Pyrrus kyng of Pyrothe lyst not lyue in peace but throughe pryde and presumpcion in warre came to mischaunce The xxiiii Chapter How the tyrauÌ„t Aristotimus by trecherous workynge set asyde the ryght lyne and howe he was crowned kyng of Epirothes and after slayne The .xxv. chap. Howe Queene Arcinoe for her aduoutrye done wyth Demetrius husbande of Beronices ended in sorowe The .xxvi. ca. ¶ Thus endeth the table wyth the Chapters of the fourth boke and here foloweth the table of the fifth boke whiche contayneth .xxxiii. Chapters ¶ The table of the fyfth boke IN the fyrst Chapiter of the fifth booke Bochas wryteth agaynst them that delyte in beautye and semelynesse callynge to purpose howe a man borne in Tuscan whiche excelled in beautye and fayrenesse and for he woulde nat geue occasion to other to sinne disfigured his visage and bodye with manye a greuous wounde and spotte with a Lenuoy Howe the two bretherne Seleuchus and Antiochus eche of them desirynge to excell other fyll at discorde and so ended in mischefe The seconde chap. Howe the noble Queene Laodomya was slayne in the Temple and of the vengeauÌ„ce that was take vpon hym that slew her The thyrde chapter Howe Cleomenes kynge of Macedone was slayne with his wife and chyldren The fourth chapter Of kynge Nero Cornely and Hanybal The fyfth Chapter Of the duke zantipas that was cast into the sea The sixt chapter Howe Marcus Regulus of his frewyll dyed for the common weale wyth a Lenuoy The seuenth chapter Howe Tholome kyng of Egypte called Philopater slewe hys father and mother and his wife and how he spent his tyme in lecherye and of his mischeuous ende The eyght Chapter Howe Brithomarus and Viridomarus dukes of Fraunce after great battayles were by Romaynes slayne The .ix. ca. Howe Syphax the kynge of Numedy was taken and how he died in prison The tenth Chapter Howe Nabyn hauyng no tytell of right but by tyranny toke on hym to be kyng of Macedone and howe he was slayne The eleuenth chapter Bochas reherseth the mortall warres that hathe been betwene the Romaynes and Affricans The. twelth cap. How king Perseus was by the Romaines outrayed and after take The .xiii. cap. Howe the people of Achaia wyth theyr chefe citie called Coriâ—the by Romaynes was distroyed The fourtene chapter Howe the great Antiochus vsyng riote and vicious liuynge by Marcus Actilius was outrayed and dyed sodayulye with a Lenuoy The fiftene chapter Howe Jeronimus kynge of Cyracuse was slaine and how Scipio Affrican that laboured for the common weale of Romaines was exiled by them and so died The sixtene chapter Howe Scipio Asyan lorde of Asye that laboured euer for the common weale was at last murdred The seuentene chap. Howe duke Philopomenes was take put in prison and after dranke poyson and so died The eyghtene chapter Of the thyrd Scipion Nasica that euer wrought muche for the commonty with a Lenuoy The .xix. chapter Howe duke Haâ—ball after many victorious dedes slewe hym selfe with poyson with a Lenuoy The twenty chapter Howe Prusias kynge of Bithâ—ye that betrayed Hanibal woulde haue dish erited hys sonne and heyre went a beggynge in strange landes The .xxi. chapter Howe Perses of Macedone kyng that empoysoned his brother was by Emilyus outrayed and dyed in pryson The xxii ca. Howe Amonyus a prynce of Antioche delytynge in pyllage and robberye with other vicious lyuynge sted in womans clothyng after taken slayne The xxiii cap. Howe
presumpsion condempned by Honorius and hys head smyt of The xix chapter Howe Stillicon and other of lyke condicion ended mischeuously The xx chap. A goodly processe of y e aucthor why Rome was destroyed for the same or like cause were diuers other realmes distroyed The xxi Chapter Howe the kynges Trabstila and Bâ—surus wer brought vnto subiection made tributaries to Theodorike The xxii cha Howe Philitheus loste his kingdome The xxiii Chapter Howe Symacke and Boes hys sonne in law were banished and after iudged to die The .xxiiii. chapter Of kynge Arthur and hys conquestes and of the commodities of Englande and how he was disceyued by his cosyn Mordrede with a Lenuoy The xxv chapter An exclamacion of Bochas agayne folkes y â— be vnkinde to theyr kynred Fo .xvii. Of Gisiuill kyng of Venandre of thre other kinges and how they were distroyed The xxvi chapter Howe Albuinus was murdred by hys wife Rosamonde and howe she for her abhominable dealynge and vicious lyfe was slayne also The xxvii chapter Thus endeth the table with the chapters of the eight boke and here foloweth the table of the nynth boke whyche contayneth .xxxviii. chapters ¶ The table of the nynth boke THe first chapter of the ninth boke sheweth howe the Emperour Mauricius his wyfe and his chyldren were slayne at Calcidony Of Machomet the false prophet and howe he beynge dronke was deuoured amonge swyne The seconde chapter Howe Brounchylde a quene of Fraunce slewe her kynne and brought the lande in deuision after was hanged hewen in smal peces with a Lenuoy The iii. chap. Bochas marueyleth of the great malice and cruelte of Brunchylde Fol .xxviii. Howe Eraclius the Emperour sustayned heresy fyll into dropsye and sickenesse vncurable and so died The fourth chapter Howe Constantine the sonne of Eraclius for supportyng of errours and heresies was murdred in a stewe by hys owne knightes The fyfth chapter Howe Gisulphus was slayne and howe hys wife for her vicious liuyng ended mischeuously The syxt chapter Of Justinian y e false extorcioner which was exiled by Patrician and after that his nose cut fro his head and both his eyen put out The seuenth chapter Howe Philip the emperour dyed at mischefe The eyght chapter Howe Anastase was compelled to leaue the empire and lyue in pouerte The ix cap. How the head of Lupus kyng of Lombardy was smyt of by Grymbaldus The tenth chapter Howe the head of Alexius was smyt of by Compeâ—â—on The eleuenth chapter How Ariperton was drowned with his rychesse The twelfth chapter Howe Dedyre by pope Andrian Charles of Fraunce was put to flight and dyed at mischefe The. The .xiii. chapter Of Pope John a woman and howe she was put downe â–ª The fourtenth Chapter Bochas counsayleth prynces to remembre on Arnolde Fol .xxvi. Of Charles of Lorayne that was confounded for hungre The fyftene Chapter Howe kynge Salamon whilom kynge of Hungry was put to flyght The .xvi. ca. How Petro kyng of Hungry was slaine The .xvii. chapter Howe Diogenes the emperour was taken and hys eyen put out The .xviii. chap. How Robert duke of Normandy fought with the turkes and shoulde haue had the crowne of Jerusalem and how he dyed at mischefe The .xix. Chapter How Joceline prince of Rages for pride slouth and lecherye died in pouerte The twenty chapter Howe the Emperoure Andronicus slewe all that were of the noble bloude cheryshed vicious people and howe he was after hanged with a Lenuoy The .xxi. chapter Of Jsacius made blynde and take at mischefe The .xxii. chapter Of Henry the eldest sonne of Frederike the second mischeued by hys father The. xxiii chapter A commendacion of Bochas to suche as be kinde to their kinsfolke Fol .xxx. How Manfroye kyng of Poile was slaine The .xxiiii. chapter Howe Ences kinge of Sardiny dyed in pryson The .xxv. chapter Of a nother Frederike that was slaine by the iudgement of his brother The .xxvi. chapter How Manimettus and Argones dyed at mischefe The .xxvii. chapter How Charles king of Jerusalem and Cicyle for his auarice and aduoutrye dyed at mischefe with a Lenuoy The .xxviii. chapter Of Hugoline Erle of Pise slayne in prison The .xxix. Chapter Howe Pope Boniface the eyght was take by the lynage of Columpnes and howe he eate his handes and died in prison The thyrty chapter How the order of templers was founded and Jaques with other of the order brente The xxxi Chapter Bochas commendeth Theodorus wyth other two Philosophers for their great pacience The .xxxii. Chapter Bochas here commendeth humilite Folli .xxxiii. Howe Philippe le Bele of Fraunce was slayne with a wilde Bore and of his three sonnes and theyr wedding The .xxxiii. chapt How duke Gaulter of Florence for his tiranny lecherye and couetyse ended in mischefe The .xxxiiii. chapter Of Philipot Cathenoise born of low birth which came to high estate and after how she her sonne and her doughter were brent The xxxv chapter How kynge Sauses was slayne by hys cosyn which was brother to the kinge of Arragon The .xxxvi. chapter Howe Lewes kynge of Jerusalem â—nd Cicyle was put downe The .xxxvii. chapter Howe kynge John of Fraunce was take prysoner at Poyters by prynce Edward and brought into England with a Lenuoy The xxxviii chapter Bochas reherseth howe Fortune hathe made many hygh estates vnwarelye discend Fol .xxxviii. The wordes of the translatoure wherewith he endeth hys boke ⧠Thus endeth the table with the chapters of the ninth and last boke and here after foloweth the prologue of the translatour The Prologue of John Lydgate monke of Burye translatoure of this worke HE that sumtime did his diligeÌ„ce The boke of Bochas in FreÌ„ch to traÌ„slate Out of latin he called was LaureÌ„ce The tyme remembred truely and the date Is wheÌ„ kyng John through his mortal fate Was prisoner brought vnto this region Than he began first on this translation In his Prologue affirmyng of reason That artifirers hauyng exercise May chaunge and turne by good discresion Shapes and formes newly them deuise Make and vnmake in many a sundry wise As Potters whiche to that craft entende Breake and renue their vessels to amende Thus men of craft may of due right That ben inuentife and haue experience Fantasien in their inwarde syght Deuices newe through their excellence Expert masters haue therto licence Fro good to better for to chaunge a thinge And semblably these clarkes in writyng Thing that was made of auctors theÌ„ beforn They may of newe finde and fantasy Out of olde chaffe trye out full fayre corne Make it more freshe and iusty to the eye Their subtile witte their labour apply With their colours agreable of hue To make olde thinges for to seme newe Afore prouided that no presumption In their chaunging haue none aucthoritie And that mekenes haue domination Ouer false Enuy that she not present be But that their grounde w t perfite charitie Conueyed be to their aduauntage Truely roted amidde their courage Thus Laurence from him
mighty fierce Lyon And whan y â— swerd of vengeaunce doth bite Vpon prynces for their transgression The common people in their opinion For very dread tremble adowne quake And by suche meanes their vyces forsake And suche also as haue ben defouled In their vyces by longe continuaunce Or in their synnes lye ymouled By good exaÌ„ples may cum good repentauÌ„ce Who so repenteth the lord will him auauÌ„ce And him accept in lowe and high estate The meke preserue punyshe the obstinate This sayd matter touchyng such thinges Mine aucthor Bochas herafter shal declare By exaÌ„ple of prynces and of mighty kyngs What was their fine not the truth spare And though my style naked â—e and bare In Rethorike myne aucthour to ensue Yet fro the truth shall I not reâ—â—we But on the substaunce by good leiser abyde After mine aucthor lyke as I may attaine And for a part set eloquence aside And in this boke bewepen and complayne The assault of Fortune froward sodayn How she ou princes hath kyd her veÌ„geauÌ„ce And of her malice the deadly mortal chauÌ„ce But O alas who shal be my muse Or vnto whom shall I for helpe call Calliope my callyng wyll refuse And on Pernaso her worthy susters all They will their suger temper with no gall For their swetenes and lusty freshe singyng Ful farre discordeth froÌ„ matter coÌ„playning My master Chaucer w t his fresh coÌ„medies Is deade alas chiefe Poete of Brytayne That sumtime made ful piteous tragedies The fall of Prynces he did also complayne As he that was of makyng souerayne WhoÌ„ al this lande of ryght ought prefarre Sith of our langage he was y â— lode starre Senec in Rome through his hye prudence Wrote Tragedies of great moralitie And Tullius chiefe well of eloquence Made in his tyme many a fresh ditty Fraunces Petraâ—eke of Florence that cityâ— Made a boke as I can aduert Of two Fortunes wilfull and peruert And agaynst bothe wrote the remedies In bokes twayne made a diuision Among rehearsyng many freshe stories The first boke is thus conueyed doun A dialoge betwene gladnes and reason The second by me well to witnes Made betwene reason worldly heauines The matter is wondets delectable Though wo with ioye haue an entresse And John Bochas wrot maters lameÌ„table The fall of princes where he dothe expresse How for their ioye they fyl in great distresse All these writers through their hye renown Great worshyp did vnto their nacion And semblably as I haue tolde toforne My maâ—â—et Chaucer did his busines And in his daies hath him so well borne Out of out tonge to auoyde al rudenes And to reforine it w t colours of swetenes Wherfore let vs geue him laude and glory And put his name w t Poetes in memory Of whose labour to make mencion Where of right he shoulde commended be In youthe he made a translation Of a boke whiche called is Trophe In Lumbard tonge as men may read se And in our vulgare long or that he dyed Gaue it to name of Troylus Creseyde Whiche for to reade louers them delite They haue therin so great deuocion And this Poete also him selfe to quite Of Boecius boke the consolation Made in his tyme an olde translation And to his sonne that called was Lowys He made a treatise ful noble of great prise Vpon that labour in full notable forme Set them in order with their diuisions Mens wittes to accomply she and conforme To vnderstande by full expert reasons By domifiyng of sundry mancions The rote out sought at the ascendent To forne or he gaue any iudgement He wrote also full many a day agone Dant in English him selfe so doth expresse The piteous story of Ceix and Alcion And the death also of Blaunche the duches And notably did his businesse By great auise his wittes to dispose To translate the Romaynt of the Rose Thus in vertue he set all his entent Idlenes and vyces for to fle Of fowles also he wrote the parliament Therin remembring of royall Eagles thre Howe in their choyse they felt aduersitye To fore nature profered the battayle Eche for his partye if it woulde auayle He did also his diligence and payne In our vulgare to translate and endite Orâ—gene vpon the Maudelayn And of the Lyona boke he did write Of Annelida and of false Arcite He made a complaynt dolefull and piteous And of the broche which that Vulcanus At Thebes wrought full diuers of nature Ouide writeth who so therof had a syght For high desire he shoulde not endure But he it had neuer be glad ne light And if he had it once in his myght Like as my master sayth writeth in dede It to conserue he shoulde euer liue in dred This poet wrote at the request of the quene A legende of perfite holines Of good women to fynde out nyntene That did excell in bountie and fayrenesse But for his labour and his businesse Was importable his wyttes to encomber In all this world to finde so great a nuÌ„ber He made the boke of Caunterbury tales When the pylgryms rode on pilgrymage Through out Kent by hylles and by vales And the stories all tolde in their passage Endityng them full well in our language Some of knyghthode some of gentlenes And some of loue and some of perfitenes And some also of great mortalitie Some of disport coÌ„cludyng great sentence In prose he wrote the tale of Mellebe And of his wife that called was Prudence And of Grisildes perfite pacience And howe the monke of stories new olde Pyteous tragedies by the way tolde This sayd Poete my master in his dayes Made and compiled many a freshe dittie Complaynts ballades rouÌ„dels vyrelayes Full delectable to heare and to se For whiche men should of ryght and equitie Syth he in englysh in making was the best Pray vnto god to geue his soule good rest And these Poetes that I make of mencion Were by olde tyme had in great deyntye With kynges and princes in euery regyon Greatly preferred after their degre For lordes had pleasaunce for to se To study among and cast their lokes At good leasure vpon wyse bokes For in the tyme of Cesar Julius When the triumphe he wan in Rome towne He enter woulde the schole of Tullius And heare his lecture of great affection And notwithstaÌ„ding his coÌ„quest renowne Vnto bokes he gaue great attendaunce And in stories had great ioye pleasaunce Also in this lande I dare affyrme a thinge There is a prynce full mighty of puissaunre A kynges sonne and vncle to the kynge Henry the syxt whiche nowe is in Fraunce And is lieutenaunt hath the gouernaunce Of our Brytayne through whose discrecion He hath conserued vs in this region Duryng his time of full high prudence Peace and quiet han susteined ryght That notwithstaÌ„dyng his noble prouideÌ„ce He is in dede proued a good knyght Eyed as Argus with reason and forsight Of high lecture I dare of him
for wanting of their wil. And wheder were thei sorowful or faine Long tyme after their desolacion Whan they foūd Abell their own son slayne By cruel Cayne to his confusion ▪ The same Cayne as made is mencyon After that time wilde was vagabound Til blind Lameth yafe hī his dethes woūd Adam nor Eue afore that ylke time Had neuer sene no feest funeral It was of chaunge to them a new prime For to behold a thyng disnatural Brethern of one wombe by hatered eternal The one of hate so far hym selfe deuide Of false malice to be an homicyde And it was routh whan that they stode For to behold their son al deed Layd on the grond and bathed in his blod And al the soile where he lay was rede That whan Adam and Eue toke hede It was to them ful great aduersite The newe slaughter to behold and se. And euer among their sighes harde sore The bitter weping and sorowes to auaūce Or they were ware their heere 's woxe hore And age began theyr beautie disauaunce Their youth also by ful great displesaunce Began to appal or they it could aspye By cruel constreynt and force of malady And of youth fallen was their flour By the processe of many hundred yeres And by the duresse of great labour They wexe vnlusty vgly of their cheres Of age and deth these ben the daungers To say checkmate in nature it is couth Vnto beautie and grene lusty youth For whan the yeres fully passed be Of flouring age lastynge a season By processe at eye men may se Beaute declineth his blossoms fal adoune And littel and littel by succession Cōmeth croked elde vnwarely in crepynge With his potent ful porely manassing Thus to our father that called was Adam Of creatures fayrest of al feire After great trauaile by processe in he came And began vnwarely ascend vpō the steyre With his potent and cast him to repeyre With Atropose which afore shal gone For to attwin his liues threde anone And in Ebron was made his sepulture Ther after was bilded a mighty great cyte By whose story and recorde of nature I may conclude who list to se That neuer man had liberte Sithen that Adam our lord gan disobey Ayenst deth but that he must obey In cōplaining mine autor Jhon Bochas Ful pitiously in hys aduertence Bewepeth wayleth and oft sayeth alas In apple there was so great offence That for a taste of inobedience Adam alas should haue so great a fal So sodainely to die and be mortal Which example ought inough suffise In al this world though there were no mo To exemplify to folkes that ben wise How this world is a throwfare ful of wo. Lyke false Fortune y ◠turneth to and fro To make folkes whā they most clerely shine In their estates vnwarely to decline For though that thei their hedes lift a lofte Highe as Phebus shineth in his sphere Thinke them selfe as it falleth oft Their renown recheth aboue y e starres clere And howe they surmount euery sphere Their trust corrupt hath a sodayne fal For to declare you they ben mortal O worldly folke aduert and yene entent What vengeaūce and what punicion God shal take in his iugement For your trespas and your transgression Which breke his preceptes ayen al reason Ye haue forgotten how w t his precious blod You for to saue he died vpon the Roode For if Adam for his disobeisaunce Was by the lorde as him list ordaine Made first formed with euery circūstāce Of creatures to be most soueraine If that he was enbraced in the chaine Of seruitude with children ouersene what shal I than of other folkes sein◠That liue here in this deserte of sorowe ▪ In this exise of plesance desolate ▪ And in this worlde both euin and morowe Of hertely ioye stonte disconsolate ▪ All destitute and also infortunate And forpossed with wo and worldly troble Euer variable and ful of chaunges double Ye not entende but to false couetise To fraude berret and extorcion Agayne god in many dyuers wise Againe your neighbour by false collusion To do hym wronge and oppression And worst of al ye retche not by syn To slee your soule worldly good to wyn And if it fal your power to be but smal To accomplyshe your auarice in dede Your sinful wyl assenteth ouer al Thing to desire of which ye maye not spede And thus false lust doth your bridel lede Trust in hauing so sore you doth assayle Falsly afered the world should you fayle And if god benigne and debonayre With his yarde of castigacion Chastiseth you but easely and faire Ye grudge against his correction Nothing auerting in your discrecion Howe god not bad vs who can take hede For to striue ne wrastel in dede Neither our strength ne our might to appli Vpon the beast monstruous and sauage which called is the Chimere of Licy Specially whan he is in hys rage which monstre had to his auantage Heed of a lion as bokes determine Wombe of a gote and taile serpentyne Which was outrayed of Bellyferon As olde poetes make mencion Neither god bad not that men should gon In to Colchos to conquere with Jason The Flees of gold which in that region With firie bulles of mettal made of bras And by a dragon ful straitly kept was God bad vs not our contreys for to lete To vnderfonge things that ben impossible The Mynotaur for to slee in Crete Halfe man halfe bul if it be credible Which was a monster hateful and odible Sūtime brought forth in bokes ye may se By Mynos wife called Pasyphae Whose storie techeth if thou list to here This vgly beast and monstruous Through Ariadne the kings doughter dere Was sumtime slayne by duke Theseus Within a caue made by Dedalus God biddeth vs plainely for his sake So great emprise for to vndertake He byddeth vs not to be so recheles In perilous dedes that bene marciall Vs to ieoparde as dyd Hercules Which by the bidding in especiall Of Euristeus the mighty kyng royall Lordes of Athēs to make their honor shine Learned of armes the famous discipline Of these preceptes if we haue a sight And remembred of his highe bounte He vs cōmaundeth thinges that be lyght For to accomplishe with all humilite From our corage to auoyde all vanite And from our hertes to exclude ydelnesse And this false chāge of al worldly gladnes For vnto a man that perfite is and stable By good reasō mine auctor doth wel preue There is nothing more faire ne agreable Than finally his vicious lyfe to leue On verye god rightfully to beleue Him loue worship aboue al erthly thyngs This passeth victory of Emperours kinges The Lord biddeth also who so can discerne Of entere loue to do our labour In this life here so our life shal gouerne To father mother that we do due honor And in their nede to do them socour And in all vertue our frendes to comfort And to
fyre wasteth euery thynge And yron herd doth neshe thynges perce If ought abideth y ◠they may not transuerce Yet cōmeth time and by continuaunce It al consumeth with his sharpe launce His sharpe toth of consumpcion In stil wise doth his busy cure For to aneantise in conclusion Al thynge that is brought forth by nature By long abydyng ye may thē not assure For olde thynges deuoured men may se Ferre out of mynde as they neuer had be Who can or maye remembre in any wise The glorious prowesse of these princes olde ▪ Or the noblesse of Philosophers wyse ▪ Or of poetes their feyning to vnfolde ▪ Processe of yeres alas as I you tolde Deuoured hath their name their noblesse Derked their renoune by foryetfulnesse Thus of their names is left no memory Tyme w t his rasour hath done so greate vengeaunce Shauen away the honor glory Of many noble ful mighty of puissaunce That there is left nowe no remembraunce Of princes poetes ne Philosophers For whan y ◠deth nailed them in their cofers Cam time vpon and by processe of yeres Their memory hath dusked their minde And reuolucion of the heuenly spheres By oft turnyng their glory hath left behind Thus euery thinge whiche subget is to kind Is in this life without more auauntage wasted with time and processe of long age In the first time from Adam to Noe Prudent listers which list in bokes to rede Founde of fortune no mutabilite Neither of her chaūge they toke the no hede But from Adam there rekened ben in dede Vnto Nembroth by turnynge of the heuen A thousand yeres .vii. hundred and eleuen In which space who that considereth wel There ben no thinges writen in especial Digne of memory ne spoken of neuer a del which that ben notable ne historial But fro the time Nembroth had a fal Vnto Cadmus the yeres to conteine They were a M. iiii hundred and fourtene Touchinge this Cadmus as Bochas list endite It is rehersed b◠Rethoriens Howe one Vexores in bokes as they write was made first a kinge of the Egipciens whan Philosophers and nigromanciens Began first taboūde their renoune tauaūce Nachor y ◠time hauyng y ◠gouernaūce Of the Ebrues as made is mencion After Nembroth by true rehersayle Thre hundred yere by computacion Foure score .xii. which time it is no fayle That Vexores begā warres great bataile Of volunt ayenst straunge nacions And to conquere Cityes borowes townes By force only without title of ryght He wan al Egipt to encrease his name But for al that who lyst to haue a sight There is nowe left no reporte of his fame Saue Bochas wryteth howe he first dyd attame Hys mighty conquest of intencion That the glory and the high renoune Ascriued were vnto his worthynes And the residue and surplusage Of golde treasure of good and of richesse Turne should to common auauntage Of al hys people that euery maner age Report mighte it was to him more nerre Aboue singularite his cōmon to prefer Also Tanais of Cithie fyrst kynge Whan Sarneke was duke and souerayne Ouer the Iewes by recorde of writynge Two hundred yere .xl. also and twaine After Nēbroth this Tanais gan ordayne A mighty power a stronge battaile Them of Cithye proudly to assayle Conqueryng from thens vnto the yle Called Ponte in a ful cruel wyse And though his lordship lasted but a whyle All that he wan was for couetise And as Bochas doth of thys folke deuise Proces of yeres for al their great puissaunce Hath put their names out of remembraunce Zoroastes also for all his great myght Of Bactrians kyng and possessoure Lorde of Trace and a full myghty knyght Of all his dedes and his great laboure Of his conquest ne of his great honoure Is nothing left of writyng vs beforne Saue y t he lough the houre y t he was borne He began full sone for to be mery With sodaine laughter at his natiuitie And worthy Ninus that was kyng of Assiry Expowned his laughter to great felicitie The which Ninus wan many a fayre coūtry And day by day his power gan encrease For which he would not of his cōquest cease For this is the maner of these conquerours Whan they haue had in armes victory Do their might their paine their labours With newe emprises to be put in memory For their courage surprised w t vayne glorye Can not be styll content in their estate Till their Parady say to them checkmate Fortune of armes in bokes ye may read With a false laughter on folkes dothe smyle She frowarde euer ere they can take hede Of nature will falsely them begyle Conquest by warre lasteth but a while For who by death dothe sturdy vyolence God will by death his vengeaunce recōpence This worthy Ninus gan mightely preuayle Ayenst zoroastes of whom I spake tofore For he with hym fought last in battayle In whiche Ninus hath him so well ybore That zoroastes hath the felde ylore And he was aucthour as bokes specify Of false Magyke and Nygromancy He fonde the nature of euery element Their kindely workyng their mutacions The course of starres and of the firmamente Their influences their dispositions Their aspectes and their coniunctions Wrote in pillers deuised of metall The seuen sciences called liberall Also in pillers of Brycke full harde ybake There were vp set longe large and huge He began also write them and vndertake To make them sure as for their refuge That they shoulde by floude ne deluge Defaced ben as of their scripture But in their grauyng perpetuall endure But though zoroastes these craftes out fond Full little ornought it myght to him auayle And though he were a good knight of his hōd He was of Ninus slayne in batrayle Lost his realme and royal apparayl And Ninus dyed within a litle throw But in what wise the story is not knowe Also Moydes kyng of Sodome I fynde of him no memory by writyng Saue in a story as men may reade and se He and his people were freell in liuynge But he that was of Assiriens kyng Through false Fortune that can so oft vary To Babylon made them tributary We haue sene and redde also The vengeaunce and the pestilence Done in Egypt to kyng Pharao For that he made a maner resistence Ayenst God of wilfull insolence Therfore his people vpon a day and he Were drent echone in middes of the see The people of God ledde by Moyses Without trouble of any maner wawe Went echone in quiet and in peas And Pharao as he gan after drawe Them to pursue by a full mortall lawe In his pursuite forward was atteynt Among the waues with his host and dreynt In Exodi ben these mencions Ceriouslye put in remembraunce The. xii plages and persecutions In Egypt done by full great vengeaunce And of their treasour their great substaūce They were dispoyled by Ebrues it is tolde Of their vessels of siluer and of
a citye rayse Which the poetes greatly cōmend and praise And y ◠his buildyng myght the more auayle All the foreyns that did about him dwell Full like a knyght by force and by battayle Out of that countrey he did them expell Raysynge a citie whiche that did excell And as Ouide also recordeth the same Vnto thys day of Thebes beareth the name And he was not onely glorified For rearyng vp of this great citye But he was also magnified For his manhode his magnanimitie And most commended if ye list to se For the surmountyng famous excellence Whiche that he had in wysdome and science For as myne aucthour of him list indite Through his noble prudent puruey aunce He taught fygures letters for to write And made lawes of full great ordinaunce Among the Grekes and set a gouernaunce Thei◠vycious life by vertue to restrayne And who outraied was punished w t the pain And of entent to encrease hys lynage And his citye also for to multiply He toke a wife that was but yong of age And she was called as bokes specify Hermyone and touching her alye Though that she were borne of royall bloud She was also bothe ioly fayre and good And this was done as writeth mine auctour After the death of worthy Iosue Sothonyell beyng successour Hauyng the leadyng and the soueraintie Of Israell whan Thebes the citye Was founded first in the dayes olde By kyng Cadmus tofore as I you tolde Foure daughters he had by his lyue Full fayre echone and goodly on to se And their names to reherse blyue Semele was the eldest and next Acthonie The thirde in order was called Inoe And Agane was yongest of them all Of the whiche daughters thus it is befall They were echone of port and of manere Full well fauoured in euery mans syght Right womanly and heauenly of their chere And for their beauty their father anone right As it was sittyng wyth all his full myght Like their estates birthe and also their age Made thē be wedded and ioyned in mariage To worthy princes his linage to auaunce And they encreased by procreation Wherof the kynge had full great pleasaunce And great reioysyng in his opinion To saue his lyne by generation With his neuewes and cosyns of alye Fro day to day to waxe and multiply And this encreased his felicitie Whan he considered verely in dede The riche buildynge of his royall citye And Fortune did his brydle leade To great riches in bokes as I reade To great nobles hauyng great residence In his citye of moste magnificence His daughter Semele record of mine auctor Though she discended were of the bloud ryal To Iupiter she was paramoure And by his power supercelestiall She conceiued in especiall As poetes of her list to endite Him that is god of grapes redde and white Called Bachus whiche hath the gouernaūce Of wynes all and the regaly Wherof after was take full great vengeaūce For when Iuno did first espye Of Iupiter the great auoutrye Of great hatred and enuyous desire She made Semele to be brent w t sodayn fire By discendyng of a sodayne leuine And on Semele the vengeaunce downe wēt Fro Iuno ielous cleped quene of heauen To wreke her wrath purposely ysent And fore the flame consumed was and spent There was of her left no remembraunce But of the ende the wofull mortall chaunce Also Actheon the sonne of Acthonie To great mischefes and infortunes borne Whose father called was Criste Come of the kinred that I you tolde toforne With cruell houndes alas he was to torne For that he sawe as bokes of him tell Dyana naked bath her in a well And as Poetes remember at the lest Whan the ladyes of Thebes the citye Helde of Bachus solemnely the feaste The yonger sister called Agane Daughter to Cadmus alas it was pitie Ayenst her owne sonne deare She was so wode and mortall of her cheare Murderyng hym in full cruell wise In her rage she was so furious For he lough at the sacrifyce In Thebes done by women to Bachus The whiche sonne was called Pantheus Whom that she slewe w t a sharpe dart In her wodenes as she him founde apart These great mischeues fell in the lyue Of king Cadmus through his vnhappy chāce Fortune his noblesse gan vndermyne And thought she would his glory disauaunce All worldly gladnes is medled w t greuaunce Experience in Cadmus ye may se So importable was his aduersitie For while he sate most highest in his glory No part clipsed of his prosperitie His bryght renowne and his royall memory In realmes spredde many a farre con̄trey He moste wealfull in his high see Set w t his linage most high in noblesse Than came Fortune the false enchaunteresse Of wilfulnesse and founde occasion Ayenst Cadmus and made his renowne dul Of his kynred by false collusion She gan away the bryghtest fethers pull And whan his shining was waxt vp to y ◠full After the chaunge of fortunes lawe His glory gan discrece and withdrawe It was more greuous to his dignitie A sodayne fall from his high noblesse Than if that he had neuer be Set in the state of his great worthines For the furious mortall heauines Of his kinred without any more Would haue greued a pore man full sore And amonge his sorowes euerychone To rehearse playnly as it was I dare affirme how that there was one Most horrible dreadfull in such a caas For Cadmus sonne called Athamas His sonne in lawe through false melancoly Fell sodaynely into a frenesy Of whom the wife was called Inoe Cadmus daughter as ye haue heard expresse Which through the cōstraynt of his infirmitie In his rage and furious wodenes Thought that his wyfe was a lyonesse And in his wylde ymaginations That his two children were also two lyons And vpon them full loude he gan to crye Towarde his wife in haste he came anone And from her armes there was no remedy The childe he rent and on a craggy stone He gan to brast it and breake it euery bone The whiche childe Bochas writeth thus Full tender and yong called was Learchus And all this wofull and sodaine aduenture Of this rage whan that she toke hede As most sorowfull of any creature Her other childe she hent anone for drede For of succour she knewe no better spede So as she might gan haste out of his sight But welaway as she toke her to flyght Her husbande came after pursuyng Like a woode Lyon in his crueltie Downe from a hill whiche was dependyng She and her childe fell into the see Was it not ruthe was it not pitye A kings daughter her lord i Thebes crouned He to be woode and she for feare drowned ▪ Lo here the fine of Cadmus euery deale His children slayne and his allies all And he him selfe from fortunes whele Whan he wened leste full sodaynly is fall His little suger tempred with moche gall For among all his mortall peynes His
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
dresse To entre the water plainly if she mighte For very shame her selfe for to shroude And whan the goddes thereof had a sight They turned her as they y ◠might coude In to a quaile for to sing loude Her father Nisus they dyd also transmewe In to a sparhauke the quaile to pursue This was the ende of Nisus Scille And afterwarde of Athenes the toune Was yelded vp to stande at the will Of kinge Minos with this condicion Euery yere by reuolucion They of the citie should not delay Nyne of theyr chyldren for a tribute paye This was by Minos the imposicion Vpon Athenes and of very drede They obeyed as made is mencion And their children yere by yere they lede In to Crete the Minotaur to fede Vnto this monstre ordeyned for repast Which at their cōming deuoured were in hast But or that I forther do procede In this mater I wyl do my cure To declare if ye lyst to take hede Of this monstre to tell the engendrure Vncouth to heare and ayenst nature For by the writynge of Ouidius Thys vgly beaste was engendred thus In Methamorphoseos the maner ye may se. Minos had a bulle of greate fayrenes White as milke and the quene Pasiphae Loued him so hote the story bereth wytnes And Dedalus dyd his busines By subtell craft and made his gynnes so That ayenst kinde with her he had to do And conceyued a beast monstruous That was departed halfe bull halfe man And as the poete by writinge techeth vs Of al Minotaures thus the name began And Dedalus not longe after whan This mōstre was by the quene forth brought This subtle workmā hath an house ywroght Called Laberinthus diuers and vncouth Full of wrynkels and of straungenes Vgly to knowe which is north or south Or to what parte a man should hym dresse Folkes were there blent w t furious derknes Who that entred his retourne was in veyn Wythout a clewe for to resort ageyn Of Minotaurus thys was the habitacle Lyke a prison made for turmentry For dampned folke a paynefull tabernacle For all that lay there in ieoperdy The monstre must deuoure them and defy And specially was ordayned thys turment For all that were doun from Athenes sent But in this mater some folke vary And afferme how that quene Pasiphae Of kyng Minos loued a secretarye Called Taurus in Bochas ye may se And thus the kinge for all his ryalte Disceiued was for who may any whyle Him selfe preserue where women lyst begile◠For by this Taurus Bochas bereth witnes Quene Pasiphae had a childe full faire Minos not knowing by no likenes But the childe was borne to be his heire His trust was good he fell in no dispaire For some husbandes as poetes haue cōpiled Whych most assure rathest ben begiled Innocentes can not deme amys Namely of wiues that ben founde true Clerkes may write but doutles thus it is Of their nature they loue nothynges newe Stedfast of hert they chaunge not their hew Haukes best preued sūtime a chek can make Yet for a faute the foule is not forsake Of this mater wryte I wyll nomore But aye the tribute and seruage of the toun Procedeth forth they cōstreyned were so sore Lyke as their lot turned vp and doun For there was made none excepcion Of high ne lowe neyther soure ne swete But as it fell they were sent into Crete The statute was so inly rigorous They toke their sort as it came aboute Tyll at the last it fell on Theseus That he mought go forth amonge the route Kyng Egeus son beynge in great dout Touchig his life which might not be socored But that he must wyth other be deuoured Which Theseus for hys worthynesse And of his knighthode for hys great encrese Through manly force and for his prowes Somtyme was called the seconde Hercules Among Amasones he put hym selfe in prese Wedded Ipolita as bokes specifye The hardy quene called of Feminye And afterwarde to Thebes he is gone Holpe the ladyes in especiall Which that cōpleined vpon the king Creon Which thē distroubled lyke their estate rial To holde and halowe the festes funerall Of their lordes quenes and princesses Of wifely truth to she we their kyndnesses For whan thys duke the maner had sene And of Creon the great iniquite To the ladyes he made deliuer ayene The lordes bones of ruth and of pyte Yet in his youth out of this cite He was deliuered by statute ful odible To be deuoured of this beast horrible He gothe to prison for all his semelynesse As the statute felly dyd ordeyne But of ruth and tender gentylnes Hym to preserue from that deedly payne Of king Minos y e goodly doughters twaine Ariadne shope a remedie And feire Phedra that he shoulde not dye Through their helpe he hath y ◠mōstre slaine That was dredful and vgly for to se By them he scaped whereof he was ful faine Led them wyth hym towarde his countre And by the waye deuoyde of all pyte Ariadne ful falsely he hath forsake Ayenst his suraunce Phedra he hath take In myddes the sea he left her in an yle Towardes no partye she knewe no declyne She wepeth she crieth alas the hard while For of her fate thys was the mortall fyne That for pite Bachus the god of wyne Toke her to wife whose croune of stones fine Doth nowe in heauen with .ix. sterres shyne Thus of Theseus ye may beholde and se To Ariadne the great vnstedfastnes The great vntruth the mutabilite The broke assuraunce the newe fanglenes But sely women kepe their stedfastnes Euer vnfouled saue sumtyme of theyr kinde They must thē puruey whan men be vnkind Of Theseus I can no more nowe sayne In this matter to make of hym memory But to kynge Minos I wyll resort againe To tell howe fortune euer false transitory In what poyntes defaced hath his glory Fyrst of eche one Bochas doth specifye Of Pasiphae the foule aduoutry Which was his wyfe stode well his grace To his pleasaunce she was most soueraine But a cloude of a small trespare Made her lorde at her disdayne But he of wysdome bare preuily his paine For in suche case this is my sentence Let prudent husbandes take them to paciēce On other thynges Mynos gan also cōplaine Hauynge in hert thereof full great greuaūce That he so lost his fayre doughters twayne And Minotaurus slayne wyth mischaunce Also to hym it was a great greuaunce That Theseus was gone at liberte And from all tribute deliuered hys cite It greued him also in countinaunce there That Theseus Ariadne forsoke It liked him also not the manere Vnto his wyfe that he Phedra toke And yet thys Phedra lyke as sayth my boke Had two sonnes by this Theseus First Demophoon and next Antiochus Also Theseus after gan hym drawe Towarde Cecile in stele armed clene With Peritheus in armes his felawe For to rauyshe Proserpina the quene But of entent Phedra ful vnclene Loued her
among with transmutations Set in Ouide by full souerayne style Whan he on them had mused a long while Sene the maner both of forowe and ioye He began to remēber of Priamus of Troy First of his byrthe and of his kynrede How among kinges he was most famous And as poetes recorde of him in dede He descended of worthye Dardanus Whiche as his line declareth vnto us From Jupiter was lynially come downe Vnto his father called Laomedoun Of olde Troy this Laomedon was kyng Destroyed by Grekes he and his countrye After whom this Priamus raynyng Made there ayen a myghty strong citye Where he full longe in full great royaltie With wife childer most worthy of renoun With scepter and crowne held the possessioun Gouerned his citye in peace and rightwisnes And Fortune was to him fauourable For of all Asie the treasour and riches He did assemble this kyng most honourable And in armes he was so commendable That through the worlde as far as mē gone Of high nobles the ronoume of him shone This Priamus had children many one Worthy princes and of full great myght But Hector was among them euerychone Called of prowes the lanterne and the lyght For there was neuer borne a better knyght Troylus in knyghthode so manly was foūd That he was named Hector the seconde But I should rehearse the manhede Of kyng Pryam and of his sonnes all And how his citye besieged was in dede And all the story to remembraunce call Betwene him and Grekes how it is befall The circumstaunces rehearsyng vp doun To set in order the first occasion Of the siege why it was first layed By Hercules and also by Iason The maner whole in Troye boke is sayde Rudely endited of my translation Folowyng vpon the destruction Called the second whych by accomptes cler◠Fully endured the space of ten yere For as me semeth the labour were in vayne Truely also I not to what entent That I should write it newe agayne For I had once in commaundement By him that was most noble and excellent Of kynges all for to vndertake It to translate and write it for his sake And if ye list to wete whom I meane Henry the fifte most myghty of puyssaunce Gaue me the charge of entent full cleane Thinge of olde time to put in remembraunce ▪ The same Henry for knyghtly suffisaunce Worthy for manhode teken kynges all With nyne worthies for to haue a stall To holy churche he was chefe defensoure In all suche causes Christes chosen knyght To destroy heritykes he set all his laboure Loued all vertues and to sustayne right Through his nobles his manhode might Was diligent and did his busy payne To haue set peace betwene realmes twayne A meane in sothe England and Fraunce His purpose was to haue had a peace finall Sought out meanes w t many a circumstan̄ce As well by treaty as actes marciall Theron ieoparded lyfe goodes and all But wo alas agaynst death is no boone This land may say he dyed all to soone For among kinges he was one of the best So all his dedes conueyed were by grace I pray to God so geue his soule good rest Wyth sayntes in heauen a dwellyng place For here with vs to little was the space That he abode of whom the remembraunce Shall neuer dye in England ne in Fraunce This worthy kyng gaue to me in charge In Englysh tonge to make a translation Out of latyn within a volume large Howe longe the grekes lay tofore the toun And how that Paris fyrst at Cytheron In Venus temple sleighly dyd his payne There to rauysh the fayre quene Heleyne In which boke the processe ye may se To hym how she was wedded in the toune And of the siege layde vnto the cyte By Menelay and kyng Agamennon And many another full worthy of renoun On eyther partie which that in battaile Fro day to day ech other dyd assayle Wherto shuld I tell or what shuld I write The deth of Hector or of Achylles Or wherto should I of newe endite How worthy Troilus was slaine in y ◠prese The ende of Paris or of Pallamides Or the slaughter of manly Deyphebus Or howe his brother called Hellenus Tolde afore howe it was great folly That Paris should wed quene Heleyne And how Cassandra in her prophecy On this wedding fore began compleyne And for the constreint of her hertely paine How she wexe madde ran about the toune Tyl she was caught shet vp into prison Al this matter ye may behold in dede Set by and by wythin Troye boke And how Creseide loued Dyomede Whan worthy Troylus she wilfully forsoke Of her nature a quarel thus she toke To assay both if nede were also to feyne To take the thirde leue thē both tweyne I passe ouer and tel of it no more Ne by what meanes the grekes wan y ◠toun How Eneas neyther how Anthenore Ayenst kyng Priam cōspired false traison Neyther howe Vlixes gate Paladion The deth of Priam ne of Eccuba the quene Ne howe Pyrrus flewe pong Pollicene Neyther here to write it is not mine entent Repeyre of grekes home in to their countre After the cyte at Iiyon was brent Neither of their mischefe they had on the see Neyther howe Vlixes founde Penolope A true wyfe though he were long her fro Through al Grece I can rede of no mo Of these matters thus I make an eude What fil of grekes after their viage To Troy boke tho folke I send Which haue desire to se the surplusage Howe grekes made fyrst their passage Towardes Troy besiegynge the cite Bede the storye ye get no more of me The .xvii. Chapter ☞ Here speketh Bochas the authour of thys boke agaynste the surquedous pryde of them that truste in rychesse sayeng these wordes vnto them ME proude folkes that set your affiaūce In strength beaute or in hye nobles If ye consider fortunes variaunce And coude a myrrour before your eyen dresse Of kyng Pryam and of his great richesse To se how he and his children all From their noblesse sodainly ben fall Hector of knighthode called sours wel Sad and demure and famous of prudence Paris also in beaute dyd excell And Helenus in perfyt prouidence Troylus in armes had great experience Also Deyphebus preued manly on his fone Yet in y ◠warre they were slaine euerychone Had not this kyng also as I can deuise By noble Heccuba whiche that was y ◠quene ▪ A doughter called Cassandra the wyse Her yong suster fayre Pollicene Alas alas what may all such pride mene For albeit their renome spronge ful far Yet are these women deuoured in the war Was he not mighty strong in all thynges And had also of his aliaunce Ryght worthy princes many rych kynges And nighe al Asie vnder his obeisaunce Holde in his tyme most famous of puissance Most renomed of richesse and tresours Tyl that fortune wyth her sharpe shoures Whan that he satte highest
all vnkindnes Suche as ben rebell for to do pleasaunce And to his biddyng yeue none attendaunce Noble prynces vertue most pryncipall You to conserue in your high noblesse Is to imprynt in your memoriall Fayth and equitie all wronges to redresse To sustayne trouth and ryghtwysnesse And tofore God holde euenly the balaunce And to his biddyng yeue al your attendauÌ„ce ¶ Acommendation of Obedience VErtue of vertues most of excellence Which y â— haue most souerain suffisauÌ„ce Is the vertue of true obedience Whiche set all thyng in ryghtfull gouernauÌ„ce For ne were not this prudent ordinaunce Some to obey and aboue to gye Destroyed were all worldly policy Where that vertue and hygh discrecion Auoyded haue from them all wylfulnes By titles onely of dominacion Truely lenyng vpon rightwisnes Wrong and errours iustly to redresse Of trouth I may right well affirme and say The people mekely their biddyng shold obey This noble vertue of faythfull obeysaunce Established vpon humilitie Whiche includeth no double variaunce In ail regions and in eche countrey Causeth welfare ioye and prosperitie And as vertue chefe and souerayne All vycious ryote it playnly doth restrayne Obedience eke as men may se Falsenes exileth and all rebellion For by temperaunce ryght and equitye Stant the welfare of euery region For the mekenes and lowe subiection Of comonties holde vp the regalies Of lordshyppes and of all monarchyes And no doubt whan lorshyps of entent Busy ben the souerayne lorde to queme To their subiectes do right iudgement In conscience as ryght and reason deme Than shall their crowne and dyademe Vpon their heade perseuer and freshly shyne And make subiectes to their biddyng encline Thus obeysaunce playnly at a worde In such as haue lordshyp and souerayntie Done of entent to their souerayne lorde Shall cause them raygne in long prosperitie And their subiectes of humilitie For their noble famous gouernaunce Aye to be ready vnder their obeysaunce For who y â— serueth the lorde of lordes all And hath the people in his subiection God wyll kepe him that he shall not fall Longe preserue his domination But agaynwarde whan wisdome and reason Ben ouermastred with sensualitie Farewell the floures of their felicitye Obedience blunteth the sharpenes Of cruell swordes in tyrantes handes And mekenes appeaseth the felnes Of hasty veÌ„geaunce breketh on two y â— boÌ„ds Eke pacience set quiete in londes And where these thre contune in comonties Longe peace perseuereth â— kyngdoms cities Obedience dothe also restrayne Conspyrations and false collusions Whan she stant vnparted not at wayne There is no dreade of no discencions For she combineth the true opinions In the harts of people ful wel afore prouided Vnder prynces to stand whole vndeuided Where princes be meke huÌ„ble and debonayre Toward God of whole affection Theyr subiectes be gladly not contrayre In their seruice by no rebellion For there is founde no deuision But head membres eche for his partye Be so gouerned by prudent policy Contrariously Saule was put downe Abiect of God for his obstinacy Put from his scepter his crowne his region Of Israell lost all the monarchy For he lyst not make his alye Of frowardnes and wylfull negligence This noble vertue called obedience For as it longeth in kingdomes and cityes Vnder a keye of true beneuolence Princes and kynges to gouerne their sees So apperteyneth due reuerence To their subiectes by obedience To obey their lordes as they be of degre By title of right in euery comontee For obeysaunce if it be discerned With Argus eyen who that taketh hede As ryght requyreth is not well gouerned Whan the membres presume agayn the head Of gouernaunce there is no perfite spede From vnitie they go a froward wey Whan subiectes their princes disobey The .ii. Chapter ☞ How kyng Roboam for geuyng fayeth to yonge counsayle lost the beneuolence of his people and died a foole VNto Bochas in order next there came With full great dole and lamentacion The yonge kyng called Roboam Sonne and next heyre to Salomon Entryng by title of iust succession Besought mine aucthour to make of his foly And of his fallyng a piteous tragedy First whan he entred into his region Twelue tribes gouernyng in dede Ruled him selfe by will and no reason Kept his subiectes plainly as I rede Not vnder loue but vnder froward drede Of olde wise to his great disauaile He despised the doctrine and counsayle He demeaned as it was well couth His scepter his crowne and his regaly By such folke as floured in their youth Could of custome their wittes well apply To blynde him falsely with their flattery Whiche is a stepmother called in substaunce To all vertue and all good gouernaunce Alas it is great dole and great pitie That flattery should haue so great fauour Whych blindeth princes that they may not se Misteth the eyen of euery gouernour That they can not knowe their owne errour False hony shed aye on their sentence A fole is he that yeueth to them credence They may be called the deuyls tabourers With frowarde sownes eares to fulfyll Or of Sireues the perillous boâ—elers Whiche gall and hony downe distyll Whose drinkes ben bothe amerous and yll And as clarkes well deuise cunne Worse than the drynkes of Sirenes tuune Eares of prynces full well they can enoynt With the soft oyle of adulation And their termes most subtylly appoynt Eche thing concludyng with false deception Aye blandishyng with amerous poyson And finally as the Poete sayth Their faith of custome conciudeth w t vnfayth Flouryng in words though there be no scute Double of hart pleasaunt of langage Of true meanyng voyde and destitute In mustring outward preted a fayre vysage Who trusteth them findeth smal aduauÌ„tage By apparaunce and glorious freshe shewyng Princes deceauing and many a worthy kyng Roboam can beare full well witnes From him auoydyng folkes that were true How he was hindred by flattery and falsenes By them that coulde forge out tales newe Whose counsaile after sore did him rue And with their fayned false suggestion Greatly abridged his domination He dempt him selfe of more aucthoritye Of folly youth and of presumption Than was his father in great royaltie And this pompous false opinion Came into his concept by adulation For flatterers bare to him witnes How he excelled his fathers hygh nobles He did great rigour and oppression Vpon his people as it was wel preued And to finde some mitigation They in matters which y t haue them greued Of their tributes for to be releued Besought he would relese theÌ„ in their nede But all for nought he toke therof no hede All olde counsayle from him he set aside And refused their doctrine and their lore And by false counsayle of folkes full of pryde â–ª His pore lieges he oppressed sore And ten kynredes anone without more For tyranny and misgouernaunce From him withdrough the trouth lygeauÌ„ce Thus of the kyng conceiued the rygour The people anone of indignacion Stoned Adoram whiche was collectour Of the
soule of lyfe To quicke the meÌ„bres with gostlye mocions Whiche shal be made of folke coÌ„templatyfe The church coÌ„mitted to their possessions Which by their holy conuersacions And good example should as sterres shyne By grace and vertue the people tenlumyne Vpon the lyght of their condicions Of this body dependeth the welfare For in their teaching and predicacions They should trouth to hygh low declare And in their office for no drede ne spare Vices correcte lyke as they are holde Syth they ben heerdes of Christes folde Folowyng vpon of entent full clene Labourers as ye haue herde deuysed Shal this body beare vp and sustene As fete legges whych may not be dispised For true labour is iustly auctorised And ne were the plough vpholdeÌ„ by trauaile Of kings princes farewel all gouernayle Thus fyrst if princes gouerned be by ryght And knights suffre y e people to haue no wroÌ„g And trouth in iudges shew out his lighte And forth in cities w t loue he drawe a long And holy church in vertue be made stronge And in his labour y e plough ne fayle nought Than by proporcioÌ„ this ymage is wrought This matter hole for to exemplyfy Kyng Roboam for a false oppression And for his wilful frowarde tiranny Lost a great party of hys region Wherfore let princes considre of reason God set the people for lordes auantage And not to be oppressed wyth seruage Vpon some princes Bochas doth complaine Such as haue a custome and manere Agayne their subiectes vngoodly to disdaine And of pride to shewe them frowarde chere Counsayleth them to remembre and lere As this chapitre doth finally deuise Fyrst out of labour al lorshyp dyd aryse The .iiii. Chapiter Howe Mucius Sceuola sloughe an innocent in stede of kynge Porcenna that layde siege to Rome WHan kynge Porcenna wyth hys chiualrye Agayne Romains a werre fyrst began The towne besiegynge on eche party With great puyssaunce brought out of Tusâ—an In the citie there was a knightly maÌ„ Mucius Sceuola which cast in their distres To breke y â— sege thorough his high prowes Let arme hym selfe clene in plate mayle For comune profite to auaunce his corrage Kynge Porcenna proudly to assaile A tyme prouyded to his auauntage Through the siege to make hys passage And finally at his in comynge Jeoparte his person for to slee the kynge But lyke as telleth vs Tytus Liuius Wher Porcenna satte in his royal see This senatoure this manly Mucius Sawe a prince of great auctoritee The kyng resemblynge clad in one liueree Atwene deceâ—nyng no maner variaunce Slough that prince of very ignoraunce But whan he knewe that he dyd faile To slee Procenna enemy to the toun And sawe he had lost al hys trauayle He made a pitouse lamentacion Bycause he dyd execucion Of ignoraunce agayne his owne entent To spare a tirant and slee an innocent For which he was with him selfe full worth That he was founde so negligent in dede And with his hand vnto a fyre he goth Made it brenne bryght as any glede Both nerfe bone and his fleshe to shede His hand coÌ„suming on pieces here yondre And from his arme made it parte a sondre And as the storye declareth vnto vs This manly man this noble senatour Afore tyme was called Mucius Which for y â— comon profite did great labour And for the vncouth hasty fell rigour Done to hym selfe the Romaines al Sceuola they dyd hym after call As moch to say by langage of that lande Who take a ryght the exposicion As a man which is without an hande And after hym by succession All his ofsprynge borne in the toun In remembraunce for to encrese his fame Of Sceuola bare after hym the name By this example and many other mo If men list her corrages to awake They shoulde se what perill what wo For comon profit men haue vndertake And whylom Brutus for Lucrecis sake Tarquin chaced for his transgression And kynges all out of Rome toun Touching Lucrece example of wifely trouth How yong Tarquin her falsly did oppresse And after y â— whych was to great a routh Howe she her selfe slough for heuynesse It nedeth not reherse the processe Sith y â— Chaucer chefe poete of Bretaine Wrote of her lyfe a legende soueraine Rehersynge there amonge other thynges Eche circumstaunce and eche occasion Why Romains exiled fyrst their kynges Neuer to reigne after in their toun As olde cronicles make mencion RemeÌ„bring also the vnkinde great outrage By Eneas done to Dido of Cartage Eke other stories whiche he wrote in his lyue Ful notably w t euery cyrcuÌ„staunce And their fates pitiously dyd discriue Lyke as they fyll put them in remembrauÌ„ce Wherfore if I shulde my penne auance After his making to put them in memory Men would deme it presuÌ„pcion veine glory For as a sterre in presence of the sunne Lesyth his freshnes hys clere lyght So my rudenesse vnder skyes dunne Dareth ful lowe and hath lost his sight To be compared agayne y â— beames bryght Of this poete wherefore it were but vayne Thinge sayd by hym to wryte it new againe ☞ The .v. Chapiter ¶ Howe Lucrece oppressed by Tarquin slough her selfe BVT at Lucrece stynte I wyll a whyle It were pytie her storye for to hide Or slouthe the penne of my rude style But for her sake al matters set a side Also my lorde bad I should abyde By good auice at layser to translate The doleful processe of her pitouse fate Folowynge the traces of Collucius Which wrote of her a declamacion Most lameÌ„table most doleful most pitous Wher he discriueth the dolorouse treason Of her constrained false oppression Wrought compassed by vnware vyolence The lyght vntroubled of her clere conscience Her father whilom called Spurius Her worthy husbande named Collatyn Which by the luxurie treason odious And viciouse outrage of Sextus proude Tarquin Oppressed was brought to her fyne Whose deedly sorowe in englishe for to make Of pitouse ruth my penne I fele quake This said Tarquin this yuel auised knyght This slauÌ„dred man most hateful for his dede Came lyke a thefe alas vpon a nyght With naked sworde whan no man toke hede Vpon Lucrece she quakyng in her drede Lyeng a bed ferre from her folkes al And knewe no refuge for helpe for to call He manasyng in his froward entent On her beholdyng with a furiouse chere That with his sworde but she would assente Her and a boy he would preint yfere Such one as was most vgly of manere Most vnlykely of persone and of fame Thus he her thrat for to slaunder her name But his entent whan she dyd fele And sawe no meane of her woful chaunce The morowe after she list nothynge concele Told her husbande holy the gouernaunce Hym requirynge for to do vengeaunce Vpon this cryme sayde lyke a true wyfe She would her hert perce wyth knyfe In this matter this was her fantasy Better was to dye than to
the felde ysoyled Cause of another vnhappy heuynesse And of her deedly desolacion Was the people felly dyd them dresse Of Arabye in their rebellion Agayne her husband of entencion To robbe his treasour to their auauntage And take his richesse by outragious pillage Some of his meyny they put in prison There was agaynst theÌ„ made no defence Spared nother citie borough ne toun Slough man chyld through sturdy violeÌ„ce Her lorde enfect wyth sodaine pestilence Conceyued fully by his malady There was no gayne but he must nede dye After his deth most wretched odible His body corrupt his bowelles fyl doun Of his carayne the stench was so horible The ayre enfect about hym enuyron With so great horrour and putrifaction That no man myght abyde nor endure To bryng his body vnto sepulture Her third vnhap whereof she was ful fayne That fortune lyst her efte assayle Made her vncle kyng Joram to be slayne With an arow as he fled in batayle She supposyng greatly it should auayle Lyke a woman most furious wode She of king Dauid slough al y e rial blode Her purpose was to gouerne al the realme Alone her selfe to haue dominacion To reigne in Juda and Jerusalem This Athalia by vsurpacion And for that cause in her entencion With mortal sworde she made tho fyne That were disceÌ„ded froÌ„ Dauid doun by lyne Except one Joas she left not one a lyue Chyld of a yere sonne of kyng Ochâ—sy Whom Josaketh the story do the disctiue Of very pitie caught a fantasy The childe to saue that he shal not dye From the malice of Athalia And she was wyfe to byshop Joiada She this byshop with hole hert entere Kept this chylde in ful secret wyse Within the temple the space of seuen yere And in the seuenth the storye doth deuise Joiada toke on him this emprise Yonge Joas vpon a certayne day By iust title to crowne him if he may His messangers he sendeth out anone Of princes tribunes gan a counsaile cal Of preestes eke and leuites euerychone And whan he had discured to them al Hole his entent thus it is befal Sworne and assented as it was sytting That yonge Joas shal be crowned kyng For by promise which y â— is diuine Quod Joiada if ye take hede God hath behested to Dauid his lyne And assured vnto his kynred In Jerusalem how they shal succede And though Joas be yong teÌ„dre of might He to the crowne hath neuer the lasse ryghte In this matter I wyl not that ye slepe But to shewe your true diligence On four parties the temple for to kepe That no man entre by no violence And in the myddes by royal excellence Quod this byshop no man shal vs let On Joas heade a crowne for to set And whan ech thing was brought to poynt Hys hygh estate to encrease and magnify The people anone whan he was anoynt Viuat rex they began to cry And whan Athalia gan this thyng espye For very ire and the sodayne wonder Of melancoly her clothes cut asonder Ran to the temple and gan make a fray With her meyny and to crye aloude Bad them go sle make no delay The yong kyng in al the hast they coude Her venym hid vnder a couerte cloude Al at ones her purpose to recure By sodaine malice she gan y e day dyscure The temple was kept entre had she none People ordayned awaytyng for the nones And or she might any further gone Clenly armed the Centuriones The cruel quene assayled al at ones And of her malice to wryte a short tale They slough her after at Cedron in the vale Lo here the ende of murdre tiranny Lo here the ende of vsurpacion Lo here the ende of false conspiracy Lo here y â— ende of false presumcion Borne rightfull heyres wrongly to put them doun O noble princes though god make you stroÌ„g To ryghtful heyres beware ye do no wrong ¶ Lenuoye THese tragedies to estates degrees Fully declareth the decepcions Of fortunes false mutabilitees Shewed in prouinces cities and eke touns Princes vnwarely lost their possessions Which for their synnes in diuerse wyse Had of god warnyng lyst not for to ryse Mighty princes cast downe from their sees Lost their liues and their regions Vnwarely throw from their felicitees Jeroboam for his oppressions And for his frowarde false oblacions Done to Idols his story doth deuyse Had of god warning lyst not for to ryse Achab also had great aduersities Through false couÌ„saile and exhortacions Of Iezabel rote of iniquities Dyd to his people great extorcions She slough prophets goddes champions Both he and she most cursed in their gyse Had of god warnyng lyst not for to ryse Athalia with her duplicitees And conspired false intrusions Slouh Dauids sede to entre their dignitees And possede their dominacions But for her hateful false collusions Vnwarely slayne for her great couetise Had of god warnyng lyst not for to ryse Princes remembre in your prosperitees And se afore in your discrecions Wrong clyming vp of states or degrees Outher by murdre or by false treasons Asketh a fal for their final guerdons Namely of them that the lord dispise And for his warnyng lyst not for to rise The .xiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Dydo quene of Cartage slough her selfe for conseruacion of her chastitie NOwe muste I put my rude stile in prees To queene Dido makynge my passage Her Lorde Siche was priest to Hercules Her father Belus fal in great age Kyng of Tire she quene of Carthage And it is red in bokes that ben true How fyrst in Tire was found purple hewe Chadmus founde fyrst letters for to write Gaue them to Grekes as made is mencion Whose brother Fenix as clerkes eke endite Founde first the colour of vermilion And of Cartage the famous mighty toun This sayd Dido her story doth expres How she was quene and founderesse But her husband was chefe lorde fyre Called Sicheus full famous of renoun Of this noble citie called Tyre Had great treasour great possession And for enuy kyng Pigmalion Broder to Dido this Siche slough in dede Of false entent his richesse to possede Dido this slaughter toke greuously to hert Sore complayning this vnhappy chaunce Cast she would if she might asterte Flye out of Tire and her lyfe auaunce With al the treasour the haboundaunce Behynde left whan her lorde was dede Her shyppes entryng went awaye for drede She knewe and drede the gredy auarice Of her brother kyng Pigmalion And how that hateful vnstauncheable vice Was grounde and rote and chefe occasion Why y â— her lord was slayne in that toun For whome she cried ful oft wel away Whose deth was cause why she fled away She had also this opinion Which caused most her hertly heuinesse That sith her brother Pigmalion Had slayne her lorde for his great ryches If she abode that he woulde hym dresse Parcel for malice
parcel for couetyse To haue treasour some treason to practise And for to eschewe his malice treason For her nauy she maketh ordinaunce By the auise of them in whom as by reason She should of ryght set her affiaunce And they ful redy her to do plesaunce By one assent for nothynge would fayle With fayre Dydo out of that lande to sayle In Cypres fyrst was her aryuaile And theâ—e she founde by the riuer syde Of yong maydens w t ful rych apparayle Sixty and ten in the same tyde Whiche in the temple of Venus dyd abyde After the custome as I can reporte Of Cypriens straungers to disporte And in their most faythful humble wyse After the ryghtes of Cypre the countre Vnto Venus eche day do sacrifice Them to conserue in their virginite Duryng their life to lyue in chastitye Neuer to be ioyned in mariage And w t quene Dydo they went to Cartage In their passage fyll a great myrracle As Seruius maketh mencion For Dydo toke of Juno this oracle Outher by apparyng or by aduision Of Cartage to bylde that myghty toun And at reuerence of that great goddesse She to the parties fast gan her dresse The sayd citye stately for to founde And her werkemen as they the erth sought An oxes head of auenture they founde And to quene Dido anone the head brought Meninge wherof to serche out they thought And her clerkes in their deumayle Tolde it was token of seruage trauayle For which she list not to buylde in that place But remeued as she ought of ryght And fro thence but a litel space A soyle she founde ful dylectable of sight And as her werkmen wyth their full myght The grounde gan serch or they toke hede The story telleth they found an horse head And by expownyng of her deuinours Founde this beast myght greatly auaile Vnto princes and mighty conquerours Necessary in werre and batayle And for no wight her noblesse shoulde assaile Cartage she buylded of so great excellence Againe al enemyes to stand at diffence Some bokes declare and specify Dydo dyd as much land purchace As a skyn in rounde might occupy Of an oxe theron to buyld a place The grounde coÌ„passed toke a large space Whych strongly buylded thus it is befal After the skyn men Byrsa dyd it cal And whan this citie mightily was walled After a skyn wrought by good curray The name toke Carta it was called Lether of Birsa plainly this is no nay Toke eke his name durynge many a day Carta and Birsa knit in their langage As much to say as this word Carthage And in Affryke stant this teritory Where she builded this citye dilectable Founded it in laude and memory Of mighty Juno the goddesse honorable The citye walled w t towers strong stable Time of kyng Dauid amidde the fourth age As I sayd erst called it Cartage With great worshyp she raygned in y â— towne Euer of purpose to liue in chastitie And rounde about floured her renowne Of her prudence and her honestye Tyll the report of her famous beautye Came to the eares which gladly wil not hide Of a kyng that dwelled there beside Of Musytans he was lorde and syre As poetes playnly lyst decryue Whiche in his hart greatly gan desire The quene Dido by her assent to wiue Vnto her grace if he might aryue But for she had auowed chastitie She neuer cast maried to be The kyng supprised w t loue in his courage For her wisdome and her great bountee Sent for the princes of Carthage On this matter to haue a treatee To condiscende if it might be Like his desire in all their best entent Do their deuoyre to make her consent With his request he gan them eke manace If he fayled of his entencion Like his desire to stande in her grace Sayd he would be enemy to their towne To ordayne by force for their destruction Not fully sober nor fully in a rage This was to them playnely his langage But for they knewe her great stedfastnes And her hart very immutable They were aferde any word to expresse Lest their aunswere were not acceptable To his highnes for he was not treatable Eke in their conceyt they gan also recorde To his desyre the quene would not accorde With good aduice an answere they puruey To his purpose in party fauourable Aferde he would their noble towne werrey Or of disdayne vpon them be vengeable But quene Dydo in her entent aye stable Cast she would whatsoeuer they her tolde Her chast auowe faythfully to holde She set aside of this cruell kyng His fell manaces and his words great And to her prynces for their consentyng Which stode in feare of y â— he did them threate She vnto them yaue a maner heate For they were bolde to attempt or attame To treate of matter rebounding to her shame Nay rather dye quod she than assent To his desires whiche thing god forbede Or fro the tenter of my chaste entent For to remeue other in thought or dede Whiche were disclaunder to all womanhead To condiscende for any manacyng To breake a vowe for pleasaunce of a kynge Touchyng manaces made to the citie For to destroy it with his great myght Without cause or title of equitie To ground him a quarell agayne right Onely for he is blynded of his syght With froward lust my chaste auowe to assaile Be ryght well sure how he therof shall fayle If ye were bolde and manly of courage For comon profite your citye to defende And to w tstande his vycious outrage To treate w t him ye would not condiscende But mine entent platly to comprehend Whether it be to you ioye or displeasaunce In my promise shal be no variaunce My lorde Sicheus whiche alas is deade Vnto the worlde who lyst aduert Trust verely for manacyng nor dreade That he shall neuer dye in myne hert Nor he shall neuer myne auowe peruert Thus auysed while that I stande fre Quene of Cartage to gouerne this citye Mine hasty answere I pray you not disdaine But that ye list to yeue me libertye With your support that I may attayne To haue a space graunted vnto me This is to mene the space of monethes thre My lordes will to accomplyshe of entent Whiche whilome made in his testament Vnder couloure to her aduauntage She toke this space bokes specify That she might her citye of Cartage The meane time strongly fortify Agayne her enemies that for no sluggardy Of them that would her high estate confound Vnpurueyed her city not be founde Whan thre monethes passed were and gone She after would for hartly pleasaunce With sundry ryghtes many mo than one To all her goddes do some obseruaunce For a speciall singuler remembraunce Of him that was as ye shall vnderstande Whilom her lorde and best beloued husband And more to exalt her glory and his honour Held his exequtes by due reuerence Of all Cartage in the highest tower With brenning fire fumes and incence Her princes all beyng
he came to nought His renowne sprade through many a reme And all people gan hym magnifye A siege he layed vnto Jerusalem In the tyme of kyng Sedechye But in hys most frowarde surquedy Gods aungell tofore the citye An hundred M. slough of his meyny And the more to make hym aferde Amyd of hys people the selfe same nyght Gods aungell shoue away his berde With a sharpe sworde that shone full bryght Left hys siege and toke hym vnto flyght And in a temple hys gods worshyppynge Slough him selfe as he sate knelyng ¶ The .xxi. Chapter ¶ How king Sedechy as for false for swearyng was slayne and made blinde in pryson TOuching y â— coÌ„playnt of kyng Sedechy And of his sorowes to shew y â— manere Holy write doth clerely specify Wherfore it were but vayne to tell them here For there men the processe may playnly lere How Joachim kyng of Jerusalem His owne brother was led out of his reame Wherof in hart he felt full great sore This Sedechias as it is there founde Because the kyng Nabugodonosor His brother helde strong in pryson bounde Fully in purpose the Jewes to confounde For this tyrant had in that mortall strife His bothers children in pryson and his wyfe And yet this tyrant in his tyranny This fauour did in his fell rage Vnto this most wofull Sedechy To suffer him rayne in his great age From yere to yere to pay him a truage By fayth and othe â–ª and composition Raysed of his people and brought to Babilon Yet Sedechias in especiall By a maner of false felicitie Hym selfe reioysed in his see royall To occupy that noble dignitie And so forgate the great aduersitie Of his brother and other frendes all Touching the mischefe that they were in fall Of pryde he fell into presumption Whan he remeÌ„bred his brother his lynage Considered how fro kyng Salomon He was discended by title of heritage Gan disdayne to pay his truage And to maligne in hart he was so wrothe And falsly brake his assuraunce and his othe He had a maner indignacion Whiche he caught of olde remembraunce How tyme passed to kyng Salomon By hys manly prudent gouernaunce Kinges about for a recognisaunce Payed trybute and durst it not wythsay Fro yere to yere his nobles to obay Whiche thing remembred of kyng Sedechiâ— As he wext great stronge in puissaunce Of hye disdayne his tribute gan denye Set aside his fayth and assuraunce So that his othe stode in no substaunce For he agaynst the kyng of Babilon Presumptuously fyll in rebellion And his kyngdome to strength and fortify Thought he woulde to his aduauntage The kyng of Egypt haue on his party Of pryde he fell into so great outrage That he no more woulde pay his truage But fynally suche wayes he hath sought That of his othe little he ne rought But wo alas it is a dolefull thing To be remembred in hye or lowe degre That any prynce or any worthy kyng Should false his othe or vntrue be Or that men should suche variaunce se In their courages whiche ben so hye borne For any cause falsly to be forsworne By reporte it dothe their fame trouble Infortuneth and clipseth their nobles Whan a prince is of his heste double And chargeth not of wilfull rechlesnes Al be his promisse conclude on doublenes Though god awhile suffer them and respite At vnset houre their falsenes he will quyte His warnyng oft he sent to them afore Because they lackt prudent policy Recorde I take of Nabugodonosor Whiche came vnware on kyng Sedechye For he his tribute gan falsely him denye With all his power as it did abrayed To Jerusalem a mighty siege layed They within constrayned were of nede The kyng him self there was no better defeÌ„ce With mans fleshe his people for to fede While the Caldeys by mighty vyolence Of very force without resistence On false forswearyng for to take wreke Their mighty towers their walles breke To slea and kyll they list none to spare Who soeuer they met or came in their â—ight Sedechias left the towne all bare But take he was as he him toke to flyght In chaynes bounde and fettred anone ryght In whose preseÌ„ce tencrease his paines anone His yonge children were slayne euerichone His wyues most wofull in their cheres Whiche in their tyme goodly were and fayre Deliuered were in handes of straungeres And more alas to put him in dispayre Into his kyngdome neuer to haue repayre With sharpe tonges it was to great a payne Out of his head was rent his eyen twayne Of Jerusalem his citye was brent Playne to the grounde into ashes dede His great riches his treasour wholy sent To Babilon with stones blewe and rede Vessels of golde whiche richest were in dede Without mercy or remission Caldeis toke to their possession And thus in sorowe and in wretchednes He dyed alas fettred in pryson Lo here the ende of periury and falsenes Lo how fortune can turne vp so doun Of mortall men the condicion Now richest shynyng in hye prosperitie With vnware chauÌ„ge to hatefull pouertie Now men lift vp to royall dignities Now hye aloft by fulsum aboundaunce But what auayleth to syt in royall sees To folke that haue therin none assuraunce â–ª Namely whan fortune holdeth the balaunce Whiche aye of custome vnto hye estates Hath a false ioy to shewe her checkmates Recorde I take of prynces more then one Their wofull fates hangyng in ieopardy Remembred late and amonge eche one The wofull fall of kyng Amazie His sonne eke lepre whiche called was Ozie And last of all how in Babylon Kyng Sedechias dyed in pryson ¶ Lenuoy NOble prynces consider the fallas Of fortunes frowarde flattery Sith her disceits in many diuers caas How she first mocked manly Amazy Whiche slayne was for his surquedy To yeue you warning by exaÌ„ple ye may rede WhaÌ„ ye sit hyghest your fall is most to drede And as it is remembred in Bochas Eke in the Bible of king Ozie In his time how famous that he was Bothe of ryches and of chyualry Punished with lepre bokes specify For his presuming remeÌ„bryng this in dede Whan ye syt highest your fall is most to drede All worldly glory flyeth â—ence a pas I take wytnes of kyng Sedechye For false forsweryng he slayne was alas Made blynde in pryson the story can not lye Thus sheweth fortune through her frowarde enuy To you prynces if ye list take hede WhaÌ„ ye sit hyest your fal is most to drede ¶ The .xxii. Chapter ☞ How kyng Astiages laboured to disherite Cyrus but god suffred his malice not to preuayle AFter these kinges one folowed in y â— prees And to Bochas his coÌ„platâ—t can discure He was called the great Astiages Whiche tolde in order his vncouth auenture Lorde of Asye as bokes vs assure And had of treasure duryng all his life Aboue all kynges a prerogatyfe Most fortunate in all his gouernayle Felt of fortune none aduersitie Saue an heyre male nothing did him fayle
olde For kyng Cyrus would not in his lyue Suffre his ayel of very gentylnes That men should him finally depriue Of kingly honour for none vnkindnes To yeue ensample to princes in sothnes Though god in erth haue yeuen thē myght They shoulde aye mercy medle w t the righte ¶ Lenuoye NOble princes your eares do encline And considre in your discrecions Howe dreames shewed by influence deuyne Be not lyke sweuenes but lyke auysions Or resemble to reuelacions Which though mē wold disturbe make faile God wyl not suffer their malice to preuayle Astiages dempt he sawe a vyne Shewed of trouth and none illusions From his doughters wombe ryght as lyne Spred in Asye ouer the regions But to dish exite by false collusyons Yong Cirus the kynge dyd his trauaile But god not suffred his malice to preuayle Princes remembre that in honour shine Vpon this story in your entencions And be well willed where god lyst forther a line Outher to riches or dominacions To fauer them to their promocions Be not contrary in your acquitaile Syth god wyll suffre no malice to preuaile The .xxiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Candalus kynge of Lyde was made cokolde and after slayne WHile Jhon Bochas cast hys loke aside In hys study as he sate writinge To hys presence came the kynge of Lyde Called Candalus ful pitiously playninge With slate teares ful lowly besechinge That he woulde to swage his greuaunce His deedly sorowe put in remembraunce Hys complaint was most of vnkyndnes For false deceite against al skil right That where his trust was most of gētilnes He mocked was for al his great might For of his house there was a certaine knight Gyges called thinge shameful to be tolde To speke plaine englishe made him cokolde Alas I was not auised wel beforne Vnkonnyngly to speake such langage I should haue sayde how y ◠he had a◠horne Or sought some terme wyth a fayre vysage To excuse my rudenesse of thys gret outrage And in some land Cornodo men do thē cal And some affirme y ◠such folke haue no gal Thus was y ◠case whan phebus shone shene The somer season in hys assencion Whan sote braūches were clad in new grene Heate importable had dominacion Whan that the quene for recreacion Vnprouided that no man dyd her kepe Vpon her bed lay naked for to slepe And as clerkes of her beauty wryte There was on lyue no fayrer creature Nor more excellyng lyke as they endite Of semelynes her story doth assure Called for beauty cosyn to nature And worthy eke if I shal not fayne To be compared to Grisilde or Elayne Kynde in her forge lyst nothyng to erre Whan she her wrought by greate auysenesse To make of beauty the very lode sterre And yeue her beauty fauour semelinesse But for nature had so great businesse To fourme a woman y t was so fresh of hue She had forget for to make her true Her eyen were very celestial Her heer vntressed like phebus in hys sphere A thyng resemblynge that were immortal So augelyke she was of loke and chere An examplary of porte maner There was no lacke saue nature through her slouth Had left behynde to yeue her fayth trouth And on a daye as she lay sleping Naked on bed most goodly to syght Ful vnwarely came Candalus the kyng In to the cambre wher Titan shone bryght And shewed her beauty to hys owne knyght Of entent he should beare wytnes Howe she excelled al other in fayrenes And whan Giges gan in ordre se Of this quene the great excellence He was enamoured vpon her beaute Al the whyle he stode there in presence Gan ymagyn a treason in sylence To slee his lorde wythout longe tariyng Wyn the quene and after reigne as kyng Thys was the ende doleful and pytous To be remembred hateful and terrible Of this noble worthy Candalus For of his trust to much he was credible Vnto Gyges that traitour was odible And yet more folysh wherby he lost his lyfe Outwarde to shewe the beauty of hys wyfe Though she were faire goodly on to se There was no trust nor no syckernes For other had as good parte as he Gyges coude beare therof wytnes Alas a quene or any great princesse Assent should her fame for to trouble But if nature excuse them to be double The .xxiii. Chapiter How what thyng kynge Mydas touched was golde yet died he in mysery and wretchednesse BVt whosoeuer was therwith loth or fayne Giges was after crouned kīg of Lide Whan that hys Lorde was by treason slayne Of him the surplus Bochas set a syde And in hys study as he dyd abyde There came of Frigie Mydas the rich kyng Tolde myne auctour his complaynt weping For there was neuer by cōquest nor laboure No kyng afore that had more rychesse Nor more plenty of golde nor of treasour At whose byrth poetes thus expresse About his cradel amptes gan hem dresse While he slept and gan about hym layne A ful great numbre of pured whete grayne Wherupon most expert diuinours As they toke hede in their attendaunce Such as were best expositours Sayd it was a token of haboundaunce To haue of ryches al maner suffisaunce And concludyng playnly gan to tell Howe he al other in treasour should excel Poetes of him wrote that were full olde Bachus gaue hym the mighty god of wyne What he touched shal tourne in to golde As good as that which came out of the myne At al assayes to be as pure and fyne This request as writeth Ouidius Was vnto Midas graunted of Bachus He thought golde might him most auaile What he handled was golde wyth touchyng But whan hunger his stomake gan assayle His bread his mete was golde in shewyng And whan he gan to fayle of his fedynge And founde of golde no recure to escape Besought Bachus some remedy to shape Bachus bad him go bathe in a riuere To wash away the colour aureate Wher yet is shewed the goldy grauel clere Whych example declareth to eche estate That golde alone maketh men not fortunate For what may golde or treasour ther auayle Where men in hungre finde no vytaile Or what is worth golde perle or stones red bred Grene Emeraudes or sapirs Inde Whan men enfamyned haue no greyne nor Nor in such mischefe vitayle may none finde For to foster their nature their kinde A barly lofe in such a distresse More myght auayle than al worldly riches This knewe Mydas was experte in dede Though he of gold had so great plentie That with metal he might him self not fede Which caused him of necessitie To considre and clerely for to se That bread more vaileth for fostrīg of nature Than al riches that men may here recure For which this king gan hate al richesse Golde and treasour he had eke in disdayne Left his crowne and his royal noblesse And chase to kepe shepe vpon a playne All worldly worship was to him but vayne Of
To abyde what lawe pouerte lyst ordayne And in haste after this discomfyture Fortune began to complayne sore But glad pouert which al thing might indure Charged fortune scorne her no more For it was sayd sythe go full yore He that reioyseth to scorne folke in vayne Whan he is lothest shall scorned be agayne Yet quoth pouert though thou were dispitous Wordes rehersyng whyche were nat fayre Straunge rebukes full contrarious And repreues many thousande payre Thou shalt me fynde againe warde debonaire For though a tong be slaundrous veÌ„geable To slaunder againe is nothing coÌ„mendable Thou must considre touchyng oure batayle The ordinaunce and imposycion That whiche of vs in conquest do preuayle To bringe his felowe to subiection He shall obey the statute of reason And accomplyshe of very due det What lawe the victoure lyst vpon hym set For whiche thou shalt the sayd lawe obey Wyth circumstaunces of the condicion By me ordayned and nothynge agayne say Make no grutchynge nor replycation Consydred first the false opinion Of them that sayne all worldly auenture Of good and bad abyde vnder thy cure Some poetes and phylosophers also Wold in this case make the a goddesse Which be disceiued I dare say both two And their errour and foly to redresse I shall withdrawe in very sykernesse Vnhappy auenture away fro thy power That she no more stand in thy daunger This lawe of newe vpon the I make That first thou shalt al open in some pleyne Juell auenture bynde to a stake Or to some pyller where she may be seyne To shewe example to folke in certeine That no man shal lose her ne discharge But such as lyst with her to go at large Herof to make a declaracion Touching thy might of yuell auenture Thou shalt forgo the dominacion To hyndre and harme any creature But only foles which in thy might assure They of their foly may fele great domage Nat of thy power but of their own outrage For thylke foles which that list vnbinde This wretch called vnhappy auenture Of wyt and reason they make theÌ„ self blinde Like as the world stode in fortunes cure As though she might assure them vnsure And them dispose to welthe or wretchednesse In their errour calling her a goddesse Such wilful wretches that them self betake To put their fredom in her subiection Of god aboue the power they forsake And submitte them agayne all reason Vnder fortunes transmutacion Their lyberte full falsly for to thrall Namely whan they a goddesse lyst her cal With a derke myst of variacion Fortune hath clouded their natural lyght And ouershadowed their discretion That they be blent in their inward syght For to consydre and behold a ryght Howe god aboue put vnder mannes cure Fre choyce of good his reason to assure The lord enlumined of his bouÌ„tuous larges With minde and wyt his memoryall Toward all vertue his steppes for to dresse Endued his reason for to be naturall Of frowardenesse tyll he waxe bestyall To bynde him selfe contrariously in dede To serue fortune atwene hope and drede Thus bestyall folke made her a goddesse Falsly wening she might them most auayle Wyth her plentyes of habundaunt rychesse And some deme in their supposayle w t vnware chauÌ„ge she dare the great assayle Whose trust alwaye medled is with trouble And her plesaunce includeth mening double And some affyrme that she may auaunce Conquestes great and discomfytures And howe it lyeth also in her puissaunce To forther and hynder all maner creatures And call her princesse of al aduentures The rich to enhaunce by royal apparayle And by disdayne to hinder the porayle when she maketh most fulsome her profers Her blandisshing is farced with falshede whan her riches ben stuffed vp in cofers They ben aye shet vnder a locke of drede Wherfore ye rich of one thyng take hede As your gathering came in wyth plesaunce Right so your losse departeth w t mischaunce Your gredy thurst treasour to multiply Causeth an etyke of no suffisaunce In you engendring a false dropsye With a sharp hunger of worldly abundaunce Making of you a maner resemblaunce With Tantalus whan ye do depest synke ThaÌ„ is your nature most thrustlew to drink who clymbeth highest on fortunes whele And sodainly to rychesse dothe ascende An vnware turne afore sene neuer a dele Whan he leest weneth maketh him descende Fro suche chaunges who may hym defende But they that be wyth pouerte nat dismaide And can with lytell holde them selfe apayde The firste Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Hostilius worshyppyng false goddes was consumpt with firy leuyn WHyle Bochas gan muse in thys matter Consydred fyrst all worldly thynge muste fayle Wyth wepyng eyen there dyd apere Prynces y e whylom were famous in Itayle Whiche gan their fall full pitously bewayle For more contrarye was their falling lowe That they tofore had no mischefe knowe For more vncouth is thylke aduersyte Namely to princes whan it is sodayne Which euer haue liued in prosperite Hauyng on Fortune no mater to complaine Than of a wretche that lyuith aye in payne Of custome causeth conceyued the sentence Of ioy and sorowe a full great difference Of ioy passed the newe remembraunce Whan folke ben fall from theyr felicite In treble wise it dothe them great greuauÌ„ce The vnware turne from theyr tranquilyte The vnsure trust and mutabilyte In worldly power whiche they haue founde Vnto their hertes yeueth a greuous wounde But to a wretche whiche in wretchydnesse Hath euer liued neuer was partable Of no welfare nor of wyelfulnesse Nor neuer found Fortune fauorable His sorowe his myschefe ben so costomable That of hys paynes longe continuaunce Dothe to his greues a maner allegeaunce But to Princes whiche sate so high alofte A sodayne fall is moste contraryous And their disendynge wel the more vnlofte In their tryumphes y â— they were glorious Reccorde I take of kynge Hostylius Which in Rome from his royall stall Whan he sate crowned moste sodenly is fall It is remembred of old and nat of newe Of all Rome that he was lorde and syre The firste of kynges y â— weared purple hewe And of that Citye gouerned the empyre Had of Fortune all that hym lyste desyre Tyll that he fyll in all his regaly In to a frowarde deedly malady And of his paynes to fynde alleyeaunce To the temples he went on pylgrymage His offeryng made with deuoute obeysaunce Wherby somdele his paynes dyd aswage And he was restored of corage Felt hym selfe that he dyd amend To comon profyte agayne he gan entende Vpon the Albaynes reignyng in hys glory To great anayle of Rome the cytie Throughe hys Knighthode he had a gret victory After the whiche by full great cruelte He berafâ—e them fraunchyse and lyberte And made theÌ„ after thrugh his high renoune To be to Rome vnder subiectyon After hys conquest the story doeth deuise In hys noblesse full stately and royall He gan make a ryche sacrifyse To queme and please for a memoriall After the
Oropastes quaking in his drede Full vnwarely or that he toke hede Was slayn ther guerdoned for al his might Of pretence kinges y t reigne haue no right The .vii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Dary obteynyng the kingdom of Perce by sleyght ended with shame AFter the deth of these Magicyens Was left no king to haue y ◠gouernaūce Nor for to rule the lande of Perciens Saue fyue princes full famous of puissaunce Whyche made a statute and an ordinaunce Of one accorde by recorde of writyng Theron concluding who shuld be chose king Their sort their hap and all their auenture Was yeue to fortune of thys eleccion And thus the prince the crowne shall recure Among these fyue by theyr conuencion For to gouern the mighty regyon And in that lande to reigne and contune Lyke as the fauour lyst ordeyn of fortune Thys was the statute vpon a mornyng All atones erly for to ryde Atwene Aurora and Phebus vprisyng Vp to a hyll to houe and to abyde All rancour dyscorde set asyde Whose horse among them was first herde neying Without grutching shulde be crowned kyng Vpon this mater what shoulde I leger tary Hereon was made an othe in sykernesse Among these prīces one which was called Da Aprince of Perce excellyng of noblesse Whych had a seruaunt y ◠story bereth witnessery That kept hys horse thought in very dede Hys lorde he wolde preferre at suche a nede The sayd seruant full sleyghtly in werkyng His dilygence lyst nothyng to spare The day to fore set of their metynge At a place smothe playne and bare Hys lordes horse he made leape a mare And on the morowe when the princes met On horsbacke there hys lorde he set And whan the horse thyder came agayne Nature anone afforced his corage To neye loude vpon the same playne Where as the mare had vsed her passage Kynde in suche case had great auauntage By whiche sleyght playnly to reherse The sayd Dary was crowned kig of Perce The prynces all lyke theyr conuencion Or Phebus shewed his firy beames bryght Without stryfe or contradiccion From their horse sodaynly alyght And vnto Dary as lowly as they myght Sayd in greke or they vp rose Policromtudo Basileos Which is in latyn to spake in wordes playne And in englyshe by expowning of scripture After the Greke as moche for to sayne As longe tyme myght the kyng endure And lyue in helth with good auenture By the grace and fauour of fortune Vpon all Perce to reigne and contune Who wyll consydre euery cyrcumstaunce It is a meruayle nat grounded on prudence By such sleyght a king to haue gouernaunce Through tytle or clayme as of iust euidence So to be raysed to kyngly excellence But whan fortune fauoureth suche assay Tyll y ◠she chaunge ther can no man say nay Thus was kyng Dary borne of lowe linage Set vp by sleyght in estate honorable Thought y ◠he wolde for his auauntage To make his kyngdom his reigne stable Wed such a wyfe as to hym was most able Demyng of trouth hys clayme were well amēded Of Cirus lyne if she were discēded To wede suche one was all his couetyse Stable for to reigne vpon the Perciens And as I fynde in full cruell wyse By the counsayle of false magicyens A werre he gan vpon the Egipciens Eke folily he gan for to werrey Them of Athenes whiche lyst hym nat obey And as myne auctor maketh rehersayle He for his pride and false presumpcion Was discomfyted twyes in batayle And neuer after as made is mencyon He was nat had in reputacyon Among Perciens so gan his honoure fade Wyth sleyght he gan with shame an ende he made ¶ The .viii. Chapter ¶ How Corolian by Romaynes exiled gan warre agaynst them and how after they sent out his mother withother for peace which had they eft him exiled and after was slayne AFter this Dary as I rehearce can And mine auctour liketh to conclude To Iohn Bochas came Corolian The most wofull of that multitude Which gan complaine vpon the ingratitude Of the Romayns how they whilom in dede Exiled his person of rancour and hatrede Whiche in his time would neuer ceace Through his noblesse hys hygh renoun Their common profite to augment encrece And for to bringe to their subiection Many a citye and many a noble toun Yet they agaynward for all his chyualry Him exiled of malyce and enuy But whan this Marcus called Corolian Saw of Romayns the great vnkindnes Toward a countrey that called was Tuskan Of high disdayne anone he did him dresse And them entreated of manly fell prowes To gyn a warre sythe they so manly be Through his cōueiyng againe Rome y ◠citye And for to put them more in assuraunce To haue victory through their high renoun He tolde them playnly of a great distaunce Of a false strife and a discencion That was of newe fall in Rome towne Wherfore they should if it be prouided Cōquere thē lightly because thei wer deuided By their assent they made a great armye With stuffe for war richely apparayled Pyght his tentes tofore that great citye And in the fielde stode proudly battayled But the hartes of Romayns haue thē fayled And durst not passe the gates of their toun There was among thē so great deuision Their citye stode that time destitute With feare supprised for lacke of gouernaūce Them to defende they founde no refute So farre enfeblished was their old puissaūce For euer gladly where stryfe and variaunce In any kingdome haue an enteresse Touchyng a defence adue all hardinesse Within them selfe they stode at debate Afore their enemies ready for to assayle Comfort was none in hygh nor lowe estate For where discord is what auayleth coūsail Their fone w tout within them selfe battayle Brought in alas to their confusion By the false serpent of dissencion But at the last afforced and constrayned They were coact after peace to seke The case stode so of nede they were payned Maugre their might their harts for to meke And their mischefe more to encrese and eke In augmentyng of their cruell fates They saw their enmies armed at their gates They sent out first priestes of the toun With their enemies for to entrete of pees With humble profers lowe subiection But Corolian this is doubtles Againe the Romayns was so merciles That grace none myght in his hart myne To their request his eares to enclyne Than the Romayns the story tell can To Venturia made their prayere Whiche was the mother of Corolian And to Volumnia his faithfull wife entere That they should both go in fere Vnto that prynce besechyng at the lest Benignly to heare their request His mother first full prudently abrayde Vnto her sonne makyng this question At their metyng to hym thus she sayde Shall I quod she for short conclusion Of faythfull harte and true affection To thy presence declare finally Be now receyued as mother or enemy After thine aunswere I must
werre Agayne the sayd myghty Artaxerses Wenyng therby to haue had great encrees Gadred shyppes and made a great armee In his entent to haue met hym on the see To Lacedemons he was fauourable Sent them vessels stuffed with vitayle Dempt of pride that hym selfe was able With Artaxerses to holde a battayle But hasty trust doth fooles often fayle For this Theo was after anone ryght Dryuen out of Egipt and yput to flyght Artaxerses pursued hym so sore Tofore hys face he durst nat appere Fledde into Araby myne auctour saythe no more Banished from Egipt deedly of face chere And of hys fate who so lyst to lere He was depriued from kyngly dignite And by fortune cast from his royall see The .xxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Amynta of Macedone kyng had by Erudice hys wife Alysandre Perdica and Philyppe that were slayne ANd among other their fates cōplaining Through fortunes dredefull violence There came Amynta of Macedone kyng And to John Bochas shewed hys sentence And to declare hys magnificence To Alysandre graunde father in his lyfe Hauynge four children by Erudice hys wyfe The fyrst of them was Alysandre called And Perdica named the seconde The thirde Philyppe in Macedone stalled Kyng of Grece lyke as it is founde Whiche in ryches greatly dyd habounde And was eke father thys noble warriour To Alysandre the mighty conquerour And or myne auctour further dothe procede He maketh a maner of disgression From his matter like as ye may rede And gynneth in order a discription Of Macedone the famous region Amonge Grekes writeth in especiall Of seuen prouinces it is the principall And so procedyng he sayth how that countre Stretches his boundes about hym enuyron Towarde the see which called is Egee Forthe by Achaya towarde Septentrion And to Messene westwarde it gothe doun And who that can by crafte the costes cast To Dalmacia the name therof dothe last In Macedone he dothe also vs lere Of Olympus standeth the great mountayne And in that kyngdom is many great mynere Of golde and syluer lyke as bokes sayne And on that hyll is nouther wynde ne rayne For thylke mountayne so high dothe attayne That it may nouther blow there ne rayne The kyng Amynta of whō I spake toforn Had in Grece many great battayle Olympiens in Macedone borne And Illyriens togyder he dyd assayle Through his wisdom he did alway preuayle But with his enemys whyle he stode in strife Hys dethe was shapen by Erudice hys wife Myne auctour Bochas of her doth diffine She imagined his destruction Bycause she had another concubine On whom she set all her affection Day set and tyme to hys confusion Fully ordayned at a mariage He to be slayne of one of his linage He had a suster called Vryone Whiche prudently espied the manere Of Erudice and secretly alone Goth to the kyng and tolde hym all yfere And as the story in order telleth here Though she fayled that daye of her empryse She thought to fulfyll it in another wyse Thys to meane of her iniquite Of her fraude and false ymaginyng She was in cause through her cōtrariouste Of the destruction of their myghty kyng For the conclusion of her false workyng was to haue slayne the kyng and all his lyne She to haue raygned with her concubyne But whan she saw she myght nat atcheue Her furious purpose by none auenture Her venomous malice vpon her lord to preue On other parties she dyd her busy cure Enmitees and mischeues to procure Agayne the kynge by mortall fell assayes With sorow trouble for to shorte his dayes Night and day hys lyfe stode euer in drede Hym to betraye she cast out hoke and lyne And who is he that can or may take hede Frely to escape to eschewe or decline Malice of women whan they be serpentine ▪ Se an example of thys quene Erudice Voyde of all vertue and full of euery vice Alas no prince can beware by other To bridel their nobles with reynes of reson Such as commit alas bothe shyp and rother Vnto Sirenes to row them vp and doun Throughout Caribdis to theyr destruction By craft of Cyrces alas they wer made nice Blynde to remembre vpon thys Erudice Which made Aminta to liue i sorow drede To rest in peace suffered him to haue no space In thought trouble his lyfe gan he lede Tyl by long processe deth gan hym manace Yet or he died fortune gaue hym grace His eldest sonne by wisdome to ordayne Called Alysandre hys crowne to attayne Thus Alisandre was hys successour For Cathynenses gan their rancour lete Agaynst hym for he wyth great labour By theyr sufferaunce came to hys royall sete And for to set hys realme in quiete First with Athenes the myghty strong toun Prouided a peace of hie discretion And for to auoyde all ambiguite Of olde debates and of olde outrage First he sent into that strong cite His sonne Philippe yong and tender of age On peace assured to lye there for hostage And in that citye the storie beareth witnes He gan to grow vnto full hye nobles He was committed vnto the discipline Of a great duke called Epaminondon Which to all vertue his youth made encline For of this duke Justine maketh mencion By a maner recommendacion Tofore nor after as by hys auyse Was neuer no prynce more excellent nor wise Fyrst he commendeth hys vertuous corage Hys hye noblesse hys vertuous excellence And by discent he borne was of hye linage And in two thynges concludeth his sentence Sayeth that he was of most magnificence Egall to Mars by famous chiualry And sonne to Phebus through hye philosophy And Bochas here doth hys style auaunce Ful notably with excellent langage And sayth no treasour atteyneth in substaūce To thylke richesse auoydyng all outrage As when there is by bonde of mariage Knyt vp a knot atwene excellence Of famous knighthode of dame prudence This knot auaileth more than golde in cofer And is more glorious perpetually to abyde A mighty prince ought be a Philosopher Whiche can by prudence al vices set asyde For whan to manhode prouidence is gyde And vertuous force is captayne in the werre Let men well trust that partie may not erre This Epaminonda of knighthod sustenour Carbuncle of vertue as bokes tell con Of gentel maners called the famous flour And of high noblesse a very worldly son Whose knyghtly triumphes be so high vp ron To Martes palais with the blessed souns Of famous trumpettes golden clariouns For he was called the bright myrrour Of rightfull quarelles the partie to sustene Of extort wronges most iust reformatour Aye egall iuge of entent most clene Whiche neuer coude nothing but truth meaane Wolde of custome for hate nor aliaunce On nouther partie decline the balaunce And to commende hys vertuous prowesse Hys proued triumphes hys magnanimite Hys marciall actes hys knyghtly busynesse In the gettyng of many strong cyte And all his labour was for the commonte Which to augment he woulde
puissaūt Support the simple punyshe the tyraunt The .xxvii. chapter Of the two brethren Artaxerses and Cyrus and howe Artaxerses slew his children and concubines and howe they ended AFter the fall of Aman doubtles Whē he best wēd to haue be ī his flours Tofore John Bochas came Artaxerses Most renomed in his time of conquerours Which gan declare his sodeyn sharpe shours With all the parcels of his mortal payne Which that fortune agayne him gan ordayne This Artaxerses as put is in memorye All other prynces excelled in rychesse Whiche in hys chare famous of glorye And with hys trone of worldlye hye noblesse Sate in his tyme the story beareth wytnesse Highest exalted y ◠was of any kyng That he shoulde fall was it nat an vncouth thyng Kynges he had vnder his obeysaunce An hundred prouinces twentie eke seuen Son vnto Dary prince of moste puissaunce His fame drede more than fyry leuen None so mighty vnder the starred heauen Accompted was that tyme in warre and pees As was this kyng called Artaxerses He had a brother that named was Cyrus Out of one stocke came theyr bothe lynes But Artaxerses the story telleth thus Was lorde of graynes of oyle and of wines And had also by diuers concubines An hundred children lyke as it is tolde And fiftene ouer tofore or he wexe olde Of bothe brethren the power last farre Duryng theyr tyme stode in full hye estate Yet atwene them was ful mortall warre Agayne nature an vnkyndly debate For thylke warres be most infortunate Whan blode w t blod let no man deme other Lyst warrey as brother agaynst brother And finally cause why thys warre gan Atwene these brethren as made is mencion Through whiche debate died many a man The grounde of all and first occasion Was onely thys for succession After king Dary reigning in Perce Mede Whiche of them twayne shoulde next succede But Artaxerses by a maner prouidence Put his brother priuely in prison That he ne should make no defence Nor gather people to hys destruction This yonge Cyrus as made is mention Was fast stocked and eke as it is tolde That his stockes and fetters were of golde And though it be nat remembred in Bochas Howe that Cyrus escaped fro pryson Yet also soone as he delyuered was Through Perce Mede rydyng vp doun He gadered people of entention Through olde hatred hys brother tassayle The felde assigned they mette in battayle Wher Cyrus proudly put hym selfe in prees To shewe hys manhode in speciall Sought his brother called Artaxerses And gaue to hym a wounde ful mortall Without frendshyp or fauour fraternall That Artaxerses his wounde gan so ake Constrayned was the felde to forsake And Cyrus than furious as a Lyon Hys aduersaries gan mortally to wake But false fortune full of collusion Vnder faynt smilyng a mow gan him make Whiche caused alas y ◠he that day was take Afore ywounded it woulde be none other And then presented to his vnkynde brother And though this Cyrus had afore be found Yonge freshe lusty and manly of his honde By the constraynt of his mortall wounde He dyed anone for he no succour fonde Than the two kingdomes w tin Perce londe Fyll to the handes of Artaxerses In whiche after he liued longe in pees Thus a great space like a mighty kyng All Perce he helde vnder his obeysaunce By famous nobles full gloriously shinyng Hauyng of riches most fulsom abundaunce And as it is put in remembraunce To more encrease of his prosperitie In true wedlocke he had sonnes thre The fyrst of them called Darius Arobratus named the seconde And the thirde named was Othus Manly prynces like as it is founde And of nature lyke as the kyng was bound Vnto Dary as made is mencion Aboue echone he had affection And for he dempt him able to the warre By likelyhode of yeres yong and grene He cast fully his nobles to prefarre Of hye prudence thus he dide mene His impotence to support and sustene For he was feble in Perce to raygne alone He set vp Dary with him in his trone Whiche was a thing straunge contrarious Agayne the custome of Perciens vsaunce But he supposed his sonne Darius Shoulde in suche case encrease and aduaūce His fathers party of naturall attendaunce And shew vnto him trouth and kyndnes His impotence to cheryshe of gentlenes But in estates oft it dothe thus fall Whan that prynces be runne farre in age Their childrens loue ayen thē dothe appall Shewyng no frendshyp saue for adauntage How that they may reioyce their heritage And in suche case whan they wexe stronge Thinke their fathers liue all to longe And Artaxerses stode in the same caas As in the story playnly ye shall fynde By rehearsayle and writyng of Bochas How this Dary was false and eke vnkynde Forgetfull and had nothing in mynde How his father the trouth to reherce Hath made hi equal w t him to raign in Perce And to declare the first occasion To his father how the sayd Dary By a false maner of rebellion Gan in his workyng for to be contrary Whiche to discure I wyll no lenger tary But wyth my penne in all haste procede Here to discriue how it fell in dede Artaxerses among hys concubynes It is remembred how that he had one Whiche for to reken wyues and vyrgynes Was fayrest holde of them euerychone Called Arthasia of full yore agone And was that tyme her beauty to discryue Among the Perciens the fayrest holde alyue And though she were yrun farre in age Lyke as bokes lyst of her expresse Both of colour and also of vysage She kept her beauty her natyfe freshenes Whyche was afore for her semelines To the sayd Cyrus briefly to termyne Chose long afore to be his concubyne But whan thys Cyrus was passed into fate Which for his brother might not liue in pees Anone vpon wythout lenger date She was take vp for kyng Artaxerses Because she was of beauty pearles After long tyme when he fell in age She claymed was by title of heritage Of kyng Dary by hys fathers lyue Faynyng his clayme by succession And though his father agayn it dyd stryue And thus began as made is mencion Of their debate the fyrst occasion For Dary cast all be he bare it styll Her to reioyce agayne hys fathers wyll And to accomplyshe falsely his entent Of her to haue full possession To afforce his party he made thys argument Cyrus quod he as made is mencion Raygnyng in Perce that mighty region And this story do the playnly determyne For her beuty made her hys concubyne And after time whan Cyrus was dede Artaxerses his father ye may se Next him succeadyng in Perce it is no drede Lyst her to clayme eke for her great beauty And so quod Dary she longeth now to me Because she is so pleasaunt to my syght By succession I will her clayme of ryght Thus kyng Dary to his father sayde He would haue Arthasia
dede But this false traytour god sende hym myschaunce Caused his woundes mortally to blede Yet or he died he sent in all his drede A Percien knyght sad and of great age To Alysander to tell hym his message To thanke that prince of his hye noblesse Which of his grace mercy most habounde Hym lyst to shew so great gentylnesse Vnto my wife and children as it is founde For which to hym I am so muche bounde That he myne enemy of hys benignite In theyr distresse lyst haue of them pite And sith I see that nedes I must dey Through blody wouÌ„des whiche I maye nat recure Say Alisander of grace that I pray For to haue ruth of myne auenture Next to ordayne for my sepulture And condiscende to graunte myne askyng For to be buryed as longeth to a kyng Praying the gods which be immortall Whan he hath done to quyte hym hys mede That of his mercy most imperyall Hym lyst of grace for to take hede To bury me kyng of Perce and Mede For yf this tauour be in his hert founde To his noblesse the fame shall aye rebounde Requyryng hym of his imperyall myght Of my foule murder to see eche circumstauÌ„ce For murder alway calleth to god of ryght Neuer cessyng but by continuaunce Vp to the heauen to crye for vengeaunce Namely on murder compassed and thought Which by auisement is execute wrought And sythe I haue layd on the thys bonde To Alysander to do my message And him coniured here with my ryght hande Tauege my deth wrought by great outrage My blode out shed with pale deed visage Here boude in stockes to gods most benigne With ryght hole hert my sprite I resygne Thus he lay starke ther was found no abode Lyke as another mortall creature When Alysander the murder vnderstode As ye haue herde remembred by scripture He dyd ordayne for his sepulture The funerall feast to holde in all thynges As by olde tyme longed vnto kynges ¶ Lenuoye THis tragedy pitous for to here Sheweth of tortune y â— chaunges lameble Of royal trones of gold stones clere Of worldly princes howe they be vnstable Their fatal whele most diuers chauÌ„geable With vnware turne lyst nat her course tary To throw theÌ„ downe recorde of king Dary Who can or may be ful assured here To make fortune to be so treatable To finde out a way or searche out the manere By obligation to fynde her immutable Her double face the worlde aye disceyuable Shew eche daye howe falsely they can vary By couert fraude recorde of kyng Dary Example how Phebus with his bemes clere Sheweth some day his lyght most agreable But long or eue darkenes dothe appere Through cloudy mystes raynes durable To vs declaryng by tokens full notable Worldly dignities now fresh now contrary Can change her tydes recorde of king Dary Through al Asye Perce and Mede yfere His lordshyp last a thing incomparable To Ethiope vnder the mydday spere Ful of treasure with golde innumerable His boundes raught fortune eke seruisable To obey hys lustes tyll she gan falsely vary By expert fraude to preue her might in Dary Noble princes with hole hert and entere Lyfte vp your corages holde thys no fable Though ye syt hye conceyue with good there No worldlye lordshyp in erth is perdurable And sith ye be of nature reasonable Among remembre as thyng most necessary All stant vpon chauÌ„ge recorde of king Dary The .xii. Chapter ¶ Here Bochas remembreth the batayles and losse of realmes of antiquitie with the fallyng of diuers nobles HEre gineth Bochas remeÌ„bre in certaine The great sorowes y â— mortal disaueyls The losse of realines y â— blod shed i vaine Begon of warres and marciall appareyls Called to mynde of olde the fell batayls Gon of antiquitie as made is mencion First atwene Grekes them of Troy â—ouâ— A pitous hert it woulde make blede To haue in memorie the great outrage As ye haue heard wrought in Perce Mede Atwene Dary and Alysandre in theyr age Eke at wene Romains them of Cartage The wofull troubles of warres firste begon Causeth all mischefes that ben vnder the son On outher partie who can remembre aryght Nowe losse nowe lucre cometh of diuision Now disencrease now heauye now lyght Now life now dethe for short conclusion For Bochas sayth suche false discention Hath many kyngdomes y â— stode in hye estate Tourned to tuyne and made them desolate RemeÌ„bre of Troy the walles broke downe In Grece distroyed manyla stronge cyte In Perce and Mede great desolation Rome dispurueyed of marciall surete Castels and tours of olde antiquite Made ruynous in Affryke and Cartage Caused by warres Martes cruel rage Who lyst consider wrought by dayes olde The course of conquest of these warriours In Alysander he clerely maye beholde By remembraunce of his progenytours And of hys blode howe all the successours Had fatally or they dyd hence wende A sodayne deth or a shamefull ende Full many reckened that wer of hys lynage For to succede in hys possessions To syxe and thirty partyng his heritage To eche assigned theyr royall portions First as he made hys diuisions He gaue of Frigie the prefecture of ryght To Leonatus that was so good a knyght But a lytle whyle last hys possession For the countrees lyst hym nat obey They of Athenes had indignation With Antipater for he dyd warrey Yet in that warre playnly for to say Leostenes theyr duke theyr gouernour Was slayne y â— day he found no better succour And Leonatus that was his aduersary Of Antipater the partye to sustene Founde fortune that daye to hym contrary For in the felde though he rode armed clene With a spere his wounde was made grene At mischefe slayne myne auctour doth coÌ„pile Thus his lordshyp last nat but a whyle Antipater another successour Of Alysander as made is mencion Was by recorde the same false traytour That for his death tempered the poyson Hys son CassaÌ„der accoÌ„plished the trayson Bare the cup which that made hym sterue With y â— strong poyson when he dyd him serue Antipater of this crime culpable Greatly desyred in his opinion Vpon all tho than to be vengeable That likely were to espye his trayson Drede hym sore hauyng suspection Lest he were accused to the estates Of crime called lese maiestatis Hys soone assented to that horrible dede Which to Alysander beyng in Babylone Most traytourly without shame or drede As ye haue heard presented the poysone And yet the kyng as made is mencion Though he to hym false was and contrary He made him prefect lord of y â— land of Cary. And among other notable warriours There were thre more ful worthy famous Set in the numbre of his enheritours Polycarpus and Neoptolonius And eche of them to other enuious Within a felde the storye dothe vs lere Eueriche slewe other as they met yfere Of Perdicas what should I write or sayne Which among all was one the best
aduersite And for his wordes of great authorite His noble langage and his fayre eloquence The people had him in ful great reuerence And for they were manly and coragious Able to assemble bothe plate and mayle He made them rise agaynst Antigonus By theyr prowes with hym to haue batayle But of fortune hys party gan to fayle Wher thilke people the story telleth thus Had afore ben full victorious Antigonus hath the felde recured That day his knightes fought lyke wodelyons In furious tene of hys corage assured Brake theyr tentes and pauilions Spoiled their castels robbed their dâ—geons Where that countre vnwarely thus affrayed Had neuer afore in batayle ben outrayed And of dispite this people recheles Caught in their hert great indignation Agayne their prynce this sayd Eumenides Which had theÌ„ brought to their destruction And all the people of one opinion Presented him it was nat after longe To Antigonus bounde in chaynes strong In this proces brefely to procede At great mischefehe dyed in prysone He found no mercy playnly as I rede For all his noblesse nor hys hye renoune Yet of hys manhode made is mencion Who that story lyst to loke aryght With Alysander there was no better knight In hys conquest euery hour and space He was most cheryshed for hys hye noblesse Aboue all other stode most in his grace To helpe and releue folke in their distresse All be that he dyed in wretchednesse To vs declaryng the great variaunces That all daye fall in fortunes chaunces ¶ Lenuoye THys tragedy of duke Eumenides She weth of fortune y e great doublenes How worldly princes that ben recheles With vnware chaunges fall into distresse And there may be no greater heuynesse After prosperite nor greater payne Than aduersite which that is sodayne Greatest enuy where is greatest preace Greatest awayte where is most rychesse And greatest ease where is rest and peace Where most discorde most is heuynesse And of all sorow sorow fullest excesse Is thylke sorow y â— dothe a man constrayne After prosperite with aduersite sodayne Princes in erthe of power peerles Which excelled all other in noblesse Had in this worlde by coÌ„quest most encrees As Alysander the story bereth wytnesse RemeÌ„bre the fyne of all theyr hye prowesse And the triuÌ„phes to which they dyd attayne After prosperite aduersite sodayne The strong enheritours which y t he out chees Sixe thirty the nombre to expresse Whiche hadde possession of kyngdoms doutles Eche thyng obeying to their worthynesse Tyl fortune through her wunted doublenesse Shewed her myght vnwarely to ordayne After prosperite aduersite sodayne Noble prynces to auoyde all disencrees Amonge your selues discordes to represse Be nat enuyous nor yrous causeles Worke nothyng of hasty wylfulnesse Let discretion be your gouerneresse For there must folow yf ye parte on twayne After prosperite aduersite sodayne The .xiiii. Chapiter ⧠Howe Queene Olympiades for she delyted in vyces murdre and vengeaunce dyed at mischefe NExt in order to Bochas dyd appere After the mischefe of Eumenides The great quene w t a full pitous chere Mother of Alysander Olympiades Borne of the lyne of Gaades Amonge quenes her story bereth wytnesse Excelled all other in beauty and rychesse She was doughter to Neoptolomus The mighty kyng of Epirothes And had suspecte how Neptanabus By enchauntment put hym selfe in prees Of wifely trouth to make her recheles But Bochas here for to saue her name Writeth but lytle of her disclaunderous fame This sayd quene right fayre of her visage Was first brought forth in thylke regions Where all the worthy of blode and of lynage Helde theyr scepters and their ryche crouns Through all Grece with full possessions So that this quene that tyme nere and farre Was of beaute called the lode starre But among al her great prosperitees Her youth flowig in most souerayne noblesse Her ioye was meddled w t great aduersitees Whan Philip Maredo in her great heuinesse Was mortally wounded in distresse In Cythia by a certayne nation Called Triboloys as made is mencion For in that countre vpon a certayne day Where as he faught and dyd hys best payne To gette a cite and at a siege lay And for thassaute dyd his stuffe ordayne He lost vnwarely one of his eyen twayne That whan the quene behelde hys wounde For sorow she fell platte vnto the grounde Another thyng bokes specifye Troubled her fame by great heuynesse The suspecte sclaunder of aduoutry Wrought by Neptauabus enchauntyng her fayrenes The light eciipsyng of hie nobles By swifte report for to hynder her name What flieth more swifte then wicked fame In womanhede as authours all wryte Most thing coÌ„mended is theyr chast honeste Thyng moste sclaundrous their nobles to atwite Is whan princesses of hasty freeite Excede the boundes of wifely chastyte For what auayleth linage or royall bloode Whan of theyr liuyng y e reporte is nat goode The holy bedde defoyled of maryage Or ones soyled may nat recured be The voyce goth forth the froward langage By many realmes and many a great cite Sclaunder hath a custome and that is pite Crew outher false by contagious sowne Ones reysed it goth nat lyghtly downe And to more hindryng of Olympiades Philippe away dyd from her deciyne And of the kyng of Epyrothes The wyfe he toke to hys concubine Called Cleopatra playnely to termine And thus in myschefe tencrease of her trouble Their false aduoutrie gan to wexe double Of this proces write wyll I no more Cause the matter is abhominable For kyng Philip the bargayne bought sore As is remembred by cronicles ful notable Slayne on a day syttyng at hys table Full sodaynly or he toke any hede Pausanias dyd that cruell dede Of which slaughter folowed a strange case As ye haue herde by Pausanias wrought Olympiades full glad and mery was Heuy outwarde her heart voyde of thought Yet faynyngly she hath wayes out sought For hym to holde solempne and royall Lyke Grekes rightes a feast funerall After whose dethe wrought of great cruelte Kyng Alysander made no lenger let Made Pansonias taken for to be And to be hanged vpon an hye gybet Vpon whose head there was a crowneset Of golde and peerle and riche stones Inde By Olympiades in story as I fynde For he stode greatly in the quenes grace And as folke dempt of suspection They met together in many priuy place Which greatly tourned to her confusion For noyse arose through all that region That by thoccasion of theyr mislyuyng How Pausanias slough Philyp the kyng But she anone in her malice feruent Fro the gybet made hym to be take doun Made his body solempnely to be brent Kept his exequies with great oblatâ—on After the ryghtes of that region Nat left behinde in partie nor in all That appertayned to feastes funerall Vpon kynge Philyp as it were for the nones To do her lorde a shame or a despyte Solempnely she made brenne the bones Of Pausanias for a false appetite Vnto no man she had so great
peoples syght That of a Pretor they gaue hym an offyce He meuyng them in all that euer he myght Gaine Cyracuses to make theÌ„ stroÌ„g to fight Of entent of them auenged to be Cause for his exyle out of that cite But in his exyle the story saythe none other It was so wrought by mediacion Of duke Hamilchar y t was hys sworne brother Cyracusans of one entention Called him home agayne into their toun And there was restored to hys place And reconciled to the kynges grace And vnto hym they gaue by great auice By assent of lordes and all the commonte Of a Pretour newly an offyce For Pretors of custome called be Offycers that dwell in the cite And haue full charge by dome iudgementes To put all gylty to payne and turmentes Than of new thys Agathocles Bycause he had more aucthorite Cast for to trouble the quiete and the pees Of Cyracuses and out of that cite All the senatours greatest of dignite Of mortal veÌ„geaunce this titant made anon Without exception to be slayne euerichon This hasty slaughter wrought by tiranny Might nat asswage nor staÌ„che his fel corage Tyll he their treasour toke by robbery And all Cicile he spoyled by pyllage Cast of pride vpon an hye stage For to ascende by sleyghty false workyng Of all that region to be crowned kyng Made his subiectes maugre hym dredyng To cal hym kyng and in especiall One the most worthy prynce tho lyuyng That sat in chayre of maiestye royall Tyll fortune shope he must haue a fall For of Cartage the duke a worthy knyght Fought with him twyse put him to flyght Wherthrough he stode in mischefe dispeyred And of al people he was had in disdayne To Cyracuse in hast he is repayred And to his cite retourned home agayne There abydyng in drede and vncertayne For whan fortune gan agayne hym take His frendes olde of new haue him forsake In that mischefe he bode nat long As the processe maketh rehearsayle Gadred people and made him selfe strong Onely in purpose all Affryke to assayle With them of Cartage had a great battayle Thâ—n discomfited as fortune lyst ordayne By hye prowesse of his sonnes twayne Archagatus ycalled was that one Wonder delyuer a man of great myght The seconde brother moste worthy of echone Called Heraclydes whiche in y t mortal fight Preued him selfe that daye a manly knyght For by theyr maÌ„hode in which was no lacke They of Cartage were fellye put a backe For though so wer by fortune of the warre Agathocles had that day the victorie False couetyse made hym for to erre And eclipsed the light of hys glorie For as it is remembred in hys storie Lyke as in his byrthe it is determined To all falsenes his corage was enclyned Cruell of custome of hert mercyles His wyll was law were it wronge or ryght Contrary to accorde frowarde vnto pees Proude and surquedous in hys owne syght Where his power stretched hys myght Lyke a tyraunt naturally disposed To execute vengeaunce afore purposed He thought he had power for to bynde Fortunes whele for to abyde stable Which is a thing contrary to her kynde Whose propertie is to be variable Hys pryde alas was to abhominable For mortall Prince is none y t may restrayne Her vnware tourne nor her course sodayne By influence of the heauenly starres The vncouth course aboue celestiall By fortune and fauour of the warres This Agathocles of byrth full rurall Promoted was vnto estate royall Tyll pride outrage froward engendrure Caused in his lordshyp he myght nat endure Fortune of kynde is so flaskysable A monstruous beast departed manyfolde A slydyng serpent tournyng and vnstable Slipper to gripe on whom there is no holde As in this boke declared is and tolde Her power preued on princes recheles Recorde with other on Agathocles As ye haue herde rehersed in sentence Symple and bare was hys natiuite Brought vp and fostred in great indigence Out of a stocke springyng of pouerte Rose to the estate of royall dignite The rysyng vncouth marueylous tattayne The fal more greuous because it was sodayn From Cyracuse he was exyled twyse Vengeable of heart where he had myght Of Affricans disconfited thryse Euer in batayle of custome put to flyght Had an vsaunce to robbe day and nyght And lyke a tiraunte agayn conscience To spoyle his subiectes by great violence Hindred by fortune wherof he was nat fayne Her stroke agayn him sodayne and violent His sonnes two in Affrike were first slayne He of his lymmes wext feble and impotent With a consumption his entrayles brent And by an ague continuall of feruence He was suppressed by stroke of pestilence All his treasour hath from hym take His proude port and his worldly glory His wife kyn and freÌ„des hath him forsake His conquest derke and put out of memory His name yclipsed of hys olde victory And as he gan in pouerte and distresse So he made an ende in wretchednesse Hasty rysyng and thriâ—te that is sodayne And surmountyng by violent rauyne And extort power may for a whyle attayne In ryche chayre of lordshyp for to shyne Sodayne ascending dothe sodenly declyne And by vntruth whereuer there be encrees Men wayt of custome a sodayne disencrees Of Agathocles men may ensample take What is th ende of euery false tiraunt WroÌ„ge climbing vp dothe a foule ende make For a season though tirauntes be puysaunt Fortune to them yeueth no lenger graunt But whan they syt on her whele most royal By vnware chaunge to haue a sodayne fal Agathocles was first a sympleman Brought forth in mischefe and in pouerte Sonne of a porter the story tell can By vicious liuyng came to great dignite Of all folke hated for his cruelte Clambe fro pouert vp to great rychesse Made pore agayne died in wretchednesse ¶ Lenuoye THis tragedy sheweth a figure Bothe by story and by aucthorite How man and beast euery creature Tarageth the stocke of his natiuitie Herbe of the rote and eche frute of his tre For bothe of vertue and also of outrage Foloweth some tetche or taste of the lynage Agathocles by recorde of scripture Borne of lowe bed brought forth in pouerte Yet Fortune made him to recure Vp to hye estate from full lowe degre His reason blent with sensualitie Forgate him selfe to speake in playne laÌ„gage Through a false tetche y t came fro his lynage There is a difference of colours in pycture On table or wall as men all day may se Twene golde golde atwene byse asure All is not golde that shyneth bryght parde Some noble is false y t hath great beaute Let men beware of counterfayte coynage Tetches eschuyng of churlyshe lynage Some man is furthered of sodain auenture Set in a chayre of royall dignitie Wenyng his empyre shoulde euer endure And neuer to be troubled with no aduersitie With royall Eagles a kyte may not flye A Jaye may chatter in a golden cage Yet euer some tetch must folow of his lynage
Gentle bloude of his royall nature Is euer enclyned to mercy and pite Where of custome these vyllains do their cure By their vsurped and extort false poste To be vengeable by mortall cruelte Through hasty fumes of furious courage Folowyng the tetches of their vyle lynage O mighty prynces your nobles do assure Your passions rest with tranquilitie Se how there is no meane of measure Where a tyrant catcheth the souerayntie Let Agathocles your worldly myrrour be To eschue the traces of hys froward passage As royall bloude requyreth of your lynage The .xvi. Chapiter ☞ Howe Cassander slewe the wyfe of Alexander and Hercules her sonne and how Antipater slew his mother of other murders THE greate mischiefe of Fortunes myght The wofull falles fr◠her whele in dede Of prynces pryncesses who so loke aright Ben lamentable and doleful for to rede But for all that Bochas dothe procede In his rehearsayl remēbryng thus him selue To him appeared of men and women twelue After the death of kyng Agathocles There cāe tofore him worthy quenes twain The first of them was called Bersanes And of her mischefe gan to him complayne Wife of Alexander the story lyst not fayne The mighty kyng greatest vnder sonne Whiche by conquest all this world hath won Wife to Alexander was this Barsanes By his lyue as made is mencion Whiche with her sonne named Hercules Wereby Cassander brought to destruction And of her death thys was the occasion Cassander dradde y ◠Bersanes the quene Woulde with her sonne on him auenged bene For his treasons whiche he tofore wrought On Alexander and on hys lynage And specially if that she were brought To Macedone for her auauntage Wyth her sonne that was but yonge of age Cassander thought and drede as I haue told They wold auenge his tresōs wrought of old He cast afore of malice causeles This Cassander most falsely workyng That if this knyght this yonge Hercules Son of Alexander by recorde of wrytyng In Maredone were take and crowned kyng How that he woulde of equitie and ryght His fathers death auenge lyke a knyght Whiche thing to eschue Cassāder gan prouide And by false fraude was not retchles But on a day he list not longe abide Slew first the quene this sayd Bersanes And than her sonne ycalled Hercules Thus by Cassander of murder crop and rote They murdred wer there was nonother bete This crueltie myght not suffice Vnto Alexander by recorde of scripture But lyke a tyrant in vengeable wise He did them bury by froward auenture Where no man should know their sepulture And thus alas whiche pity is to rede He murdred foure out of one kynrede To Alexander he ministred the poyson Slewe the quene called Olympiades And of hatred by full false treason As I haue tolde he slew quene Bersanes Wife to Alexander mother to Hercules Whiche in his youthe by Bochas rehearsyng In Macedoyne was like to haue be kyng After all this he could not liue in pees But euer ready some treason for to do Slewe eke the quene called Roxanes Vpon a day and her yonge sonne to And she was wyfe to Alexander also Cassander dreadyng in his opinion Lest they would venge thē vpon his treason Thus euer he liued in murder sorow strife By way of fraude came all his encrees And as I finde how he had a wife And she was called Thessalonices And this story remembreth doubtles A sonne they had borne atwene them twayne To stea his mother which after did his paine Shortly to passe mine auctor writeth nono-ther Antipater was her sonnes name And bicause that she loued his brother Better then him he to his great defame Cōpassed her death the story sayth the same Notwithstandyng to appese his crueltee She asked mercy knelyng on her knee Her breastes open white and soft as silke All bedewed with teares her vysage Requyred mekely at reuerence of the milke With whiche he was fostred in yong age For to haue mercy and to appease his rage And to accept goodly her prayere To saue the life of his mother dere But all for nought he heard her neuer adele He was to her surmountyng all measure Like his father bengeable and cruell I trowe it was youe him of nature For by recorde of kynde and eke scripture Selde or neuer no braunche that is goode Spryngeth of custome out of cruel bloude Of her death cause there was none other That Antipater slough his mother dere But for she loued Alexander his brother Better than him the cronicle doth vs lere Whiche Alexander if ye lyst to here Had in his succour I finde by writyng Demetrius that was of Asye kyng Thessalonices was in this while dead By Antipater he most infortunate Bathed in her bloud her sides wer made red Without compassion of her hye estate And her two sonnes liuyng at debate Til Lisymachus y t prefect was of Trace Them reconsyled eche to others grace Whan Demetrius knew of their accorde God wot the sothe he nothing was fayne But by his fraude the story beareth record That Alexander maliciously was slayne This while Antipater stādyng in no certayne Tyll he by sleyght of Lisymachus Was murdred after the story telleth thus To write the proces and the maner hough That Lisymachus by fraudulent workyng His sonne in lawe Antipater thus slough False couetise was cause of all this thing And Demetrius toke on him to be kyng Of Macedone remembred tyme and date Whan both brethren were passed into fate Duryng this murder all this mortal strife In this proces like as it is founde Of Antipater Erudice the wyfe Daughter of Elenchus was in chains boūde Cast in pryson darke hydous and profound And for a whyle I leaue her there soiourne And to Demetrius I wyll agayne returne Which made him selfe to be crowned kyng Of Macedone through his great puissaunce But to destroy his purpose in workyng There were thre princes notable in substaūce Confederate and of allyaunce Echone assented for short conclusion To bryng Demetrius to destruction One the first was worthy Tholome Kyng of Egypt in armes full famous Other twayne the story ye may se Called Seleuchus and next Lisymachus And of Cypre came the kyng Pyrrhus Lorde of Prouynce as it is eke founde They made thē strong Demetrius to cōfoūd Shortly to tell with their apparayls Of Macedoue they did him fyrst depryue Game vpon hym with four strong battayles That he was neuer so ouerset in his lyue Take of Lisymachus the story doth discryue Cheyned in pryson of his life in dout For I not finde that euer he issued out ☞ The .xvii. chapter ¶ Of the two prefectes Perdicas and Amintas NExt in order Perdicas did appere Whilom prefect of great Babilon And w t him came Amintas eke yfere An other prefect as made is mencion Whiche Bactry had in his subiection A great prouince youe him by iudgement Midde of Alia towarde the occident These sayd twayne for their worthines And for
to be lorde and conquere all Itayle As did his vncle whilom doubtles Kyng Alexander called Epirothes First he began his conquest in Itayle Toward Heraclye a mighty great citie Where with Brennus he had a great battaile Consull of Rome and lorde of that countrye And to the encrease of his felicitie As it is remembred in his story Vpon Romayns he gate that victory The Olyphantes with castels on their backe Caused Pyrrus the yong manly knyght With his wisdome wherin there was no lack To put his enemies that day to flyght And in this while it happened forthright The Sicilians Bochas beareth recorde Amonge them selues were fall at discorde There was atwene them great diuision Eche to other contrary in workyng But to reforme their false discention They praied Pyrrus to come be their king To whose request he fully assentyng By them made stronge lyst not to deferre Against the Romayns for to gyn a warre Beside a castel called Esculus Within Poyl his banner he gan splay The same day not happy nor eurous Contrarious fortune his power gan affray Woūded to the death gan greatly him dismay By whiche occasion this Pyrrus anone right Lept on his courser and toke him to flyght A sonne he had called Helenus Borne of the daughter of kyng Agathocles Whō he ordeyned mine auctor telleth thus For to be crowned to his great encrees Of Siciliens to raygne there in pees Wenyng therby to haue had auauntage And in this while came to him a message Out of Tarent whiche stode in auenture For his absence out of that region If he not came they might not endure Againe the power of them of Rome toun Whiche of assent were discended downe Agaynst them they standyng in dispayre Saue in abydyng vpon his repayre Pyrrus this while stode in full hard poynt Waxt abashed and dull in his corage Atwene twayne hangyng in disioynte Werreyed of Romayns hated in Cartage Had a battaile to his fynall domage Within a felde called Arusius There put to flyght by one Fabricius Destitute by Fortune and appayred Voyde of succour barrayne of rychesse Like a man of hope dispayred Towarde Epyre in haste he gan him dresse Where he was first his story doth expresse As ye haue heard rehearced by writyng By succession whilom lorde and kyng But whan he came to Epyre the citie He gan of new agaynst Antigonus Kyng of Macedoyne a full stronge countrie Hym to werrey he was so desierous And by conquest the story telleth thus Within a while there was no great lettyng By helpe of Fortune he was crowned kyng Not seuen monethes raignyng in quiete By Lisymachus maugre all his might He was put downe remoued from his sete Yet of presūption though there was no right He toke on him to gyn a newe fyght Gayne Lacedemonois felly them werrey Onely because they would him not obey Whose presumption whan they behelde Bothe of prudence and policy Women were armed to make a large felde With multitude to oppresse his party For cōmon profite put them in ieoparty And fynally suche was their ordynaunce That Pyrrus was brought to mischaunce His sonne there slayne called Tholome And many other lost there their liues And for all that of pride and crueltie He gan a warre agayne the Argyues And at the ende of his mortall striues For conclusion this was his last fall Slaine w t a stone as he came to their wall His head smit of in the same place And therof made an oblacion To Antygonus for a great solace Thus lyst fortune quite his presumption After his warres with many region Lo here the ende of folkes retchles That folowed warre list not liue in pees ¶ The .xxv. Chapter ☞ How the tyrāt Aristotimus by trecherous working set aside the right line and was crowned kyng of Epirothes and after slayne FOr the proceadyng folowyng John Bochas I wil reherce in ful playne lāgage How Aristotim a tyrāt this y ◠case Cast and compassed by full great outrage Hauyng no title of right nor heritage Of Epyrothes by trecherous workyng Voydyng the line there to be crowned kyng Liuyng two children the story telleth thus Borne by discent to raygne in that citee The eldest of them called was Pyrrus And the seconde named Tholome And bothe twayne by the cruelte Of Aristotym were falsely set aside He made kyng this tyrant through his pryde And while that he thus gan occupy Lyke a tyrant cruell and vengeable Of false rancour and melancoly Slewe all the citizyns y t were most notable And exyled this story is no fable Onely of malice within his hart close All that were contrary vnto his purpose Vnto the women by fraudulent sentence He made ordayne after that anone Of fained pitie gaue to them lycence To their frendes frely for to gone With their riches but they were euerychone By his biddyng and by his false treason Take by the way and fettred in pryson Or they were ware was set on them arrest And after that of vengeable crueltie The children slayne suckyng at their brest Maydens oppressed of their virginitie But in this while at Cypre the citie There was a knyght passyng of great age Whiche cast of purpose to auenge his outrage The same knyght mine auctour telleth thus In the story playnly as I rede Was in Greke tonge called Helematus Right wise manly both in word and dede And thinges twayne put him out of drede To execute his purpose in certayne Maugre all tho that would be him againe For cōmon profite he drad not to be dead A cause was this for he was fall in age And another that put him out of drede For he no children had of his lynage His quarell rightfull gaue him aduauntage And here vpon gathered him of newe Suche as he knew y ◠manly were and true This purpose helde w t circumspect auise And theron made full prudent ordinaunce This Helematus olde hardy and right wise Afore prouided by knyghtly purueyaunce The said tyrant brought vnto mischaunce By helpe of them that were to him assented Vnwarely slain whose deth was not repēted ¶ The .xxvi. Chapter ☞ How quene Arcinoe for the aduoutry done with Demetrius husbande of her daughter Beronices ended in sorowe AFter this story Bochas gan apply To turne his pen like as ye shall here To write and tell the frowarde lechery Of Arcynoe pleasaunt of loke and chere Whiche of her port and eke of her manere Was in her dayes like as it is founde For craft beauty called Venus the seconde For her fayrenes yeuen in mariage To noble Agas of Cyrenes kyng Atwene them while they were yonge of age They had a daughter by recorde of wrytyng Called Beronices the kyng at his endyng In his testament bad that she should be Wedded to the sonne of kyng Tholome And this was done of entencion To cease the warres y ◠had endured longe Atwene Egipt as made is mencion And the Cyrenes bothe realmes stronge By this
Howe with a smale sodayne infirmite When deth age lyst she we theyr presence Disdayne al freshnes with vnware violence Agayne whose might there is no other grace Processe of yeres all beaute doth deface Though Demetrius was fayre vpon to se As ye haue herde rehearsed in sentence Gayne law and ryght he loued Arcynoe Thoccasion founde by her false insolence Bycause reason made no resistence Nat aduertyng how euery hour and space Processe of yeres all beaute doth difface Full horrible was their iniquite And tofore god hatefull their offence For through false lust and sensualite Lost was the bridell of inwarde prouidence Sharpe mortal sworde made y e recompence Drowned in teres whan she dyd hi embrace With blody woundes disfigured all hys face O noble prynces let thys story be A clere myrrour to your magnificence Therein considred the false fragilite Of worldly fayrnes which is but apparence And transitory but so be that prudence Gouerne the passage vicious lust to enchace Processe of yeres all beaute dothe difface The .ii. Chapter ¶ Howe the two brethren Seleuchus and Autiochus eche desyrous to excell other fyll at discorde and ended in mischefe THere is no man that can in story rede Of more mischefe nor of more debate Than of debate that is atwene kinrede Twene blode blod gayne kide infortunate Namely in persons whiche ben of hye estate As it fyll ones the story beareth recorde Atwene two brethren that were at discorde That one Seleuchus Antiochus the other As the story hereafter shall deuy se Eche desyrous for to excell other In worldly worshyp wonderly they were wyse And both blent by worldly couetyse For to clymbe vp to hye estate Whiche caused them to be at debate Both mighty kinges Bochas maketh mâ—cioÌ„ And of one wombe sothlye they were borne Vnder a cursed fell constellacion Of frowarde sede may grow no good corne And through couetyse bothe they were lorne And distroyed by the mortall werre That was atwene them in Asie nye ferre It is to me verye contagyous To rede the batayles and discencions The false promyses of Antiochus With the disceytes and conspirations Bretherne of byrth and of condicions Contrarious wayes euer they dyd wende Frowardly they began so made an ende Their mother was called Leodices And in Asya Seleuchus was reignyng Euer in werre coude nat lyue in pees And in Surry Antiochus was kyng And among robbers they made theyr ending Where euer they fought in wronge or ryght Neuer they bode but toke them to flyght Though Seleuchus was at his gynnyng Shynyng in glory and in hye prowesse And of Asya he was lorde and kyng With great diffame was derked his noblesse Bycause that he of great vnkyndnesse Ful falsely slewe without iudgement Hys yonger brother that was innocent And by the byddyng of Leodices Which was his mother of hatefull cruelte Falsely to murdre the quene Beronices Wife to the kyng called Tholome Reygnyng in Egipt but it stode so that he For all his power fayled of hys pray Bycause that she was ware fled away Yet afterwarde of olde hate and enuy This Seleuchus by full false treason Murdred Beronices by conspiracy Her sonne also as made is mencion The sclaundre arose through many a region And was reported vnto hys diffame Wherthrough he lost his worship his name And on thys murder auenged for to be For the horrible great abusion The kyng of Egypt the sayde Tholome Gan make him strong came w t people doun But for there was so great discention Through al his land the story saith certayne He was constrained to returne home agayne Seleuchus than made a stronge armee Gathered shyppes stuffed them w t vytayle Towarde Asye he taken hath the see But suche tempest gan hys people assayle That hertes and power of them gan fayle w t thundring lightning veÌ„geably distrained To take the land of nede he was constrained The people of Asye seyng thys mischefe Had of Seleuchus great compassion And their succour to set at a prefe They hym receyued into that region Though it stode as made is mencion That aforetyme for hys cruell dede They had his person in full great hatrede And for he fonde fortune fauourable Nat considryng her mutabilite He cast of rancour for to be vengeable And gyn a werre agayne Tholome His men outrayed he was constrayned to fle Knewe no refute nor succour of none other But for great mischefe sent to hys brother I meane hys brother called Antiochus Behestyng him for to crowne hym kyng Of all Asye hys story telleth thus Toke truse thys whyle by subtyll false workyng With Tholome for ten yere enduryng And when his brother came with his powere Falsed his promise double of hert and chere Thus of newe they fyll at debate Eche gan other myghtely werray False couetise to encreace theyr estate Caused that nouther lyst other to obay Met in a felde there is no more to say Fought haÌ„de for hande their hostes both two Seleuchus fled as he was wente to do Thus a false werre of hatred fraternall Agayne nature set them at discorde Eche busy was in especiall As their story remembreth by recorde Neuer their lyfe to be at one accorde But whaÌ„ Seleuchus was put thus to flight The people of Surry gan deme anonryght That he that day was outher take or dede And Gallougreis a people of great poste Of Couetyse gan hast them in great spede To entre Asye and spoyle all that countre To Antiochus they had eke enmyte That he was fayne for hys fauacion To pay to them a full great raunsom Their heart was yeue onely to pyllage Takyng of hym of golde a great quantite And he seyng of robbyng the outrage Drew to the pyllours one of them was he And through al Asye they robbed eche couÌ„tre For Seleuchus they gan so purchace That he nat durst abide in no place Than Antiochus drewe to Tholome Voyde of saueconduyte or any assuraunce Though y t atwene them was great enmyte For a season as made is remembraunce To haue founde succour in his gret greuauÌ„ce But all for nought for in conclusion Tholome hym toke and cast in derke prison There constrayned of necessite Knowyng no meane to make his raunson By a woman that lyued in pouerte He was holpe out of that derke prison Lo here of fortune a false condicion That coude make a kyng without pere Of a woman to stande in daungere To proude folke this maye be a myrour To se a prynce thus sodaynly brought lowe That shone in ryches lyke an emperour Which of disdayne lyst no man to knowe Now is he cast nowe is he ouerthrowe Now hath he cause to plain wepe mourne Knowyng no frende for succour him to turne He was aferde to holde hys passage By hye wayes or for to come in syght Fyll amonge theues they by great outrage All mercylesse slew hym anone ryght And his brother for all his great myght
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
or rede Of this forsayde manly Hanyball My penne quoke my herte I felt blede For to beholde the wofull pytous fall Of hym that was the defensable wall Of Cartage the myghty strong toun Which slewe him selfe by drinkyng of poyson It was to him he thought more manhede To sle him selfe by vengeaunce most mortal Than his enemies by constraynt should hym lede In chaynes bounde he to be thrall So great dispite he had of them at all That leuer he had than byde in theyr pryson To murder him selfe by drynkyng of poyson As me semeth in thys horrible dede He resembled the furies infernall Of cruel Pluto I trowe he toke his mede Voyde of all reason became bestiall It whose terrible feast funerall Goddesse Proserpina came w t Manes doun The same tyme whan he dranke poyson Noble prynces consider and take hede Leauyng the surplus hys dedes marcyall Knyghtly remembre haue in herte hatrede Of his enpoysonyng in especiall Abhominable to god and man withall That a prynce so famous of renoun Shoulde murder him selfe by drinking of poyson The .xxi. Chapter ☞ Howe Prusias kyng of Bithinye that betrayed Hanybal woulde haue disherited his sonne and heyre went a beggyng in straunge landes FOlowyng in order there came to Bochas Of Bithinye the great myghty kyng Whiche in his tyme was called Prusias Greatly sclaundred and noysed of one thyng That he was false and double in workyng Agayne the noblesse of his estate royall Because that he betrayshed Hanyball This diffaute derked the bryghtnesse Of hys fame and his knyghtly renoun And eclipsed hys passed olde prowesse By reporte in many a region Alas that euer the condition Of doublenesse by falsenesse or faynyng Shoulde be founde and namely in a kyng Of this Prusias further to procede Which agayne Hanyball wrought thys treason A sonne he had called Nychomede Borne to be heyre by iust succession But hys father by false collusion Purposed hym for he was yonge of age To put hym out of hys heritage In this matter ther grewe vp a great stryfe By Prusias agayne thys Nychomede Cause that he by hys seconde wyfe Had a yonge sonne in bokes thus I rede Whome he purposed to preferre in dede For whyche he caste by shorte conclusion Of Nychomede the destruction And for tacomplyshe this frowarde falsematere By full great delyberation Kyng Prusyas gan shew heuy chere Gayne Nychomede sekyng occasion To depriue hym of possession After hys dayes by subtell false workyng In Betheny he shal nat reygne as kyng The people seynge thys great iniquite Wrought by the king gayne good conscience Through all the lande of hye and lowe degre To Nychomede all of one sentence Gaue theyr good wyll theyr beneuolence For euery lorde and euery great baron Stode whole w t him through all the region Thus by iust tytle he was crowned kyng Prusias for shame and heuynesse In straunge countreys lyued by beggyng All desolate cryed for almesse Loe here the ende of treason and falsnesse Left at mischefe myne auctour sayth y ◠same Of pouerte forsoke hys owne name Se here two thynges take ryght good hede Of Prusias the vnware sodain mischaunce The disherytyng done to Nychomede After folowyng on him the great vengeaūce As the story putteth in remembraunce For treason done odyble and mortall Agayne the foresayde famous Hanyball The .xxii. Chapter ⧠Howe Perses of Macedone kynge that enpoisoned his brother was by Emilyus outrayed and died in pryson BEspreynt with teares pitouslye wepyng As Bochas sate in hys studye alone Next came Perses of Macedone kyng And mortally he gan sygh and grone And furiously for to make hys mone That he was whylom of so great renoun Constrayned after to dye in pryson This sayd Perses of nature was frowarde Yuyll disposed eke of hys condicion Though he of byrth was but a bastarde He compassed by false collusion After hys father to haue possession As myne auctour remembreth by writyng Of Macedone to be crowned kyng His father Philip the story telleth thus Had a sonne whiche was yonge of age Wyse and redy called Demetrius Borne and begot trewly in mariage But Perses cast by furious outrage Hym to destroy and murdre by poyson He of that kyngdome to haue possession Falsely compassed to hys auauntage In his entent Demetrius to depriue Of Macedone whiche was his heritage And thervpon he letters gan contriue To preue him traytour while he was alyue Wherof kyng Philip greatly was anoyed That he and Perses should be distroyed By Demetrius that thought no domage Ment no harme in hys opinion Yet his father suspicious of corage For Perses gaue hym false information Made him be slayne by drinkyng of poyson Vpon a daye a thyng abhominable Sittyng at meate at his fathers table King Philip after when he knew the trouth Had of his dethe great compassion But all to late and that was great routh Whiche caused after hys owne destruction For sorowe dyed and of presumption Perses after falsly vsurpyng In Macedone was crowned for the kyng With diuers countreys made his alyaunce In Grece Trace gate frendes nere ferre And of pride and wylfull gouernaunce Cast with Romayns for to holde werre Vngrace and youth made him for to erre Tyll a Consul sent fro Rome toun Brought thys Perses vnto distruction Called Emilius was thys Consulere Sent again Perses to haue a great batayle Seynge his doughter heuy of her chere When he went out hys enemies to assayle Made vnto her this vncouth apposayle Why wepe ye so what thyng doth you agreue At my departyng takynge of meleue Father quod she and ye take good hede A whelpe I had that dyd great pleasaunce Called Perses the which right now is dede And this chefe cause is only of my greuaūce Her father than gan chaunge countenaunce This is a token to myne encreace of glory That I of Perses shall haue the victory In Macedone he and Perses mette And quit hym there lyke a manly knyght Cōquered the lande none might him withlet And manly put Perses to the flyght After to Trace he toke the way ryght Of whiche conquest short processe to make With his two sonnes Perses was ther take Emilius after thys victory Asketh the triumphe to hys guerdon And as it is remembred in hys story Perses foloweth his chayre throughe Rome toun Condempned after to dye in pryson The whiche dethe he dyd well deserue For he by poyson made hys brother sterue Thus can fortune erly and eke late Downe from her whele and hye stage Of proude prynces the surquedy abate Whan to her lust she seeth moste auauntage She frowardly gan tourne her vysage And sodaynly the estate of them consume Aboue their office that wrongly lyst presume Amonges whiche a kyng of Israell Agayne the precept and lawe of Moyses Called Ozias the byble can well tell Of presumption wylfull and recheles To sacrifice put hym selfe in prees Lyke a byshop in the temple arayed But or he passed greatly he was affrayed
by great falsenesse His subtell sleyghtes and hys doublenesse Them to reherce ye get no more of me For in the byble the story ye maye se. The .xxix. Chapter ⧠Howe Demetrius the seconde lost at the last his head BVt I wyll returne to Demetrius That called was Demetrius the seconde Which by discent came fro Antiochus And by his manhode as it is well founde Dyd the pride of kyng Ballas confounde Called Alysander which by great out rage Had put his father fro his herytage This Demetrius famous and notable Vpon Parthoys had many great victory Tyll kyng Arsacides double and deceyuable Him selfe delytyng greatly in vaynglory By hys sleyghty fraudes deceptory Vnder a shadow of faynyng and false chere Toke Demetrius vnwarely prisonere And to great hindring sclauÌ„der of his name Arsacides by a maner mockery Made Demetrius for dispite and shame Poorly arayed of hate and great enuy For to be led through all Jury Made hym after by great auisement To wed hys doughter agayne hys owne entent This Demetrius was kepte out of prees That but fewe had of hym syght Vnto tyme that Arsacydes Was deed and passed for all his great might Than he cast to escape away by flyght And secretly to accomplishe his entent He gate hym couÌ„sayle that was of his assent Gallymandrus a lorde of that countre Which that was of hys assent in dede In their flight to kepe them more secre Made Demetrius for to chaunge his wede And preuy wayes forth he dyd him lede But all for nought his flight was in vayne For by strong pursute he was taken agayne After by constraynt presented to the kyng That he gan wexe wery of his life Kept more straytly folke on him waytyng And maugre him presented to hys wife With her to abide full heuy and pensyfe But wheÌ„ they had childreÌ„ atwene theÌ„ twaine To go more at large losed was his chayne And thus he had space and fre lycence To go and come at his auauntage For whyle his wife helde with him resydence They dempt hys chyldren were suffisaunt hostage But he was euer vnstable of hys corage With Gallymandrus the foresayde knyght Thre times take brought agayn by flyght And for he was so dyuers many folde Kyng Fâ—ahaâ—es in token he was vnstable Sent him thre dice forged square of golde To play raket as a chylde chaungeable Hys disposition was so varyable But for to restrayne hys condicion He was est take and fettred in pryson But whan fortune had geuen hym a pull By many a diuers straunge aduer site To punish him more Phrahates wexeth dul And Demetrius of pryson was made free Full restored agayne to his countre Wext proude agayne of new it is so fall That he was hated of his lieges all Cleopatra hys mother that was quene Of all Egypt and wyfe to Tholome Was with her lorde at stryfe who lyst sene Which turned after to great aduer sue But to strength her party thus wrought she Made her sonne for to take on hande For her to fyght agayne her husbande But Tholome called Euergetes Gayne Demetrius defended hys countre Made zebenna to put hym selfe in prees Sonne of a marchaunt borne of lowe degre To make a clayme by false subtylte Of all Surry to haue possession For hym allegyng tytle of adoption He to be sonne to Antiochus Claymyng therby the kyngdome of Surry Onely texclude the sayde Demetrius And Tholomeus to sustayne the party Of zebenna with all hys châ—ualry Gathered in Egypt and countreys enuyron Agayne Demetrius proudly is come doun And fortune wyth her double face Caused the countre ryse by rebellion That Demetrius stode clene out of grace Whereby the people of that region Were whole agayne hym in their opinion That by Tholomes wonderfull workyng zebenna there receyued was as kyng Thus zebenna by false intrusion Of all Surry was made lorde and kyng Tytle was there none but collusion Texclude Demetrius by subtle compassyng Yet as I fynde hys party defendyng Howe Demetrius zebenna gan assayle Theyr quarel darreyned w t a great batayle Great people slayne vpon outher syde Demetrius put from hys region And ouercome for hys great pryde At great mischefe to hys confusion Hauyng no succour nor consolacion But with a fewe chose of hys meyne Fled by water to Tyre the cite Lyke as he woulde haue lyued there in pees By a faynt maner of perfection Within the temple of myghty Hercules Vnder a shadowe of religion But sodainly at hys commyng doun Into Tyre and at hys arriuayle His heed smit of what dyd his pride auayle ⧠The .xxx. Chapter ¶ Howe zebenna kyng of Surry by entrusion entryng had mischeuous endyng TOuchyng zebenna of whome I spake toforne Poorely brought vp and of lowe lynage And of kynred but a begger borne Came tofore Bochas trist of hys visage Soore wepyng muet of langage Gan complayne hys wofull auenture Vnware and sodayne impossible to recure Hys condicions somwhat dull and rude Fyrst in pouerte proude and presumptious Appeched after of great ingratitude Shewed in hys lyfe to kyng Autiochus Hys first furtherer the story telleth thus For whyche Antiochus greatly was anoyed Cast a meane by whyche he was distroyed There was a cosyn y t called was Grispus To Antiochus and of the same lyne Whiche by title of Demetrius Claymed as heyre by many vncouth signe To reygne in Surry proudly gan maligne Agayne zebenna whose party to supporte Stode Antiochus chefe as I can reporte This sayd Grispus yonge and tender of age By the furtheryng and supportacion Of Antiochus had in maryage His owne doughter with great possession That zebenna for shorte conclusion Compelled was for all his great myght To Antioche for to take hys flyght And there he fyll in so great pouerte Fayled money for to paye wages The soudyous whyche in that countre Abyde vpon him of all maner ages Strange folke and sundrye of langages Theues inurdres mansteers pyllours First of Jupiter assaylyng the treasours To his disclaunder perpetuall of memory The diffame arose so many folde In Jouis temple the baner of victory He toke away that was of massâ—fe golde With a great ymage that stode there of olde Of golde also with other mo treasours With which pillage he payed the soudiours Of sacrilege hauyng no conscience To escape away he entred is the see But Eolus by great violence With winde and tempest as he dyd flee Dyd vnto hym full great aduersite And all his meyny forsoke hym of entent And he was take and to Grispus sent King of Surry to whoÌ„ wheÌ„ he was brought Gaue on hym by iudgement thys sentence For sacrilege that he had wrought Spoyâ—â—g temples by great violence Doyng to goddes no maner reuerence For which Grispus coÌ„mauÌ„deth hath as iuge He to be slayne there was no better refuge Of byrthe a boy clambe vp to royall stage Brought vp of nought and set in dignite Knew nat hym selfe wext cruell of corage Arose fro pouert to great prosperite
But through fortunes mutabilite That blind lady so made her power stretche As he began to ende lyke as a wretche Reken the estates of worldly regaly NoÌ„bre of meyny golde treasour richesse Stately castels paleys on eche party CoÌ„quest by fortune cumbinge to hie noblesse Cruel sworde conueyed by wyifuinesse Power extort with couetyse oppressyng Causeth destruccion of many earthly kyng But in contrary who lyst hym selfe knowe And is by grace inclined to mekenesse Though he in pouerte be brought vp lowe And is by vertue enclined to worthynesse With scepter of peace sword of rightwisnes Indifferently his domes demeanyng Suche one is able to be cleped a kyng What is chefe cause grounde and occasion That princes ofte stande in ieopardy Of worldly chaunges in suche diuision Reygnyng amonge them y t serpent of enuyâ— Symulacion faynyng flatery The south out serched who so lyst to loke By many tragedy expert in thys boke The .xxxi. Chapter ¶ Howe Bitynctus kyng of Auergnoyes by the Romains was taken and died in prison BItynctus next of Auergnoyes kyng Came tofore Bochas ginnig his coÌ„plaint Of his distresse thordre rehersyng And howe that he was made feble and faint Againe the Romains mischeuously attaint Nat withstanding to maintayne his quarel He cast of pride agayne them to rebell But it is first put in remembraunce How Auergnoyes is a nacion Hanging on Gaule longeth vnto Fraunce Of which Bityncte stode in possession Hauing dispite in his opinion To the Romains in any wise to obey But proudly cast againe them to werrey His labour was to stande in franchise And be at large from their subiection Gau of pride their lordship to dispise Gadred people of presumption Whom for to mete Fabius was sent doun A mighty consul which knightly toke on haÌ„de For theyr party Bitynctus to withstande Of whose coÌ„myng Bytictus toke dysdayne By cause the folke whyche Fabius dyd lede Were but fewe and whan he hath them seyne He sayd of scoru this people who taketh hede May not suffise my houndes for to fede WhaÌ„ they be slayne to fewe they be in noÌ„bre With multitude y t I shall them encombre An hundred thousaÌ„d in hys vaoward he had That passe shoulde of Auuergne the ryuere And fowerscore thousande beside that he lad the Consul Fabius met him with good chere Whan he was passed of Rodanus y â— daâ—gere Fought al the day tyll it drewe to night The Romayns wan their fone put to flyght At the ryuere lyke as saieth the boke There were drowned brought to mischauÌ„ce Fyfty thousande as they water toke Through fortunes frowarde variaunce And by attaynt tencrease of his greuaunce Bitiâ—â—tus take was of the Romayns Dampned to prison there to dye in chayns ☞ The .xxxii. Chap. How the tyrant Euergetes wedded quene Cleopatra slewe her eldest sonne exyled hys wyfe and wedded her doughter AFter whose deth pitously to rede sene Of Epiphanes the great Tholome Came the doughter Cleopatras the quene Gan complayne her greate aduersitie Her sorowe furious diffaced her beaute Her chekes whyte of blode teares meynt Rent w t her haÌ„des were pitously bespreint To Philometor she wedded was aforne Whylom sonne to Tholome the kynge And by her lorde in true wedlocke borne Two sonnes she had as by olde wrytyng After whose deth anone vp suynge To Euergetes a prince yonge of age She was agayne ioyned in mariage By title of her in Egipt lorde and syre Kyng of that lande cruel and dyspytous Whose story sheweth no kigdom nor Empire May of them selfe make no man vertuous For lyke a tygre this tiraunt furious Her eldest sonne day of their mariage Borne to be heire he slewe of mortal rage Not longe after this extorte cruelte Albe they had children atwene theÌ„ twaine Out of Egypt he made her for to fle And of malyce he gan at her disdaine I trowe she had matter for to plaine He toke her doughter whan y t she was gon Agayne nature and wedded her anon She called was Cleopatras also But Euergetes to she we him more veÌ„geable Againe her mother that was fro Egipt go The citie which was to her fauourable The people exyled he wode vntretable In her dispyte gaue that notable toun Of hateful malyce to a straunge nacion But whan he know through his cruel dedes And gan conceyue howe he was culpable Sawe againe hym y â— many folde hatredes And conspiracion of states honorable He at large to be more vengeable Game Cleopatras to gyn an vncouth stryfe Went in to exyle wyth hys newe wyfe Gadred people his olde wyfe to assayle On her chyldren to shewe more vengeaunce A day assigned helde with her battaile But which of them was driuen to vttraunce Myne auctour plainly put not in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce But suyng after thus of him I rede Howe of malice he wrought a cruel dede Which to reherce is nouther good ne fayre But terible and abhominable He dismembred her sonne and hys hayre On peces smal this tirauÌ„t most vengeable And whan the mother sate at her royal table With body and heed at a solempnite Let her be serued of frowarde cruelte Wherof al Egipt had indignacion And for to auenge his cruel great outrage They toke his plates basnet haberion And his cote armure wrought of gret costage Fro their temples rent out his ymage In token he was a tiraunt most attaint Eche thing diffaced y t was of him depaint Whose hateful story replete of wretchednes Full of vengeaunce fro warde mischeues Therfore I deme Bochas lyst not expresse More of his life fulfylled of al repreues Of Cleopatra wrote not the fynal greues In this chaptre what fatal way she toke Lest y â— matter shoulde difface his boke ¶ The .xxxiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Jugurtha by entrusion was kynge of Numedy slew y â— rightful heires after he hym self was drowned AFter thys woful deadly auenture Of Cleopatras whose storye is full olde Came Jugurtha the manly man to lure And to Jhon Bochas hath his tale told Of his conquestes and dedes manyfolde Subtyl of wyt as myne auctour sayeth Gaue lytel force for to breake his fayth But in ordre the story to conuay Of Jugurtha and of hys kinted Massmissa kyng of Numedy soth to say His vncle was and also as I tede The sayd kyng had a sonne in dede Called Mysipsa eldest in wrytinge After his day to reigne as kynge This Massinissa ordayned afterwarde Tofore his deth of hole entencion By cause Jugurtha was borne a bastarde To depriue him of al succession In his Testament but in conclusion His sonne Mysipsa afterwarde made kynge Was to Jugurtha frendly and louynge Mysipsa had two sonnes as I fynde The tone of them called Adherbales The seconde the story maketh mencion Was that tyme named Hyempsaies Wyth whom Jugurtha put him selfe in prees For to abyde dwell in especial Lyke as their cosyn in their corte royal Cherished full wel bycause y e he was wyse And right
maketh mynde How of their cite there sholud nat lye a stone Vpon another for their mortal fone Should theÌ„ besiege he told them so certaine And make Ierusalem with y e soile al plaine With weping eyen Christ told theÌ„ so beforne Of their ruine and their distruction Synne was cause that they were lorue For they nat knewe to their confusion Time of their notable vysitacion Whan Christ came down borne here in erthelowe For their saluacioÌ„ they lyst him nat to know Thyrty yeres fully cronyculers write And somwhat more after his passion Amonge the Iewes playnly to endyte Within them selfe fyll a diuision Murdrers to se vp within their own toun So great a nombre with many an homicide That in the cite no man durst well abyde Their presidentes reigning in Iude Seing this horrible foule rebellion And of murderers the mortall cruelte That longe endured in that region Which for to appese romains sent doun Vaspacian with many a manly knight Whiche in to Galylee toke his way right And to chastyse tho murderers robbours Brent their couÌ„trey as he rode vp and doun So continued with his soudyours Tyll vnto time the countreys enuyron Of Ierusalem entred be the toun With their oblacions in many sondry wyse As Paskâ— required to do their sacrifyse Tofore tho dayes was Ierusalem Had in great worshyp of all nacions Called princesse of euery other reem Whose fame stretchyd through al regyons Their treasour great and their possessions Double walled of buylding most notable Dreding no enemy for it was impregnable Among romayns was many a manly man Willing echone of one affection Through the knighthode of Vaspasian Echone to labour to the distruction Of Ierusalem for great diuision Amonge them selfe was gon in the cite By certaine captains y t were in nombre thre Simon Iohn and Eleazarus Horrible tyrauntes oppressing the porayle Of gouernaunce frowarde and outragious Falsly deuided eche other dyd assayle Amonge them selfe had many gret batayle Werre without and werre was within Thus of vengeaunce mischefe dyd begyn Vaspasian nat beyng rechelees For his party lyke a prudent knight By notable meanes exited them to pees But all for nought blent their owne sight To chese the best they coude nat se a right And in this while this noble werryour Vaspasian was chosen emperour By Alexsaundrie to Rome he went againe Receiued there themperiall dignite His son Titus he made his chefe capitaine His procuratour to gouerne in Iude Beset enuyron Ierusalem the cyte With men of armes sieged it so about That none might entre nor none issue out Stopped their coÌ„dutes their waters clere Enfamined them for lacking of vitayle A certain woman thus saith the croniculere Rosted her childe whan vitaile did fayle She had of store none other apparayle Theron by layser her selfe she dyd fede Which in a woman was to horryble a dede Their mighty walles with gons cast downe Two stronge towres take of their cite Resistence gan fayle in the towne They stode of hungre in such perplexyte Tytus of knighthode and magnanimite Throughout the toure called Antonian Is entred in like a knightly man The people in streates lay for hunger dead To bye nor sel no lyfelode in the town There was no succour of drinke nor breed In paine of death borne nouther vp ne doun Vomyte of one was the refection Vnto another there was such scarcite Who redeth Iosephus the trouth he may se. Brent was the temple made by Salomon Which had endured thus writ y e croÌ„yculere That was so royal buylt of ryche stone Fully a thousande two hundred yere Romains entred maugre their portere With speare pollax sworde sharpe whet Lyke wode lions slewe whom they met Their riche gates couered with plate of gold Were brent and molten without excepciou The siluet ymages y â— forged were oâ— gold The vyolent fyre made them renne â—oun Noble Tytus had compassiou His marciall dukes spated nothing certain Lest of presumpcion they wolde rebel again A leuen huÌ„dred thousande were there staine By sworde by hungre by fyre pestilence Stynke of carayns y â— in the strâ—â—â—s layne Caused of deathe most sodayne vyolence And Titus gaue among them this sentence I meane of them that dyd aliue dwell For a penny men shoulde thurty sell. So as Iudas solde Christ for thurty pence Titus againe thought of equyce Of marchaundyse to make recompence Thurty Iewes founde in the cyte For a penny and for nomore parde They to be solde for theyr great outrage Euer amonge Sarazyns to liue in seruage Of the temple a priest that was full olde Two stately lantarnes y â— were bright shene Tables basyns violes of bright golde He presented and thus he dyd mene That their treasure should wele be sene Of the temple and shewed to Titus In token it was whilom so glorious To shewe eke there he did his busy cure Silke sinamone frankencens withall For sacrifise the purpurate vesture With Vrimthumun the ryche pectorall Whiche ordained were in especiall For the solempne place of places all Sancta sanctorum and so men dyd it call Of the cite a prince called Ihon To Titus came and shewed his presence Pale for hunger there came also Symon Brought by a duke y t named was Terence Clad in purple brought by violence Receiued of Titus whan this noble town Castels towres walles were smyt downe In to a castell called Mazadan Eleazarus had take his flight Belieged of Scilla or he the castell wan This Eleazar like a furious knight Within the castel the selfe same nyght Styred euery man father childe brother With sharpe swordes erche man to sle other Thus was this cite most stately of bilding That whilom was of this worlde chefe toun Where Melch yâ—â—der reigned preest kyng By dayes olde as made is mencion Restored by Dauid builded newe of Salomon Princesse of proninces was no wher such another Now is it ahiect refuse of al other Vnto the Iewes Christ Iesu gaâ—e respite Full thurty yere or he toke veingeaunce In token the lord hath ioye great delite Whan that sinners dispose them to penauÌ„ce By contricion and vertely repentaunce This blessed lorde this king most merciable Lengest abideth or he lyst be vengeable He was to them so gracious and benygne Bade that they shoulde to him conuert sone Shewed vnto them many an vncouth signe During twelue daies eclipsed was y â— mosis The people atones knew nat what to done But indurate in their froward entent Like folke abashed wyst nat what it ment Afore the siege or Titus gan the werre Ouer the cite wherof they wext aferde There appered a comete and a sterre The sterre was shape like a sharpe swerde Touching the comet there was neuer herde Of such another so firy bright and clere Which endured the space of al thâ— yere Their festiual day halowed in Apryl Their priestes busy to make oblacion So great a light in the temple fyll That
in many stronge batayle whose noble conquest greatly dyd auayle To comon profyt for al his worke parde was to the encreace of Rome the cyte He recured all the Septemtrion And west warde had many a great victory Amonge other I fynde that he was one Asked the triumphe to be put in memorye But there was a thing eclipsed his glorye which did y â— light of his knighthoâ— withdraw For he was enemy to Christ and to hys lawe Of him Bochas lyst no more to wryte But in his boke go forthe as he began Of one remeÌ„bring that called was Tacyte whych was successour to Aurelian And after him suceeded Folorian Of which twayne no remembrauÌ„ce I fynde That is notable to put in mynde The .v. Chapter Howe Probus discomfited romayns and after was flayne Probus after raygned full seuen yere And four monthes which by his hye renoun Gain went Saturninus w t a knightli chere Brought him proudly to subiection Not withstandyng that he in Rome toun Toke vpon hym of wylfull tyranny Holy th empyre for to rule and gye Besyde the cyte called Agrypyne This sayd Probus gayne many romayne A batayle had lyst not to declyne Met Portulus a mighty stronge captayne Wyth one Bonosus both they were slaine And all their meyny of very force and might Slaynm y â— felde the remnauÌ„t put to slyghte After this batayle and this discomfyture Probus was lodgedi Smyrmie a gret cyte And there vnwarely of sodayne auenture Slayne in a tour that called was Ferre But a small season last his prosperite Siche is fortune let no man in her trust All worldly thynges chaungyng as she lust The .vi. Chapter ¶ Howe Carus and his two sonnes were mischeued TOfore Bochas Carus next came doun with his two sonnes Numeria Carine And as I find he was borne in Narbon But whan that he most clerely dyd shyne By his knighthode plainly to termine In his empyre he gate cyties twayne Chole Thessiphontin Parthia w t gret payne Besyde Tygre a famous swyfte ryuere He pight his tentes cast him there abide A sodayne lightning his face came so nere Smyt all to pouder for all his great pryde And Numerian that stode by hys syde Had a marke that was sent fro heuyn Lost bothe his eyen with the firy leuyn His other sonne Carinus a good knight In Dalmacia had all the gouernaunce And for that he gouerned not a righte He was cast downe lost all his puissaunce Vicious lyfe cometh alway to mischaunce Sepcius chose Dalmacia for to gye Amonge his knightes murdred of enuy The vii Chapter ¶ How the hardy Quene zenobia fought with Aurelian and was take MIne auctor here no leÌ„ger lyst soiourne Of these eÌ„perours y â— falles for to write But in al haste he doth his stile tourne To zenobya hir story to endyte But for Chaucer dyd him so well acquite In his tragedyes her pyteous fal to entreat I wyll passe ouer rehersyng but the great In his bokes of Caunterbury tales This souerayne poete of Brutes Albyon Thrugh pilgrimes tolde by hilles and vales where of zenobya is made mencion Of her noblesse and her hye renoun In a tragedye compendyouslye tolde al Her marcial prowesse and her pyteous fall Mine auctour first affyrmeth howe that she Discended was to tell of herlynage Borne of the stocke of worthye Tholome Kyng of Egypt full notable in that age And this zenobya experte in all langage wyse of counsayle and of great prudence Passed all other in fame of eloquence Amonge she was armed in plate mayle Of Palmyrences wedded to the kyng Called Odenatus prudent in batayle She was also by recorde of writyng Hardy and stronge her lordship defendinge Maugre al tho with her cheualry Agaynst all them that wrongly toke party By Odenatus she had sonnes twayne Heremanus called was that one And Tymolaus of beautye souerayne After whose byrthe their father gan anone To occupy the prouynces euerychone Of Perce Mede by proces made theÌ„â—â—ene Of zenobya the hardy wyse Quene whyle Odenatus wext glorious In his conquest thrughout Perce Mede Slayne he was by one Mionius Whiche to the kyng was cosyn as I rede But for bycause of this horrible dede And for the murdre of king Odenate He dyed at mischefe and passed into fate By processe after zenobya the quene Toke her two soÌ„nes proudly dyd theÌ„ lede Tofore her chare the men might them sene How they were borne as princes to succede Made them like kinges clad in purple wede Them to defende this mightye creature Hardy as Lyon toke on her armure For al her Lordes and knights she had sent Maugre the romains proudly gan herspede All the parties of the Oriente To occupye and her hoste so lede Of themperour she stode nothyng in drede Called Aurelian met him in batayle With her meyny proudly did assayle On outher syde y t day great bloud was shed The stroke of fortune withstaÌ„t no creature The quene zenobia was taken forthe led Fought first as longe as she might endure With rich stones fret was hir armure w t whom themperour so entrig Rome toun Of triumphe required the guerdon He dempt it was couenable and sittinge This Emperour this proud Aurelian To aske the triumph it was so great a thing To take zenobia that such a werre began Gayne romayns this marcial woman For I suppose of no woman borne Was neuer quene so hardy sene aforne This hardy princesse for al hir crueltye whose renome thrugh the world was know With stockes of golde was brought to y â— citi From hye estate in pouerte plunged lowe A wynde contrary fortune hath so blow That she alas hath pitoufly made fal Her in that prowesse passed wemen al. The triumphe yeuen to Aurelian For the conquest he had vpon this quene Called zenobya came Dyoclisian Borne in Dalmacia his story who lyst sene Out of his countre first he dyd flene Of garlyke lekes as saythe the cronyclerâ— â–ª Bycause that he was but a gardinere Other mencion is none of his linage Of his byrthe forsoke the region Left his craft of deluyng and cortlage Gaue him to armes and by election Chose to be emperor regne in Rome toun First into Gaule he sent a great power And Maximian he made his vicar His vicar there had many a great batayle Vpon suche people that by rebellion Gan frowardly and contrary to assaile To obey his lordship within that region Tyll Carausius by commission And an hardy knight vndre Maxymyan Them to chastise toke on him lyke a man But by processe the story doth deuise His lordshyp there dyd great domage To common profit so he by couetyse The countre robbed by full greate outrage And to him selfe he toke all the pyllage And of presumpcion ware the colour Of ryche purple like an emperoure This Carasius of Bretayns twayne Proudly vsurped to be their gouernour Lyke a rebell agayne Rome dyd his payne And busyed him by marciall
repayre To a woman which had in her entrayle Spyrites closed to make his diuinayle In whose wombe barain and out of grace Of wicked spirites was the dwellyng place This sayd woman was a creature The which afore by cursed Julyan By his lyfe his purpose to recure In sacrifice was offred to Sathan And so as he with cursednes began Such was his ende as al bokes tell whose soul with Pluto is buryed depe in hel With this tyrant Bochas gan wexe wroth For his most odious fell outrage And to reherce in partie he was lothe The blasphemies of hys fell langage For nouther furye nor infernal rage May be compared with poison fret within To the false venyme of this horrible synne It is contrary to all good thewes And tofore God moste abhominable Hatefull to all saue to cursed shrewes For of all vyces very imcomparable Moste contagious and most delectable The mouth enfect of such infernal hounds Which euery day sle Christ with new wouÌ„ds For obstynate of purpose for the nones Of disposicion furyous and wode Not afraide to swere goddes bones with horrible other as body flesh and bloud The Lord dismeÌ„bring most gracius good His fete haÌ„des armes face and heed Reno him of new as they wolde haue him deed This blessed Lord which is immortall Though they be dedly they would him slee ageyn They be erthly he is celestial In froward wise they ben ouerseyne Discrecion fayleth their reason is in vayne All suche blasphemy for shorte conclusyon Procedeth of pride and false ambycion It semeth to me they haue foul fayled Of kyndnes to do him reuerence which for their loue vpon the crosse was nayled To pay the raunsome for mans offence Suffred death with humble pacyence False rebukyng spyttyng in hys vysage To bring mankynde vnto his heritage False surquedy that doth the heartes reyse Of such blasphemers as was this Julian whose great empyre might not counterpeise Again the Lord which is both God and man The original ground of pride was Sathan Prince vnder him most infortunate was this Apostata reignyng in his estate What was th ende of this tyrant horrible This cruell felon hatefull to euery wyght By sodayne myracle to al his hoste visible There dyd appere a very heuenly knyght Most freshly armed angelyke of sighte With a sharpe speere sitting on his stede Made the tyrant his hert bloude to blede His false goddes might him not auaile His frowarde off rynge done to maumetry Nor al his proude imperyall apparayle His inuocacions nor hateful sorcerye For this apostata that dyd his faythe denye Amonge his knightes slayn by death sodain His soule in hell with sathan in great payne The xv chapter ¶ Howe themperoure Valence slewe Heremites shed christen blud â–ª distroyed churches and after was brent BOchas in hast doth hys style dresse Next to the mperour y e called was ValeÌ„ce Rehersyng first the perfyte holynesse Of Heremytes that did their dilygence To lyue in penaunce and in abstynence Forsoke the worlde and for Christes sake In to desert they haue the way take â–ª In this world here they lyst no lengar tarye Dyuers and double of trust no certayne Ferre in Egypte to liue solitary Depe in desertes of folke not to be sayne The soyle was drye of vitayle ful barayne The frutelesse trees vp seared by the rote For Christes loue they thoght y e life most soâ—e This sayd Valence of malice frowardly To this Heremites y â— liued in gret penaunce Causelesse with full great enuy Troubled them and did theÌ„ great greuauÌ„ce Lyke a tyraunte set al in vengaunce Distroyd churches with people that he ladde And where he went christen bloud he shadde This mean while by robbyng and rauyne In Mauritayne which is a great countre There was a prince that called was Faryne And in Cesaria a famous great cyte For his extorcion and his cruelte He toke vpon him proudly there reignynge Maugre romayns to be crowned kinge Theodose the fyrst a manly man Was sent out his malice to withstand By the bidding of Valencian Which that time the mpyre had in hand Bothe atones but ye shal vnderstande Theodose was sent out to assayle The sayd Farine and slewe him in batayle Of whiche Faryne by full cruel hate In that countre presumptuously reignynge Smote of his heed and sate it on the gate Of Cesaria this was the endyng Which by intrusioÌ„ afore was crowned king In Mauritayne oppressing them by drede As ye haue herde for which he lost his heade In this mater Bochas doth not soiourne By no attendaunce nor long diligence But of purpose dothe agayn retourne To the mperour that called was Valence Which as I told did so great offence The holy church of froward cursednes Slewal Hermites that bode in wildernes God wolde not suffre he shuld long endure Graunteth no tyraunt here longlyfe For by some mischefe or sodaine auenture They dye by murdre with dagger swerde or knife The Gotheyes whilom gan a stryfe For his outrage and great oppressyon They agayne romains fyll in rebellion A prince of his called Maximus Distressed them by so great tyranny And was vpon them so contrarious That they gadred all the cheualry And wext so strong vpon their partie That by their manhode it fel of auenture They on Valence made a disconsiture Spared not by robbynge and pillage Slough and brent many a stately place Cyties townes and many a small village That were famous within the laÌ„d of Trace But furiously thei met him in the face Where like a coward he turned his visage To saue his life lay hyd in Cartage Thus finally this emperour Valence As ye haue heard fayled of his entent The Gothes folowed by cruel violence As wylde beastes al of one assent The house and him to ashes they haue brent Lo here the fyne ye princes take hede Of tyrantes that saintes bloud do shed The .xvi. Chapter ¶ Of kynge Amacisius and howe Gracian and Theodosy distroied temples of fals gods how GraciaÌ„ was put to flight AFter Valence to God contraryous In al his workes most froward of liueÌ„g Tofore Bochas came Amacisius Which of Gothes was whilom Lord kyng Of his great age piteously complaining Inflate and dole lyst make no delayes Slew him self to short his greuous dayes Then came downe the brother of Valence The mighty emperour called Gracian Whiche afore had had experyence First with his vncle Valentinyan In the Empyre as bokes tell can And afterward Theodosy and he Had gouernaunce of Rome the cyte Theodosy and Gracien of assent Distroyed temples as in that partie Of false goddes also they haue downe rente The great ydols and all such maumetrye And full deuoutly gan churches edifye And in this whyle as fortune dyd ordayne One Maximus was vicar in Bretayne An hardy knight albe that he did vary From his promise made by sacrament In Bretayne list no lengar tary â–ª But into Gaule of hert and hole entent Gayne Gracian he sodenly is went And as
battayle dead was manye a knight The CoÌ„sul Lucius slaine in that rage The proude Romains by force put to flighte Of gentilnes Arthur anone ryght Let the body of Lucius be caried Againe to Rome it was no lenger taried The worthy princes lords that were dead And manly knightes abidynge wyth Arthur Like a king solempnly toke hede That they were buried by diligeÌ„t labour And in this whyle lyke a false traitour His cosyn Mordrede dyd his busy paine To take from him the kyngdom of Britayne So as the story plainly maketh minde Mordrede falsly to his auauntage Entreted them that were left behynde Vnder colour of fraudulent langage Gaue theÌ„ gret fredoÌ„e they did him homage That by his false conspiracion Brought al Britaine in to rebellion By faire behestes and many frendly signe Drewe the people to hym in sondry wyse Shewed him outwarde goodly benygne Gaue lybertees and many great fraunchyse To make BritoÌ„s their soueraine lord dispise And purueiaunce he gan make blyue To kepe the portes he shoulde not ariue Whan king Arthur had knowledgyng Of this false treason and al the purueyauÌ„ce That Mordrede made he lyke a manly king Left Burgoyne and al the lande of Fraunce Cast on Mordrede for to do vengeaunce Toke the see wyth great apparayle Cast at Sandwiche to make his ariuaile Mordred was redy w t knightes a gret noÌ„bre Made a stroÌ„g felde to mete him on the plaine In purpose fully Arthur to encombre At which arriuayle slayne was Gawayne Cosyn to Arthur a noble knight certaine Eke Aguisel was slayne on the stronde Kyng of Scottes or he came to londe Maugre Mordrede Arthur dyd arryue The grounde recured lyke a manly knighte For feare of whom anone after blyue The sayde Mordred toke hym to the flyghte And towarde London toke hys way ryghte The gates shyt and kept was the cite Againe Mordred he myght haue none entre In al haste to Cornwayle he fled The sworde of Arthur he durst not abyde Lest he shoulde lay his life to wed Yet for him selfe thus he gan prouide With multitude gathered on his syde Put life and dethe that day in auenture There to dye or the felde recure In fortune there may be no certayne Vpon whose whele al brotilnesse is founded Mordred tharday in the felde was slayne And noble Arthur to the deth was wounded By which the felde of britons was confoâ—ded Of so great slaughter good knightes lorne Vpon a day men haue not sene beforne After the battaile Arthur for a whyle To staunche his wouÌ„des hurtes to recure Borne in a lytter came to an yle Called Aualon there of auenture As the sayd Gaulfride recordeth by scripture How kyng Arthur flour of chiualrye Was fet w t his knightes liueth yet in fairy Thus of Britayne translated was that sonne Vp to the ryche sterry bryghte dongeon Astronomers wel reherce konne Called Arthurs constellacion Wher he sit crowned in the heuenly mancion Amyd the palaies of stones cristalline Tolde among christen of the worthies nyne This errour abideth yet among Brytons Which founded is vpon the prophesye Of olde Marlyn lyke their opinion He as a kyng is crowned in fairye With sceptre sworde and with his regalye Shal resort as lorde and soueraine Out of fairy and reigne in Britayne And repaire againe the rounde table By prophesy of Merlyn set the date Among princes kyng incomparable His sete agayne to Carlion to translate The parchas susterne spon so hys fate His Epitaphe recordeth so certayne Here lieth king Arthur y t shal raigne agayne Vnto Bocas I wyl agayne retourne Afore rehersed parcel of hys prowesse Theron to abyde me lyst no more soiourne But to remembre the great vnkyndnesse The conspiracion the treason and falsnes Done to king Arthur by his cosyn Mordred Make a Lenuoy that al men may it rede ¶ Lenuoye THis tragedy of Arthur here folowing Byddeth Prynces all beware of false treason For in erth is none so perillous thynge As trust of fayeth where is decepcion Hyd vnder curtayne of false collusion For which meÌ„ shuld I holde the couÌ„cel good Beware afore euer of vnkinde blode The world diuers fortune aye chaungeable In euery countre and euery region In a straite nede fewe frendes abyde stable Long absence causeth discencion And if princes by false diuision Nygh of alye shewe two faces in one hode Let men beware euer of vnkynde blode Who was more hardy of princes here reignig Or more famous of marciall renoun ThaÌ„ whilom was his enemies outrainge Arthur chefe sonne of Brutus albion But for al that the disposicion Of fate and fortune most furious wode Caused his distruccion by vnkynde blode What more coÌ„trarious to nature in shewinge Than fayre pretence double of entencion Great aliaunces frowardly workyng Hid vnder floures a serpent cast poison Bryght siluer scaled domageth the dragon Eche worme soÌ„e party tarageth of his brode And what more perilous than vnkinde blod Noble princes on Arthur remembringe Deme the day of Phebus going doun Al is not golde that is clere shininge Afore prouided of your inwarde reason False vndermining and supplantacion Remembring aye with Arthur how it stode By conspiracion of vnkynde blode ☞ An exclamacion of Bochas agayne kynredes vnkynde AGayne kynredes and vnkynde alyaunces Bochas maketh here an exclamacion Vpon Mordrede whyche wyth hys ordinaunces Caused of Arthur finall distruccion The fame eclypsinge of Brutus albyon Not wyth standyng plainly to discriue He trusted him aboue al men alyue It is a meruayle and vncouth to deuyse By what occasion or by what corrage That a man shoulde in any maner wyse Be founde vnkinde vnto his linage Hateful to god that in any age Blode agayne blode borne of one kynred Conspire should of malice and hatrede In this matter it were but vayne to tary The story knowe of Arthur and Mordrede By blode alied in workyng most contrary Which made many a Briton knyght to blede For by vsurpyng conspiracion falshede Of the sayd Mordrede most infortunate Caused al Britayne to stande desolate Fyrst desolate by absence of their kynge Called in his tyme of kynges most notable The desolacion of knyghtes abydynge Whilome in Britaine famous honorable Brethern echone of the rounde table Which by Mordred y â— false for sworn knight Stode longe eclipsed dyrked of his lyghte The light of noblesse y â— shone in Britaine By false Mordred was dirked of his bemes The monarchye departed was on twayne That stode first one with his marcial strems But afterward the brightnes of hys beames Drough to decline by false diuision Which hath distroied ful many a region Al the processe vpon a duplicite Plainely concludeth that is blode vnkynd Adue welfare and all prosperite Where peace and concorde is left behynde Trees may not thriue departed fro the rinde A plaine example in Arthur Mordrede Who can conceyue and list the story rede The .xxvi. Chapter ¶ Of Gisiuill kynge of
wythout lenger strife Syt as a iudge that knoweth so wel my life Whan these bretherne stode at discorde Eche agayne other by mortall violence Vnder a colour to treate of accorde With many a maner fayned diligence Chilperik there beyng in presence Whylom brother to Sigebert the king Was slaine among theÌ„ by false conspiring On whose death auenged for to be As Sygebert did him selfe auaunce Among the preace he slaine was parde Nat so qd Bochas but of false gouernauÌ„ce Of your misliuing fyl this vnhappy chaunce That Sygebert was murdred in sothnesse Onely by occasion of your doublenesse Folowing the traces of newe fangylnesse Gaine Sygebert ye wrought full falsly Whan ye loued of frowarde doublenesse Landrike the erle of Champayne of Bry For by your outrage and your greyt foly The king was slayne and ye dyd assent In a forest an hunting whan he went Which called was the forest of Compyne Alas quod she brake out complaining Bochas Bochas thou doest sore vndermyne All the surfetes done in my liuing Thou knowest the death of Sigebert y â— kiÌ„g Whiche y â— was wrought alas by mine assent Howe knowest thou were nat there preset Of these debates and of all the werre With rebukes reherced here in vayne In rehersaile greatly thou doest ecre For I caste be right wele certayne In my defence to reply agayne It was nat I she that thou doest mene It was Fregundis â—he lusty yonge quene This Fregundis thou shalt vnderstande Right womanly and fayre of her visage Chilperik was whylom her hrsbande For her beauty toke her in mariage By her traines and her great outrage He was after the story who list rede At mischefe slaine thou shalt so finde in dede Though ye by langage make strong defence In these matters which cause me to muse I haue againe you lost my pacience That so subtelly wolde your selfe excuse Coutrariously your traynes ye abuse For Cloâ—ayre I haue so red parde Was not engendred of Sigebert nor of the. I remembre full wele that I haue rad That Chilperyk though ye therat disdain Recorde of auctours that prudent be sad He in trouth was gendred of you twayne Which in his dying me list nat for to fayne Left sonnes two the story ye may rede Theobarte and Theoderyke to succede Bochas qd she though thou turne vp so doâ— The said stories reherced here in dede Folowing the malice of thyne opinion Maugre thy wil forthe I wyll procede As I began take therto good hede The fyrst Theoderik thou shalt vnderstande Cosin Germaine was to my husbande King of Burgoine that time and another He of hatred and indignacion Slewe Theobart whiche was his brother His wyfe and children for short conclusion Which in the mighty famous region Of Antrasâ—e reigned as lorde and kyng What euer thou saiest this is trouth no leasinge Nay nay qd Bochas it was all otherwyse I may nat suffre howe ye go there amonge All this langage of newe that ye deuise Brought to a prefe concludeth vpon wronge What shold we lenger this mater draw aloÌ„g Your self were cause wher ye be loth or faine By Theodorik y e Theoberte was slaine The grounde herof gan percell of enuye By your froward breunyng couetise Which ye had onely to occupie To rule the lande after your owne gyse And if I shall plainly here deuise Of these mischeues reherced god do bote Ye were your selfe ground chefe crop rote Quod Brounchylde I conceiue wel and se Ye of your partie haue lost all reuerence Your selfe enarmed to shewe your cruelte Against me touching the violence Of two slaughters reherced in sentence First how Theodrik his brother slew iÌ„ dede Called Theobarte a pitous thing to rede Him selfe after strangled with poyson His wife his children hewe in peces smale As ye quod Bochas make here mencion Some parte is trewe but nat al your tale For I suppose ye should wexe pale For shame of thing which ye can nat excuse Whan Theoderik beginneth you to accuse He put on you the crime of false treason Ye slewe his wife and children also Him selfe also ye murdred by poison I would wete what ye coude say hereto Alas qd she what should I do Was neuer woman in hie nor lowe estate All thing considred more infortunate Fortune of me set now but lyttell price By her frowarde furious violence Turnyng her whele and visage of malice Causeth to me that no man yeueth credence Had in dispite voide of reuerence And by fortunes mutabilite Sole abiecte and fall in pouerte O Bochas John for shorte conclusion Thou mayest againe me thy style auaunce I haue deserued to haue punicion And al the princes barons now in FrauÌ„ce Crie out on me and aske auengeaunce Refuge is none nor recure in this thing Tho w t Clotarie my selfe be crowned king For my defautes foule and abhominable Tofore the iudges of all the parliament I was foriudged founde also culpable Of euery crime conuicte by iudgement Myne accusours there beyng present Of one and other standing a great route Marked w t fingers of folke y â— stode aboute For very shame I did mine eyen close For theÌ„ that gaured cast on me their sight But as folke may by tokens we le suppose Mine eares were nat stopped halfe a ryght Taken by force lad forth by might By the hangman drawe ouer hill and vale Dismembred after hewe on peces smale With my blode the pament al bespraynt ThaÌ„ked by fortune such was mine aueÌ„ture The soule parted the body was so faynt Who red euer of any creature That muche more turment did endure Prayde Bochas to haue al thing in mynde Write her life and leaue nothing behynde ¶ Lenuoy THis tragedy of BrouÌ„child y â— quene Loke her story who list yeue attendaunce Froward to red coÌ„tagious to sene And contrary to all good gouernaunce Borne in Spaine crowned quene of FrauÌ„ce Double of tonge vpfynder of treason Caused al that lande stande at deuision From tho traines there coude no man flene Sourse headspring of sorow mischauÌ„ce Shed hony first stange after as do been Her myrremedled w t sugred false plesaunce What she said encluded in variaunce Maystresse of murdre and of discencion Caused all that lande stande at deuision Princes of Gaule might nat sustene Great outrages nor the great greuaunce Nor the surfetes done in their yeres grene Brought y â— kingdome almost to vttraunce All of assent cried on her vengeaunce The fame arose howe all that region In her falsnesse stode at deuision The knyfe of murdre grounde was so kene By her malice of longe continuaunce Her corage fret with infernall tene Spared nouther kyn nor alyaunce Paysed her forfetes and wayed in balaunce As Bochas writeth she was the occasion Which made al Fraunce to stand at deuision ¶ Bochas marueyling of the malice and cruelte of Brounchylde writeth thus BOchas astonied gaÌ„ inwardly mar-uayle Fyll in a maner ambyguyte Of Brounchyldes
with perle legge stocked to the kne Playnynge to Bochas of their aduersite Their shone were raced freshly to the tone Richely transuersed with gold wyre And theron set many a stronge stone Gayne Phebus light shone bright and clere These lombarde kinges gan taproch nere The fyrst of al the king Lupus Vnto Bochas gan to complaine thus Bochas quod he as for my party For to reherce by short conclusion One Grymaldus a prince of Lombardy Hath me enclosed out of my region And cruelly enchayned me in prison And after that did a sergeaunt sende Smyt of myne head there I made an ende The .xi. Chapter ¶ Howe the heade of Alexius was smit of by Comperton AFter this end reherced of Lupus For to declare his mortall heuynesse Next in ordre there came Alexius A lōbard king famous of richesse Which toke on him of surquedous prowesse For to compasse the distruction Of a prince called Comperton Which ware also a crowne in Lombardye Atwyxt both was werre and great distaūce But all the people and lordes of Pauie With mighty hande marciall gouernaunce The said Alexius brought vnto mischaunce And Comperton escaped from all drede Of mortal vengeaunce let smite of his heade The xii Chapiter ⧠How Ariperton was drowned with his ryches AFter whose death pitously playning Tofore Bochas came Ariperton Of Lombardy whilom lord and king Whiche like a fole of high presumpcion All causelesse toke occasion Of volunte there is no more to say Againe the duke of Bagaroys to werrey These princes twayne taken haue the felde And of Ariperton the party gan apayre His aduersary anone as he behelde His cowarde herte gan fall in dispayre Into Pauie for feare he gan repayre Toke his treasour in purpose anonright For uery drede to take him to the flight Toke a vessell and entred is the see With sodaine tempest assailed derknesse His barge perished by great aduersite And was drowned w t al his great rychesse Lo here the fyne of worldly wretchydnesse Namely of them to get great treasours That gyn werre agayn their neighbours The xiii Chapter ¶ Howe Dediere by Pope Adrian and Charles of Fraunce was put to flight died at mischefe NExte to Bochas with heuye loke and chere King of Lombardy shewed his presēce Called in his time noble Dediere Notable in armes and of great excellence And where his father had done offence To the Pope and full great duresse This king cast the domages to redresse Agistolphe was his fathers name Whiche to the Pope did great aduersite For whiche his sonne to encreace his fame Of royall fredom and magnanimite And of benygne lyberalite Gaue to the Pope with humble reuerence A stately cite that called is Fagence Therwith he gaue treasour and great good As he that list of fredome nat to spare A mighty castell whiche on Tybrestod Within the boundes lordshyp of Ferrare Whiche is a cyte playnly to declare Of antiquite myne auctour telleth so And stant vpon the ryuer of the Poo This Dediere reigning in Lombardy Gan wexe famous at his beginning Had a great name vpon eche party But in the erthe is nothing abyding All stant on chaunge fortune in workyng Is founde vnstable double of her vysage Which of this king chaunged the corage There he was large on euery side Lyberal founde in many sondrye wyfe His goodlyhede was chaunged in to pryde And his largesse in to couetyse Of doublenesse he gan anone deuyse To clayme agayne as ye shall vnderstand His saide gyftes out of the Popes hande Whiche Dediere had made aliaunce As the cronicle maketh mencion With king Pepin reignyng tho in Fraunce After whose death to haue possession And full lordshyp of all that region He gan of newe fall at distaunce Both w t the Pope with the king of Fraūce Of presumpcion these werres he began Againe his promise of double variaunce Pope in tho daies was holy Adrian Which to stynt the troble gret mischaūce Required helpe of the king of Fraunce And great Charles in Bochas as I rede Came to the Pope to helpe him in this nede Charles that time was chefe protectoure To holy churche their pauis and defence Whiche of hole hert and dyligent labour With Dediere by manly violence He met in Tuskie of knightly excellence Had a batayle to preue their might Charles victor Dediere put to flyght As I fynde he fled in to Pauie Worthy Charles layde a siege aforne Constrayned them vpon eche partye For lacke of vitaile they were almost lorne They wanted licour grayne and corne By sodayne constraynt great aduersyte To king Charles they yelded vp the cyte Kyng Dediere was sent in to Fraunce With mighty chaynes fettred in prison Like a wretche in sorow great penaunce Died at mischefe there gayned no raunson Which had afore so great possession After whose day by olde writing Among lōbardes was neuer crowned king The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ Of Pope Johan a woman with childe and put downe AFter the Princes reherced here toforne Drowned in teares came a creature Like a byshop rounded and yshorne And as a priest he had abrode tonsure Her apparayle outwarde and vesture Being a woman wherof Bochas toke hede Lyke a prelate shape was her wede She was the same that of yore agon Vnworthely sate in Peters place Was afterwarde called Pope John Aberdlesse prelate no heare sene on her face Of her birth named was the place Maxence a cite standing in Itaile Vpon the Keen full famous of vitayle In her youth and in her tendre age Forsoke her kyn and in especiall Cast she would for her auauntage Geue her to conning body hert and all And in the sciences called lyberall In all seuin by famous excellence By great study she had experience Her name couthe in many a diuers lande To shew her cōning first whan she began Serchyng prouinces came to Englande No wight supposing but y ◠she was a man Came to Rome her story tell can Taught Grammer Sophistry and Logike Red in scholes openly rethorike In the tyme of themperour Lotarye After the death as made is mencion Fro mine auctour if I shall nat varie Of the Pope which called was Leon The said woman by election I stalled was no wight supposing than By no token but that she was a man The boke of Sortes after that anon Of auenture tourned vp so doun She was named and called Pope John Of whose naturall disposicon Fyll by processe in to temptacion Quicke w t childe the hour came on her than Was deliuered at saynt Jhon Lateran After put downe for her great outrage I wyll on her spende no more labour But passe ouer all the surplusage Of her liuing and of her great errour Turne my stile vnto the emperour Called Arnolde write his pitous chaunce Sonne to Charles y ◠great king of Fraunce To this Charles as bokes determine He was sonne nat borne in maryage But begotten on a concubine Toke
that one Reigning in Damas of his true ryght Cathabadyn there beyng eke soudan Which in tho daies was holde a good knight And right notable in euery mannes sight And for the Soudan of Babilon aferre Called Saladyn oppressed was with werre For socour sent to these princes twayne To come in hast wyth all their chiualry Him to supporte and do their busy payne Enforce their myght to sustene hys partye Whose request they lyst not deny Abode no lenger but made them selfe stronge To stande with hym were it ryght or wrong Of thys matter the substaunce to conclude These princes came Salech Cathabadyn For their guerdon they founde ingratitude In this forsayde Soudan Saladin Founde him vnkinde plainly thys is the fyne From their estates as it was after knowe Disgraded theÌ„ both broughte theÌ„ ful lowe Of him in so the they had none other mede For their labour nor for their kyndnes What fyll after in Bochas I not rede For he forthwith leaueth this processe And vnto Robert doth his style dresse Called Farentyne reigninge in Taurence Who lost his lordshyp by sodayne violence This to say he reigned but a whyle Thys sayd Robert lost his gouernaunce Next to Bochas came Guylliam of Cecile Kyng of that couÌ„tre lorde of great puâ—saunce Lost his kingdom thrugh fortunes variance His eyen twayne rent out of hys heade After died in mischefe and in drede Which Guilliam reignyng in Cecile Was by discent borne â—ye of alye â–ª To Robert Guisterde as bokes do compile That whylom was duke of Normandye Greatly deliting in chyualry With his brother ful notable of renoun Which brought Naples to subiection His brothers name was Rogere Which had a sonne to be his enheritour Called Tancret as sayth the croniclere Which toke vpon him to reigne as successour Thus in Cecile Tancret was gouernour Agayne whom by title sought a fer Of aliaunce he gan a mortall werre For a mayde that called was Constaunce That doughter was to the kyng Rogere Whych was set of spirituall pleasaunce To be religious of hole hert and entere And by recorde of the croniclere This Constaunce hath the world forsake And to religion hath her body take Of this Constaunce the selfe same yere That she was borne as made is mencion There was a clerke a great astronomere Tolde of her byrth by calculacion She shoulde cause the desolacion Of that kingdome by processe of her age By the occasion onely of mariage Some that were to Tancret great enmy By their vngoodly exhortacion Moued the Emperour y â— Called was Henry To take Constaunce from her religion And by the Popes dispensacion She wedded was to theÌ„perour by his might By tytle of her put Tancret from hys ryght Wyth a great nombre of Italiens The Emperour entred in to that region But by fauour of Ceciliens Tancret long time stode in possession But through fortunes transmutacion The same tyme to conclude in sentence The saide Tancret dyed on pestilence Hys sonne GuilliaÌ„ y â— was but yonge in dede With Ceciliens cast him not to faile To kepe hys land and his ryght possede Met the Emperour wyth stately apparayle Made him redy wyth him to haue a battayle But the Emperour to great auantage Cast otherwyse of fraude in his corage Fayningly duryng the dyscorde The Emperour cast another whyle By a fase colour to fall at accorde And yong Guilliam vngoodly to begile Vndre treaty taken in Cecile Falsly depriued of hys region Sent to Itaile and throwe in prison By wey of treaty the story who lyst see All concluded vnder false treason With Guilliam take were his susters thre His eyeu put out for more conclusion He perpetually dampned to prison Dyed in pouerte lost his enheritaunce Lo here the fyne of worldly variaunce Further to write as Jhon Bochas began After that Guilliam was put froÌ„ hys reem To hym appered Guyot Lucinian Those afore kynge of Jerusalem Whose knightly fame shone lyke the son beem Which by his noblesse he whisoÌ„ dyd attayne GodfraÌ„y present that was duke of Lorayne But by the Soudan named Saladine He was enchaced of that dignite Al worldly pompe draweth to declyne So for the constraint of his aduersite The yeres passed of his prosperite Wente in to Cipres as a fugitife What fil after I rede not in his lyfe To make hys coÌ„playnt after hym came one Which had stand in great perplexite Erle of Bryeâ—ne and was called Jhon Whych afterwarde was kynge of the cyte Called Jerusalem and had also parde A faire doughter yonge and tender of age Joyned after to Frederike in mariage Beyng that tyme lorde and Emperour Was desirous aboue al other thyng Of Jerusalem to be gouernour And of Eecyle to be crowned kyng Whiche alderlast for his subtyle workynge Constrained was downe fro that partye To be a capitaine serue iâ— Lombardye The .xxiii. Chapter ¶ Of Henry the eldest Sonne of Frederike the seconde myscheued by hys father NExt to Bochas croked halte and sycke One called Henrye caÌ„e for to plaine The eldest sonne vnto Frederike Whiche by siknesse had felt great payne Megre and pale contracte in euery vayne Of whose langour the chefe occasion Was that he lay so longe tyme in prison Al hys dysease at great aduersite Ycaused was for shorte conclusion By his fathers frowarde cruelte As Bochas after maketh mencion And thys Henry by generacion Sonne vnto Frederike lyke as it is founde I meane Frederike called the seconde This Henry by discent of lyne Of Cecyle fyrst was crowned kinge And of Jerusalem whose renome dyd shine Through many a lande at his beginnyng And fortune also in her workyng Was to this Henry passyng notable In al his workes inly fauourable Of his person he had this auantage To all the people he was right acceptable Well coÌ„mended in his flourynge age Of there face and loke ryght amyable And of his porte very demure and stable Called in his ginninge suche fauoure he hath wonne Of princes al very lyght sonne But ofte it falleth that a glad morning Whan Phebus sheweth his beames brighte The day somtyme therupon folowyng With some derke skye is clipsed of hys lighte And semblably through fortunes myght This said prince by her false variaunce Fonde in her whele full noious greuaunce Who may the furies of fortune appese Her troubly waues to make them plaine Wher meÌ„ most trust they fynde most disease Where double corages stande in no certaine A shining day is ofte meint with raine Thus of Frederike the great vnstablenes Hath brought his son in mischefe dystresse This Frederike set vp in great fauour By the Popes diligent busines Vnto the state lyft vp of Emperour But through his fatal frowarde vnkindnes Of couetyse fyl in such excesse Toke vpon him the Patrimony to gye Of Christes church that parte to occupy Fyl in the Popes indignacion Counsayle nor treaty myght none auayle But of malice and presumpcion Cast wyth the Pope to haue a great battaile The sayd
her husbande her sonnes twaine Fortune in party eclypsed hath the light Of her welfare and gan at her disdayne Yet euen like as whan it doth rayne Phebus after sheweth more clerenesse So she fro trouble rose to more nobles I meane as thus rehersyng no vertue In her person that men coude espye But onely this by tytle of this issue Whan Charles doughter on that partye Was to the king wedded of Hungrye Called Andree a man of great corage He sayed his wyfe but right tendre of age The same Iane nat without vice As is rehersed somwhat by myne auctour To whome Phylipot whylom was norice As ye haue herde and by full great labour Of the said Iane Robert made gouernour Sonne of Phylipot for a great rewarde Made of Cecyle and of that lande stewarde This fauour done to Philipot Cathenoyse Caused in that lande great indignacion Whose doughters weddīg caused gret noyse Maryed to charles the gret erle of Marchon whiche gaue to folke greate occasion To deme amysse aboute in eche countre That all y ◠lande was gouerned by tho thre By quene Iane and Phylipot Cathenoyes And the said Robert stewarde of Cecyle Son to Philipot this was the common vois The Quene and Robert by their subtil wyle Had of assent vsed a longe while The hateful synne of aduoutry Rose in Cecyle and went vp to Hungry For Quene Iane began no maner thing But Cathenoyse assented were therto The execucion and fully the working Brought to conclucion by Robert al was do And in this time rose a great stryfe also Disclaunderous and a froward discorde Atwene the quene him that was her lorde Harde to procede vpon suspection Sclaunder is swift lightly taketh his flight For which men shoulde eschue the occasion Of fame and noyse of euery maner wight By prouidence remembred in his sight Whan the report is through a lande ronne Harde it is to stint it whan it is begonne Withstand principles occasions to decline Lest vnwarely ther folow great domage To late commeth the salue of medicine To festred sores whan they be vncurable ▪ And in case very resemblable To eschew sclaūder who list nat for to spare Maye nat fayle to fal into the snare Thus for a time the slaunder was kept close Albeit so it did for a while abyde Another mischiefe ful pitously arose Which afterward spred abrode ful wyde Aduoutry to murder is a very gyde Set at a priefe mine auctour doth recorde The king Andre was strangled with a corde Out of his chambre raysed a great heyght By a coniected false conspiracion He was entreated brought downe by sleyght After strangled as made is mencion Whose death to punish by commission Hugh erle of Anelyne by a patent large To be iudge toke vpon him the charge Of this murder rose vp a great noyse By euidence full abhominable Philipot called Cathenoyse Her sonne doughter that they were culpable Dome was yeue by Iudges ful notable And to conclude shortly their iudgement With chaines boūd at stakes they wer brent ¶ Lenuoy ▪ THys Tragedy afore rehersed here Telleth the domage of presumption By experience rehersyng the manere Whan beggers rise to dominacion Is none so dredeful execucion Of cruelte yf it be wel out sought Than of such one as came vp of nought Recorde on Philipot that with hūble chere By sodayne fauour and supportacion Which was to fore a simple smal landere Of no value nor reputacion By fortunes gery trāsmutacion Shed out her malyce testate whan she was brought List not consider how she came vp of nought Where is more disdayne or more daungere Or more frowarde communicacion More vengeable venim doth appere Nor more sleyghty false supplantacion Nor more conspired vnware collusion Nor vndermining done couertly wrought Than of such folke as come vp of nought Fortunes chaunges meuinges circulere With her most stormy transmutacion Now one set vp ful hie in the sphere Enhaunceth vices and vertues put down Record on Philipot whose venemous treasō Compassed aforne in her secret thought The dede sheweth y t she came vp of nought Noble princes with your bright eyen clere Aduertise in your discretion That no flaterer come in your court so nere By no fraude of false disception Alway remembring afore in your reason On this tragedy on this treason wrought By a false flatter that came vp of nought The .xxxvi. Chapter Howe kyng Sauses was slayne by his cosin which was brother vnto the king of Aragon THe that time came of this trauayle Bochas dempt holding for the best This noble Poete of Florente and Itayle To make his penne a while for to rest Closed his boke and shut it in his chest But or he might sparre it with the key Came thre princes mekely gan him prey Amonges other remembred in his boke Theyr greuaunces briefly to declare Wherwith Bochas gan cast vp his loke And of cōpassion behelde theyr pitous fare Thought he would for no slouthe spare To theyr requestes goodly condiscende And of his boke so for to make an ende Here gan first reherse by writyng In his complaynt ful pitously he made Touching the fall of the great king Called Sauses which his soiour had The place named was Astrociade And as he writ a lytle there beside Was alytle I le called Emaside Bothe these Iles together knit in one Wher Sauses had his dominacion Liuing in peace enemy had he none In longe quyet had possession Whose kyngdom hole as made is mencion In the vulgar myne auctour write the same Of Malliogres plainly bare the name There is also another smaller yle Called Maylorge and of both twayn The said king was lord a great while Kepyng his estate notable and souerayne Hauyng a cosyn gan at him disdayne Which was brother as made is mencion Vnto the king that tyme of Aragon In the yles remembred by wryghtinges Whan the people went in to batayle Was the vsage founde vp first of stinges With cast of stones their enemies to assayle They had of shot none other apparayle In that tyme arblast nouther bowe Perauenture was tho but lytell knowe All these countreis were called but one lande Where Sawses helde possession Till his cosyn with strong and mighty hande With great power sodaynly came doun Brought people out of Arragon Fyll on kyng Sawses feble of diffence Gate that kingdome by knightly violence The balaunce was nat of euyn peys Atwene these cosyns who lyst take hede For in hys conquest the Arragoneys Of cruelte hath smytten of the hede Of kyng Sawses quakinge in his drede Though it stode so they were nygh of alye There was that day shewed no curtesy The .xxxvii. chapter ☞ Howe Lewes king of Jerusalem and Cecile was put downe AFter thys Story tolde in wordes fewe And kyng Sawses slayne by tyranny There came a prince and gan his face shewe Called Lewes lorde of Trynacry The same yle in that party Called Cythane the story telleth thus After