enterchangiÌ„g y â— eche should reigne a yere The tother absent to play come no nere This concluded by their both assent And by accorde of that region Polynices rode forth and was absent Ethiocles toke fyrst possession But whan the ye re by reuolucion Was come about he false of his entent Vnto the accorde denied to assent Thys was a cause of theyr both striues Polynices was thus put out of his ryght Tyll Adrastus that kyng was of Argyues which thorow al Grece gretest was of might Sent vnto Thebes Tideus a knyght Hys sonne in lawe to treat of thys matter And the cause finally to lere Wher through the kyng called Ethiocles Would condiscende of truth and of reason To stynt warre and to cherishe pece After the accorde and composicion Vp to deliuer Thebes that mighty towne Vnto his brother whych abseÌ„t was without Now that his yere was fully come about But he was false and frowardly gan vary Ethiocles from hys conuenciâ—n For whych Adrastus no lenger would tary Whan Tideus had made relacion But called anone throughout his region All the worthy both nere and farre Ayenst Thebes for to begyn a warre For thys cause lyke as ye shal lere Polynices to force hys partie Ywedded had the kynges doughter dere I meane of Adrastus floure of chyualry Whan Tideus dyd him certifye Touchinge the answere of Ethiocles And of his truth how he was recheles False of hys promyse cursedly forsworne For to hys truth none aduertence had he Neyther to the accord y t was made beforne Touchyng y â— deliuerauÌ„ce of Thebes the citie But who that lyst the storye clerely se Of these two bretherne and their discencion And howe Adrastus lay to fore the toun And howe Tideus through his high prowes Fought by the way going on message And how of Grece all the worthines Wyth kyng Adrastus went in this viage And of the mischefe that fyll in that passage For lacke of water tyll that I siphile Norishe of Ligurgus so fayre vpon to se Taught Tideus to fynde out a riuer She that dyd in fayrnesse so excell Ne howe the serpent most vgly of his chere Of â—ig Ligurgus y â— childe slough at the well Neyther howe Amphiorax fyll doun to hel All to declare me semed was no nede For in the siege of Thebes ye may it rede The storye hole and made there is mencion Of either parte their puissauÌ„ce their might And how Adrastus lay tofore the toun And how they inette euery daye in fyght And howe Tideus the famous knyght So reâ—omed in actes marcial Was slayne alas as he fought on the wal And howe the bretherne met among the prese Lyke two Tigres or lions that were wode With sharpe speres this is doutlesse Eueryche of them shed others hert bloud This was the fyne thus with theÌ„ itstode Saue at their feestes called funerall There fell a marueyle which I tel shal Whan they were brent in to ashes dede Of their enuy there fyll a ful great wonder Amonge the brondes and the coles rede Hyghe in the ayre the smokes went a sunder The one to one party and that other yonder To declare the storye me list not fayne The gret hatered y â— was bitwixt hem twayn Thus for their yre and false discention All the lordes and all the chiualrye Were slayne of Grece and also of the towne And rote of all myne aucthour list not lye Was false alyaunce and fraternall enuy And chefe grounde with all the surplusage Who serche aright was vnkyndly maryage The quene Iocasta felt her part of payne To se her chylder eche of them slea other Her son her lorde blynde on his eyen twayne Which to his sons was father also brother Fortune would it shoulde be none other Also Parchas sisters which be in nuÌ„ber thre Spanne so the threde at their natiuitie Also whan Iocasta stode thus disconsolate And sawe of Thebes the subuersion The countrey destroyed and made desolate The gentle bloude shedde of that region Without comfort or consolacion Thought she myght be no more appeyred But of all hope fully loe dispayred Trist and heauy pensyfe and spake no word Her sorowes olde and newe she gan aduert Toke the sworde of hym that was her lorde w t which Edippus smot Layus to the hart She to â—inyshe all her paynes smarte And fro the body her soule to deuide Roâ—e her selfe throughout euery syde She wery was of her wofull life Seyng of Fortune the great frowardnes How her diffame and slaunder was so rife And of Edippus the great wretchednes Also of her sonnes the great vnkindnes All these thinges weyed on her so sore That for distresse she list to liue no more Bochas writeth concernyng her fayrenes Constraynt of sorow caused it to fade The famous light also of her noblesse And all the clearenes of her dayes glade With vnware harmes she was so ouer lade Of very anguyshe that she her selfe did hate So inly contrary disposed was her fate Thus death deuoureth with his bitter gall Ioye and sorow auoyde of all mercy And with his dart he maketh downe to fall Riche and pore them markyng sodaynly His vnware stroke smiteth indifferently From him refusyng fauour and all mede Of all estates he taketh so little hede Better is to dye than liue in wretchednes Better is to dye than euer lyue in payne Better is an ende than deadly heauines Better is to dye than euer in wo remayne And where y â— mischefe doth folke to coÌ„plaine By wofull coÌ„straynt of long coÌ„tinuaunce Better it is to dye thaÌ„ liue in suche greuauÌ„ce Taketh ensample hereof and a priefe Of kyng Edyppus that was so long ago Of quene Iocasta that felt so great mischiefe And of their children remember also Whiche euer liued in enuy sorow and wo. Fortune alas duryng all their dayes Was so frowarde to them at all assayes Touching Edippus processe finde I none What ende he made in conclusion Saue Bochas writ howe that kyng Creon Cosen and heyre by succession Exiled him chayned farre out of the towne Where he endured mischefe sorow and drede Tyll Attropos vntwyned his liues threde ☞ Lenuoy IN this tragedy thre thinges ye may se The pryde of Iabin false presumption Of quene Iocasta the great aduersitie Of kyng Edippus the inclinacion To vyces all and the diuision Of the two brethren playnly vs to assure Kyngdomes deuided may no while endure ☞ Omne regnum in se diuisum desolabitur For who sawe euer kyngdome or countrey Stande in quiete of possession But if there were ryght peace and equitie And iust accorde without discention Voyde of vntruth and false collusion â–ª Plainly declaryng by ensample and scripture Kingdomes deuided may no while endure Seeth here example of Thebes the citye And how that noble myghty region Through their frowarde false duplicitie With warre were brought to destruction Their promise broken their couert treason Shewed by their harmes ipossible to recure
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
melancoly and froward pouertie Ended his life in great aduersitye For of ire and impacience Fynally thus with hym it stode Furiously in his great indigence As writeth Bochas howe he dranke the blode Of a bul sauagine and wode With loue enchaufed made no delaies Most be stially ended thus his dayes ¶ The .xxv. Chapter ¶ Of Balthasar Kynge of Babylone and howe Daniell expowned Mane Techell Phares NExt to Bocas or that he was ware As he sate wrytyng wyth full great laboure Of Babilon cam great Balthasar To declare his sorowe and his langour Whych had misused ful falsly the tresour And the vessels brought from Jerusalem Into Babilone chefe citye of his reme For at a souper with his lordes al Whan of the vessels he dranke mighty wines And solemply sate in his roial stal And rounde aboute al his concubines Phylosophers magiciens and diuynes There came an hand the byble doth assure And on the wall gan wryte this scripture Mane techel phares wrytten in hys sight Though he the mening coÌ„ceiued neuer a dele Which on the wal shewed fayre bryght For whose sentence auailed none appele But the prophet holy Daniel Fully expowned to Balthasar the kynge The mistery of this derke writyng This worde Mane playnly not to tary In latyn tonge betokeneth in sustance The dayes counted rekened the numbrarye Of thy reigning of thy great substance And Techell sowneth a wayenge in balauÌ„ce In token thy power kyngdome by meâ—ure God hath paysed they shal no whyle endure Phares also betokeneth a breakyng In romaine tong in to peces smale For thy power and frowarde rebellynge Shal from the hie be brought in to the vale This is holy writ and no fained tale For whan princes wil not their life redresse God wyl vnwarely their surquedy represse Thou wert by tokens warned longe afore By many examples the story ye maye rede By the fallyng of Nabugodonosore And thou thereof toke ful litel hede The lord to thank haue his name in drede For whych thou shalt within a litel throwe Lose scepter crowne be brought ful lowe Let princes al thys story haue in mynde And for them selfe notably prouyde And namely tho that ben to god vnkynde Their concubynes for to set a syde And make vertue for to be theyr gyde Voyde lechery and false presumpcion Which hath brought so many to distruction Nabugodonosor had repentaunce And was restored to his possessions But god of ryght toke sodaynly vengeaunce On Balthasar for his trausgressions Wherefore ye princes dispose your reasons After your merites to haue god merciable For your demerites do fynde hym veÌ„geable Agaynst holy churche take no quarels But aduertise in your inward syght For Balthasar that dranke of tho vessels Stale fro the temple of very force myght He lost lorshyp and lyfe vpon a night So that the kyngdome of Assirieus Translated was to Medes PercieÌ„s The .xxvi. Chapter ¶ Home Cresus and Balthasar were vanquyshed by Cyrus and the sonne of Cresus slayne at the huntynge of a bore NExt to Ihon Bocas within a throw Wrytyng of princes many a pitous fate He sawe king Cresus with other on the row Lowly besechyng his fallyng to translate And howe fortune agayne hym gan debate And of his mischefe doleful for to rede For to discriue anone he gan procede For as it is remembred in writyng As god and kynde lyst for hym ordayne Of Lide he was gouernour and kynge And lordshyp had the storye can not fayne Of many kingdoms more than one or twain Fame in that tyme so dyd hym magnify That he was called floure of al chiualry And he was also in hys tyme founde The most expert in werre in batayle And of richesse was the most habounde And most excellynge in conquest to preuayle Plenty of people wyth royal apparayle And with al this to his great auauntage Numbre of childre tenblysse hys lynage In the most highest of his royal see And at was well nothyng stode amis Yet to amenuse his felicite A dreme he had and truely that was thys How that his sonne which called was Athis Was take from hym by mortal outrage Slayne sodenlye in his tendre age This woful dreme dyd him great distres And put his hert in great dispayre Standyng in feare great heauines Bycause hys chylde rendre yonge fayre Which that was borne for to be hys heyre Shoulde causelesse in suche myschefe die So as his dreame afore dyd specifye Of this processe to declare more How Cresus dreme fulfylled was in dede From Olimpus there came a wylde bore Most furious and sauagine of drede Wyth fomy tuskes which fast gan him spede Downe discendyng no where lyst abyde Tyl that he came in to the laude of Lyde And gan distroy their frutes their vines Where euer he came in any maner place Brake the nettes the stronge lynes Of the hunters that dyd at hym enchace But vnder supporte of the kynges grace Hys sonne of whom I spake tofore Gate him licence to hunt at this bore Hys father Cresus demynge of this ease There was no cause of drede in no maner Though hys sonne were present at the chase With other hunters suche game for to lere But aye fortune wyth her double there Is redy euer by some fatall trayne At such disportes some mischefe to ordayne For one there was whych had gouernance Vpon this chylde to wayte and to se Chasyng y â— bore to saue hym fro myschauÌ„ce From al domage and aduersite With many lusty folke of that countre With hornes houÌ„des sharpe speres grouÌ„de Sekyng the bore tyl they had hym founde And as they gan fiersly the bore enchace He that was charged to be the chyldes gyde As with his speare he gan the bore manace The head not entred but forth gan to glyde And on the chylde whych that stode besyde The stroke a lyght and or he dyd auerte The speres heade rofe hym through the hert But of this chylde whan y â— deth was couth Tolde and reported holy the manere How he was slayne in hys tendre youth Borne to be heire vnto his father dere Cresus for sorow chaunged loke chere And for constraint of dole in his vysage He resembled a very deade ymage But euery sorowe by long continuaunce At the last it sumwhat must aswage For ther is none so furious greuance Nor so mortal importable rage But long processe yeueth him auantage I meane thus there is none so great a sorow But it mought cese outher eue or morowe Philosophers concluden and discerne And by their reasons recorden by scripture Thyng vyolent may not be eterne Not in one poynt abydeth none auenture Nor a sorowe may not alwaye endure For stouÌ„demele through fortunes variaunce There foloweth ioy after great greuaunce The sorow of Cresus tho it were intollerable And at his hert the greuaunce sate so sore Syth that his dole was irrecuperable And meane was none
Vnder that darked and cloudy Orizonte Where auarice chose whylom nygardshyp For treasorer his cofers for to kepe First to declare the labour in gatheryng Of couetous men as it is in dede And couÌ„terpayse how their streight kepyng Is euer meynt with importable drede Sorow at departyng for their mortall mede Which may be called of trouth and equitie Of Cerberus the wakers heades three The fyrst head is vnstauncheable desyre Of worldly goodes great riches to attayne The more encrece the hotter is the fyre The seconde heade is the dredefull payne Which in kepyng his hart doth constrayne Vnware departyng that sodaynely doth fall Is the third head that greueth most of all This wakyr worme y t bereth this heads thre Is called the worme of gredy couetyse Whose busy coÌ„straynt restles perplexite Troubleth the soule in full furious wise Whiche froward monster playnly to deuyse Braydeth on Hidra of whome poetes sayne One head cut of there groweth thre agayne Euer at the tayle of plenty and ryches Of custome foloweth grutchyng and enuy For he that hath of treasure great michnes Is selde glad as for his party Thus bothe twayne stande in ieopardye The ryche w t plenty holde him not appayed And the neady wyth pouert is afrayed And yet in pouert is full great sykernes Which is treasour that no man wyll assayle As myne auctour Bochas beareth witnesse Amiclates amonge the porayle Lyued in peace sure from all battayle Helde hym content w t suche as God him sent Whan riche wer armed to the werre went Vertuous pouert standeth euer in siker case To watche his house he hath full lytle nede But proude Pompey assieged in Duras For feare of Iulius stode in great drede But people rude herof take none hede Suche as reioyse them for to shede blode In straunge werres wrongly to get goode Stories olde ful well reherce conne Diuers studies of folke here mortall First how Diogenes was coÌ„tent in his tonne In which he made his lodgyng principall And saw the course aboue celestiall Lyued gladder amonge philosophers Than kyng Cresus w t all hys stuffed cofers And yf men woulde vnto mynde call The great mischeues folowyng i habuÌ„dauÌ„ce And thinke also how Sardanapall For all his treasour came vnto mischaunce And how Sophoclius poorest in substaunce Had but a gardayne full of lekes grene And right nought els hym selfe to sustene This Philosopher was euer gladde lyght There was no watche made in hys tours Full surely slepte he al the longe nyght Hauyng no drede of theues ne robbours In somer walkyng among the grene flours And in colde wynter full merely and ofte On drie strawe he lay and slept full softe Cyntinatus a poore laborere Feyed dichesse to get hys sustenaunce without grutchyng euer glad of chere Bothe in porte and in his countenaunce Dempt he had as muche suffisaunce To his pleasaunce as Cresus kyng of Lyde Content with lytle nature was hys gyde Thys poore man in hys pouert assured With lytle fode and clothes but a fewe Had heartes ease gladsome peace recured It lyked hym nat ouer his head to hewe Which thing conceyued clerly doth vs shewe That ioyous pouert conueyed w t gladnesse Grutching auoyded surmounteth al richesse And if that folke consider a ryght Their pitous sighes theyr thoughtfull busynesse Theyr great labour theyr lytle slepe a nyght Which they endure for worldly rychesse And of y â— abydyng the dredefull sykernesse Which thing peysed and called to memory All erthly power is double and transitory And by storyes whiche ben credible Topreue theyr power is nat abydyng But at a poynt slydyng and fallible Whylom Massinissa of Numidy kyng That was so mighty by recorde of writyng For feare of Siphax onely hys lyfe to saue Flede into mountaynes hid hym in a caue And there he founde ful smale vitayle Constrayned narowe of indigence and nede WhaÌ„ other deyntes in mischese gan him fayle He gadred rotes and eate them in his drede Eke proude Xerses kynge of Perce Mede DraÌ„ke blod water to stauÌ„che w t his thrust Drede and trauayle gaue hym suche lust Yet some men would saye of auenture They were compelled agayne theyr voluÌ„te These kynges twayne suche mischefe teÌ„dure Maugre theyr wyll of necessite For casuall chaunce refte them theyr liberte So that the rygour of thys sodayne rage Came in by constraynt and of no courage But for all that folke in theyr pouerte On great meates that them selfe fede Ben all strong whole and fayre to see And also lusty preued at a nede Vpright of limmes theyr iourneys to spede As long lyfed the cause to expresse Is onely thys they do not vse excesse To poore men the best medicine Is due labour with moderate abstinence Good ayre in feldes wher Phebus lust shine Voydinge darke mistes y â— causeth pestylence Of heuy stomake they fele no violence They nat enriche leches nor potyquares Them selfe to saue with vncouth lectuares But folkes ryche worken the contrary Which in them causeth maladies stronge Fro theyr diete euery day they varye With diuers meates theyr syttyng longe â–ª And with all this theyr apetites wronge Take out of time which thei mai nat endure Which by custome oppresseth nature And thus myne auctour shortly to deuyse Seeth glad pouert staÌ„deth most in sekernes And of all euyl he seeth how couetyse Is rote and ground with false extort riches Ryot annexed engendryng long sicknes Theron concludyng how moderate diete Setteth body and soule in rest and in quiete The .xxiii. Chapter ⧠Howe Euagora kynge of Cypre was by Artaxerses outrayed and put from hys kyngdome FOlowingi order y â— processe of Bochas As he remembreth next in his writyng To him appered rehersed thus y â— caas Euagora that was of Cypre kyng Hys eyen derked by manyfolde wriyng Bycause he had lost that riche lande Which he tofore had coÌ„quered w t his hande This lande of Cypre as made is mencion Of diuers metals is passyngly habounde Hath of ryches great plenty and foyson And of this citie lyke as it is founde It staÌ„deth farre south w t many hilles rounde And hath also many commodities Within the boundes of townes and cities Touchyng this Cypre I can no more say Of whiche lande Euagora was kyng Tyll he gan proudly for to warrey With Lacedemons their partie susteynyng Gayne Artaxerses and at their metyng The sayd Euagora was brought to vttrauÌ„ce Put fro his kingdome fro al gouernaunce The .xxiiii. Chapter ¶ Howe Theo kynge of Egypt by Artaxerses was driuen from hys kyngdome and fledde into Araby NExt Euagora came kyng Theo Of all Egipt longe tyme possessour And to John Bochas gaÌ„ declare his wo How fortune dyd her frowarde labour And fro hym drewe her frendshyp fauour And sodainly through her iniquite She cast this kynge downe fro his royall see She lyst her malyce from hym nat differre Ne would not suffer hym for to lyue in peâ—s But caused hym for to begynne a
commyng Ditees deuise and of his conquest syng And strange minstrelles to be also recorde Thier instrumentes shal touche at accorde All of entent to geue hym more courage To the Capitole so he shal be brought And lest of pryde he fall in none outrage Nor surquedy within hys owne thought The most wretch shal of the town be sought Which of custome shal haue a staffe in hande And in the chare behinde his backe vp stande Gnotos Eolytos in Greke he shoulde seyne Whiche in our tonge playnly dothe expresse Know thy selfe remembryng in certayne Vpon fortunes frowarde doublenesse On whom thou trust may be sykernesse And who that douteth where that it be thus Let hym remembre the ende of Manlius What auayled his triumphes or hys byes Crownes of golde perled freshe tunicles His hygh prowes or all hys chiualryes Singler fyghtyng or marciall particles Newlye remembred or fed in olde cronicles Peyse his merites and see now at the last How into Tybre theyr champion they cast To his excuse auayled neuer a dele Fauour of coÌ„mons carectes of his woundes Nor to the goddes his lamentable appele Nor remebrauÌ„ce of theyr frauÌ„chised boudes Teritories nor wynnyng of the groundes Which that he wan w t spendyng of his blode All knitte in one to hym no stede they stode Here ye maye se how fortune sodaynly Clerenesse of fame can chauÌ„ge to derkenesse Glory to reprothe worshyp to vilany And ioye passed to mortall heuynesse Swytnesse of fauour into bytternesse And sobernesse into furious rage And old franchise to thraldome and seruage For there was neyther request nor prayere That auayled to hys delyueraunce In cheynes fettred dedlye of loke and there Abode the sentence of his finall gouernauÌ„ce Pale of face with trimblynge countenaunce Whan he alas gan mortal approche Of Terpeya to the hydous roche Of Terpeya thys roche bare the name After a lady as made is mencion Called Terpeya whiche fell in great defame Because she was assented to trayson To haue brought enemies into Rome toun Wherof conuict her story is wel knowe Vnder that roche she was ydolue ful lowe Thys roche also was called Carmentoun After a woman of great aucthorite Called Carmentes which through her hie renoâ—â— The Capitole made in that cite And she found letters first of our a b c And connyng had among her workes all Declare afore thyng that shoulde befall And on thys harde sturdy roche of stone Fro the Capitole Marcus was cast downe Other fauour nor frendshyp founde he none For all his battayles fought for the toune The coÌ„mons hertes were turned vpsodoune Whose loue is lyke preued at assay A blase of fire now bryght and now away The common people may hote and crye fast As theyr heartes stedfast were and stable But at a nede theyr promyse wyl nat last Of theyr corages they be so remouable To folow reason gerysh and vntreatable Lyghtly declinynge that is ful great ruthe After opinions and nothyng after truthe This Manlius was of hys truste disceyued Whose lust vnleful was departed in twayne Whan he of pride woulde haue be receyued To hygh estate which he myght nat attayne Wher through y e senate gan at him disdayne And the commons aye false at suche a nede Lefte hym in mischefe toke of hym no hede ¶ Lenuoye IN this tragedy meÌ„ may beholde se The perilous domages of false ambicioÌ„ Of theÌ„ y t be nat coÌ„teÌ„t w t their degre But would vp climbe lyke theyr opinion To hye estate by vsurpation Which nat consydre the sentence of scripture In a good meane men longest may endure Who that vsurpeth to higher dignite Than appertayneth to hys condition In royall chares for to make hys se And hath no tytle of lyne nor of reason Through frowarde pride full ofte he is putte doun For lacke he seeth nat euery creature In a good meane lengest may endure Whan Dedalus taught his sonne to flee He bad hym first of hye discretion Fro Phebus hete kepe his wynges fre And fro Neptunus colde congelacion Meanyng hereby for short conclusion That who that lyst with ioy his state assure In a good meane he longest shall endure Remembre the manhode and magnanimite Of Marcus Manlyus which by presuÌ„ption Wolde haue gouerned Rome the cite Maugre the senate ruled that mighty toun Whiche tourned after to hys confusion For he saw nat such was hys auenture In a good meane men longest maye endure Some in theyr greatest hygh prosperite Of frowarde corage and furious mocion In theyr great weale by false duplicite Haue a maner straunge condition Nat to be content with plentie nor foyson By a false etyke whiche of theyr nature In a good meane can nat longe endure But in this earth is greatest felicite In heartes ease rychest possession With suffisaunce content for to be Of worldly trouble teschewe thoccasion Meuyng no quarelles causyng no disceÌ„cion Nor cleyme nothyng which hard is to recure Sith in a good meane meÌ„ longest do endure Princes remembre in your most maieste Enuy of clymbyng causeth deuision Be of accord trust in no commonte Whiche at a poynt is but disception And specially flee simulation Ye maye in Marchus se a playne fygure Which for ambicion might no whyle endure The .iii. Chapter ☞ How Nectanabus kyng of Egypt was by Xerxses constrayned to flye hys kyngdome AFter the fal of Marchus Manlius Bochas anone gan hys style dresse Brefely to tell of Nectanabus Kyng of Egypt and of hys great rychesse Seyng afore in all hys noblesse By vncouth crafte how he ne myght chese That in all hast his crowne he should lese For he was connyng in especiall And ryght expert as made is mencion In all the sciences called liberall And knew afore by calculation How God wolde make a transmigracion Of hys kyngdome and playnly to reporte The lande of Perce to Grekes ful traÌ„sport For by kyng Xerxses out of hys countre Maugre hys treasour hys connyng myght This Nectanabus constrayned was to flye Durst nat abyde to haue of hym a syght But into Grece he drew hym anone ryght Nat lyke a kyng but after olde writynges Lyke a magicien he wrought woÌ„dre thinges Vpon fortune further to procede By hys conning he greatly furthered was And by hys sleighty workyng eke in dede He was acquaynted with quene Olimpyas And so secre playnely thys is the caas That openly her men sayd by demyng He gate Alysandre the great myghtye kyng But how he fled out of hys region Of hys ymages nor of hys illusions Bochas maketh no maner mention Nor how he wrought by incantacions Nor of hys subtel operations Nor how that he lyke a man by nyght Whilom apeared in the quenes syght Saue of hys deth Bochas writeth nought Remembring no tyme nor date How he and Alisander togeder haue sought The course of starres towarde euen late Nor how hys sonne like as was hys fate Downe from a brydge by full mortal wrake Cast hym backward and so his necke
knyght ▪ That whan Alysander laye diyng certayne And gan to feble of hys force myght Dempt afore that it sat ful well of ryght How thys Perdicas for wisdom manhede In Macedone shoulde after hym succede And vnto hym with loke chere benigne Vpon his heed for sickenesse complaynyng With full whole hert for a notable signe Of succession he gaue to hym a ryng After his day to be crowned kyng Of Macedone sith he most might auayle Through al his empyre to haue y ◠gouernaile And yet sayth Bochas playnly in sentence Though he of knyghthode and hie prowesse Of manly force and also of prudence Passed all other the storye beareth witnesse By vicious pride frowarde boystousnesse He was more hyndred through his outrage Than all his enemyes myght do hī domage For throughe his pride and great extorcions Fro Macedone the people of that countre Fledde into other strange regions And of presumption the story sayth howe he Began a warre agayne kyng Tholome Where he was slayne in all mens syghtes Nat of his enemies but of his own knightes Eke of Anaxarchus of Capadoce kyng Whiche prouince ioyneth vnto Surry Touchyng the boūdes by recorde of writyng Towarde the Orient the lande of Armeny Hauyng two coūtryes Scilice and Isaury Towarde Cypre a great ryuere Rennyng amiddes with stremes freshe and clere This Anaxarchus were he lothe or fayne In dayes fewe hath hys kyngdome lorne For by Perdicas proudly he was slayne Of whom that I haue you tolde beforne Thus worldly prices tho they had it sworne For all theyr lordshyp and domination By fraude of fortune vnwarly be put doune And amonge other prynces of that age Vpon Alysander duly abydyng Bochas reherseth Amylchar of Cartage Duke of that cite by recorde of writyng After the death of that worthy kyng As ye haue herde ymurdred by poyson This sayd Amylchar repeyringe to his toun Was slayne in Cartage shortly to conclude Of cruel malice and conspiracion Within that cite of false ingratitude Whan he of knighthode frāchised had y t towne And nat withstandyng all his hye renoune Whan he stode hyest in hys felicite He by the commons was slayne of that cite The .xiii. Chapter ⧠Howe Eumenydes was twyse outrayed by Antigonus and at the last dyed in pryson WHā Alisader in his roial estate Had all conquered tofore as ye haue herd He like a god most pompous elate As souerayne prince of all myddleerde To take vpon hym was nothyng aferde To clayme in countrees a thynge y ◠was nat fayre Of Jupiter to be both sonne heyre One of the principles who so taketh hede That first brought in false ydolatry Was thylke tyme y t priestes for false drede Hys name with goddes gan to magnify And so to call hym of fayned flattery And mydde their tēples in Liby on a stage Of hys lykenes they set vp an ymage But lytle or nought to hym it myght auayle Agayne his deth for to do succour When the fell poyson hys hert dyd assayle Whiche made him fade as doth a flour Of whose empyre was none enheritour Saue in his deth thus stode the woful case Twene sixe thirty hys land deuyded was And in his story full playnly it is tolde This departicion to make it ferme stable He was laide forth vpon a couche of golde To reherse by tokens full notable Whome he dempt of very sothe most able Of all his princes playnly to discerne When he was deed his kingdom to gouerne First there was one amonge all that prees Next Alysander the knightlyest man The worthy knyght called Eumenides Whose high renoun ful well rehearse can Prudent Justinus the great historian Ordayned afore to gouerne realmes two All Capadoce and Pafflagony also His hie nobles as made is mention In especiall more to magnify Hym lacked nought of commendacion That apparteyned vnto chiualry To hie prudence or noble policy Except thre thinges myn auctor sayth y ◠same A crowne a scepter and a kynges name But for that he all other dyd excell Bothe of prudence and famous chiualry It is remembred as some bokes tell That there were some had therat enuy For when fortune lyst to set vp an hye Any person aloft vpon her whele Some are besyde that like it neuer a dele Who holdeth him euer vpon hie mountaynes Fyndeth great experiece of blastes shours Oft is troubled with storme wind raines So of Alysander the proude successours Whan they sat freshest in theyr flours Winde of enuy fortune helde so the rother That eche was busy to destroy other On hylles hye it is an impossible A man to abyde without winde or reyne A thyng expert and very visible Hye climbyng vp is medled with disdeyne Preace hath enuy as it is oft seyne And through preferryng of fortune ◠estates Is euer cause of great warre and debates This same thinge was well expert preued Among these sayd royall enherytours Of Alysander for eche of them was greued To see hys felow raygne in his flours And thus atwene these myghty successours Of false enuy there gan so great a stryfe That eche made other for to lose hys lyfe And as it is afore made mencion Pollicarpus and Neptolonyus By a maner false conspiracion Agayne Eumenides were onely enuious Of whose falsenesse he was suspicious Tyll on a day there is no more to sayne Metyng in battayle slew them both twayne For which slaughter proude Antigonus Of Macedone prefect and gouernour Wext in his heart so fell and dispitous And was withal a noble warriour With his knightes dyd wholly his labour Agayne Eumenides by marciall apparayle A felde assigned to holde great battayle Made vpon him a great discomfiture As they mette armed bryght in stele And thus Eumenides of mortall auenture Fledde at mischefe into a strong castell Wherof his knightes lyked neuer a dole For as the story playnly maketh mynde That day he fled and left his men behynde In which castell for he stode destitute Fro thencehe cast in all hast to flye In his great mischefe to fynde some refute That time he drew him to a strāge countrye Some succour to get auenged for to be Called Argyre by Grekes of entent The Latyn corrupt of this worde argent Of Argiraspedes a people that there dwell The name they toke after that region The whiche lande as olde bokes tell Hath of syluer plente and foyson For which cause by olde discription It toke the name of nature and of ryght Because the soyle like syluer shyneth bryght And of thys yle which hath so great a pryse As myne authour maketh rehersayle How the people be prouident and wyse Prudent in armes and manly in batayle Bothe to defende and proudlye to assayle Whiche by theyr wisdome good counsayle To kyng Alysander stode in great auayle And Eumenides one of his successours As ye haue herde drewe to that countre There to fynde some refute and succours In his mischefe and great
Called Seleuchus which was a wonder Fil frō his courser brake his necke asōder The .iii. Chapter ¶ Howe the noble Queene Laodomya was in the temple slayne and vengeaunce take vpon hym that slewe her SYxe of estates prynces and pryncesses Shewed them to Bochas pitouslye playnyng To hym declarynge theyr mortall heuynesses And first of all there came to hym wepyng The noble queene her sorow rehersyng Called Laodomya which with heuy chere Complayned the mischefe of her suster dere Called Nereis yonge and tender of age That wedded was of Cycile to the kyng And on the daye of that great mariage There fyll a stryfe and a great meuyng Amonge the commons by a maner rysyng And when the quene therof had a syght To Dianes temple anone she toke her flyght The people was party rose againe y ◠kyng For whiche rumore and sodayne stryfe Laodomya full fearfully quakyng Ran to the temple for to saue her lyfe Supposyng in her ymaginatyfe That for the temples chaste reuerence Men woulde spare to do there violence But there was one by whom the strife began And was first grounde of this great motion Called Milo a false Cecylian Voyde of all reuerence and deuocion Ran to the temple feirser than a Lyon And where the queene the auter dyd enbrace With a sharpe sworde slew her in the place This sacrilege was punished by vēgeaunce Gods were wrothe through this gret offēce And Diana by full great displeasaunce Made in the courte a sodayne pestylence And Mylo was by vnware violence Tourned bestiall made wode in that affray And slewe hym selfe suyng the twelft daye The .iiii. Chapter ☞ How Cleomenes king of Macedone was slayne with his wife and children AFter this vengeaūce taken on Mylo Came Cleomenes of Macedoyne king And to Bochas gan shew his deadly wo His great iniuries of enemies assaylyng His hye emprises his kyngdome defendyng And alderlast how he in his citee Was by the sonne slayne of Tholome First in his countrey the story doth deuise Againe his enemyes he had a great battayle Of his people defendyng the fraunchyse Of knightly prowesse as he y t list not fayle For his ryght to fyght in plate and mayle His lieges echone beyng of one assente To lyue and dye with him in their entent Men women and children yonge of age Were in one hart as in that mattere Whiche made them stronge gate auaūtage That vndeuided they stode echone yfere Of one corage of one will of one chere Greatly assured in their opinion Because among them was no diuision Their cōmon profite they did more prefarre Than they did treasure lyfe or good For their fredome aye ready to the warre Not afrayed to spende their owne bloude And fynallye so together they stode That of one thought eche gan him redy make To lyue and dye for his brothers sake He had an enemy borne of that region The name of whom was Antigonus And he had wedded the boke maketh mencion The olde quene of kyng Demetrius And had her sonne the story telleth thus Called Phylyp fro youth in hys kepyng Therby pretendyng a tytle to be kyng Of Lacedemonoys claymed agayne ryght There to raigne and take possession Lyke a tiraunt vsurpyng of great myght For to be crowned in that region But for all his false presumption He was put of and yset a farre Though he with thē helde a mortal warre And Cleomenes that was rightfull kyng Was in the felde armed euery day Hardy as Lyon drede hym nothyng Gayne his enemyes he stode s◠at a bay That fro the felde he made them flye away His dredefull sworde grounde was so kene That to abyde hym they myght nat sustene And on a daye descendyng from his cite Helde in the felde a full stronge battayle With lytle people made his fone to fle Retournyng home ful wery of trauayle Thought in his heart that it should auayle To stynt the werre hangyng in no certayne Tyll y t his people refreshed were agayne Set ordinaunce through all the countre Gayne all enemyes to make resistence And into Egypt he goth to Tholome With wife children w tdrawing hys presēce There receyued with great beneuolence Lyke his estate out of care and drede And there abode tyl Thotome was dede But the sonne of kyng Tholome Whiche raygned after by succession Of false enuy and vengeable cruelte Slew Cleomenes in that region His wife his children voyde of compassion Alas it was to straunge a cruel thyng Within a kyngdome to murder so a kyng The .v. Chapter ☞ Of kynge Nero Cornely and Hanyball AFter whose deathe thus wrought by violence The story remembreth procedyng Forth came Nero and shewed hys presence Of Siracuse the myghty stronge kyng Tofore Bothas full pitously playnyng Besechynge hym with a full pitous chere Of his mischefe to wryte the manere The whiche Nero wylfull and furious Lyst to presume of false rebellion For to debate with Appius Claudius And to maligne agayne Rome toun But he anone for his presumptioun Constrayned was in all his most pride Lyke a cowarde to flye and nat abyde No more of hym myne auctour writeth here But in his boke as he dothe procede There came Cornely of Rome a consulere Hym selfe complaynyng of y ◠great falshede Whiche vnto hym accomplished was in dede By assuraunce broke of Haniball Which of Cartage was chefe admirall To thys Cornely Haniball was sworne With the Affricans by a maner flatery To succour hym as we haue tolde toforne With the Romains to holde vp his party But whan they met the boke doth specify Cornely was take and fettred in prison At mischefe dyed there gayned no raunson Than Haniball entred of entent With his knightes into a great cite Of Cicile called Agrigent Where Julius Silua of olde enmyte Layde a siege with a great meyne That he constrayned the sayde Hanyball For very hungre to leape ouer the wall By a posterne he toke hym to the fliyght Gathered shyppes and toke the large see And Julius Silua lyke a manly knyght Faught with him and made hym for to flee Vpon the water anone after he Was of his knyghtes stoned to the dethe And so constrayned he yelded vp the brethe The .vi. Chapter ⧠Of the duke zantipas cast into the see AFter that Hanyball was stayne thus And putte to flyght as made is mencion Tofore Bochas came worthy zantipus A famous duke full notable of renoun And he was lorde of the stronge region Lacedemoyne and was come a ferre Into Cartage to helpe them in the werre By whose prowesse to his encreace of glory The proude Romayns were put to flyght Cartaginences had of them victory And there was take the wyse manly knyght Marcus Regulus and brought anonryght Into Cartage and led as prysonere By zantipus as Bochas writeth here Thys noble duke for all his hye prowesse Done in Cartage and shewed to their toun And for all hys notable kyndnesse They most vnkyndly quit hym his guerdon For
countrees Saue in cauernes great holowe trees The boke remembreth how that his diet Were beastes wylde enchased w t great might Fled ydienesse eschewed all quiete And lytle slepe suâ—â—ised him at nyght By exercise his body was made â—yght There was nouther whan hym lyst pursue Harte nor hynde y â— myght his hande eschue He nouther drad tygers nor lyons He was so swifte tho they dyd hym assayle Lyke of strength to olde champions No wylde beast of great nor smale entayle Tescape his hande might not countreuayle If he were ware early outher late So great swiftnesse had this Mithridate Amonge he had in armes exercyse Amonge to tournay and ren on horsebacke All dilicate fare he dyd also dispyse Of gredy excesse in him there was no lacke A nighter tyme his slepe full oft he brake Stoundmeale the houres for to marke In the daunyng rose vp or the larke The space accomplished fully of seuen yere He is repayred home to hys countre Shewed hym selfe of manhode and of chere Full like a knight his story who lyst se Wherof his enemies astonied be Caught of hys coÌ„ming in hert a maner drede Supposyng afore that he was dede In whose absence his wyfe Leodyces Conceyued a childe as made is mencion For the diffame shoulde nat come in prees Him for to murder she sought occasion Fully in purpose to slee hym by poyson Of which defautes her lorde was nat fayne Knowing the trouth made her to be slayne Toke on him after many knightly dede First to conquere all Paflagoâ—ye By the helpe of worthy Nychomede That tyme called kyng of Bithinye Togyther assured to be of one alye In losse or lucre fortune to be theyr gyde And therto sworne neuer to deuyde To Mithridate Legates were downe sent Fro the Romains him lowly requiryng That he woulde lyke to their entent Paflagoâ—ye restore to their kyng Which he had wonne the cite assaylyng But he lyst nat aduertise their prayere Nor on no parties their requestes here He dred nat their thretes nor manaces Gate proudly after the lande of Galathye In his conquest wan many other places Capadoce toke to hys partye Slew their kyng of hatred and enuye Ariarectes a full manly man And in this wyse his conquest he began Agayn thassurauÌ„ce twene him Nichomede All sodaynly he gan fall at debate Thought he wolde warrey hym in dede Because that he pompous and elate In Capadoce toke on hym thestate To reygne as kyng agayns his entent He nouther being of counsayle nor assent Yet Nychomede or they gan debate Had longe afore to his owne encrees The suster wedded of y e Mithridate Whan they as brethren lyued in rest pees And she also was called Leodices Hauyng two sonues borne for to succede After discease of the sayde Nychomede And by processe these sayde children twayne In Capadoce by helpe of Mithridate Claymed a tytle iustly for to attayne Vnto the crowne their father died but late For which they gan felly to debate Tyll Mithridate falsly gan contriue His two neuewes vngoodly to depriue All Capadoce he toke into hys hande His owne sonne he hath crowned kyng Capadociens by assent of al the lande Gan disobey of purpose his workyng Whan the Romains considred all thys thyng Artaberzanes in hast they sent doun Gayne Mithridate to kepe that region The sonne of whoÌ„ fro theÌ„ they haue refused Out of their kyngdome gan him to enchace For they seÌ„pte their fraunchyse was abused To see a foraine occupie that place Mithridate gan newly them manace And toke with him to sustayne his partye Tygranes the kyng of Armenye Artabarzanes that was fro Rome sent To Capadoce to helpe them and counsayle Of Mithridate knowyng the entente Howe he came downe proudly hym tassayle With Tygranes set in the first batayle Of Capadoce that al the region Was brought that day to theyr subiection Thus Mithridate hauyng his entent In short time countreys conqueryng Was mightiest prince of all the orient And in tho dayes one the greatest kyng And as it is remembred by writyng He delyted most in astronomye In sortilege and in sorcerye And with all these he dyd hys busy cure For to lerne vncouth conclusyons And secretes sought out by nature Knewe the langages of diuers regions Of two and twenty sundry nacious And helde women many more than one Loued Hipsycrata aboue them euerychone To the Romains this manly Mithridate As bokes olde recorde of hym and sayne Vpon a day of very cruell hate Through all Asya he bad that eche Romayne Shoulde of his men mercilesse be slayne Twenty thousande he slewe eke on a day Of Romain marchaÌ„tes durst no maÌ„ say nay To him he drewe diuers nacions To encreace his party by puissaunce Kymbrois Gallois with other regions Bostornois toke to his aliaunce With strauÌ„ge people made his acquaintauÌ„ce Where that euer he rode nye or ferre With them of Rome for to holde werre In Grece also he gate manye an yle All Cyclades to his subiection Conquered so that within a whyle Of Athenes he gate the famous toun But when Romains knewe his entencion They sent Scilla in a furious hete With Mithridate in Grece for to mete Archelaus which that was constable Leading the host of kyng Mithridate Gan agayne Scilla trustynge he was able Maugre the Romains with him to debate As they met in their furious hate Beside Orthonia of Grece a great towne Of Archelaus y â— party was brought downe There gan Scilla to be victorious Gayne Mithridate and by great violence Gate al Ephesie a kyngdome ful famous Rode through Asye founde no resistence By his knighthode and manly prouidence Capadoce and Bithinye eke also To Romain handes he gate them bothe two When Mithridate perceyued hath this thinge How the coÌ„quest of Scilla toke encrees Anone he cast without longe tariynge For a tyme with him to haue a pees Of hie wisdome he was nat retcheles To dissimule tyll he founde time and space In double fortune to finde better grace Abode his tyme kept hym selfe close Tyll he founde layser lyke hys opinion In this while of auenture arose Within Rome a great discencion Twene two Consules being in that toun Which to appease by hys auctorite Scilla came vp agayne to the cite When Mithridate his absence dyd espy To his purpose founde oportunite Gadred people and with his chiualry A siege layde vnto Cyzite the cite Of all Asye moste of auctorite Tyll Lucullus a myghty Consulere To breke the siege approche gan full nere Mithridate had on fyue captayns Tofore the towne made a discomfiture Of hie dispyte he had to Romayns But Lucullus the damages to recure To enclose his enemies dyd hys busy cure To his mynours gaue anone in charge About the siege to make a diche full large They within had knowledgyng By certayn tokens of all theyr gouernaunce Whervpon they made no tariyng To cast a way for their delyueraunce Mithridate seyng their ordinaunce Of hie prudence to escape
his condicions a rauinous robbour Out of that countre were mercy and pite Banished for euer with trouth equite In that region where mercy is nat vsed And trouthe oppressed is with tyranny And right wysenesse by power is refused False extorcion subporteth robbrye And sensualyte may haue the maistry All of reason be tokens at a prefe Which many lande haue brought to mischef There is no realme that may staÌ„de in surete Ferme nor stable in very existence Nor continue in long prosperyte But if the trone of knightly excellence Be supported with iustice and prudence In him that shall as egal iudge stand Twene riche poore with sceptre in hand A clere ensample this matter for to grounde So as a father that is naturall Or like a mother which kindly is bounde To foster her children in especiall Right so a king in his estate royall Should of his office diligently entende His true lieges to cheryshe and defende By good ensaÌ„ple his subiectes tenlumine TeÌ„poral realmes should as saith scripture Resemble the kingdome which is diuine By lawe of god and lawe eke of nature That Res publica long time may endure Voide of discorde and false duplicite Of one body in longe prosperite Nouther their reigne nor dominacion Haue of them selfe none other assuraunce The estate of kinges gan by permission Of goddes grace and of his purueyaunce By vertuous life and moral gouernaunce Long to continue bothe in peace warre Like their desertes to punish whaÌ„ they erre They should be the myrrour and the lyght TransceÌ„de all other by vertuous excellence As examplers of equite and right So by discrecion of natural prouidence To tempre their rigour w t mercy clemence â–ª What shal fal afore cast al thinges As appertaineth to princes and to kinges Thinges passed to haue in remembraunce Conserue wisely thinges in presence For thinges to come afore make ordinaunce Folowe the traces of vertuous continence Againe all vices to make resistence By the vertue of magnanimite Whiche is appropred to imperial maieste Brother to force authors say echone Which conserueth the royal dignite In suche a meane stable as any stone Nat ouerglad for no prosperite Nor ouer sad for none aduersite For life nor death hygh corage to remue To god and man to yelde theÌ„ that is due Gayne fleshly lustes arme theÌ„ in sobrenesse Voyde all surfettes and froward glotony Gredy appetites by measure to represse Out of his house auoide all ribaudy Rowners flattrers and such as can lie Ware in his domes he be nat perciall To poore do almesse to vertuous be liberal In his array shewe him like a king From other princes by a maner apparence So that men prayse hys vertuous lyuing More than his clothing far froÌ„ his presence And let him thinke in his aduertence Trust theron verely certayne As he gouerneth men wyl reporte sayne Let him also for his great aueile Haue such about him to be in presence As notable princes to be of his counsayle Suche as to fore haue had experience Twene good euill to know the difference And sixe thinges hatefull of newe and olde To banish them out in hast froÌ„ his houshold Fyrst them that loue to liue in ydelnesse All suche as loue nouther god ne drede Couetous people that poore folke oppresse And them also that do all for mede And simulacion cladde in double wede And such as can for their auauntages Out of one hode shewe two visages Let him also voyde out at his gate Ryotous people y â— loue to watche al night And them also that vse to drinke late And lie a bedde till their diner be dight And suche as lyst nat of god to haue a syght And recheles folke that list nat here masse Tâ—uoyde his court let theÌ„ lightly passe For which defautes rehersed here toforne Nat onely Rome but many a great countre Haue be distroied many a kingdom lorne In olde cronicles as ye may rede and se False ambicion and froward duplicite Hath many a realme many a laÌ„d encloied And ben cause why they haue be distroied Jerusalem was whilom transmygrate Their true prophetes for they had in dispite And Balthasar was eke infortunate For he in Babilone folowed al his delyte Dary in Perce had but small respyte Sodainly slaine and murdred by treason The same of AlysaÌ„dre whan he draÌ„ke poison Discorde in Troy grounded in couetyse Whan by false traison solde was Palladion Rome and Cartage in the same wyse Distroied were for shorte conclusion Among them selfe for their deuisyon Reken other realmes that be of later date And of deuisions in FrauÌ„ce y â— was but late Al these defautes rehersed here breuely Out sought the rote and weied in balaunce Chefe occasion to tell by and by Hath ben iÌ„ princes y â— haue had gouernaunce And specially to put in remembraunce For an example telleth as cometh to mynde Of Odoacer the storie as I fynde Borne in Pruce and hardy of corage At his beginning him selfe to magnify Though no mencion be made of his â—mage Hauing no titell but thefte and robbery His coÌ„quest gan nought of blode auÌ„cetry But gadred people of sondry regions Entred Itayle with many nacions With his soudiours fyrst he gan assayle With a multitude entryng anon right Kingdoms of HuÌ„gry countreis of Itayle Met in his passage a Romayne knight Called Horestes in stele armed bright The felde was take and put in ieoparty Horestes fledde for socour to Pauy Straitly besieged and the towne won Founde for the time none other cheuesaunce The next morow at rising of the son Bounde in cheynes tencrees his greuaunce Sent to a cite that called was Plesaunce Againe whom Odoacer was so fel Let him be slayne by iudgement full cruell After whose death by sodayne violence Odoacer is passed through Itaile Entred Rome found no resistence Zeno the Emperour durst him nat assayle For there was none to giue him batayle So that by force and rauinous working Of all Itaile he was crowned king Had all Rome vnder subiection Fortune a while lyst him nat fayle Zeno therof had indygnacion Gan worke againe him in hope it shoulde auayle And therupon the lordshyppe of Itaile He gaue of purpose his power committing To Theodorike that was of Gothes kyng So y â— Theodorike in hope to haue vyctorie Againe Odoacer gan make resistence Of his name to put in memorie Toke vpon him by knightly excellence For the Romains to stand in diffence Met him proudly with his chiualry Beside a riuer that called was Soury With their batails togider whan they met Beside Leglere that standeth in LoÌ„bardy With rounde speres sharpe swerdes whet Odoacer for al his tyranny Was put to flight disconfyted his party And fortune that best can chaunge and vary At vnset hour was to him contrary Him his power the Romains haue defied He brent their vines and toures enuy ron Bycause thentre was to him denied And to Rauenne he is discended
down But maugre him he was take in the toun By Theodorike lette eche man take hede Odoacer he commaunded to be dede Myne authour Bochas of entencion For the time as came to remembraunce Towarde Romains maketh a digression To them recording the great variaunce The vnware chaunges the gery coūtenaūce Of Fortunes false transmutacion These same wordes rehersing to the toun REmembre o Rome call ayen to minde The daies passed of thy felicite Thy marcial cōquestes thy triūphs left behinde Thy great victories most of auctorite Thy famous lawes song in eche countre Which through y e world by report did shyne Now all atones is tourned to ruyne From Est to west thy lordshyp did attayne Aboue all powers most excellent royall But nowe from Rome into Almaine The estate translated which is imperiall Name of thy Senatours name in especiall The golden letters darked and diffaced And from remembraunce almost out raced Cyte of cities whilom most glorious That most freshly floured in chiualry To whiche the alpies mountains most famous Were subiecte of all Lombardy Til that discorde diuision and enuy Amōg your selfe hath clipsed y ◠brightnesse By a false serpēt brought in by doublenesse Kinges and princes were to the tributary Of all prosperite so fulsome was the flode Among yourselfe till ye began to vary The world throughout to you subiecte stode Tyll ye gan shew two faces in one hode What folowed after fortune hath so prouided Ye came to nought whan ye gan be deuided Vnpurueyed of prudent Senatours Thy marchandise tourned to pouerte Of knighthod naked barayne of soudiours Disconsolate stant all the cōmonte Towres and walles broke of the cite That whilom was a paradise of delyte Nowe all the worlde hath the but in dispite Cause to conclude of al thy wretchednesse Is false ambicion pride and lechery Diuision and malicious doublenesse Rancour hatred couetise and enuy Which set aside all good policie In brefe rehersed for short conclusion Haue be chefe grounde of thy distruction The .xxii. Chapter ☞ Howe the kinges Trabstila Busarus were brought vnto subiection and made tributares to Theodorike AFter these mischeues told of Rōe toun Came Trabstila king of Gepidois With other twaine as made is mēciō Busarus that was king of Bulgarois With Philitheus reigning in Ragois All these thre brefely for to saine Came all atones to Bochas to complayne Their realmes standing toward Septētriō And to remembre of the fyrst twayne Were brought atones to subiection By Theodorike that dyd his busy payne Them to conquere proudly did ordayne That they were neuer so hardy to rebell Agayne Romains to take no quarell To Theodorike they were made tributary Most wretchedly bound in seruage Neuer so hardy after for to vary In paine of death during al their age Of seruitude lo here the surplusage Of al wretches most wretched they be foūd That to thraldom constrained be bounde Tresour of tresours if it be well sought Is vertuous fredome with large lyberte With worldly goodes it may nat be bought With royal rubies gold stones nor pyrre For it transcendeth and hath the soueraynte Aboue all richesse that be in erthe found A man at large frely to stande vnbound The .xxiii. Chapiter How Philitheus lost his kingdome and of Marcian and Leo. NExt these two in ordre ye may se To John Bochas gan shew his pre sēce The third king called Philithe Which by fortunes sodaine violence Lost his kingdome by cruel sentence Of Odoacer the tyraunt mercylesse Lost his life and came no more in presse The sodaine chaūges to rede whan I begā And saw the whele so oft turne vp so downe Of fortune there came one Marcian Of whome is made none other mencion Saue only by a coniuracion He murdred was being innocent Amōg his knightes which slew him of asset Than tofore Bochas to shewe his presence There came one that called was Leon Which caught a titell by no violence But made his clayme by iust succession After his father and toke possession Which of Leon myne auctor saith the same Beyng Emperour bare the same name This yong Leon again all truth and ryght By tyranny as made is mencion Through cruell zeno y ◠was a good knyght Was put out of his possession Constrayned to liue in religion But to what order that he dyd wende I fynde nat but there he made his ende The .xxiiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Simacke and Boes his sonne in lawe were banished and after iudged to die AFter these mischeues Simak gan hym drawe Toward Bochas with a ful pitous face Boes came with him y ◠was his son in lawe Which among Romains gretly stodi grace But in this matere brefely for to pace The said Boes onely for his trouthe Exiled was alas it was great routhe For cōmon profite he was vnto the toun In matters that grounded were of right Very protectour and stedfast champion Againe two tirātes whiche of force might Had in the porail oppressed many a wight By exactions and pyllage gun of newe Vpon the cōmens full false and eke vntrew Theodorike of Gothes lorde and king Toke vpon him by false intrusyon To reigne in Rome the people oppressing By his prouostes two as made is mencyon Did in the citie great oppression Confederate as brother vnto brother Coniugast and Triguill was that other Compendiously this matter to declare To saue the commons stode in defence For life nor death he lyst nat for to spare To withstand of tyrantes the sentence King Theodorike of cruell violence Banished him by hatefull tyranny He and his father to abyde in Pauy Afterward Theodorike of cruell haterede Like a false tyrant of malice and enuy Gaue iudgement that both two were dede But touching Boes as bokes specify Wrote diuers bokes of Philosophy Of the Trinyte matters that were diuine Martyred for Christe and called Seuerine The .xxv. Chapter ¶ Of king Arthur his cōquestes and of the commodities of England how he was distroied by his cosin Mordrede WAs neuer prīce might him self assure Of fortune the fauour to restrayne Like his desyre his grace to recure To abide stable and stand at certaine Among all other reken Arthur of Bretaynē Which in his time was hold of euery wight The wysest prince and the best knyght To whom Bochas gan his style dresse In this chaptre to remembre bliue His great conquest and his highe noblesse With singler dedes that he wrought i his liue And first he ginneth breuely to discryue The site of Britaine and of that countre Whiche is enclosed with a large see Set farre westward as ye shal vnderstand Hauing Spayne set in the opposite Of a small Angle called Englande Fran̄ce about hi discryuing thus his sight With many a riuere plesaunt of delite Bothe bathes and welles there be founde Diuers mynes of metalles full habounde Aboute whiche ronneth the Occian Right plentuous of all maner of vitaile The name of which at Brutus fyrst began London
falleth whā fortune maketh best there And falsly smyleth in her double wede Folke sene expert than is she most to drede Thus whan the name of the worthy kyng Was ferthest sprade by reporte of memory In euery realme his noblesse most shinynge All his emprises concluding on victory This double goddesse enuied at his glory And cast meanes by som maner traine To clipse the light of knighthode in Britaine Thus whyle Arthure stode most honorable In his estate flouringe in his age Among his knightes of the rounde table Hyest of princes on fortunes stage The Romains sent to him for truage Gan make a claime frowarde outragious Takyng their title of Cesar Julius The same time this mighty kyng Arthur Conquered had Gaule and also Fraunce Outrayed Frolle lyke a conquerour Brought Paris vnder obeysaunce Toke them to grace with hys ordinaunce Gate al Anioue Angory and Gascoine Poitowe Nauerne Berry Burgoyne Cesed not but dyd his busy payne Most lyke a knight helde forth hys passage Gate all the lande of Poyters Tourayne Their cite yolde to hym they did homage To be rebell they founde none auanutage Soiourned in Fraunce as sayth y ◠Cronicler Helde possession the space of nyne yere Helde a feast full solempne at Paryse All the countreis whyth he gate in Fraunce Lyke a prince full prudent and rightwyse Which had of fredome full royall suffisaunce Of all his cōquest the countreis in substaunce For his princes and barons so prouided Lyke their desertes he hath them deuided To his Seneschal that called was Kay Anioue and Mayne he gaue all the party To his butler was made no delay Called Bedwere he gaue Normandye To a baron nye cosyn of alye A manly knight which named was Berell Gaue the duchy of Burgoyne euery del Thus he departed lordeshyppes of that lande There he thought was most expedient Some he reserued in hys owne hande Againe to Britayne retourned of entent Sent out letters helde a greate parliament After which he made a feast anon In the countre called Gloumorgon At a great cite called Carlion As is remembred by olde wrytinges Came many a prince many a freshe baron In nombre I fynde there were .x. kynges Redy to obey Arthur in al thynges Present also as was wele sene There was of erles rekened full thurtene Al the knightes of the rounde table Feast of Pentecost as feest principall Many estates famous and honorable Of princes barons borne of the blode royal Were present there and in especiall All that were by othe and promyse bounde To y ◠brotherhede of the table rounde And it fell so whyle that kyng Arthur As appertayned sate in hys estate There came .xii. sent downe by great laboure Of olde men chosen of the Senate Sad of their porte demure and temperate Richely clad of loke and of vysage Gray heared sempt of right great age First connyngly as they thought it due Cause of their cōmyng playnly their entent Fyrst of assent the kyng they dyd salue Next after that they tolde who them sent And their letters mekely they present Concludyng thus to speke in brefe langage Howe the Romains aske of hym truage Customed of olde syth gone many a day Whan that Cesar conquered first Britayne The kynge requiring to make thē no delay Arthur abode lyst nothinge to sayne But all the courte gan at them dysdayne The proude Britons of cruel hasty blode Wolde haue slayne thē euyn there they stode Nay quod Arthur to al his officers Within our courte they shal haue no domage They entred bene and come as messangers And men also greatly fal in age Let make them chere wyth a glad visage Toke his coūsaile with such as wer most wise With this answere sayde in curteyse wyse Your letters red and plainly vnderstande The tenure hole remembred in this place Touching y ◠charge that ye haue take on hāde To yeue answere reherced in short space By worde writyng ye greatly me manace How ye purpose wyth many strong battayle Passe the moūtains me felly for to assayle It nedeth not such conquest to alledge Agayne Britons of none olde truage Of your coming down y ◠way I shal abredge Wyth goddes grace short your passage Make you no delay but with my baronage Passe the see without long tariyng To mete Romaines at their downe cōmyng This was the answer youe to the messāgers At their departing bare w t them great riches As he bade also vnto his officers Agayne to Rome anone they gan thē dresse Plainly reporting the plentuous largesse Of worthy Arthure considred all thynges Of christendome he passed al other kinges Arthurs courte was the sours and well Of marciall prowes to Lucius they tolde And howe that he al other dyd excel In chyualry wyth whom they were w thold The chosen knyghtes both yonge olde In all Europe who can considre arighte Of all noblesse the torches be there lyghte He cast him not to paye no truage Sayde of the Romaynes he helde no londe Which to defende he wyl make his passage Of your clayme 's to breake a two the bonde And knyghtly preue with his honde Ye haue no tytle ye nor your cite Agayne Britons whych euer haue stand fre With y ◠al the kingdoms subiect to Rome toun Kynges Princes aboue the hie mountaines With Lucius they be discended downe To mete Britons vpon the large playnes Arthurs comming greatly he disdains Bycause he had plainely to dyscriue In multitude of people such fyue At Southhamptō Arthur toke the see With all his knightes of the rounde table Behinde he left to gouerne the countre His cosin Mordrede vntrusty vnstable And at a prefe false and disceyuable To whom Arthur of trust toke al his lande The crowne except whych he kept in hande Fro Southhampton Arthur gan to sayle With all his worthy lordes of Britaine At Harflue fonde good ariuaile He his princes their passage dyd ordaine Thrugh Normādy Fraūce eke Burgoine Vp to a cyte called Augustence Wher he first fonde of Lucius the presence So large a felde nor such a multitude Of men of armes assembled in a plaine Vpon a day shortly to conclude Togider assemble afore was neuer seine Lucius had on his party certaine Eastwarde the worlde all the chiualtye Brought by y ◠moūtains down to Germany Their wardes set in ech a great battaile With their capitaine to gouerne to gye Arthur w t britons the Romains did auaile Fond many Sarazins vpō that party The Briton Gaulfride doth plainly specify As he of Arthur the prowes doth discriue He flewe that day of Sarazins kynges fyue The great slaughter the effusion of bloude That was that day on outher syde Eche againe other y ◠furious were wode Lyke for the felde as fortune lyst prouide That if I shoulde longe theron abyde To write the deth the slaughter manere Touching the felde were tedious to here To conclude and leaue the surplusage In that
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
wēt For vnder a colour of liberalite Vnto his palys gladly he would cal Straūgers echone y ◠came through his cūtre And solemly receyue thē one and al And lyke a kynge both in chambre and hal Make them such chere in all maner thynge As apperteyned to a worthy kyng But whyle his gestes lay a nyght to slepe This false tirant in ful cruel wyse Murdred them ethone or they toke kepe And after that thys was also his gise With their bloud to make a sacrifice To Jupiter god of that countre Of hole entent to please his deite That in his kyngdome of frutes grayne The land encresed by great habundaunce Doun from heuin he would send thē rayne This meane he made this cheuisaunce To murdre and slee he had so great plesaūce For of al thing him thought it did him good To murdre his gestes and to shede their blod Whā this murdre of Busiris was couth That no strāgers myght passe his lād i pees This manly knyght yet flowryng in youthe Thys noble famous thys worthy Hercules Among other he put hym selfe in prees And lyke a gest outwarde in shewyng Came to the palys of Busiris the kyng Rebuked hym of his great outrage Done to hys gestes by cruel violence And for to make pesible that passage And for to auenge y ◠his importable offence And of his murdre to make a recompence Thys Hercules slewe Busiris in dede And toke the bloud whych he dyd blede Offred it vp Jupiter to please For thys victory hym to magnifye And al Egipt thus was set in ease Their landes and frutes gan also multiply Theyr grayne encresed about on eche partye And to habounde by influence of rayne Whych afore time of vitayle was barayne Another giaunt called Antheus Kyng of Libye and gouerned al the land Whom Hercules most strong and coragious Sūtime outraid slewe hym with his hand For as they wrastled by experience he fand Touching the erth this giant it is trewe His force his myght dyd alway renewe But whan Hercules the maner dyd espye Howe his strength renewed agayne so ofte Theragaynst he shope a remedy Hye in the ayre he peysed hym vp a lofte And with strokes harde and nothynge softe Backe and bone so sore he did embrace That he fyll deed tofore hym in the place But some bokes of thys giant tell Within his kyngdome who dyd him assaile He would of newe his chiualry compel Efte agayne to mete hym in battayle And in this wyse full selde he dyd fayle To aforce of newe as ye shal vnderstand His strength his myght all enemis to w t stād But Hercules of hye discrecion The felde on him manly to recure Had hym by sleyght out of hys region And as they met there of auenture The sayd Anthens might not endure But was disconfited by Hercules anone Maugre his myght and his men echone After this conquest Hercules is gone For exercise his prowes for to vse Agaynst the myghty stronge Gereon Kyng of Spayne of Melleager and Ebuse The whych tiraunt myght hym not excuse That all his labour as poetes lyst compyle Was from these realmes his people to exile Hys tiranny myght not long endure For Hercules that noble worthy knyght Made vpon hym a great disconfiture And slough the tyraunt as they met in fyghte And after that through his great myght Of highe prowes and magnanimyte Sloughe Cerberus with his heades thre The famous bull of the lande of Crete Whych that distroyed all that region He sloughe also whan that they dyd mete And in Nemea he slough a feirse lyon And for a recorde of hys high renoun Of manly force his skyn away he toke And to his body a cote thereof he shope To his enemis to shewe hym more dredeful Therfore he ware that hidious garment And for he was in armes neuer founde dul But ylike freshe euer in his entent In to a mountaine anone he made hys went Called Erimanthus there in his passage He slewe a boar most wylde most sauage Besyde a ryuer called Styphalus Of furious byrdes he slewe a great nombre Within the kyngdome of kyng Pheneus All the countre they dyd encombre For wyth their shadowe cōtagious vmbre On sede on frutes where euer they alight Al was deuoured in euery mannes sight Vpon the mountayne called Auentyne Which is not far from Rome the citye There is a wode as cronicles determyne Right freshe of light and goodly on to se And Hercules passyng by that countre Fro Spaynward passyng by Itayle Cachus the giant dyd hym there assaile While Hercules among the leues grene Layde him to slepe by sodayne auenture And his beastes against the sonne shyne While that he slepte went in their pasture Came Cachus forth ful hidious of stature Thought he would these beastes w t him haue Stale them echone and hyd thē in a caue And lyke a thefe he made them go backward That no man should y ◠traces of them know Neyther of their passage haue no regarde For by their tailes he ledde them on a rowe In to his caue which that stode full lowe And for they were of excellent fayrnes To kepe them close he did his businesse Out of his slepe whan Hercules awoke And parceyued his oxen were away He rose vp and cast about his loke Began to aspye in all the hast he may To what partie the traces of them lay And while he stode thus musyng in the shade He herd the lowyng that his oxen made And by their lowing he gan anone aproche Toward the parte wher they were kept close Fonde the caue vnder a myghty roche And proud Cachus which had thē in depose Agaynst Hercules he sturdely arose But for al that he myghte hym selfe not saue For he hym sloughe at thentring of the caue And thus his beastes he hath ayen recured That sempte afore inrecuperable After the mountaine byforce he hath assured Which for brigātes afore was full doutable But by his knyghthod it was made habitable That men myght for drede of any foe Whan euer they would frely come and go Touchyng his conquest vpon Feminye Agaynst Amasones with Theseus he went The quene Ipolyta through his chiualry For his praye anone to hym he hent And Ipolita of ful true entent Gaue vnto hym in token of victory A girdel of golde to haue her in memorie After to Affrike he went a full great pace Onely of purpose the gardin for to se Which apperteyned to kynge Athlas That brother was to the kynge Promothee In astrology full wel expert was he And of this gardyn of whych I haue tolde The riche braūches apples were of gold Through magike made by great auisement Ful streyte kepte and closed enuyron And y watched with a fell serpent That no man entred that ryche mancion But Hercules most mighty of renoun The serpēt slough through his māly pursute And fro the gradeyn he bare away the frute This said Athlas
in his hondes But finally god through his ordinaunce Preserued his knyght froÌ„ al maner mischaÌ„ce Saule full oft was brought to mischefe Yet aye from death Dauid did him saue And hereof this was a speciall prefe Whan Dauid cut his garment in the caue And mo tokens if ye list to haue Another time Dauid also kept The life of Saule whan he lay and slept The case was this as they were hosteyng Not farre a sunder Saule lay on slepe All his people about him sleapyng And vnpurueyed lyke a stocke of shepe Of whiche thyng Dauid toke good kepe Downe descended and made no delay Came to the tent where kyng Saule lay The spete of Saule standynge at his heed Dauid toke it and went his was anone Of his coÌ„myng there was no man toke hede For Saule slept and his men echone And whan that he vp to the hyll was gone Toward Saule agayne he cast his loke Made a noyse that all his knyghtes woke Fyrst to Abner prynce of his chyualry Dauid sayd these wordes in sentence â–ª Abner quod he thou hast done great foly This day shewed a great negligence To suffer of Saule the magnificence In peryll stande and none hede take About his person to make his knights waâ—â— Thou art to blame for thy retchelesueâ—â—e To leaue the king stande in so great a drede In slepe to haue more sauour and swetenesse Than of his lyfe to take hede Such negligence requireth for his mede Death and turment by rightfull iudgement About a prynce whan folke be negligent And thou lyst to se an euidence How that hys lyfe stode in ieopardy Se here his spere yeue thereto credence How vnprouided ye were on your party Saule nor thou ye may it not denye Your life your deth your power your puissaÌ„ce This day god put whole in my gouernaunce But me to acquite of pure innocence As euery man should vnto his kyng And to declare in me was none offence Agaynst his nobles in will nor in workyng As God wot that knoweth euery thyng That I neuer by no conspiracy Wrought nor compassed agayne his regaly LO here example of perfite pacience Agayne malyce to shewe kyndenes Where Sauie shewed his mortall vyolence Dauid acquite hym w t suffraunce goodnes The tyraÌ„t vainquished bi his prudeÌ„t mekenes Men agayne trouth may well a warregyn But at th ende the palme he doth aye wynne For of this story if that ye take hede Saule is fall for hys frowardnes Into mischefe and into sodayne drede For Philistynes the byble beareth witnes With a great power gan thiderwards dresse Vpon kyng Saule auenged for to be Their tentes pight besyde Gelboe Wherof kyng Saule astonied in his hert Had lost his spryte of knyghtly hardines And specially whan he dyd aduert Prophete was none his harmes to redresse Of future thinges trouth to expresse In Israell whiche cast hym in great drede Because that tyme Samuel was deed For Saule had cast out all diuynes From Israell and eche diuineresse Notwithstandyng the palestynes Were risse agayne his power to oppresse And he ne knewe no maner sorceresse Of whom he might any counsayle take And he of god that time was forsake In this wise he stode disconsolate CouÌ„sayle of God nor prophete knewe he none But as a man most infortunate Vngraciously he sped him forth anone And secretelye this Saule is forth gone To a woman that should him rede and wisse In Israell called a phytonesse Whiche is a name as clarkes writen all And office who that taketh hede Soules of men agayne to clepe and call I mene suche that tofore were deade Whiche is a thing straunge for to reade That women should who so list to lere Make soules of dead men to appere Vnkouth and straunge is their opinion And to my witte a maner impossible Not accordyng me semeth to reason Nor like a thing whiche that is credible That a soule of nature inuisible Myght appeare or shewe visibly Vnto the eyen which that ben bodely But or that I any further flyt Lest I were holde to presumptuous To diuines this matter I commit And wise clarkes that ben vertuous In their wittes subtyll and curious To conclude as it dothe them seme In this matter a trouth for to deme Whether it was the soule of Samuell Or other spirite that she did call Whiche that tolde the kyng of Israell Of the battayle that shoulde after fall His aduenture and his mischefes all And of his death he tolde also in dede And how Dauid should after him succede Because onely of his disobeysaunce As it is written and for his retchlesnes On Amalech for he toke not vengeaunce Thus the spirite bare to him wytnes Wherof Saule fyll in great heauines Knowing no mene to escape out of this dout But take his fortune as it cometh about Tolde him also his enemies were so wrothe The Philistines beside Gelboe In that battayle he and his children bothe Shoulde dye that daye of necessitie His chyualry shall discomfited be Of his raygne there is no lenger date For god from him his kingdom wil translate And thus Saule returned is agayne His meyny after brought to disconfiture And whan he sawe all hys people slayne â–ª And how there was no meane to recure In that deadly wofull aduenture He bad his squier take his swerde as blyue And through the hart that he shold him ryue That his enemies which were vncircumcised Should haue no power in story it is founde To haue vpon him as they haue deuised To yeue hym hys last fatall wounde His high noblesse at mischefe to confounde But his squyre for feare of god and drede Woulde not assent to do so foule a dede To slea his lorde he greatly was aferde A thing hatefull in euery mannes syght But Saule toke the pomell of his swerde And in the grounde full depe anone it pyght And in all haste possible that he myght Made the poynt in his furious payne To perce his hart and part it euen in twayne The Philistynes anone as he was dead Spoyled hym of his royall armure Dismembred him and smote of his heade And in token of their disconfiture Toke the spoyles wyth all their busy cure And therof made in all their best entent To Astaroth of pryde a great present Thus was Saule slayne in sentence Of Philistynes vpon Gelboe Forsake of God for inobedience Abiect also from his royall see And thus for lackynge of humilitye Of god he was foreuer set asyde Lo here the ende of surquedy and pryde ¶ Lenuoy HAue mind of Saule which to estate ryal FroÌ„ low degre was called for mekenes But presuÌ„ption made hym haue a fall Of God abiect for his frowardnes Lost his â—rowne the bible beareth wytnes And cause was for his disobeysaunce To gods biddyng he yaue none attendaunce God not asketh no more of man at all But whole hart without doublenes For all the gyftes whiche in especiall He yaue to man of his goodnes But he chastiseth
worthy reigning Parted the kyngdome yeuen it vnto the And thou vnkynde therof canst nothyng se His great goodnesse is out of remēbraunce Fully forgeten of thy frowarde pride In false goddes put thyne affiaunce God aboue falsly set asyde Wherefore from the anon he shall deuyde The kyngdome hole wythout more delay And fro thy lyne the crowne take away And for thou hast to thy confusion Thy fayth vnfaithful to false goddes take Wrongly refused thy religion Of god aboue and playnly hym forsake This is the ende whych y ◠thou shalt make Thee and thy kyn no man may socour Fleshe skyn bone houndes shal deuour And at thy entrynge home to the cite Thy sonne his thou shalt fynde him deed Of al hys kin though there were none but he Founde very good take therof good hede Of whych answere y ◠quene fil in great drede Entryng the citie in especial Her childe was dede lay colde by the wal Of thys warning the king toke none hede But made him redy w t ful great aparayle Forty thousande wyth him he dyd lede Of manly men armed in plate and maile With king Abias for to haue a batayle The whiche Abias that was of Juda kinge Vnto his people said at their metynge O noble knightes haue one thing in memory No man venquisheth platly to cōclude With great people nor getteth victory With nombres heaped nor greate multitude False ydolaters god wyl them delude Not suffre his seruaunts that ben true sad Of miscreauntes to be ouerlad Triumphe is none found of newe or olde In these Idols of stone nor siluer shene Nor in Calues of mettall made or golde Yeue to that partie which vntruly meane And sithe y ◠god knoweth our quarel clene Ther is no hope force none nor myght With them y ◠groūde their cause against right Hope of victory standeth vpō right wisnes Of them y t cast their sinful life to amende And lyst forsake wrong and al falsnes And with hole hert vnto the lorde entende Which shal this day his grace to you sende Our true cause truely to termyne And thus Abias gan his tale fyne His preestes gan their trūpes for to blowe And kyng Abias through his high renoun Gaue to his people both to high and low Ful manly comfort and consolacion And fyfty thousand by computacion Were slayne y ◠day which ful proudly came Vpon the party of kyng Jeroboam And al the partye of Jeroboam And al that were of his lyne borne After thys batayle vnto mischefe came Whan they were slayne w t hoūdes al to torne As the prophet had thē told beforne But for the kyng toke therof no hede With soden vengeaunce god quit his mede ¶ The .viii. Chapter Howe zaras king of Ethyope was slayne in batayle AFter hym to Bochas dyd appere Next in ordre playnly as I fynde One zaras wyth a soroufull chere And he was kyng of Ethyope and Jude Whose eyen were almost w t wepyng blynde Prayeng myne auctour his vnhappy chaūce With other woful to put in remembraunce And that he would recorde by scripture His sodayne fall and dolorous distresse And his diffamous hateful discomfiture With the dispoylynge of his great richesse And how king Asaph thrugh his high nobles And his people as he dyd thē assaile Hath him venquished slayne in batayle The .ix. Chapiter Howe Adab kyng of Jerusalem lost sceptre and crowne OF Israell than came the wooful◠kynge Called Adab ful pytously wepyng Vnto Bocas his cōplaint rehersing How kyng Basa by subtyll false werkyng With slaughter caused his fallyng Whan fortune gan falsely frowne And toke vniustly frō him sceptre crowne The .x. Chapiter ¶ Howe the vengeable prynce zambrias set a toure on fyre and brente hym selfe NExt came zābrias a prince vēgeable Whiche slough kinge Helam by false treason That was founde also ful vnstable For this zambrias of entencion Hath murdred him within the chefe dongeon Of his castel wyth a ful great route As he vnwarely layde a siege aboute But Amarin a prince of ful great might Came in to Tharse a famous great citye And cast him playnly lyke a worthy knight On this zambrias auenged for to be Hym to distroy without mercy or pitie But in a toure as zambrias went Set it a fyre and so hym selfe brent ☞ The .xi. Chapiter Of king Achab and Jezabel his wife WIth sighes sore wepig importable Came kyng Achab vnto Bochas Whose hertelie sorowe was incōparable And complayning ful oft sayd alas Besechyng him to write his woful case Compile his falling and the fate yfere Of Athalia his owne doughter dere To god aboue most contrarious Thys Achab was in al his gouernaunce And had a wyfe cruel and lecherous Called Jesabel whiche set al her plesaunce On goddes prophetes for to do vengeaunce In the bible their malice men may se And Idolaters they were both he and she God for their trespaces as it was well seyne Afore shewed by true prophecy Sent thre yere neither dewe ne reyne Vpon the erth their graine to multiplye Tyl eft agayne by prayer of Helye Holsome waters from heuin gan discend Which gaue thē cause their life to amend But his wyfe that cursed Jesabel To eche thing hateful which was diuine An hundred prophetes she slough in Israel Vnto Baal for they would not inclyne And she also slough Naboth for his vyne Through whose outrage false oppression Achab was brought to his confusion Of his enemyes outrayed in bataile With a sharpe arow caught his fatal woūde Tyi al his blode by bledyng dyd faile About hys chare w t many droppes rounde That the wordes were ful true founde Of Helias which told him as it stode That hungry houndes should lycke his blod In a citye than called Israel Downe from a toure ioyned to a wall The sayd quene called Jesabel Was ouer cast had a deadlye fal Touching these mischeues for she was cause of all Beware ye princes remēbring all your lyues To eschue false coūsayle yeuē by your wiues ☞ The .xii. Chapiter ¶ How quene Athalia for her tiranny was slayne NExt to Achab in ordre dyd sue Athalia w t doleful countenaunce Bocas besechyng as hym thought due Her sodayne fal to put in remembraunce Sours chefe rote of sorow mischance Is vsurpaciō and false couetise Lyke as her story herafter shal deuyse She was vpreised by fauour in thre thinges For father broder also her husbande Were in her tyme echone crowned kinges With scepter sworde as ye shal vnderstād Many emprises in their daies toke on hande And howe fortune their highnes dyd assaile I cast shortly to make rehersayle She fyl of fortune in the vnhappye boundes Fyrst whan her father was w t an arow dede His blod vplicked w t cruel hūgry houndes About his chare rennyng downe ful rede His body pale lay who that toke hede Lyke a carreyne naked and dispoyled With foule black erth amyd
For he most gloriously sate in his se Of worldly wealth he lacked no plente Except onely as clarkes on him wryte He had no sonne his kyngdome to enherite Whiche to his wealthe was great distres Least succession fayled in his lyne A daughter had he called Mundanes Out of whose wombe as bokes determyne He dreampt on a nyght howe he sawe a vyne In his auysyon with him so it stode Ouer all Asye his braunches spred abrode He had also a reuelation Slepyng a nyght after his soupere Though he not knewe the exposicion He thought he sawe a cristallyn ryuere With lustye waters as any Beryll clere Out of her wombe with his stremes fresh The soyle of Asye make tender and neshe Touchyng this riuer and this lusty vyne To hym shewed in his auysion Within him selfe he coulde not termyne Therof to finde no clere coÌ„clusion Without some maner exposicion To him declared by folkes in sentence Whiche of suche dreames had experience To him he called his astronomers His phylosophers and his deuynours That knew the meanyng of the nine spheres Images of stars their houses their towers And such as were expert expositours And they were assembled euerychone Touching his dreme they corded all in one To tell him trouth they were not retchles Said his daughter froÌ„ whoÌ„ there came a vine She that by name was called Mundanes Should haue discendyng from her lyne Whose noble fame through Asia should shine Whiche should put through his renoun Him by force of armes out of his region This was his fate he might it not refuse The heauenly cours but it did fayle Wherupon he sore gan to muse Suche fantasies did his hart assayle Fill in great doubt of their diuyâ—ayle Thought he woulde make purueyaunce For to withstande gods ordinaunce Full harde it is to make resistence Again thiÌ„g ordeined wheÌ„ god will that it be And namely there where as influence Of heauen aboue hath shape a destiny Some men record that no man may it fle The dome of this where it holde or flyt To astronomers all wholy I commit This sayde kynge of whom I spake but late Cast he woulde for his aduauntage The ordinaunce reuerse and the fate Of the heauen with all the surplusage And yeue his daughter as in mariage To sum vnworthy pore infortunate That neuer were likely to rise to hie estate And in this wise kyng Astyages Maried his daughter as in his entent To one vnworthy called Cambyses Demyng therby by short auisement Within him selfe that he was ryght prudent Wening y â— nobles came by discent of bloude And not by grace nor as the heauen stode In his reason was not comprehended How Socrates master of Platon Of full low bed by birthe was discended And not to enherite kingdome nor regyon But for to haue fully possession Of morall vertue and philosophy Duryng his life his witte he did apply He sought countreys for wisdome and science And secrete cuÌ„nyng to serche he did his payne And he founde out through his diligence This philosopher as bokes assertayne To ioye reserued outher to payne By grace of god whiche is eternal How mens soules be founde aye immortall The great Appollo in bokes it is founde Gaue iudgement of equitie and ryght That Socrates in vertue most habounde And most preferred in euery mans sight Was called of wisdome the lanterne and light And wisest named at euen and at prime Of philosophers that were in his tyme. The poete also called Euripedes Most honourable named in that age All be his mother of lyfe was retchles And contagious through vycious outrage Yet was this poete for all his vyle lynage Most vertuous founde at all assayes Of all poetes that were in his dayes Called in his tyme a great tragician Bicause he wrote many tragedyes And woulde of trouth spare no maner man But them rebuke in his poetries Touching the vices of fleshly fantasies CoÌ„playn in princes theyr dedes most horrible Aâ—d eche thyng punyshe that was odible Another called clarke Domosthenes The most subtyll rethorician And most inuentyfe among all the prees That euer was sythe the worlde began Al be of byrth he was a pore man Yet had he most souerayne excellence Among philosophers of speach and eloquence By whiche example me semeth doubtles That royall bloude nor hye lynage To mens byrthe yeueth but small encres Nor vnto vertue but little auauntage For hye nobles taketh not his courage Of riche nor pore nor states souerayne But of his grace as god list ordayne Wherefore of foly kynge Astiages Contrariously agayne al gentry Bad that his doughter called Mundanes Fyrst whan folke wyth chylde her dyd espy For to accomplyshe his froward fantasy Whan it was borne charging aboue althing Of Arâ—â—anie to beare it to the kyâ—â—e Whych in that tyme was called Harpagus And as I fynd he dyd in vertue floure And spyte had the story telleth thus That beastes shoulde the litel childe deuouâ— But god that may in mischefe best socoure To kepe the chyld was not recheles Agaynst the malice of kynge Astyages Which had commauÌ„ded of malice hatred Howe that this chylde grene tendre of age By Harpagus shoulde be cast in dede To be deuoured of beastes most sauage But for he drede to do so great outrage To his shepeherde himselfe to stand at large The chylde to slee he fully yaue the charge This heerdman al be that he was loth To execute this woful auenture In to a forest forth wyth the chylde he goeth And gaue to beastes that litle creature Whom to foster by grace agaynst nature A wylde bytche her whelpes there forsoke And to her pappes the litel childe she toke And w t her mylke she made hym sup and dine And busy was for hym to enchace Wyld foules and beastes sauagyne That none ne durst nyghe to that place Lo how that god dispose can his grace Innocentes fro mischefe to preserue Agayne false enuy whych would make them sterue O blode vnkynde founde in kynred For couetise O blode disnatural Of false malyce O blode ful of hatred To murdre a chyld borne of the stocke royal Where mannes reason is turned beastiall Falsy transfourmed vnto cruelte To slee a chylde where beastes haue pyte The sely herde hath tolde his wyfe the case And she anone of pitye dyd aryse With her husbande went a ful great pase In to the forest beholdyng al the gyse As here to fore ye haue herde deuyse Seyng the chylde with lippes tendre softe The bytches pappes how he sokte ful ofte The sayd heerde called Sparagos His wyfe also of whom tofore I tolde This yong childe toke in their depose And in her armes â—he softly gan it folde And he ful goodly her face gan beholde And on his maner the same whyle In chyldly wyse on her gan to smyte The childes laughter whan she dyd aduert With al her hole faythful diligence She gan to cherishe it wyth al her herte She yaue it soke
rightes ceremoniall To Jupiter by full great reuerence Afore his auters wyth fyres and encence But for that he in hys inward intent By cyrcumstaunces of his oblacyon Was rechelesse founde and also neglygent By some frowarde false affection The goddes caught an indignacion And sodaynly discendyng from the heauin He was consumpt with a firy leuin Hys false goddes might hym nat auayle Jupiter Saturnus Mars nor Venus Let all chrysten defye suche raskayle For to our faythe they be contrarious And among godds a thyng most outragious Is whan that prynces bleut in their foly Lyst erthly thynges falsly deify For vnto God is hatefull and odyble A withdrawyng of his reuerence To magnify thynges corruptible with vndue honour with false concupiscēce Wherfore ye prices beware of high prudēce Lest god vnwarely punyshe your noblesse Make you in erth no false God nor goddes ¶ The second Chapiter ¶ Howe Anchus kynge of Rome was murdred by Lucinyo by the assent of his wyfe THynke on Anchus kynge of Rome toune Whyche was so noble shynynge in glorye Weared a crown ful famous of renoun Next Hostilius as put is in memory Wan the palme of many a great victory But for al that with a ful sharpe knyfe He murdred was by assentyng of his wife He loued her best aboue eche creature Considred not her statery nor falsnesse Her double meaning vnder couerture Falsly blent this princes worthynesse To robbe reue him of his great richesse Was her labour with counterfete pleasaunce In her entent to bring hym to mischaunce This anchus had a great affection Vnto his goddes to make sacrifyses And to augment the religion Of paganysme made in sondry wyses Through his manhode circūspect deuyses Vpon Latines rebel to his citye For comon profyt he made a great armye One of their cities called Polotory He knightly wan maugre al their myght And whan he had of them ful victory He abode no lenger but anone forth ryght Made al the people in euery mannes syght As prisoners thys romayne champion Brought afore hym boūde in to the toun Eke as I fynde this Anchus nolde cease For cōmon profyte in his affection Their teritories to augment and encrece In al the countreis about enuyron Towarde y ◠riuer where Tiber renneth doun At the which place he let edifye A ful stronge citie which called is Ostye But not withstanding al his worthynesse He was depriued the story telleth so Of his kyngdome and his great richesse By a foraine called Lucinio His wife Tarquild assented was therto By whose outrage and gredy couetyse Anchus was murdred in full cruel wyse The .iii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Lucinio that murdred Anchus was after murdred THus fro the whele of fortune he is fall Lucinio in Rome is crowned kyng And the Romayns after dyd hym cal Tarquin the olde by recorde of writyng Which hath atayned by fraudulent workyng And by his subtyll forged eloquence Vnto the state of royall excellence He fyrst ordayned in his estate roiall Turneys iustes in Castels and cities And other playes called marcial With many famous great solempnitees Sessions for states and degrees This Tarquin eke was fyrst y ◠did his payne In open stretes tauernes to ordayne Eke to preserue his citye out of doute If their enemyes lyst them to assaile He was the fyrst that walled Rome about With mighty toures vnlykely for to fayle And had also many a strong batayle With Sabynes in their rebellion And made them subiect vnto Rome toun But for he was assented to depriue Worthy Anchus from his estate royal And after that toke Tanquylde vnto wyue Which slough her lorde by treason mortal God would of right that he should haue a fal The lord wyl not which euery thinge may se Suffre murdre long to be secre For Lucinio for his great offence Touchynge the murdre of kyng Anchus Yslayne was by sodayne vyolence Of two sheperdes the story telleth thus Which of entent were contrarious Atwene them selfe by a fayned strife To fynde a way to reue hym of hys life For while the kyng sate in iugement Vpon their quarel for to do iustise Full sodaynly they being of assent Fill vpon him in full cruell wise And with an axe the story doth deuise One of them or any man toke hede On two parties rofe the kynges heed This thing was done by the procuryng Of two chyldre sonnes to Anchus Whyche were exyled by false compassyng Of Lucinio agayne them moste yrous To hym their presence was so odyous But they shope tho they were out of syght Theyr fathers deth to auenge if they might For of nature blode wyll auenged be To recompence the wrong of his kyntede In thys chapter lyke as ye may se Blodshed for blode thus bothe dyd blede By whyche example let prynces take hede Howe murdre done for supplantacion Requireth vengeaunce for his guerdon Lenuoye THys tragedie by clere inspection Openly declareth in substaunce Howe slaughter of prices causeth subuercyon Of realmes cyties put out of ordynaunce Of mortall were longe contynuaunce Blode by supplāting shed of kinges twayne By exāple shewed false murdre to restrayne The fyne declaringe of murdre false treson The dede horryble cryeth aye vengeaunce To god aboue to caste hys eyen doune To punishe thys sinne throgh his puissaunce For i◠is mother of myschefe and mischaunce Wherfore ye prynces do some lawe ordayne Within your boundes thre vyces to restraine The vyce of sclaundre murdre and poyson Where euer these thre haue acquayntaunce They bryng in sorowe and desolacyon Put at a prefe by newe remembranuce Of falshede vsed vnder fayre countenaunce Wherfore ye prynces do your busy payne Within your boūdes these vyces to restrayne God defende thys noble regyon With these thre vyces to haue alyaunce For slaundre firste deuoureth hygh renoun And sleeth good fame thrughe false daliaunce Harme done to late foloweth repentaunce Wherfore ye princes do a lawe ordayne To punish their malice fals tōges to restrayne God hath of murdre abhominacyon And false poyson dothe to hym displesaunce There is no payne in comparyson Condygne to murdre paysed in balaunce Wherfore ye princes make an ordynaunce Within your boundes of some preuy payne By dae punishing false murdre to restrayne O noble prynces prouyde of reason Agayne these vyces to make purueyaunce Of rygour shewe due execucion With your labour and hertely instaunce Let deth be guerdon for their fynall penaūce To warne other by cōstraint of their payne Frō these .iii. vices their corages to restrayne The .iiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe for the offence done to Lucrece by Tarquyn was neuer after crowned kyng in Rome TOuching this Tarquin of whō I told As myne auctour maketh mencion He called was Tarquinius the olde Whyche longe in Rome had dominacyon Tyll hys kynrede and generacyon For the offence done vnto Lucrece Caused of kynges the names to cece For his sonne which after dyd succede For his outrages and his extorcions And for many an other cruell dede
robbers for their great offence Sluggy truauntes for theyr negligence And fayned beggers that greatly disauayle Constrayneth them to labour and trauayle Founders of lawe by antiquitie Caused in landes was suffred none erroute And made of prynces the royall magestie To shyne in worshyp by diligent labour Wrested courages of many conquerour That their tryuÌ„phes no further shuld attaine Than lawe of god and nature dyd ordaine Wyll was that tyme vnder subiection Of ryght wisnes by trouth full wel coÌ„ceiued Sensualitye was seruaunt to reason And froward lust was vnder locke ykeyed Sentence of statutes was not disobeyed The ryche did ryght through euery lande Pore folke lyued by labour of their hande Lordshyp y â— tyme anoyded mayntenaunce Holy churche lyued in perfitnesse Knighthode tho dayes for trouth whette his lauÌ„ce And false extorcion had none entresse MarchauÌ„tes winning came al of rightwisnes Artificers the worke day were not ydell And busines of labour helde the brydell Women that age farced were nor horned Nor theyr tayles were not serpentyne Wise men of foly nor clarkes wer not scorned Whyche in scyence most freshely dyd shyne Lawe disherited none heyres from theyr lyne Lesyngmongers found y â— time no socours And flaterers were made thaÌ„ no coÌ„fessours This golden world flouryng in vertue Borne vp by loue grounded on stablenes Of auoutry sprange out none issue Prices w t doctrine established their nobles Preesthod in praier knighthod in worthines Ech thing by law stode vnder gouernaunce MarchauÌ„ts by mesure iust peis of balauÌ„ce First Phoroneus by dyligent laboure Fonde out lawes y â— kyng was of Argyues The grekes study he giit w t great honoure This politick priÌ„ce auoided theÌ„ from striues His statutes kept duryng all their lyues Found first the maner Bochas doth deuyse Howe to Jupyter was made sacrifyse Eke mighty Minos whilom kinge of Crete Ordayned lawes agayne transgressions To feare by rygour foles that were vnmete And staunche of surfetes all occasyons Made for robbers mightye stronge prisons And Dedalus his chefe artificere Made laborinthes by diligence entere And Mercurie borne by the stode of Nyle As writeth Lactance was of Egipt kynge Vnto marchauntes dyd lawe firste compyle Of weight and mesure to vse in chaffaryng And for his wisdome and excellent connyng Of olde poetes that whilom were so wyse He called was God of marchaundyse Solon also the best lawes made As Valery writeth him self to magnify Athenienses therof were full glad His great wysdome whan they did espy They fonde therin so muche policy And euer he was redy for to debate Agayne tyrauntes so sore he dyd them hate Kyng Lygurgus yet whilom dyd his cure To make lawes to comon auauntage And that they shuld perpetually endure He made his people be sworne of euery age While that he went out on pilgrimage Fro point to point to kepe them in certaine Vnto time that he came home agayne And for his lawes wer of great substaunce And profitable to euery comonte He chase to liue in exile and penaunce Neuer to resort againe to his cite That his statutes by eternite Shuld nat be broke as ye haue herd toforne By the coÌ„uencion to which they were sworn To comon profite had he such tendernesse That he forsoke his kingdome and kinrede To liue in exile his story beareth witnes But or he dyed as he lay bedrede He bad his bones shuld be cast in lede Amid the see fer out from the strande That his statutes might in their streÌ„gth staÌ„d He eschued eueryche occasyon As a thyng hatefull which was not fayre That his forsayd royall mighty toun Shuld breke their oth because of his repair But touching that he put them in dispayre Cast him neuer resort in their dayes Lest they wold breke the seÌ„teÌ„ce of his lawes The .xv. chapter ¶ Here Bochas maketh an exclamacion of the extorcion of the officers of Rome JOhn Bochas here maketh a digressioÌ„ And by rebuking cast him to assayle Thylke officers y e wer in Rome toun Which by extorcion oppressed the porayle And agayne iudges also of Itayle And namely them that for lucre or mede Set trouth asyde and toke of it none hede He maketh agayne them an exclamacion Such as to vertue were contrarious And vnder colour and occasyon Of their offyce lyst to be lecherous Like condicioned vnto Apius And fynally as it was after sene False in their domes of their life vnclene O quod Bochas O trouth o thou iustise Whych in your nobles whilom dyd excel Where in effect is now your exercyse Wher is your wonning alas wher do ye dwel Of your practike ful few men can tel So fer put backe is nowe your disciplyne Your kyn exyled and your noble lyne Aduocates that nowe done occupye Your olde sees and places full royall All to falshede their wyttes they apply Suche couetyse now reigneth ouer all Causes of ciuile and causes crymynall Their domes take wher they be fals or true All after wyll by statutes chaunged newe There ben eke other called accessours Syttyng by iudges to yeue them counsayle Which may full well be called rauenours For they nat labour but for theyr auayle A nombre of robbers folow at theyr tayle To pylle the people as ye haue hard to forne Bare as a shepe that is but newe shorne There is no more in this matter to sayne Saue onely this trouth stant desolate And rightwisnes dare to no wight coÌ„playne With wrong oppressed weping desolate Wherfore ye prynces that syt in high estate Such thing to meÌ„de but ye better hede take God shal w t you a full harde rekenyng make Your office is in your magnificence Twene man man all wronges to redresse And wher a matter is agayne conscience It to refourme onely of ryghtwysenesse To staÌ„de by trueth mayntayne no falsenesse And let wise counsayl such matters examine Or ye of haste theron determine Haue suche thynges in your mynde amonge Thynke god wyll quyte lyke as ye deserue Ye spot your noblesse yf that ye do wrong His sworde of punishyng drede or it kerue Let your reason and conscience conserue Your noble estates thinke like your werkiÌ„g The lord of you wyl aske a rekenyng The .xvi. Chapiter ⧠Of Alcibiades exyled and after brent in hys bedde AFter other that put them selfe in prees Tofore Bochas their coÌ„playntes to discure Came of Athenes Alcibiades That time alyue the fayrest creature And as it is remembred by scripture He was discrete and was at all assayes One the strongest and manly in hys dayes He was first borne of full high linage Aboue all other of most semelynesse Well proporcioned and hardy of corage Loued and fauoured for his great fayrenesse Famouse in knyghthode for hys worthinesse Subtyll witted and coude by cloquenâ—â— Boche comprehende vnder shorte sentence His wyt enclined to manyfolde sciences Had of conyng a passyng retentife Loued clerkes fond them theyr dispences Suche as in practife he saw most inuentife To rede in bokes
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
the pyrates and these false robbours I gadred out were of the region Called Sylla whych lyke to rauinours Made agayne Rome a conspiracion Robbed and spoyled saylyng vp and doun Romayne marchātes people of ech countre That none was so hardy to passe by the see After Pompey had made the see to obey That Pyrate none durst theron abyde He by the Senate was sent out to warrey Towarde thorient his knightes by his syde And where soeuer that he dyd abyde Mine auctour writeth by influence of heauē His conquest was swifte as fyre or leuin And to the encrease of his eternal glorye Perpetually to get hym a name Hys laude and renome to put in memorye He buylded a cite in Asia of great fame Called Nichopoly Bochas sayeth the same Twene two flodes that one Araxases And that other was called Eufrates He buylded this cite onely of entent That Romayne knyghtes y t were fall in age And such as were in the warres spent Shoulde of custome haue their herbergage Thys was the custome and vsage In that cite alway and not fayle Beddyng and clothes spendyng vytayle Pompeye after rode in to Armeny Rebell to Rome where Tigranes was king Fought w t him there through his chyualry Disconfyted hym there was none abidynge Where Tigranes hym selfe submyttynge Vnto Pompeye wyth euery circumstaunce Euer to abyde vnder hys obeysaunce Than in al haste Pompey gan hym hye To ryde to Asia where lyke a manly knyght He gate the kyngdome called Albanye Whych toke his name who so loke aryght Of whytnes for euery maner wyght That there is borne by recorde of writynge White as snowe hath his heer shynyng There ben houndes marueilous of nature For tassaile bulles and lyons No wylde beast may agayne them endure So Pompeye by many regions Rode thrugh Armeny with hys champions Where growen herbes y ◠may neuer faynt What euer colour man lyst wyth thē paynt Conquered realmes aboute in euery coost Of Hiberie he gate the region And Arsaces the kynge wyth al hys host Disconfited as made is mencion With his power to Surry he came doun Than to Fenice a kyngdome of great fame Whyche of Fenix whylome toke his name Brought al these countrees to subieccion Of Sidonye the myghty strong cyte Of Iturie he toke possessyon Chrugh Araby he came downe to Jude Whyche of Jewes was sometime the coūtre Of Libanus he passed the mountaine Where Ceders growe as authours sayne Sent tofore him entring in that realme One Gabinius a myghty stronge constable Reignyng that tyme in Jerusalem Aristobolus a prince ful notable And for the temple was strong pregnable Layde a siege about in bred and length Space of thre monthes gate it so by strength Three M. Jewes vnder y e wall were founde Dead at the assaut whych made resistence The wal after beaten downe to grounde Pompey than by sturdy violence Is entred in without reuerence Sancta sanctorum men that place call Made by Hyrcanus hyest preist of all The great byshoppe Aristobolus Sent to Rome in myghty cheynes boūde Towarde Septētrion I fynde wrytten thus Gate .vii. kingdōs with citees walled roūde Rebel to Rome he dyd them confounde Wyth myghty swerde gate all the countre Fro Caucasus downe to the reed see In his conquest it sempt verily As the goddes had done theyr cure And that fortune was wyth them eke busy This mighty Pompey prince of Assure What euer hym list by conquest to recure In Spayne he gate whan they were rebels Thre C. cytees and .lx. stronge castels Harde to remembre his conquestes echone Al the prowesses of thys knyghtly man Towarde the partie of Septentrion A thousande castels I fynde that he wan Sixe hundred mo fro tyme that be began Eight and thirty citees out of dout With mighty walles closed rounde aboute Peyse his dedes his conquestes marciall Thrise Consul chose for his encrees Rede ye shall fynde howe he was egall To Alysandre or to Hercules Where that euer he put hym selfe in prees Al came to hande concludyng ye maye se To commen profite of Rome the cyte His marcial dedes to put in remembraunce One was chose to do his diligence To enacte his conquestes in substaunce And his knighthode to singuler excellence And Trifanes famous of eloquence Assigned was vnto that labour Toke his guerdon of the common treasour Pompey of Rome was chefe gouernour Cesar absente in Gaule a far countre Which time Pompey stode in great fauour Both of Fortune and Rome the citye Somwhat made blynde of hys prosperite Purposyng in his clymbing not stable He would haue none y ◠were to hym sēblable Vnto purpose was sayd ful yore agone Howe that loue nouther hye lordshyppe Prefe hath bene made in many mo than one Nouther of thē would haue no felowshyppe Eche by his own would hys partie kepe In these two cases brother vnto brother Fayleth at a poynt eche wyll put out other To Pompey resortynge nowe agayne He toke on him al the gouernaile Of y ◠Romains as ye haue herde me sayne Both of estates commons and porayle And for his parte al that myght auaile In makinge lawes statutes or decre Al vp engrosed by hys aucthoritie Folke this while which that had enuy Towarde Cesar in his long absence Let make a lawe by conspiracy And a statute concluding in sentence Without excepcion fauoure or reuerenc◠No man should by wil of the Senate In his absence be chose to none estate Nor be admitted by no procuratoure To haue aucthorite of dignite or office In court of Tribune nor of Senatoure To be promoted this was theyr aduice Wer he neuer so manly nor so wise This lawe ordained by folke enuious For hyndring onely of Cesar Julius Whan Julius knewe their false working Fro Gaule sent vp to the cite Al the Senate requiring by wrytyng To graunt him by their auctorite Of triumphe the notable dignite To haue also the offyce and estate Called in Rome the second Consulate For hym allegyng many a great vyctorye In diuers countrees done for the cite Many conquestes notable of memorye Wrought by the knyghthode of his equite Requiringe them guerdoned for to be But contrary vnto his entent They denied him al by one assent Which was chefe grounde rote occasion That brought in fyrst the controuersye Ciuil discordes and frowarde deuision Whan euery man drought to hys partie Of olde hatered to kyndel newe enuy Causing princes Julius and Pomey To theyr confucion eche other to warrey The triumphe denied to Cesar Fraude of Pōpey made him therof fayle Of whose disceite Julius was ware Made him redy wyth many a strong battaile Passed ouer the Aipes of Itayle Fully in purpose playnely if he might With the Romains and Pōpey for to fight Thus gan the warres atwene these princes twayne Pōpey chose for partie of the toun To be their duke and captayne souerayne Agayne Cesar as made is mencion And thus alas the desolacion Sued of the cite by many a strange