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
he came to nought His renowne sprade through many a reme And all people gan hym magnifye A siege he layed vnto Jerusalem In the tyme of kyng Sedechye But in hys most frowarde surquedy Gods aungell tofore the citye An hundred M. slough of his meyny And the more to make hym aferde Amyd of hys people the selfe same nyght Gods aungell shoue away his berde With a sharpe sworde that shone full bryght Left hys siege and toke hym vnto flyght And in a temple hys gods worshyppynge Slough him selfe as he sate knelyng ¶ The .xxi. Chapter ¶ How king Sedechy as for false for swearyng was slayne and made blinde in pryson TOuching y â— coÌ„playnt of kyng Sedechy And of his sorowes to shew y â— manere Holy write doth clerely specify Wherfore it were but vayne to tell them here For there men the processe may playnly lere How Joachim kyng of Jerusalem His owne brother was led out of his reame Wherof in hart he felt full great sore This Sedechias as it is there founde Because the kyng Nabugodonosor His brother helde strong in pryson bounde Fully in purpose the Jewes to confounde For this tyrant had in that mortall strife His bothers children in pryson and his wyfe And yet this tyrant in his tyranny This fauour did in his fell rage Vnto this most wofull Sedechy To suffer him rayne in his great age From yere to yere to pay him a truage By fayth and othe â–ª and composition Raysed of his people and brought to Babilon Yet Sedechias in especiall By a maner of false felicitie Hym selfe reioysed in his see royall To occupy that noble dignitie And so forgate the great aduersitie Of his brother and other frendes all Touching the mischefe that they were in fall Of pryde he fell into presumption Whan he remeÌ„bred his brother his lynage Considered how fro kyng Salomon He was discended by title of heritage Gan disdayne to pay his truage And to maligne in hart he was so wrothe And falsly brake his assuraunce and his othe He had a maner indignacion Whiche he caught of olde remembraunce How tyme passed to kyng Salomon By hys manly prudent gouernaunce Kinges about for a recognisaunce Payed trybute and durst it not wythsay Fro yere to yere his nobles to obay Whiche thing remembred of kyng Sedechiâ— As he wext great stronge in puissaunce Of hye disdayne his tribute gan denye Set aside his fayth and assuraunce So that his othe stode in no substaunce For he agaynst the kyng of Babilon Presumptuously fyll in rebellion And his kyngdome to strength and fortify Thought he woulde to his aduauntage The kyng of Egypt haue on his party Of pryde he fell into so great outrage That he no more woulde pay his truage But fynally suche wayes he hath sought That of his othe little he ne rought But wo alas it is a dolefull thing To be remembred in hye or lowe degre That any prynce or any worthy kyng Should false his othe or vntrue be Or that men should suche variaunce se In their courages whiche ben so hye borne For any cause falsly to be forsworne By reporte it dothe their fame trouble Infortuneth and clipseth their nobles Whan a prince is of his heste double And chargeth not of wilfull rechlesnes Al be his promisse conclude on doublenes Though god awhile suffer them and respite At vnset houre their falsenes he will quyte His warnyng oft he sent to them afore Because they lackt prudent policy Recorde I take of Nabugodonosor Whiche came vnware on kyng Sedechye For he his tribute gan falsely him denye With all his power as it did abrayed To Jerusalem a mighty siege layed They within constrayned were of nede The kyng him self there was no better defeÌ„ce With mans fleshe his people for to fede While the Caldeys by mighty vyolence Of very force without resistence On false forswearyng for to take wreke Their mighty towers their walles breke To slea and kyll they list none to spare Who soeuer they met or came in their â—ight Sedechias left the towne all bare But take he was as he him toke to flyght In chaynes bounde and fettred anone ryght In whose preseÌ„ce tencrease his paines anone His yonge children were slayne euerichone His wyues most wofull in their cheres Whiche in their tyme goodly were and fayre Deliuered were in handes of straungeres And more alas to put him in dispayre Into his kyngdome neuer to haue repayre With sharpe tonges it was to great a payne Out of his head was rent his eyen twayne Of Jerusalem his citye was brent Playne to the grounde into ashes dede His great riches his treasour wholy sent To Babilon with stones blewe and rede Vessels of golde whiche richest were in dede Without mercy or remission Caldeis toke to their possession And thus in sorowe and in wretchednes He dyed alas fettred in pryson Lo here the ende of periury and falsenes Lo how fortune can turne vp so doun Of mortall men the condicion Now richest shynyng in hye prosperitie With vnware chauÌ„ge to hatefull pouertie Now men lift vp to royall dignities Now hye aloft by fulsum aboundaunce But what auayleth to syt in royall sees To folke that haue therin none assuraunce â–ª Namely whan fortune holdeth the balaunce Whiche aye of custome vnto hye estates Hath a false ioy to shewe her checkmates Recorde I take of prynces more then one Their wofull fates hangyng in ieopardy Remembred late and amonge eche one The wofull fall of kyng Amazie His sonne eke lepre whiche called was Ozie And last of all how in Babylon Kyng Sedechias dyed in pryson ¶ Lenuoy NOble prynces consider the fallas Of fortunes frowarde flattery Sith her disceits in many diuers caas How she first mocked manly Amazy Whiche slayne was for his surquedy To yeue you warning by exaÌ„ple ye may rede WhaÌ„ ye sit hyghest your fall is most to drede And as it is remembred in Bochas Eke in the Bible of king Ozie In his time how famous that he was Bothe of ryches and of chyualry Punished with lepre bokes specify For his presuming remeÌ„bryng this in dede Whan ye syt highest your fall is most to drede All worldly glory flyeth â—ence a pas I take wytnes of kyng Sedechye For false forsweryng he slayne was alas Made blynde in pryson the story can not lye Thus sheweth fortune through her frowarde enuy To you prynces if ye list take hede WhaÌ„ ye sit hyest your fal is most to drede ¶ The .xxii. Chapter ☞ How kyng Astiages laboured to disherite Cyrus but god suffred his malice not to preuayle AFter these kinges one folowed in y â— prees And to Bochas his coÌ„platâ—t can discure He was called the great Astiages Whiche tolde in order his vncouth auenture Lorde of Asye as bokes vs assure And had of treasure duryng all his life Aboue all kynges a prerogatyfe Most fortunate in all his gouernayle Felt of fortune none aduersitie Saue an heyre male nothing did him fayle
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
messangere To helpe Flaccus slayne by great aduersite As he entred in to that countre After whose dethe his party to auaunce Of Flaccus meyny toke the gouernaunce Of presumption without auctorite This Fymbria by dyligent labour Full ferre aboue his state and his degree Toke vpon 〈◊〉 by fortunes false fauour To be called capitaine and Emprour Through al that countre bokes specify Of whose presumpcion Scilla had enuy Pursued him through many a greate citye To a castel made him take hys flyght Where Fymbria of great necessite Constrained was maugre all hys myght Dyspayred for sake of euery maner wyght To slee hym selfe the storye telleth thus Wythin the temple of Esculapius The .vii. chapter ¶ Of Albinius that was slayne with stones ANother Consull stoode in case semblable In his tyme called Albinius Whose hareful pride was abhominable To al folkes lothsome and odious Whiche lyke a rebel wode and furious Agayne Romayns ofter than ones Whan he lest wende slayne was w t stones The .viii. chapter How Adriane borne of lowe degre falsly vsurped to be kyng of Rome whyche w t his chorles was after brent NExt cam Adrian which rose to hie estate Fyrst in Rome borne of lowe degre Chosen sent by the whole Senate To gouerne of Affrike the countre Where of hys owne pompous auctorite Toke vpon him by subtel false workynge Maugre Romayns ther to be crowned king Whom to support shortly to conclude Was a great numbre of the cōmonte Of chorles gadred a confuse multitude Title was none nor grounde but volunte Gentlemen than beyng in that countre All of assent and one opinion Assembled them to his distruction At Vtices a large great cyte Hym and his churles beset rounde aboute Of woode and fagot with large quantite In cōpas wise closed him without Gadred with him of vylayns a great rout Layd on fyre that with flames rede Echone consumed in to ashes deade The .ix. chapter Howe Sinthonius kinge of Trace y t much coueted al forwet died in pouerte NExt Adrian came Sinthonius Tofore Bocas w t teres spreint his face As the story reherseth vnto vs In hys tyme he was kynge of Trace Fal sodainly from fortunes grace Cast downe lowe from his estate royal Which came to Bochas to complayne his fal Whose purpose was if it woulde haue be Seuen realmes to haue cōquered w t his hād That were subget to Rome the cytie And all seuen were of grekes lande Who al coueteth ye shal vnderstande He al forgothe ful wel affyrme I dare At vnset houre wherof eche man beware Long or his conquest was brought to a prefe From her whele fortune cast hym doun The pretor Sēcius brought him to mischiefe Dyed in pouerte as made is mencion And Bochas here maketh a digression Compendiously within a lytell space To discriue the region of Trace The .x. Chapter ¶ Here Bochas in partye maketh a dyscripcion of the kyngdome of Trace and passeth ouer lyghtlye vnto the accōplyshment of his boke TRace whylom a countre of greate fame And contayneth a ful large space And of Tyras it toke fyrst y ◠name Son of Japhet and so was called Trace Whyche many a daye dwelled in that place Towarde Septemtrion plenteous of good Besyde Dynoe the large famous flode Southward Trace renneth the flode Egee Macedone standeth in the Occydent And the kyngdome called Propontide Stant in Trace towarde the Oryent Where great plente of blod was shed spente Whan Sencius through his hye prowesse Kyng Adrian there manly dyd oppresse Ebrus in Trace is the chefe citie As myne auctour maketh mencion I cast not long to tary but in breuite To make of Trace a discripcion And to procede in my translacion After myne auctor which wryteth a lōg proces Of great Pompeye his worthynes The .xi Chapiter ¶ Howe after many great conquestes of Duke Pompeye great warre began bytwene hym and Julyus in whiche thre hūdred thousād were slaine at the last the head of Pōpeye smytten of THys Pompeius of whom the name is couth Wise and worthy famous of prowesse Toke vpō hym in his tendre youth After his father by fortunate duresse Called Pōpeye the story beareth wytnesse Distressed was by sodaine deth commynge As sayeth y ◠story through thūdre lyghtning His host dystroyed by the violence Of vnware tempest lyke as saith the boke Fourty thousand slayne in that pestilence For feare the remenaunt the felde forsoke Til yonge Pōpeye of corage on him toke In his beginning proudely to procede Ful lyke a knyght his fathers host to lede Rome that tyme by theyr dyscencions Among them selfe nye brought to ruyne By the frowarde false diuysions Twene Marius Silla brefely to termine Tyl that a new sonne gan to shyne Of worthynes which shad his light In manly Pompeye the famous knyght This sayde Pompeye thys knyghtly man At his begynnyng through hys chyualrye The proude captayne slough whan he began Whych of Marius helde vp the party Called Brutus which in Lombardy Was by Pōpey thrugh knightly gouernaūce With al hys host brought to mischaunce In hys begynning Pompey eke also To set Romaynes in rest quiete One that was called Gneus Carbo He slew him knyghtly whan he did him mete Whych in Cicyle proudly helde his sete And all the countres about him enuyron Pompey made thē subiect to Rome toun After al this Pompeyus on the see Wyth many a shyp stuffed with vytaile Towarde Affrike made a great armee And there in hast after his arriuaile With Domicius had a great battayle Brought the coūtre throughe his hye renoun To be to Rome vnder subiection He pursued the great myghty kynge Called Jertha to Marius honorable And had also hys royall abydynge In Numidy a countre full notable Againe Pompey hys power was not able For at a Castel as they met in fyght He slewe kynge Jertha lyke a māly knyght Thus in brefe tyme holdyng his passage For cōmon profyte as made is mencion By hys wisedome and knightly hye corage Brought al Affrike to subiection Which stode afore in rebellion To the Romayns but all their sturdines The sayd Pompey dyd in haste redresse The greatest enemy agayne Rome toun Thylke dayes was one Sertorius And of fortune whych is nowe vp now doun On Pompeye ones was victorious But after soone of hym it happed thus Among his meyny fallynge at debate He slayne was in hys most hye estate After the deth of thys Sertorius Came Porpenna Pompeye to assayle And as they mette anone Pompeius Ful lyke a knyght slewe him in battaile Which victory greatly dyd auayle To the Romains after by gouernaunce He brought Spayne to their obeysaunce By auctorite gyue by the Senate This Noble Pompeye for vayle of the cite Vpon the sea would suffer no Pyrate Where euer he came fro hym they dyd flee For wyth his shyppes he scoured so the see And bare hym there so māly with hys hande That maugre thē he brought thē to the land Al
resistence Cesar gan to make That .xx. M. that day were slayne take Sixtie galeys not farre fro the lande Twelue M. men comynge to Tholome Echone were yelded and brought to hande Of Julius hys prisoners to be Than Tholomeus busied hym to flee To the water where maugre al hys myght He drowned was in his hasty flyght He knowen was by his rich haburion Of golde and stele it was entremayled By Cesar sent vnto the royall toun Which for dyffence was strongly enbattailed Buccles of golde richely enamayled Which tokens anone as they haue seyne Despeired to Cesar sent ageyne Of thē to Cesar was made fayth homage The reaim of Egipt brought to subiection Tyl he of grace and merciful corage To Cleopatra gaue all that region Longyng to her by succession By tytel of ryght that tyme none other Because onely Tholome was her brother Kyng Lagus whylom in his testament Father to Cleopatra and to Tholome Tofore his deth by great auisement Clerely euacted his last volunte That hys kingdome departed should be Halfe to Tholome as his bequeth was That other halfe to quene Cleopatras She by her brother was holde in prison To kepe her wrongly from her heritage Whereof Cesar had compassion Purposed him to reforme her domage And whyle that he helde there his hostage Of equite of lawe and of reason Of al Egipt gaue her possession Than came Juba of Libye lorde kynge Sower of stryues and discencion Proude hye of porte cruell in workinge Whiche in especial had indignacion Vnto the worthy last Scipion Cause he was chose lyke as bokes sey To succede next Consul to Pompey Thys Juba bare to hym great hatrede Sought a quarel againe hym for a thyng Cause that he was cladde in purple wede For him allegyng howe onely y ◠clothynge No maner estate shoulde vse but a kynge Ment for hym selfe syttyng in royall trone He wold as kyng that colour weare alone Here myne authour maketh a digression Puttynge ensample of Almayne the countre Sayth that there is none other nacion Touchyng array that is so dysguyse In waste of cloth and superfluyte Rehersyng here in full playne langage In many wise such wast doth great damage It causeth pride and ambicion Agayne the vertue of humilite To Lechery it gyueth occasion Which is contrary vnto chastite Wast of array sette folke in pouerte Causeth also such costage spent in vayne Of other poore to haue ful great disdayne Where superfluite is vsed of array Ryote foloweth proude port and ydelnes With wast of tyme driue forth the day Late drinkyng watch surfet dronkenes Engendreth feuers and many greate excesse Thus euery surfet englued is to other And one mysrule bryngeth in another God suffreth wele there be a difference Touchynge aray as men ben of degre Hye estates that stande in excellence Must be preferred of reason men maye se As cloth of golde stones of pyrre Was for prīces with other fresh clothinges But specially purple was for kynges Thus was there set of hye discrecion Aray accordyng to prynces hie nobles And for other estates lower downe Lyke their degrees twene pouert riches An order kept from scarsyte and exces A meane prouided atwene hie and lowe Lyke to him selfe eche man may be knowe But kyng Juba insolent and madde Of surquedy caught an opinion That none but he in purple should be clad Causyng debate twene hym and Scipion Yet were they partie bothe with Rome toun Agayne Cesar and drewe towarde Pompey For which at myschefe bothe they dyd dey Whan Juba felte him selfe of no powere Agayne Cesar to holde champarty For sorow he lost countenaunce and chere Of his disdaine and melancoly Called one Peitrin a knight of his aly Made thē by assent y ◠they were bothe faine Felly to fight tyll one of them was slayne Againe nature was this straunge fight Eche to slee other and knewe no cause why But for king Juba was an hardy knight He slewe his felowe and abode proudly And rather chase to die wylfully Of hie dispyte and of proude corage Than vnder Cesar to liue in seruage Made call a man whome he loued wele Gaue vnto him golde and great guerdon To take a swerde forged of fyne stele And make therof no lengar delacion But he should for short conclusion Take vpon him haue no feare nor drede Without tarying to smite of his heade Thus king Juba rather chase to dey Than lenger liue in subiection Vnder Cesar he loued so well Pompey Than next to Bochas as made is mencyon Came Aristobolus w t face loke cast doun Which was to Rome afore as I haue tolde Sent by Pompey to be kept in holde Which after was delyuered from prison By helpe of Cesar in full hasty wyse Standing in hope of his region To be restored vnto the fraunchyse Where Hyrcanus as ye haue herde the gyse Preferred was to his great hindring By Pompey of Jewes crowned king Whiche Aristobolus hopeth to recure Cast meanes there to reigne againe Wrought thereon dyd his busy cure Whose hasty laboure was but spent ī vaine Fyll in the handes of a proude capteine Which that whilom was lōginge to Pōpey And he with poison vnwarely made him dey The .xiii. Chapter ¶ How the last Scipiō Consulere of Rome for he lyst nat to liue in seruage of Julius rofe hym selfe to the hearte NExt came the last worthy Scipion Whiche after Pompey was made Consulere With whome Juba was at discension For wearing purple as was tolde well ere And afterwarde fyl in great feare whan Cesar had within Libye lande Outrayed thē with strong mighty hande Wherby Scipion gan fall in dispeyre Lost his chere as man disconsolate With thre romains gan make his repeyre Dansippus Plectorie and Torquate Goyng to shyppe the time infortunate Towarde Spayne the tēpest gan thē driue That they in Affrike vnwarely dyd ariue Scipion seing this wofull case sodayne Howe he was brought vnwarly to mischefe ▪ For Scicius a mighty stronge captaine Being a Pyrate and of the sea a thefe Whiche is a name of full great reprefe The same Pyrate longyng to Cesare Fyll on Scipion or that he was ware Beyng in purpose toke him prisonere Within his shyppe tofore his ariuaile For which alas dul gan his chere His countenaunce appall and eke fayle To fynd comfort no man coude him coūsaile Pulled out a swerd whan he might nat stert And rofe him selfe euyn to the hert This was th ende at last of Scipion Leauer he had at mischefe so to dey Than vnder Cesar lye fettred in prison Or to his lordshippe in any wyse obey To Bochas next him came Pompey Sonne and heyre to great Pompeyus Contrary also to Cesar Julius Had bretherne and susterne mo than one And many another of their aliaunce And of assent they cast them euerichone Their fathers deth hauing in remembraūce Vpon Celar to take therof vengeaunce Eke vpon Tholome which by collusyon Slough their father by
Kingdomes deuided may no while endure Princes princesses which haue the soueraintie Ouer the people and domination Ifye lyst longe lyue in felicitie Cherishe your subiectes do none extorcion And aduertise of wysdome and reason As this tragedy dothe to you discure Kyngdomes deuided may no while endure The .x. Chapter ☞ How Atreus kynge of Messene wrought ayenst his brother Thiestes slew his thre children dismembred them in pieces made Thiestes to eat of their flesh drinke of their bloud BOchas the Poete auctour of this boke Him purposyng to gather and compile Diuers stories anone his penne he toke Him remembryng within a little while In this chapitle began direct his style To write the story hye and compendious A forne all other of duke Theseus Lorde of Athens a famous great citye Right strong and myghty on euery side But at his backe Bochas did one se Which cryed loude and bade he shold abide Bochas quod he fro the me list not hide My wofull case ne in no wise spare My piteous complaynt to the to declare I am Thiestes besprent all with wepyng Drowned in teares as thou maiest well se Sometyme sonne of the mighty kyng Pelops and borne also parde Of quene Hippodamea excellent of beautye And for thou art desirous to endite Of people vnhappy and their wo to write My will is this anone that thou procede Turne thy style and take thy penne bliue Leaue Theseus and take of hym none hede But first my tragedy that thou discryue For I suppose that in all thy lyue That thou saw neuer a thing more dolorous More vnhappy frowarde ne more piteous Than is alas my mortall aduenture Incomperable the sorow surmounting Of quene Iocasta most wofull creature Or of Edippus his fate euer complaynyng For my complaynt hath none endyng But lasteth euer and beareth me witnes No wo resembleth vnto my heauines And with y â— worde John Bochas styll stode â–ª Full soberly to geue him audience And in the place demurely abode To hear the substaunce of his mortal offence Whiche thus began to shewe the sentence O John quod he I pray the take good hede My wo to write that men may it reade Alas my brother rote of vnkyndenes Atreus called of reason sours and well And finder out of treason and falsenes For all other in fraude he doth precell Whose couert hate is more than I can tell I supposyng of very innocence In him no malice disceite nor none offence But as brother should a brother trust I trusted him of hart will and thought By apparence none other cause I wyst For in his person I supposed nought That euer he culd so false a thig haue wroght But who may soner another man deceyue Than he in whom no malice men conceyue â–ª I demed of him as of my true brother Wenyng he had faythfull ben to me I sawe no signe ne I knew none other In him suposynge no duplicitie But wo alas how might it euer be Or who did euer in any story finde Bloude vnto bloude to be so vnkynde I will passe ouer to tell the worthines Touching the estates of our progenitours Of our kynred and the great noblesse I tell nothing nether of our predecessours Ne of my youth howe passed ben the floures I leaue all this and vnto mynde call The wretchednes that I am in fall My brother founde a false occasion Ayenst me and began a cause feyne To banish me out of our region And began at me of hatred to disdayne Vpon me affirmyng in certayne In our kingdome whiche called is Missene I should haue lien by his wyfe the quene This he compassed full falsely of malice Him selfe well knowyng that it was not so Euer founde vnkynde and misauise Not like my brother but like my deadly â—o And to encrease great percell of my wo By long processe in his entencion He â—â—â—â—gined my destruction And his chefe cause was false couetise Touchyng this thing which he did fame And yet this kyngdome truely to deuise Should haue beÌ„ departed betwene vs twaine But ayenst truth he did so ordayne Me to exyle out of that region Him selfe alone to haue possession Yet in his hart he cast an other wile To my vndoyng and desolation To the place whence he did me exile Vnder a shadowe of false collusion To make a maneâ— reuocation Of brotherhead shewyng a pretence Me to restore ayen to his presence To be accepted as a brother shoulde With full accorde styll with hym to abide All miuries of whyche afore I tolde On either party forget and set asyde That nothing after should our loue deuide But of one will and one entencion Leade all our lyfe without deuision Wherof the people were full glad and lyght Throughout Missene that mighty region At my resortyng founde I euery wyght Ready of hart and whole affection Me to receyue into that noble towne And none so ready by sygnes out shewyng To make me chere in sothe as was the kyng There is no domage in comparison That may be lykened by no resemblaunce To fayned truth and simulation Whan fraude is hyd w t a fayre countenaunce Pretendyng truth outward by deceyuaunce And vndernethe of most false entent Of doublenesse dareth the serpent As vnder flowers is shrowded the dragon For to betray by sodayne vyolence Suche folke as haue no suspection But truely meane in their pure innocence Till they be caught dispurueyed of defence Or as a fishe with bayte of false pleasaunce The hoke not sene is brought to mischaunce Thus semblably at my home commyng I was receyued with euery circumstaunce Lyke as halfe heyre and brother to the kynge And he pretendyng as by countenaunce That he had so inly great pleasaunce Of my repayre of truth he tolde so For reioysyng that he sayed he woulde go Vnto his gods to do some obseruaunce For this accorde and humble sacrifice Made his ministers w t faythful attendaunce To wayte on me in all their best wise It nedeth not to tell ne deuise Neither by wrytyng in bokes sor to set Halfe the ioye he made whan we mette First how frendly he did me embrace Of harty gladnes within his armes twaine â–ª And how for ioye the teares on his face Full entirely gan distyll and rayne That for my party he could not me restraine But that I must of frendshyp fraternall Wepe as did he in his estate royall The wily wolfe that cast him to deuouâ— The sely lambe whiche can no defence Ne none helpe him selfe to succour So feble he is to make resistence Whiche demeth truth of false apparence What wonder is it the fraude not conceiued Though such lambes vnwarely be disceiued Though that roses at midsomer be full sote Yet vnderneth is hyd a full sharpe spyne Some freshe floures haue a full bitter rote And lothsom galle can suger vndermine In dredful stormes y â— sunne amoÌ„g doth shyne And vnder a shadow of fayned frendlyheade There is no frendshyp so perillous to dreade
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
Oropastes quaking in his drede Full vnwarely or that he toke hede Was slayn ther guerdoned for al his might Of pretence kinges y t reigne haue no right The .vii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Dary obteynyng the kingdom of Perce by sleyght ended with shame AFter the deth of these Magicyens Was left no king to haue y ◠gouernaūce Nor for to rule the lande of Perciens Saue fyue princes full famous of puissaunce Whyche made a statute and an ordinaunce Of one accorde by recorde of writyng Theron concluding who shuld be chose king Their sort their hap and all their auenture Was yeue to fortune of thys eleccion And thus the prince the crowne shall recure Among these fyue by theyr conuencion For to gouern the mighty regyon And in that lande to reigne and contune Lyke as the fauour lyst ordeyn of fortune Thys was the statute vpon a mornyng All atones erly for to ryde Atwene Aurora and Phebus vprisyng Vp to a hyll to houe and to abyde All rancour dyscorde set asyde Whose horse among them was first herde neying Without grutching shulde be crowned kyng Vpon this mater what shoulde I leger tary Hereon was made an othe in sykernesse Among these prīces one which was called Da Aprince of Perce excellyng of noblesse Whych had a seruaunt y ◠story bereth witnessery That kept hys horse thought in very dede Hys lorde he wolde preferre at suche a nede The sayd seruant full sleyghtly in werkyng His dilygence lyst nothyng to spare The day to fore set of their metynge At a place smothe playne and bare Hys lordes horse he made leape a mare And on the morowe when the princes met On horsbacke there hys lorde he set And whan the horse thyder came agayne Nature anone afforced his corage To neye loude vpon the same playne Where as the mare had vsed her passage Kynde in suche case had great auauntage By whiche sleyght playnly to reherse The sayd Dary was crowned kig of Perce The prynces all lyke theyr conuencion Or Phebus shewed his firy beames bryght Without stryfe or contradiccion From their horse sodaynly alyght And vnto Dary as lowly as they myght Sayd in greke or they vp rose Policromtudo Basileos Which is in latyn to spake in wordes playne And in englyshe by expowning of scripture After the Greke as moche for to sayne As longe tyme myght the kyng endure And lyue in helth with good auenture By the grace and fauour of fortune Vpon all Perce to reigne and contune Who wyll consydre euery cyrcumstaunce It is a meruayle nat grounded on prudence By such sleyght a king to haue gouernaunce Through tytle or clayme as of iust euidence So to be raysed to kyngly excellence But whan fortune fauoureth suche assay Tyll y ◠she chaunge ther can no man say nay Thus was kyng Dary borne of lowe linage Set vp by sleyght in estate honorable Thought y ◠he wolde for his auauntage To make his kyngdom his reigne stable Wed such a wyfe as to hym was most able Demyng of trouth hys clayme were well amēded Of Cirus lyne if she were discēded To wede suche one was all his couetyse Stable for to reigne vpon the Perciens And as I fynde in full cruell wyse By the counsayle of false magicyens A werre he gan vpon the Egipciens Eke folily he gan for to werrey Them of Athenes whiche lyst hym nat obey And as myne auctor maketh rehersayle He for his pride and false presumpcion Was discomfyted twyes in batayle And neuer after as made is mencyon He was nat had in reputacyon Among Perciens so gan his honoure fade Wyth sleyght he gan with shame an ende he made ¶ The .viii. Chapter ¶ How Corolian by Romaynes exiled gan warre agaynst them and how after they sent out his mother withother for peace which had they eft him exiled and after was slayne AFter this Dary as I rehearce can And mine auctour liketh to conclude To Iohn Bochas came Corolian The most wofull of that multitude Which gan complaine vpon the ingratitude Of the Romayns how they whilom in dede Exiled his person of rancour and hatrede Whiche in his time would neuer ceace Through his noblesse hys hygh renoun Their common profite to augment encrece And for to bringe to their subiection Many a citye and many a noble toun Yet they agaynward for all his chyualry Him exiled of malyce and enuy But whan this Marcus called Corolian Saw of Romayns the great vnkindnes Toward a countrey that called was Tuskan Of high disdayne anone he did him dresse And them entreated of manly fell prowes To gyn a warre sythe they so manly be Through his cōueiyng againe Rome y ◠citye And for to put them more in assuraunce To haue victory through their high renoun He tolde them playnly of a great distaunce Of a false strife and a discencion That was of newe fall in Rome towne Wherfore they should if it be prouided Cōquere thē lightly because thei wer deuided By their assent they made a great armye With stuffe for war richely apparayled Pyght his tentes tofore that great citye And in the fielde stode proudly battayled But the hartes of Romayns haue thē fayled And durst not passe the gates of their toun There was among thē so great deuision Their citye stode that time destitute With feare supprised for lacke of gouernaūce Them to defende they founde no refute So farre enfeblished was their old puissaūce For euer gladly where stryfe and variaunce In any kingdome haue an enteresse Touchyng a defence adue all hardinesse Within them selfe they stode at debate Afore their enemies ready for to assayle Comfort was none in hygh nor lowe estate For where discord is what auayleth coūsail Their fone w tout within them selfe battayle Brought in alas to their confusion By the false serpent of dissencion But at the last afforced and constrayned They were coact after peace to seke The case stode so of nede they were payned Maugre their might their harts for to meke And their mischefe more to encrese and eke In augmentyng of their cruell fates They saw their enmies armed at their gates They sent out first priestes of the toun With their enemies for to entrete of pees With humble profers lowe subiection But Corolian this is doubtles Againe the Romayns was so merciles That grace none myght in his hart myne To their request his eares to enclyne Than the Romayns the story tell can To Venturia made their prayere Whiche was the mother of Corolian And to Volumnia his faithfull wife entere That they should both go in fere Vnto that prynce besechyng at the lest Benignly to heare their request His mother first full prudently abrayde Vnto her sonne makyng this question At their metyng to hym thus she sayde Shall I quod she for short conclusion Of faythfull harte and true affection To thy presence declare finally Be now receyued as mother or enemy After thine aunswere I must
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
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
ware As they departed such part againe they toke As men deserue suche shall be their mede This frowarde storye ende of the eight boke Of Rosamonde Melchis wrought in dede For short conclusion byddeth men take hede They shall agayne receiue such measour As they measure vnto their neighbour ☞ Thus endeth the eyght boke and herafter foloweth the nynthe ¶ Hovve the Emperoure Mauricius hys wyfe and hys children were slayne at Calcidony ¶ The Fyrst Chapter TO Frances Petrark as Bochas vndertoke In eschewyng of slouthful ydelnes As he began taccoÌ„plysh vp his boke AssurauÌ„ce made hym do his busines Which thinge remeÌ„bred gan his pen dresse The nynth boke so god wold gyue him grace It to performe if he had lyfe and space At the beginnyng sothly of his labour In his study there dyd to hym appeare Mauricius the myghty Emperour Which complayned rehersynge the manere Howe he by Phocas cruell of loke chere Distroied was wyfe childreÌ„ and kinrede The slaughter couth who lyst the storie rede The sayd Maurice as write Bochas Jhon Was by Phocas brought to distruccion His wyfe and children were slaine echone At Calcidony as made is mencion After whose deth he toke possession The sayd Phocas as put is in memory Gaue Pantheon to saynt Gregorye Whyche was a temple of olde foundacion Ful of ydols vp set on hye stages There throughe the worlde of euery nacion Were of theyr goddes set vp great ymages To euery kingdom direct were their visages As Poetes and Fuigens by hys liue In bokes olde plainely doth dyscriue Euery ymage had in his hande a bell As apparteyneth to euery nacion Which by craft some token shoulde tel Whan any kingdome fil in rebellion Or gan maligne agayne Rome toun Which to redresse w t strong myghty hande Sent a prince to chastice al that lande The saide temple builded of lime and stone Pope Boniface as bookes specify Wher it was first called Pantheon Set vp crosses vpon eche partye Halowed it to martirs and to Mary Yere by yere gynnyng of Nouembre The feast hold the martiloge doth remembre In Asia this Emperour Maurice was slain In the cite that called is Calcidony Al his housholde and many good Romaine By Phocas percieÌ„s as had is in memorye And Phocas after for his vaynglory Slaine by Heraclius he thaÌ„ was Emperour Four twenty wynter he was gouernour The .ii. Chapter ¶ Of Machomet the false prophet and how he beyng dronke was deuoured amonge swine AFter the deth of Phocas as I tolde WhaÌ„ Heraclius to raine first began Came Mahomet in his time yhold A false prophet and a magician As bokes olde well reherce can Borne in Arabia but of low kynred All his life worshipped ydols in dede And whan that he grewe in to great age Disceyuable in many sondrie wyses with Camels vsed fyrst his cariage False and double and subtle in his diuises He went to Egipt and fette marchandiÌ„ses To Jewes christen he sondrie times sent Learned the olde and the newe testament As bokes olde recorde in that partie Thys Mahomet this cursed false man Out of Egipte fast gan hym hye Towarde a countre called Corosan With a lady that hight Cordian Through his subtill false daliaunce By crafte he fyll in to her acquaintaunce He wrought by his enchauntementes And by false meanes of nygromancy Her enclyning towarde his ententes For both he coude flatter wel and lye Sayd openly that he was Messy Jewes abiding vpon his coÌ„myng As greattest prophet their souerayne kyng Thus the people he brought in great errour By his techyng and his false doctryne He wext among them a great gouernour The saide lady also dyd to him enclyne As to a prophet whych that was diuine Sent from aboue as she dyd vnderstande For whyche she toke him to her husbande His lynage gan at Hismaell Had a syckenesse full ofte sithe fyll doun In his excuse saied that Gabriell Was sent to him fro the heauenly mancion By the holy gost to his instruction And for the Angell shewed him selfe so shene To stande vpright he myght not sustene On his shoulder were oft tymes seyne Whan he to folke shewed his presence Milke white doues which that piked greine Out of his eares affirmyng in sentence They came by grace of gostly influence Him to visite to shewe and specifye He was the prophet that called was Messy Newe lawes also he dyd ordaine Shewed signes by false apparence Lyke Moises him selfe he dyd feyne A prophet of most excellence And thervpon to shewe an euidence Smal portes wyth mylke and hony borne On a great bull were hanged on eche horne He made the people gyue credulite To his doctrine and froward teachyng By mylke and hony figured was plente By the merite of his gostly workyng And thus he was at his beginnyng Take of Sarasis as they gan to him draw Whych by false errour bounde theÌ„ to his law A clerke of his called Sergius Wrote his lawes and these miracles thre First of the doues howe they came to hiÌ„ thus As here tofore rehersed was by me Howe mylke hony were tokens of plente And of the Bull afore by craft made tame By false disceytes to gete hym a name Of Arabiens and Sarasins as I rede And of Turkes made prince gouernour With Hysmaeâ—ytes folke of Perce mede He gadered people gan wexe a warriour Agayne Eraclius the myghty emperour And vsurped to ride in the contrees â–ª Gate Alisandry wyth many mo citees Of tho parties desirous to be kynge Of that purpose whan he was set asyde The people falsly dyssimulynge Tolde he was sent prophetes to prouyde For tho couÌ„trees for to be their gyde And for he was lecherous of corage He made of Venus to set vp an ymage Made Sarazins to worship the friday Semblably hys story dothe expresse So as the Jewes halowed the saturday All his workes concluding in falsnes Whan he dranke wyne fyl in dronkeÌ„nes Taught the people like a false prophet To drinke water and good wyne to lete As I sayd the heretyke Sergius With him of counsaile frowarde contrary Fone to our fayeth he and Nestorius From holy churche greatly they gan vary On whose errours Bochas list not tary More to write of this Machomete Any gromancian and a false prophete Who list to se his lawes euerychon Yeue to Sarazins his boke caÌ„ bere wytnes As they be set in his Alkeron Echone in ordre grounded on falsnesse Lyke a glotton dyed in dronkennesse By excesse of drinkynge moch wyne Fyll in a podell deuoured among swyne Thys was the ende of false Machomete For all his craftes of nigromancy The funerall fine of this saide prophete Dronklewe of kynde called him selfe Messie Whom Sarazins so gretly magnifye Jhon Bochas let be for a quene of Fraunce More of his errour to put in remembraunce The .iii. Chapter ☞ Howe Brounchylde a quene of Fraunce slewe her kin brought the land in diuision and after was hanged hewen
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
chapiter The authour agaynst couitous people loke the leafe .lxxxvii. Howe Euagoras kyng of Cypre was by Artaxerses outrayed and put from his kyngdome The .xxiii. cha Howe Theon kinge of Egypte was by Artaxerses driuen frome hys kyngdome and howe he fledde in to Arabye The foure and twenty chapiter Howe Amintas of Macedone kynge had by Erudice his wyfe Alysandre â–ª Pet dica and Philyppe who were after slaine The .xxv. Chapiter Howe the proude tyraunte haman was hanged and the Innocentes preserued The .xxvi. chapiter ¶ Of the two brethern Artaxerses and Cyrus and howe Artaxerses slewe hys chyldren and Concubynes and howe they ended with a Lenuoy The .xxvii. chapit Thus endeth the Table with the chapiters of the thyrde boke and here foloweth the table of the fourth boke whiche contayneth xxvi chapiters The Table of the fourth boke THe prologue of the translatour The fyrste chapiter of the fourth boke declareth howe Marcus Manlius wroughte for Rome towne and howe at the laste for all hys laboure he was by the commons cast in to Tybre and so drowned How Bochas writeth in parte against suche as can nat be contente wyth suffysaunce but vsurpe to high dignyties with a Lenuoy The seconde chapiter Howe Nectanabus kynge of Egypte was by Xerxses constrayned to slye hys kyngdome The third chap. Howe Pausanias Duke of LacedemoÌ„ was exyled by them of Athenes The .iiii. chapiter Howe Helyarchus the tyraunt for extorcion and oppression was slayne by the knyght Leonydes The fyfth chapter Howe the vycious Dyonis kynge of Cycyle slewe his bretherne and kynrede and howe he was exiled and died at myschefe with a Lenuoy The sixt chapter The authour againe presumptuous people princes holding theÌ„ selfe as gods The seuenth chapiter Howe kynge Pollicrate for extorcion and tyranny was hanged tyll euery ioynt fyl from other The eight chapter Howe the tyraunte Alexandre slewe his Philosopher Calistenes with dyuers other for sayinge trouth with a Lenuoy The nynth chapter Howe Alexander kynge of Pyrothe aduenturynge to passe the floude of Acheronte was slayne therin by them that he trusted most The tenth chap. Howe Dary kynge of Perce and Mede was outrayed by Alexander kynge of Macedon with a Lenuoy The leuenth chapiter A chapiter of Bochas wherein he remembreth the bataylles and losses of realmes of antiquite with the fallynge of dyuers nobles The .xii. chap. Howe Eumenydes was twise outraied by Antigonus and at last dyed in pryson With a Lenuoy The .xiii. chapiter Howe Queene Olimpiades for she delyted in vyces in murdre and in vengeaunce dyed at mischefe With a Lenuoy The fourtene chapiter Howe Agathocles of low byrthe borne attaygned vnto royall dygnyte and howe he ended in pouerte and wretchednesse With a Lenuoy The fiftene chapiter Howe Cassander slewe the wyfe of Alexander and Hercules her sonne and howe Antipater slew hys mother and of dyuers other murders The sixtene chapiter Of two prefectes Perdicas and Amintas The .xvii. cha How SaÌ„drocottus borne of low degre cherished robbours theues The xviii ca. Howe Seleuchus the myghtye prynce was slayne by the great Tholome kyng of Egypte The xix chap. Howe the two sons of Queene Arcynoe wer by their mothers traitourously slaine and she exyled with a Lenuoy The .xx. Chapter Howe Ceramius of Macedoyne kynge that murdred hys cosyns was slayne in battayle by them of Fraunce The xxi cha How the prince Belgius was discoÌ„fited and brought to nought The .xxii. chap. How duke Breâ—â—us delytyng to robbe and steale mischiuouslye ended wyth a Lenuoy The xxiii chap. Howe Pyrrus kyng of Pyrothe lyst not lyue in peace but throughe pryde and presumpcion in warre came to mischaunce The xxiiii Chapter How the tyrauÌ„t Aristotimus by trecherous workynge set asyde the ryght lyne and howe he was crowned kyng of Epirothes and after slayne The .xxv. chap. Howe Queene Arcinoe for her aduoutrye done wyth Demetrius husbande of Beronices ended in sorowe The .xxvi. ca. ¶ Thus endeth the table wyth the Chapters of the fourth boke and here foloweth the table of the fifth boke whiche contayneth .xxxiii. Chapters ¶ The table of the fyfth boke IN the fyrst Chapiter of the fifth booke Bochas wryteth agaynst them that delyte in beautye and semelynesse callynge to purpose howe a man borne in Tuscan whiche excelled in beautye and fayrenesse and for he woulde nat geue occasion to other to sinne disfigured his visage and bodye with manye a greuous wounde and spotte with a Lenuoy Howe the two bretherne Seleuchus and Antiochus eche of them desirynge to excell other fyll at discorde and so ended in mischefe The seconde chap. Howe the noble Queene Laodomya was slayne in the Temple and of the vengeauÌ„ce that was take vpon hym that slew her The thyrde chapter Howe Cleomenes kynge of Macedone was slayne with his wife and chyldren The fourth chapter Of kynge Nero Cornely and Hanybal The fyfth Chapter Of the duke zantipas that was cast into the sea The sixt chapter Howe Marcus Regulus of his frewyll dyed for the common weale wyth a Lenuoy The seuenth chapter Howe Tholome kyng of Egypte called Philopater slewe hys father and mother and his wife and how he spent his tyme in lecherye and of his mischeuous ende The eyght Chapter Howe Brithomarus and Viridomarus dukes of Fraunce after great battayles were by Romaynes slayne The .ix. ca. Howe Syphax the kynge of Numedy was taken and how he died in prison The tenth Chapter Howe Nabyn hauyng no tytell of right but by tyranny toke on hym to be kyng of Macedone and howe he was slayne The eleuenth chapter Bochas reherseth the mortall warres that hathe been betwene the Romaynes and Affricans The. twelth cap. How king Perseus was by the Romaines outrayed and after take The .xiii. cap. Howe the people of Achaia wyth theyr chefe citie called Coriâ—the by Romaynes was distroyed The fourtene chapter Howe the great Antiochus vsyng riote and vicious liuynge by Marcus Actilius was outrayed and dyed sodayulye with a Lenuoy The fiftene chapter Howe Jeronimus kynge of Cyracuse was slaine and how Scipio Affrican that laboured for the common weale of Romaines was exiled by them and so died The sixtene chapter Howe Scipio Asyan lorde of Asye that laboured euer for the common weale was at last murdred The seuentene chap. Howe duke Philopomenes was take put in prison and after dranke poyson and so died The eyghtene chapter Of the thyrd Scipion Nasica that euer wrought muche for the commonty with a Lenuoy The .xix. chapter Howe duke Haâ—ball after many victorious dedes slewe hym selfe with poyson with a Lenuoy The twenty chapter Howe Prusias kynge of Bithâ—ye that betrayed Hanibal woulde haue dish erited hys sonne and heyre went a beggynge in strange landes The .xxi. chapter Howe Perses of Macedone kyng that empoysoned his brother was by Emilyus outrayed and dyed in pryson The xxii ca. Howe Amonyus a prynce of Antioche delytynge in pyllage and robberye with other vicious lyuynge sted in womans clothyng after taken slayne The xxiii cap. Howe
presumpsion condempned by Honorius and hys head smyt of The xix chapter Howe Stillicon and other of lyke condicion ended mischeuously The xx chap. A goodly processe of y e aucthor why Rome was destroyed for the same or like cause were diuers other realmes distroyed The xxi Chapter Howe the kynges Trabstila and Bâ—surus wer brought vnto subiection made tributaries to Theodorike The xxii cha Howe Philitheus loste his kingdome The xxiii Chapter Howe Symacke and Boes hys sonne in law were banished and after iudged to die The .xxiiii. chapter Of kynge Arthur and hys conquestes and of the commodities of Englande and how he was disceyued by his cosyn Mordrede with a Lenuoy The xxv chapter An exclamacion of Bochas agayne folkes y â— be vnkinde to theyr kynred Fo .xvii. Of Gisiuill kyng of Venandre of thre other kinges and how they were distroyed The xxvi chapter Howe Albuinus was murdred by hys wife Rosamonde and howe she for her abhominable dealynge and vicious lyfe was slayne also The xxvii chapter Thus endeth the table with the chapters of the eight boke and here foloweth the table of the nynth boke whyche contayneth .xxxviii. chapters ¶ The table of the nynth boke THe first chapter of the ninth boke sheweth howe the Emperour Mauricius his wyfe and his chyldren were slayne at Calcidony Of Machomet the false prophet and howe he beynge dronke was deuoured amonge swyne The seconde chapter Howe Brounchylde a quene of Fraunce slewe her kynne and brought the lande in deuision after was hanged hewen in smal peces with a Lenuoy The iii. chap. Bochas marueyleth of the great malice and cruelte of Brunchylde Fol .xxviii. Howe Eraclius the Emperour sustayned heresy fyll into dropsye and sickenesse vncurable and so died The fourth chapter Howe Constantine the sonne of Eraclius for supportyng of errours and heresies was murdred in a stewe by hys owne knightes The fyfth chapter Howe Gisulphus was slayne and howe hys wife for her vicious liuyng ended mischeuously The syxt chapter Of Justinian y e false extorcioner which was exiled by Patrician and after that his nose cut fro his head and both his eyen put out The seuenth chapter Howe Philip the emperour dyed at mischefe The eyght chapter Howe Anastase was compelled to leaue the empire and lyue in pouerte The ix cap. How the head of Lupus kyng of Lombardy was smyt of by Grymbaldus The tenth chapter Howe the head of Alexius was smyt of by Compeâ—â—on The eleuenth chapter How Ariperton was drowned with his rychesse The twelfth chapter Howe Dedyre by pope Andrian Charles of Fraunce was put to flight and dyed at mischefe The. The .xiii. chapter Of Pope John a woman and howe she was put downe â–ª The fourtenth Chapter Bochas counsayleth prynces to remembre on Arnolde Fol .xxvi. Of Charles of Lorayne that was confounded for hungre The fyftene Chapter Howe kynge Salamon whilom kynge of Hungry was put to flyght The .xvi. ca. How Petro kyng of Hungry was slaine The .xvii. chapter Howe Diogenes the emperour was taken and hys eyen put out The .xviii. chap. How Robert duke of Normandy fought with the turkes and shoulde haue had the crowne of Jerusalem and how he dyed at mischefe The .xix. Chapter How Joceline prince of Rages for pride slouth and lecherye died in pouerte The twenty chapter Howe the Emperoure Andronicus slewe all that were of the noble bloude cheryshed vicious people and howe he was after hanged with a Lenuoy The .xxi. chapter Of Jsacius made blynde and take at mischefe The .xxii. chapter Of Henry the eldest sonne of Frederike the second mischeued by hys father The. xxiii chapter A commendacion of Bochas to suche as be kinde to their kinsfolke Fol .xxx. How Manfroye kyng of Poile was slaine The .xxiiii. chapter Howe Ences kinge of Sardiny dyed in pryson The .xxv. chapter Of a nother Frederike that was slaine by the iudgement of his brother The .xxvi. chapter How Manimettus and Argones dyed at mischefe The .xxvii. chapter How Charles king of Jerusalem and Cicyle for his auarice and aduoutrye dyed at mischefe with a Lenuoy The .xxviii. chapter Of Hugoline Erle of Pise slayne in prison The .xxix. Chapter Howe Pope Boniface the eyght was take by the lynage of Columpnes and howe he eate his handes and died in prison The thyrty chapter How the order of templers was founded and Jaques with other of the order brente The xxxi Chapter Bochas commendeth Theodorus wyth other two Philosophers for their great pacience The .xxxii. Chapter Bochas here commendeth humilite Folli .xxxiii. Howe Philippe le Bele of Fraunce was slayne with a wilde Bore and of his three sonnes and theyr wedding The .xxxiii. chapt How duke Gaulter of Florence for his tiranny lecherye and couetyse ended in mischefe The .xxxiiii. chapter Of Philipot Cathenoise born of low birth which came to high estate and after how she her sonne and her doughter were brent The xxxv chapter How kynge Sauses was slayne by hys cosyn which was brother to the kinge of Arragon The .xxxvi. chapter Howe Lewes kynge of Jerusalem â—nd Cicyle was put downe The .xxxvii. chapter Howe kynge John of Fraunce was take prysoner at Poyters by prynce Edward and brought into England with a Lenuoy The xxxviii chapter Bochas reherseth howe Fortune hathe made many hygh estates vnwarelye discend Fol .xxxviii. The wordes of the translatoure wherewith he endeth hys boke ⧠Thus endeth the table with the chapters of the ninth and last boke and here after foloweth the prologue of the translatour The Prologue of John Lydgate monke of Burye translatoure of this worke HE that sumtime did his diligeÌ„ce The boke of Bochas in FreÌ„ch to traÌ„slate Out of latin he called was LaureÌ„ce The tyme remembred truely and the date Is wheÌ„ kyng John through his mortal fate Was prisoner brought vnto this region Than he began first on this translation In his Prologue affirmyng of reason That artifirers hauyng exercise May chaunge and turne by good discresion Shapes and formes newly them deuise Make and vnmake in many a sundry wise As Potters whiche to that craft entende Breake and renue their vessels to amende Thus men of craft may of due right That ben inuentife and haue experience Fantasien in their inwarde syght Deuices newe through their excellence Expert masters haue therto licence Fro good to better for to chaunge a thinge And semblably these clarkes in writyng Thing that was made of auctors theÌ„ beforn They may of newe finde and fantasy Out of olde chaffe trye out full fayre corne Make it more freshe and iusty to the eye Their subtile witte their labour apply With their colours agreable of hue To make olde thinges for to seme newe Afore prouided that no presumption In their chaunging haue none aucthoritie And that mekenes haue domination Ouer false Enuy that she not present be But that their grounde w t perfite charitie Conueyed be to their aduauntage Truely roted amidde their courage Thus Laurence from him
golde Out of Egypt full great treasure they ladde Such as theÌ„ thought might most theÌ„ auaile And Pharao I fynde that he hadde Two hundred chares enarmed for battayle Them to pursue and proudly to assayle And fifty thousande in whom was no lacke Of men of armes folowyng on horsebacke Two C. thousande of fotemen him aboute And of Egypt all his chyualrye And Pharao with all his great route Began Israel pursue of enuye But for his pryde and false surquedy He and his people were drowned euerychone Of all his number was left not one His froward hart ayenst God indurate Fulfilled of malyce and obstinacy And in his purpose proude and obstinate These foule vyces or he coulde them espye From his glory and his regally He was doun though he tofore was crouned Amidde the sea among his people drowned Of Ogiges kyng of Thebes ANother Prynce called Ogygus Kyng of Thebes as bokes determine And fouÌ„der was thus Bochas telleth vs Of a citye called Eleusyne Which stout in Grece whose power to decline There fyll a floude in that regyoun Whiche ouerflowed many a royall towne And in Cithia that did most dammage Tyme of Iacob patriarke notable And this deluge with his waues rage Slewe lordes many prynces honourable For dame Fortune is so deceiuable That she sumtime when she list disdayne Can folke assayle with a floude sodaine This floude also where it did assayle Wasted cornes bothe croppe and rote Caused also scarcitie of vytayle That many a man felt full vnsote The pore not wyst where to finde bote For their prynces supprised were with drede Through lacke of vitayle in that great nede Of a great floude in Tessaly ANother floude there was in Tessaly In the time when kyng Amphyon Helde the ceptre and the regaly Vpon Thebes the mighty stronge towne Beside the kyngdome of Babilon The same time this floude fell doubtles When Gods people was ledde by Moses With this floude the land had ben deuoured Of Tessaly and of all that region But on Pernaso the people were succored And on the Roches that stode enuyron Founde there refuge to their saluation And great succour til the floudes rage Began to decrease withdrawe and asswage In olde stories also ye may se Whan Cecrops had first possession Of Athens the myghty stronge citye An heate there fell in that region By influence that descendeth downe From the bodies aboue celestiall Whiche likely was for to deuoure all And this heate engendred with the sonne In diuers countreys both in length breade Hath his course so mightely begone That many folke fell in great dreade Ryuers welles who so list take hede Consumed were and dryed vp echone The heat called the enbracyng of Pheton The .v. Chapter ☞ Of goodly Isis wife to Apys kyng of Argyue slayne by his brother Dyffeus WE haue read in stories here toforne How that Isis to Egypt toke her flyght Out of Crete the true daughter borne Of Promotheus a full manly knyght And Isis in euery mans syght So freshe so goodly wedded by her lyue To worthy Apys that was king of Argyue The whiche Isis excellent of beauty After tyme her father was ygraue She was put for more suretye With her vncle that shoulde kepe and saue This sayd maâ—de y â— no man should her haue And her vncle in Ouide ye may se Like as he wrote â–ª was called Epymethe And flourynge vp in her tender age This sayd Isis so pleasaunt was and mete Of semelines of loke and vysage That Iupiter the mighty kynge of Crete Was enuyronned with her for to mete And she excited of feminitie Enclined her hart vnto his deitie And for she was of her entent so clene Obeiyng hun in most lowly wise Of Argiuois he made her to be quene Because that she was smit in couetise Ayenst Argus a warre she gan deuise And for he was vnweldy of his age Her to w t stand he found none aduauntage But yet Fortune gan vpon her frowne And kyng Argus through his subtiltye With his counsaile so prudently gan rowne That she was take by full great crueltie And her souldiours were also made to flye And by Argus there gayned no raunsome She fettred was and put in strong pryson But her sonne God Mercurius Right freshe ryght lusty full of hardines And of his earthly ioye so glorious Ayenst Argus gan his power dresse And so intirely did his busines That Argus was slaine in conclusion And after Isis deliuered fro pryson Of her sleyghtes afterwarde not feynt She toke a shyp and to Egypt went In which shyp there was a cowe depeynt And Theores whom Iupiter also sent Is gone with her bothe of one entent To ioyne a mariage after anone ryght Betwene her Apys a prynce full of myght She was ryght wise aboue other creatures Secrete of cunnyng well expert in science She taught first letters and fygures To Egyptians by playne experience Gaue them cunnyng and intelligence To tyll the lande taught the labourers To sowe their graine multiply by peres And in Egypt her fame and her renowne Began day by day wext her worthines Holde of cunnyng and of reputation By signe shewed not onely in princesse But she was holde among them a Goddesse And with worshyps whiche were diuyne And sacrifices to her they did enclyne But to declare playnly at a worde In middes of all her great prosperitie Mighty Apis her husband and her lorde Prince of Egypt and lorde of that country Sonne of Iupiter and of Niobe Whiche Niobe by long discendyng The daughter was of Phoroneus y â— kyng And Phoroneus first the lawe founde To whiche all Crete stande vnder obeysauÌ„ce And the statutes of that myghty londe Were ystablished by his ordinaunce But for to write the vnhappy chaunce Of kynge Apys that is remembred He slayne was and pyteously dismembred By his brother called Tyffeus Sumwhat of hatred but more for couetise For Tyffeus was onely desitous To reioyce in full mortall wise The mighty kingdom as ye haue herd deuise Of Argiuois to haue possession Preferred by murder and false succession And when that Isis fouÌ„de her lorde so deade Of entent that he were magnified First of wisdome she gan take hede Ordeyned a meane that he were deified High among Goddes to be stellified In Egypt temples made to be stalled And God Serapis after he was called The .vi. Chapter ¶ Of Grysiton that his membres eate for honger WHat shall I write of case horrible Of Grisiton w t hoÌ„ger so coÌ„strayned That his life was to him self odible In Thessaly w t indigence payned And pyteously his fame was disteyned When he solde his daughter in seruage Liriope whiche was but yong of age By exchaunge of God to puruey theÌ„ vytayle Of very nede he was so wo begon He had nothing y â— might his thirst auayle Ne stauÌ„ch his hoÌ„ger but gnawyng on a bone Wherfore he ate his membres one by one A prynce alas was it not great pitie To se him
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
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
punycion That one princes trespas in lecherye Caused afore God that all a regyon Distroyed was without remedy This story is told for to exemplify Whan noble princes to women them submit Grace al fauour anon doth from theÌ„ flyt Of this mater what shuld I wryte more In Genesis the resydue ye may rede The dethe of Sichem and of kyng Hemore And howe their kingdome distroyed was in dede Of Sychemites lo here y â— finall mede Of lechery of his false plesaunce Which many a realme hath broughte to myschaunce What shuld I eft reherce agayne or write The false auoutry of Paris and Helayne Their woful fate Guâ—do dyd endyte Poetes echone eke dyd their busy payne To declare howe only by these twayne The worthy blode for short conclusyon Of Troy and Grece came to distruccion â–ª But oft it falleth that muche abundaunce Of worldli good with great ease and riches In folke that set all holy their plesaunce To folow their lusts froward wylfulnes Hath caused in landes gret mischef distres Whan vicious life their corages did encoÌ„bre Distroied kingdoms people out of nombre For whan the people through fals obstinacy Is indurate to amend them and correct And wil not turne them from their lechery But aye be redy their soules to enfecte And vnto purpose my style I wyl dyrect To examplify howe Gabaa the town Was for his sinnes brought to confusion Whylom this people called Gabanytes From Beniamin discended in their line Were aye disposed to folowe their delytes And of custome their wyttes dyd enclyne In worldly plentie to flour and to shyne And dempt alway to them it was most due Of wylfulnes their lustes for to sue In lechery was set al their plesaunce And in that vice they lad moste their lyfe Wherby they were brought vnto mischauÌ„ce And many slayne by full mortal strife Whan the Leuyte came forby with his wife Full excellent of fetures and beaute And toke his lodging within the greate cyte He was ful old and she was inly fayre He impotent and she but tendre of age Through Gabaa making their repayre The cytesyns of importune rage Shewyng the fury of their great outrage So long that nyght her beauty dyd assayl Tyll lyfe and brethe atones dyd her fayle Contagious the sclaundre and the diffame In Judicum the story ye may rede Which to reherce is a maner shame To here the abusyon of that foule dede And how y e Leuite a morow gan take hede With piteous chere and saw his yong wyfe Tofore the gate depriued of her lyfe He hent her vp and layde her on his asse To noyse this cryme vpon euery side Thought in such case he myght do no lasse Toke a sharp sword lyst no lenger abyde On twelue partes he gan her to deuide And to eche tribe of Jacob he hath sent A certayne parte to se their iudgement Which thing to them was hateful terrible And in their â—ight full abomynable And in all haste lykely and possible All of one wyll and one corage stable On Gabaonytes for to be vengable They gathered haue shortly to conclude Tassayle that towne a ful great multitude whan they first met atwen theÌ„ thus it stode The twelue tribes were twise put to flyghte On either party great quantity of bloud was shed among them in that mortall fyght For sixty thousand who that coâ—pt a right Were slayne there the story wyll not lye To auenge the sclaundre of false auoutry Lo here the guerdon of the froward fyres In lecherons folke y t wyl not staunched be That brent so hote through bestiall desyres In Gabaa the mighty stronge cyte Which was distroyed for his iniquite And almoste brought of Beniamin the line Through his offence to eternall ruyne Eke for his feruent dronken lechery Holophernes by Judith lost his hede And al his hoste and al his chiualry Left the felde and fled away for drede And he lay bathed in his bloud al rede Thus through their vyce if it be wel sought Ful many a price hath be brought to nought These sayd stories ought ynough suffyse If men wold consydre and take hede The great vengaunces in many sondry wise Which God hath take for this sinne in dede As in their bokes they mai behold and rede Warnynges afore full oft put at prefe How they them self shal saue fro mischefe Lenuoye This tragedy yeueth vs gret warnig Biclere examples of manifold resoÌ„ Howe many a prince for their 〈…〉 uing And many rych royal mighty toune Many a citie and many a region Haue bene euer sith full notable infamous For synne of princes that were lecherous The chosen of god Dauid the worthyking Prophet of prophets most souerain of renoâ— On Bersabe for a sodayne lokyng To slee Vrye caught occasyon For which he suffred great punicion Chastysed of god he and all his house For cause only that he was lecherous Great repentaunce he had great sorowing And made psalmes of great contricion with woful teares and manyfolde wepyng To make a sheth for his transgression yeuing to princes full clere dyrection For to eschewe the flattery odious And the false fraude of women lecherous Where was ther euer of science or conning So renomed as was king Salomon yet women made him thrugh false flatering To foraine goddes done oblacion Which clipsed his honor brought his fame doun That was whilom moste vertuous Tyll he thrugh women fyl to be lecherous Is it not eke remembred by writing Of Israel howe the chefe champion Which goddes people had in his leadyng I mean the famous mighty strong SaÌ„pson That thrugh his force torent the lion But Dilada with teares plentuous His grace bereft him made him lecherous Sichem was slayne eke for the rauyshyng Of yonge Dyna as made is mencion His father Hemor brought to his endyng Lost his rychesse in that discencion And his kingdom brought to distruccion Lo here the end of princes vicious Which them dispose for to be lecherous It is in earth one the most perylous thinge A prince to be of his condicion Eâ—â—emynate his wyttes enclynyng By false desyres of fleshly mocion To put him self vnder subieccion And thral resoÌ„ his tresour most precious To the vnleful lustes hatefull and lecherous This is the sentence full playnly in menyng Where women haue the dominacion To holde the raine their hokes out castyng That sensualitie hath iurisdiction To enter on reason by false intrusion Warre agaynst vertue most contagious To be vaynquished of lustes lecherous It taketh fro men their clerenes of seyng Causeth great sickenes and corruption And to all vertue it is greatest hyndryng Maketh men seme olde as by inspection Appalleth their minde and disposition Shorteth their life thing dredfull piteous Whan they dispose them to be lecherous Noble prynces in your ymaginyng Conceyue of women the false deception Namely of them that loue but for winnyng And labour aye for your possession Whose sugred flattery is false collusion
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
puissaūt Support the simple punyshe the tyraunt The .xxvii. chapter Of the two brethren Artaxerses and Cyrus and howe Artaxerses slew his children and concubines and howe they ended AFter the fall of Aman doubtles Whē he best wēd to haue be ī his flours Tofore John Bochas came Artaxerses Most renomed in his time of conquerours Which gan declare his sodeyn sharpe shours With all the parcels of his mortal payne Which that fortune agayne him gan ordayne This Artaxerses as put is in memorye All other prynces excelled in rychesse Whiche in hys chare famous of glorye And with hys trone of worldlye hye noblesse Sate in his tyme the story beareth wytnesse Highest exalted y ◠was of any kyng That he shoulde fall was it nat an vncouth thyng Kynges he had vnder his obeysaunce An hundred prouinces twentie eke seuen Son vnto Dary prince of moste puissaunce His fame drede more than fyry leuen None so mighty vnder the starred heauen Accompted was that tyme in warre and pees As was this kyng called Artaxerses He had a brother that named was Cyrus Out of one stocke came theyr bothe lynes But Artaxerses the story telleth thus Was lorde of graynes of oyle and of wines And had also by diuers concubines An hundred children lyke as it is tolde And fiftene ouer tofore or he wexe olde Of bothe brethren the power last farre Duryng theyr tyme stode in full hye estate Yet atwene them was ful mortall warre Agayne nature an vnkyndly debate For thylke warres be most infortunate Whan blode w t blod let no man deme other Lyst warrey as brother agaynst brother And finally cause why thys warre gan Atwene these brethren as made is mencion Through whiche debate died many a man The grounde of all and first occasion Was onely thys for succession After king Dary reigning in Perce Mede Whiche of them twayne shoulde next succede But Artaxerses by a maner prouidence Put his brother priuely in prison That he ne should make no defence Nor gather people to hys destruction This yonge Cyrus as made is mention Was fast stocked and eke as it is tolde That his stockes and fetters were of golde And though it be nat remembred in Bochas Howe that Cyrus escaped fro pryson Yet also soone as he delyuered was Through Perce Mede rydyng vp doun He gadered people of entention Through olde hatred hys brother tassayle The felde assigned they mette in battayle Wher Cyrus proudly put hym selfe in prees To shewe hys manhode in speciall Sought his brother called Artaxerses And gaue to hym a wounde ful mortall Without frendshyp or fauour fraternall That Artaxerses his wounde gan so ake Constrayned was the felde to forsake And Cyrus than furious as a Lyon Hys aduersaries gan mortally to wake But false fortune full of collusion Vnder faynt smilyng a mow gan him make Whiche caused alas y ◠he that day was take Afore ywounded it woulde be none other And then presented to his vnkynde brother And though this Cyrus had afore be found Yonge freshe lusty and manly of his honde By the constraynt of his mortall wounde He dyed anone for he no succour fonde Than the two kingdomes w tin Perce londe Fyll to the handes of Artaxerses In whiche after he liued longe in pees Thus a great space like a mighty kyng All Perce he helde vnder his obeysaunce By famous nobles full gloriously shinyng Hauyng of riches most fulsom abundaunce And as it is put in remembraunce To more encrease of his prosperitie In true wedlocke he had sonnes thre The fyrst of them called Darius Arobratus named the seconde And the thirde named was Othus Manly prynces like as it is founde And of nature lyke as the kyng was bound Vnto Dary as made is mencion Aboue echone he had affection And for he dempt him able to the warre By likelyhode of yeres yong and grene He cast fully his nobles to prefarre Of hye prudence thus he dide mene His impotence to support and sustene For he was feble in Perce to raygne alone He set vp Dary with him in his trone Whiche was a thing straunge contrarious Agayne the custome of Perciens vsaunce But he supposed his sonne Darius Shoulde in suche case encrease and aduaūce His fathers party of naturall attendaunce And shew vnto him trouth and kyndnes His impotence to cheryshe of gentlenes But in estates oft it dothe thus fall Whan that prynces be runne farre in age Their childrens loue ayen thē dothe appall Shewyng no frendshyp saue for adauntage How that they may reioyce their heritage And in suche case whan they wexe stronge Thinke their fathers liue all to longe And Artaxerses stode in the same caas As in the story playnly ye shall fynde By rehearsayle and writyng of Bochas How this Dary was false and eke vnkynde Forgetfull and had nothing in mynde How his father the trouth to reherce Hath made hi equal w t him to raign in Perce And to declare the first occasion To his father how the sayd Dary By a false maner of rebellion Gan in his workyng for to be contrary Whiche to discure I wyll no lenger tary But wyth my penne in all haste procede Here to discriue how it fell in dede Artaxerses among hys concubynes It is remembred how that he had one Whiche for to reken wyues and vyrgynes Was fayrest holde of them euerychone Called Arthasia of full yore agone And was that tyme her beauty to discryue Among the Perciens the fayrest holde alyue And though she were yrun farre in age Lyke as bokes lyst of her expresse Both of colour and also of vysage She kept her beauty her natyfe freshenes Whyche was afore for her semelines To the sayd Cyrus briefly to termyne Chose long afore to be his concubyne But whan thys Cyrus was passed into fate Which for his brother might not liue in pees Anone vpon wythout lenger date She was take vp for kyng Artaxerses Because she was of beauty pearles After long tyme when he fell in age She claymed was by title of heritage Of kyng Dary by hys fathers lyue Faynyng his clayme by succession And though his father agayn it dyd stryue And thus began as made is mencion Of their debate the fyrst occasion For Dary cast all be he bare it styll Her to reioyce agayne hys fathers wyll And to accomplyshe falsely his entent Of her to haue full possession To afforce his party he made thys argument Cyrus quod he as made is mencion Raygnyng in Perce that mighty region And this story do the playnly determyne For her beuty made her hys concubyne And after time whan Cyrus was dede Artaxerses his father ye may se Next him succeadyng in Perce it is no drede Lyst her to clayme eke for her great beauty And so quod Dary she longeth now to me Because she is so pleasaunt to my syght By succession I will her clayme of ryght Thus kyng Dary to his father sayde He would haue Arthasia
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
in his drede Trayterously through plate and mayle Perced his hart the bloud abrode gan rayle And as it is also of him remembred The Lucaâ—oyes by vengeable vyolence They haue his carayne on pieces dismeÌ„bred Tyll an olde lady beyng in presence Required them of humble pacience That she of grace gader myght anone His membres all and ioyne them into one And after to sende them vnto his sister dere Olympyades the stately great quene That of affection and loue most entere Whan it befell that she did them sene Should of nature as it muste nedes bene Weâ—e and prouyde in his estate royall To bury the body with feast funerall Se here example of this proude kyng Whiche would haue scaped his fatal desteny Chaunge of places auayleâ— hym nothyng Periodie of prynces may not chaunged be The terme set fro whyche they may not fle For whan heuyn of death hath set the date No mortall man may eschue hys fate The .xi. Chapter ☞ How Dary king of Perce and Mede was outrayed by Alexander kyng of Macedon IN Alexander called Epirothes Me lyst as now no lenger for to tary Slayn at mischefe for he was retchles Double of corage for he could chauÌ„ge vary For turne I will my pen to kyng Dary Whiche that whilom who so lyst take hede Most mightely raigned in Perce and Mede And among other notable warriours Like as I deme by heauenly influence Onely by title of his predecessours And through his prudent excellence To great encrease of his magnificence He had all Asie as made is mencion Vnder his lordship and dominacion And as myne auctor Bochas doth defyne He was discended from the imperiall bloude Of Artaxerses and borne eke of that lyne Passed all prynces of treasure and of goode In Perce Mede his great empyre stoode An huÌ„dred prouynces tencrease of puissaunce And seuen thirty he had in gouernaunce Ouer all Asie towarde the orient His lordshyp last bokes make mynde And he had eke toward the occident Ouer Egypt power as I fynde The redde sea was not left behynde Demyng hym selfe of all earthly treasour Was none but he lorde and gouernoure Toward SepteÌ„trion vnder y â— midday spere His power raught and hys regaly Ouer Inde in cronicles ye may lere And to the boundes of great Armenye Lorde of the kingdome y t called is Parthy Worldly folke dempt hym w t god egall â–ª Master to fortune she not but hys thrall But in his hyghest exaltacion Of worldly glory he could not preuayle For all his riches and vaine ambicion But fortune durst him wel assayle In his most royal riche apparayle Cast in her chauÌ„ges to giue hiÌ„ a sharpe shoure By Alexander of Grece enheritour Vnto purpose I will my penne dresse For to declare and make mencion How proude Dary in his most nobles Was by Fortune from his seate â—ast doun For anone after the coronacion Of Alexander in Macedone kyng This was the processe of his workyng He not delayed nor made no long date In purpose fully of yre to procede Of Perce Mede the scepters to translate All their riches to conquere and possede Perpetually for no abide in dede Vnder grekes mighty obeysaunce In Macedone to haue the gouernaunce And as mine auctour well reherce can He set in Grece the mighty stronge citye Of Corinthe the metropolitan There to establishe his imperiall see In regalibus whan he list crowned be As man whoÌ„ god liste of his might to marke The world to coÌ„quere be therof monarke At the ginnyng of his conquest famous Through out Grece in euery region First he chose out of his fathers house Knightes y t were most souerayne of renowne Notable in armes and of condicion Faithfull true which had of high prudence Foresight in armes of marciall prouidence To them he did full notably assygne As men expert in knightly apparayles To make his stuffe with many a riche signe And forge of stele his plate and his mayles Gaue them the rule to gouerne in battayles For prouidence of yore it hath be tolde Full muche auayleth of knightes wise olde All this accomplished he list no lenger tary This worthy kyng but w t his ordinaunce Purposed to begyn on kyng Dary And as it is put in remembraunce In most proude wise he gan him selfe auauÌ„ce First in his way to brenne and beate downe Of hasty yre Thebes the mighty towne After he gate two mighty regions The one of Frigie the other called Lyde Set by olde tyme were their foundaâ—ions Vpon two riuers runnyng there beside whose goldeÌ„ grauels their brightnes mai not hide Paceolus and Euxyne men them call Richest of stremes though men reken all And of his conquest farder to termyne He wan Isauria a prouince wonder stronge In Asia one chiefest of the nyne And Pamphile a kingdome large and longe He gate also were it right or wronge For where y t conquest haue any title of right My cuÌ„ning it passeth my reason my might I toke no party nor me lyst not tary In this matter but forth I will procede How Alexander hasted towarde Dary To atcheue his coÌ„queste of Perce of Mede But first he came to Frigia I rede Into a citye the name to specify Thylke dayes it named was Gordy After mine auctoure affirme well I dare There was a teÌ„ple in Frigia thus saith he Of Jupiter in whiche there stode a chare With ropes bounde of stones and pyrre Amonge whiche men might beholde and se A fatall knotte by craft made so subtile That no man could vndo it by no wyle For who that had science or cunnynge That curious knot to lose or vntwyne Ouer Asye he should be crowned kyng And Alexander as bokes determyne Seinge this chare knitte with many line And how it semed a maner impossible To seuer it whiche was indiuisible The chare w t coardes was so enterlaced That rychely stode in â—oues tabernacle Whiche by his witte coulde not be enbraced Neither by craft nor no solemne myracle Tyll Alexander by a diuyne oracle Drew out his sworde wherof meÌ„ had woÌ„der Carfe the knotte cordes all asunder Wherby he wyst that he was ordeyned Ouer all Asye to be lorde and kyng Whiche to reioyce this story is not fayned He rode like Mars his battayles coÌ„ueiyng Through Perce mede his staÌ„derds splayig Toward his coÌ„quest where I let him dwell And of his chare knottes I will you tell Prudent Justinus an olde croniclere In his cronicles rehearseth this story Nowe Gordius a pore laborer Beside the citye that called is Gordie â—ryng his lande did his oxen gye And all maner foules that hath flyght Hye in the ayre appeared in his syght Vnknowe to him the token what it meant With diuinours cast him to counsayle Called â—ugures which holy in their entent Knowen the processe of such diuinayle Where it shall profite eyther disauayle And at the gate of Gordy the citye He met a mayde excelling of beautie
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
their manhode in actes marciall Assigned were by diligent busines To wayte and kepe in especiall Vpon the maiestye in his estate royall Of Alexander for trust as chamberlayns Agayn the assault drede of all forayns After whose death for singuler guerdone Made prefect bothe they were in dede As ye haue heard that one in Babilone The other in Bactry the story ye may rede Yet in quiete they might hem not succede For Seleuchus gan a warre ayen theÌ„ make That they wer fayn their lordships to forsake ¶ The .xviii. Chapter ⧠Howe Sandrocottus borne of lowe degre cherished robbers and theues OTher prefectes there were also I fynde Whiche held the people in ful great seruage In Macedone and in other Inde Tyll Sandrocottus a man of lowe lynage Cast he would redresse their outrage Of entent pore people to restore To their fraunchises y t playned on them sore Sandrocottus auctour of this workyng Behight the people throughout all couÌ„treys Whan he by sleight was crowned kyng Them to restore to their olde liberties But whan he had receyued these dignities All his behestes made with a fayre vysage Turned after to thraldom and seruage Thus whan a wretche is set in high estate Or a begger brought vp to dignitie There is none so proud so poÌ„pous nor elate None so vengeable nor so full of crueltie Voyde of discrecion mercy and pitie For churlyshe bloude selde dothe recure To be gentle by way of his nature He may dissimule and for a tyme fayne Counterfayte with a fayre vysage Out of one hode shew faces twayne Contrary of hart double of his langage Styll of hys porte smothe of his passage Vnder floures lyke a serpent dare Till he may stynge than will not spare And euer like of his condicions Was Sandrocottus set vp in hye estate Vexed people and troubled regions Set cities and townes at great debate Whose gouernaunce was infortunate As it was sene and founde at all preues Cherished no man but robbers theues And to declare how he caught hardines And occasion people to gouerne By a pronostike whiche I shall expresse Ryght marueylous vncouthe to discerne Whiche was this as I shall tell as yerne Right wonderful vncouth for to heare And it was this if ye lyst to lere There was a man called Procatales Borne in Inde whiche of his liuyng Was wonders pore came but selde in prees Because he had trespaced in one thing Agayne VenaÌ„drus y â— was that time king CoÌ„maundyng to slea hym anonryght But he escaped the story sayth by flyght God had geuen him of fete swyftnes By meane wherof he saued him fro daungere Through long trauayle fyll in werynes And refreshed him beside a well clere He lay slepyng that face and all his chere Dropped of swette a lyon came foreby And licked hys face as sayth the story With whiche affray the man anone awoke And sodaynly lyft vp his vysage The lyon rose softly and the way toke Towarde the forest did him no domage Forgate his felnesse and his cruell rage Of whiche pronostyke gan the occasion Wherof Sandrocottus toke an opinion Cast and thought in his fantasy Syth that the Lyon is beast most royall Whiche not disdayned him selfe to apply To licke the face of a man rurall In his nature to shewe him beastiall He dempt well that it was sittyng To take on hym the estate of a kyng His opinion of reason was right nought For where the Lyon left his crueltie He coutrary wext proud in hert and thought Voyde of mercy barrayne of pitie For whan that he was set in dignitie Brought from a wretche to domination Agayne nature he played the lyon Sum time a lyon forgetteth all felnesse Where as a woulfe wyll naturally deuour So royall bloude hath ruthe by gentlenes On pore playnufes to helpe theÌ„ succour Where as a tyrant dothe naturally labour Whan he hath power catchyng auauntage To robbe subiectes and spoyle theÌ„ by pillage Sandrocottus thus borne of lowe kynrede In hye estate by fortune whan he stode Gan make him stronge vengeable in dede With number of robbers furious and wode Cast him to destroy all the gentle bloude That was in Inde and by his ordinaunce To stea al the prefectes that had gouernauÌ„ce And w t the coÌ„mons when he was made stroÌ„g And gan the maner of their death deuise Like a false tyrant although he did wrong Agayne his lordes whan he gan aryse An Oliphant came in full vncouth wise Him obeyed which was a great wonder Whan their battayls were not farre asunder Though he was wild the story saith y e same Sandrocottus lept vpon his syde And on hys backe as on a beast tame Toward the battayle anone he gan to â—yde Was their captayne that day and their gyde With his robbers as it is made mynde Slew al the prefectes geÌ„tle bloud of Inde The .xix. Chapiter ☞ How Seleuchus the myghty prynce was slaine by the great Tholome kyng of Egypt THen came Seleuchus to Bochas complaynyng A myghtye Prynce and a manlye knyght Sonne of Antiochus the famous kyng Was most fauoured in Alexanders syght Whiche Seleuchus for wisdome for might Borne of a prynces the cronicle ye may sene Called Leodice the great famous quene The byrth of him straunge marueylons For his mother vpon the same nyght That she coÌ„ceyued drempt thought thus As it semed playnely in her sight Of great Appollo the heueÌ„ly god most bright How she the tyme of her conceyuynge Receyued that night of golde a riche ryng In whyche rynge was set a precious stone Yeue vnto her for a great guerdon Graue w t anker her coÌ„maunding anone After the byrthe without dylacion To yeue the rynge of whole affection To Seleuchus wherby in especiall He should excell in actes marciall The same morow after the childe was borne Within her bed was founde a riche ryng Wyth all the tokens rehearsed here toforne The anker graue like in euery thing Whiche that the quene toke in her kepyng And of entent for her auauntage Kept it secrete tyll he came to age Another maruayle fyll also withall This Seleuchus which was a woÌ„der thing Had enprynted eke in speciall Vpon hys thygh an anker and a ryng So had all by recorde of writyng Suche carectes the story doth determyne That after him were borne of that lyne When Seleuchus as made is mencion The tender yeres had of his age ronne And came to yeres of discrecion He by this rynge ful many land hath wonne Whose knightly fame shone shene as y â— sonne He well aduised hardy of great myght Time of Alexander hold one the best knight In warre and armes he his time hath spent Brought all Inde to subiection Gate all the kingdomes nye of the Orient Helde them longe in his possession But here alas Bochas maketh mencion All his victories that did in honour shyne With sodaine chaunge were turned to ruyne For whan Seleuchus was most vyctorious Had
or rede Of this forsayde manly Hanyball My penne quoke my herte I felt blede For to beholde the wofull pytous fall Of hym that was the defensable wall Of Cartage the myghty strong toun Which slewe him selfe by drinkyng of poyson It was to him he thought more manhede To sle him selfe by vengeaunce most mortal Than his enemies by constraynt should hym lede In chaynes bounde he to be thrall So great dispite he had of them at all That leuer he had than byde in theyr pryson To murder him selfe by drynkyng of poyson As me semeth in thys horrible dede He resembled the furies infernall Of cruel Pluto I trowe he toke his mede Voyde of all reason became bestiall It whose terrible feast funerall Goddesse Proserpina came w t Manes doun The same tyme whan he dranke poyson Noble prynces consider and take hede Leauyng the surplus hys dedes marcyall Knyghtly remembre haue in herte hatrede Of his enpoysonyng in especiall Abhominable to god and man withall That a prynce so famous of renoun Shoulde murder him selfe by drinking of poyson The .xxi. Chapter ☞ Howe Prusias kyng of Bithinye that betrayed Hanybal woulde haue disherited his sonne and heyre went a beggyng in straunge landes FOlowyng in order there came to Bochas Of Bithinye the great myghty kyng Whiche in his tyme was called Prusias Greatly sclaundred and noysed of one thyng That he was false and double in workyng Agayne the noblesse of his estate royall Because that he betrayshed Hanyball This diffaute derked the bryghtnesse Of hys fame and his knyghtly renoun And eclipsed hys passed olde prowesse By reporte in many a region Alas that euer the condition Of doublenesse by falsenesse or faynyng Shoulde be founde and namely in a kyng Of this Prusias further to procede Which agayne Hanyball wrought thys treason A sonne he had called Nychomede Borne to be heyre by iust succession But hys father by false collusion Purposed hym for he was yonge of age To put hym out of hys heritage In this matter ther grewe vp a great stryfe By Prusias agayne thys Nychomede Cause that he by hys seconde wyfe Had a yonge sonne in bokes thus I rede Whome he purposed to preferre in dede For whyche he caste by shorte conclusion Of Nychomede the destruction And for tacomplyshe this frowarde falsematere By full great delyberation Kyng Prusyas gan shew heuy chere Gayne Nychomede sekyng occasion To depriue hym of possession After hys dayes by subtell false workyng In Betheny he shal nat reygne as kyng The people seynge thys great iniquite Wrought by the king gayne good conscience Through all the lande of hye and lowe degre To Nychomede all of one sentence Gaue theyr good wyll theyr beneuolence For euery lorde and euery great baron Stode whole w t him through all the region Thus by iust tytle he was crowned kyng Prusias for shame and heuynesse In straunge countreys lyued by beggyng All desolate cryed for almesse Loe here the ende of treason and falsnesse Left at mischefe myne auctour sayth y ◠same Of pouerte forsoke hys owne name Se here two thynges take ryght good hede Of Prusias the vnware sodain mischaunce The disherytyng done to Nychomede After folowyng on him the great vengeaūce As the story putteth in remembraunce For treason done odyble and mortall Agayne the foresayde famous Hanyball The .xxii. Chapter ⧠Howe Perses of Macedone kynge that enpoisoned his brother was by Emilyus outrayed and died in pryson BEspreynt with teares pitouslye wepyng As Bochas sate in hys studye alone Next came Perses of Macedone kyng And mortally he gan sygh and grone And furiously for to make hys mone That he was whylom of so great renoun Constrayned after to dye in pryson This sayd Perses of nature was frowarde Yuyll disposed eke of hys condicion Though he of byrth was but a bastarde He compassed by false collusion After hys father to haue possession As myne auctour remembreth by writyng Of Macedone to be crowned kyng His father Philip the story telleth thus Had a sonne whiche was yonge of age Wyse and redy called Demetrius Borne and begot trewly in mariage But Perses cast by furious outrage Hym to destroy and murdre by poyson He of that kyngdome to haue possession Falsely compassed to hys auauntage In his entent Demetrius to depriue Of Macedone whiche was his heritage And thervpon he letters gan contriue To preue him traytour while he was alyue Wherof kyng Philip greatly was anoyed That he and Perses should be distroyed By Demetrius that thought no domage Ment no harme in hys opinion Yet his father suspicious of corage For Perses gaue hym false information Made him be slayne by drinkyng of poyson Vpon a daye a thyng abhominable Sittyng at meate at his fathers table King Philip after when he knew the trouth Had of his dethe great compassion But all to late and that was great routh Whiche caused after hys owne destruction For sorowe dyed and of presumption Perses after falsly vsurpyng In Macedone was crowned for the kyng With diuers countreys made his alyaunce In Grece Trace gate frendes nere ferre And of pride and wylfull gouernaunce Cast with Romayns for to holde werre Vngrace and youth made him for to erre Tyll a Consul sent fro Rome toun Brought thys Perses vnto distruction Called Emilius was thys Consulere Sent again Perses to haue a great batayle Seynge his doughter heuy of her chere When he went out hys enemies to assayle Made vnto her this vncouth apposayle Why wepe ye so what thyng doth you agreue At my departyng takynge of meleue Father quod she and ye take good hede A whelpe I had that dyd great pleasaunce Called Perses the which right now is dede And this chefe cause is only of my greuaūce Her father than gan chaunge countenaunce This is a token to myne encreace of glory That I of Perses shall haue the victory In Macedone he and Perses mette And quit hym there lyke a manly knyght Cōquered the lande none might him withlet And manly put Perses to the flyght After to Trace he toke the way ryght Of whiche conquest short processe to make With his two sonnes Perses was ther take Emilius after thys victory Asketh the triumphe to hys guerdon And as it is remembred in hys story Perses foloweth his chayre throughe Rome toun Condempned after to dye in pryson The whiche dethe he dyd well deserue For he by poyson made hys brother sterue Thus can fortune erly and eke late Downe from her whele and hye stage Of proude prynces the surquedy abate Whan to her lust she seeth moste auauntage She frowardly gan tourne her vysage And sodaynly the estate of them consume Aboue their office that wrongly lyst presume Amonges whiche a kyng of Israell Agayne the precept and lawe of Moyses Called Ozias the byble can well tell Of presumption wylfull and recheles To sacrifice put hym selfe in prees Lyke a byshop in the temple arayed But or he passed greatly he was affrayed
Called Cleopatra as made is mencion And all his labour in conclusion Was onely this in Bochas as I rede All the kyngdomes aboute hym to possede Who all coueteth sometyme all dothe lese One agayne all selde hath soueraynte And for Ballas frowardly gan chese To holde werre with kyng Tholome And with the foresayde worthy kynges thre All of assent haue suche wayes sought That by theyr workyng he came to nought Fyrst Tholome fro hym toke hys wyfe Cleopatra and toke her in mariage To one Demetry causyng full great stryfe For he that tyme was but yonge of age But Ballas after by full great outrage With all his power gathered nye and ferre Gayne Demetry gan to holde werre Togyther they met proudlye in batayle Ballas constrayned cowardly to fle And when he sawe hys power dyd fayle In Arabye a myghty stronge countre â—abydus a prynce of great poste Toke hym by force quakyng in hys drede To kyng Tholome sent anone his hede Men may two thinges consider in this caas Pryde punyshed and vnkyndnesse And presumpcion in this man Ballas Without tytle or clayme of ryghtwysnesse Made kyng of Surry set i gret worthinesse What was his ende ye get no more of me Hys heed smyt of and sent to Tholome Lenuoye THys tragedye dothe naturally complayne Vpon thys vyce called vnkyndnesse Which to punyshe is tourment none ne payne Rygour condigne flagell nor duresse Emprisoning nor none earthly distresse That may suffise brifely to conclude Againe the vice of ingratitude All creatures on this vice complaine Lawe nature decrees rightwisnesse This monster in kinde dothe y â— light distaine Of euery vertne derketh the brightnesse Alisander can beare hereof witnesse Whiche to his furthers he of his tetches rude Shewed againe warde great ingratitude Of Cerberus th infernall treble chayne Nor of Tantalus hungre nor thrustinesse Of Ixion or Ticius bothe twayne Reken the turment remeÌ„bre the sharpnesse All to litell to chastise or redresse The hatefull vice of them that can delude Their frendes olde by false ingratitude Noble princes which in your demayne Haue gouernaunce of all worldly rychesse Gayne folke vnkynde loke that ye dudayne Suffre them nat to haue none entresse For to aproche to your hye noblesse For there is no vice more hatefull to conclude Than is the vyce of ingratitude The .xxvi Chapter ⧠Here Bochas wryteth of the rebellyons and sedicions in Rome betwene Tribunes and the commons FOlowyng myne auctour in storyes merueylous I must now write y â— stroÌ„g rebellions Of Gayus first and of Tiberius And of the great hatefull secious Meued in Rome twene tribunes coÌ„mons And by their stryues how they gan conspyre For to attayne falsly to the empyre The yere syxe hundred by computacion Gayus Graccus made tribune in that age After the cities first foundacion Which turned after to full great domage Of common profit for by their mortall rage Tumulte and noyse of commons in the toun Caused a great part of their destruction For in departyng of champayne heritage Atwene the worthy and pore of the cite By egall portions Graccus w t faire langage Had greatly meued all their commonte By whiche occasion in story men maye se Another Graccus called the seconde Was slayne in Rome low laide in grounde After the deth of Graccus as I rede Was chosen a tribune called Munycius Whiche fordyd the lawes all in dede Of olde Graccus called Gayus But he that was named Tyberius With helpe of Flaccus Tribunes of estate In the Capitoyle began a great debate They were supported by the commonte By voyce of people y â— word of no man know For Graccus party hye vpon a tre A trumpet stode and proudly gan to blowe Which slayne was fro the tre doun throw By which slawter y â— boke maketh rehersaile Flaccus wext feble his party gan to fayle For drede he fled into the teritory Of Janus temple ran vp to a tour Whan Tyberius as put is in memory Sawe in the cite he had no fauour Dispayred knewe no better succour Sworde set at brest in presence of Myncrue Fully purposed afore her for to sterue There stode one by drew his hand a backe Fro that purpose made him to declyne Thus Graccus party goth dai by dai to wrake And Flaccus toke the temple of Lucyne His son his frendes almost all his lyne Thei kept theÌ„ stroÌ„g but maugre their defeÌ„ce They were there slayne by sturdy violence While Graccus frendes fought for his party And he him selfe constrayned was of drede He gan to pray a boy of hys company To take a sword and smyte of hys hede Set on a speare with the bloude made rede Sent it his mother complayning in her tene Into her castel that called was Missene Named Cornelya his mother was in dede Whylom doughter to great Scipion Her châ—oren all slayne as I rede And Graccus goodes acheted to the toun Therof after made a diuision By iudgement thorughout the cite Where most was nede among the commonte Of Graccus syde fiue huÌ„dred slaine twaine Vpon an hyll called Auentyne And Oppinius a consull dyd his payne Of their conspiring y â— grouÌ„d to serche mine And Flaccus party to bryng to ruyne He slew two thousand by hasty iudgement Amonge which was many an innocent The .xxvii. chapter ☞ How the wyfe of Hastruball brent her selfe and her chyldren HEre John Bochas lyst in especiall To remembre howe Cartage newe agayne Distroyed was and how Hastruball Came to mischefe y â— trouth was well sayne Which to reherce of new it were but vayne Sythe here tofore is made clere mencion Bothe of their brennyng their destruccion Saue here he telleth how Hastrubals wyfe Onely to eschewe to lyue in seruage Chase with her children for to lese her lyfe And wylfully of furious corage She and her sonnes tender and yonge of age Amonge the flames and the coles reed Consumed was into ashes deed Dydo the first that bylte that cite And made tours and the stronge wall Which was betrayshed also of Ene Afore remembred the fires funerall And after longe the wyfe of Hastruball Chase rather to dye with her childreÌ„ twaine Than amonge Romayns for to liue in paine The .xxviii. chapter ☞ Of Machabeus Jonathas take by the kynge of Surry IN order suyng vnto John Bochas There appeared an heuy man of syght Machabeus y â— worthy Jonathas Whiche occupied for wisdome for myght Office of prynce priesthod and of knyght By title of Juda of werres toke thempryse By clayme of Leuy as priest dyd sacrifise The lawe of Jewes manly to defende With all the lande of promyssion This Jonathas ful knyghtly dyd entende Agayne all enemies about them enuyron Tyll of Surry the false kyng Tryphon By traynes coÌ„passed promise falsely holde Toke Jonathas of whoÌ„ right now I tolde In Machabeorum is reherced all Of his knighthode and of his worthynesse With all the treasons in especiall Wrought by Tryphon
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
Cesar was deified Of whō by Romains was set vp an ymage But whan he sawe he was espied He ran to Julius hie vpon a stage Gan him to enbrace in his piteous rage He rent away by sodaine violence Vnwarely slaine there gained no defence Next in order came Cesarius Of whom there fill a wondre pitous caas Whilom beget of Cesar Julius Vpon the yong fayre Cleopatras Slaine in his youth thus writeth Bochas As Octauian dyd him selfe assigne For he gaine Romains should nat maligne Folowing in order Julia began Hir greuous complaint to Bochas specify Whilom doughter to great Octauian With weping gan to houle and crie Which by her father to punish her lechery Exiled was out of her countre For lacke of socour died in pouerte Her son Agrippa yong and tendre of age Borne of hie blode Bochas doth expresse Came next in order pale of his visage Which spent his time in slombre idelnesse Froward to vertue for his wretchednesse Octauian which was great touthe Suffred him die at mischef for his slouth After Agrippa came forth anone right Cassius of Parme a famous great countre Which in Itaile was holde a māly knight With Marke Antony wele cherished secre Bode in his court and there withall parde Greatly alowed fyrst for his chiualry And for his notable famous policy And there withall he had in existence A right great name stode in great fauour For his knighthode for his hie prudence After accused vnto the Emperour Octauian for a coniuratour He should haue be of frowarde false entent To Julius death fully of assent For whiche by bidding of Octauian Take he was being but yong of age And as mine auctor well remembre can Brought tofore Julius hie vpon a stage There offred vp vnto his ymage By cruell death ▪ the storie telleth thus For the false murdre of Cesar Julius After the death of the saide Cassius Another came of Rome the cite Which as I rede called was Galbus Of a Pretour hauing the dignite And for suspection slaine eke was he His eyen fyrst out of his head were rent For Julius death than in to exile sent Toward his exile by brigantes he was slaine And After that within a litel while Of his labour nouther gladde ne faine Bochas began to dyrecte his stile To great Herodes breuely to compile His greuous fal and holy the manere To set in order next as ye shall here The .ii. Chapter ⧠How the tyraūt Herodes slough his wyfe and chyldren and after died at myschefe REmembrynge fyrste in Jurye he was kyng Antipater his father who lyst se In Arabia mightely reignyng Ouer the prouynce called Idume This same Herodes gardeyne of Galile Ordayned was fyrste for his hye prudence And for his notable knyghtly excellence Famous in manhode famous of his lyne Famous also by procreacion I rede also he had wyues nyne And amonge all as made is mencion To hys pleasaunce and his opinion Maister of stories reherseth there was one Mariannes fayrest of echone By whom he had worthy sonnes twayne Alysander and Aristobolus But for his suster dyd at her disdaine Called Saloma the storie telleth thus He vnto her wext suspicious Bycause she was accused of enuy By Saloma touchyng auoutry Agayne her of rancour sodaynly He gan of herte greuously disdayne With rigorous hert he slewe her furiously But as the storie doth vs ascertayne He for her deth after felte great paine Euer whan it came to his remembraunce Her porte her chere her womāly plesaunce Lo what it is a prince to be hasty To euery tale of rancour to assent And counsaylles to procede wilfully To execucion of frowarde false entent For Herodes so sore he dyd repent That he for thought fyl in to an noy Of hertely sorowe and malencoly Rest had he none nouther day ne nyght Troubled with fury that he wext frantyke w t dremes vexed many an vncouth syght Of chere nor colour to no man he was lyke And euery moneth ones lunatike A great whyle he had this wofull lyfe For sorowe onely he had slayne his wyfe And as the storye wel reherce can In the Capitoyle mydde Rome the cite By Antonye and by Octauian He crowned was and made kyng of Jude By the Senate made theron a decree And registred that he and his kynred Shulde in that lande lineally procede In Rome was made the confirmacion To this Herodes bokes specifye Beyng afore the translacion Was made of Juda and of Jurye Septer and crowne with all the regaly By hym vsurped as ye haue herde toforne Vpon the tyme whan Christ was borne This same Herodes by procuracion Of Antonye dyd also occupy By Augustus plener remission The great estate called Tretrarchy In two kyngdoms with al the regaly Of Traconitides Jtury eke also By the Romains made lorde of bothe two Mayster of stories reherseth of hym thus For commendacion in especiall In Aschalon he buylded a stately hous Of right great cost a palayes ful royal Was none so riche for to reken all After whych myne authoure doth so wryte He called was Herode Aschalonite This same Herodes cruell of nature Of chere and porte passyng ambicious Aye to be venged dyd his busy cure On al that were to hym contrarious Hys wyues brother Aristobolus In Jerusalem chefe byshoppe as I rede Falsely he slough of malyce and hatered Vniustly reigned borne through his realme His hert fret and cankred wyth enuy Another byshoppe in Jerusalem Called Hircanus myne authour lyst not lye This same Herodes in his malencoly Slewe hym vnwarely by rācour vengeable Setting at dyner at his owne table There was no man of corrage more cxuel Nor more desirous to be magnified To make his name also perpetual Four statelye cities he hath edified Of which the names be here specified Cesaria Sebastin citees souerayne Antipadra Cipre that other twayne He had also a false condition He trusted none that was of his kynrede His sonnes twaine he had in suspectiō Their purpose was to sley him of hatred Whan he were deade hopyng to succede And causelesse as father most vnkynde Made thē be slayne in story thus I fynde In al his workyng he was founde double A great tirant hold throgh his realme Neuer thinge so greatly dyd him trouble As whan thre kinges came to Jerusalem Jesu to seche that was borne in Bethelem Boldly affirmynge cause of their commynge Was to worshyp that blessed yonge kyng The which thynge whan he dyd aduertise Prophecies remembringe and writinges Within hym selfe a meane he gan deuise First to distroy these famous holy kynges Namely whan he knewe of their offrynges Imaginyng gan suppose blyue The child was borne that shuld him depriue Newly discended fro Dauid doun by line Cast almost Herodes in a rage Of cursed hert gan frowardly maligne Lyke a tirant of venomous outrage Slewe al the children within two yere of age About Bethelem a ful large space He spared none for fauour nor for grace One
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
wythout lenger strife Syt as a iudge that knoweth so wel my life Whan these bretherne stode at discorde Eche agayne other by mortall violence Vnder a colour to treate of accorde With many a maner fayned diligence Chilperik there beyng in presence Whylom brother to Sigebert the king Was slaine among theÌ„ by false conspiring On whose death auenged for to be As Sygebert did him selfe auaunce Among the preace he slaine was parde Nat so qd Bochas but of false gouernauÌ„ce Of your misliuing fyl this vnhappy chaunce That Sygebert was murdred in sothnesse Onely by occasion of your doublenesse Folowing the traces of newe fangylnesse Gaine Sygebert ye wrought full falsly Whan ye loued of frowarde doublenesse Landrike the erle of Champayne of Bry For by your outrage and your greyt foly The king was slayne and ye dyd assent In a forest an hunting whan he went Which called was the forest of Compyne Alas quod she brake out complaining Bochas Bochas thou doest sore vndermyne All the surfetes done in my liuing Thou knowest the death of Sigebert y â— kiÌ„g Whiche y â— was wrought alas by mine assent Howe knowest thou were nat there preset Of these debates and of all the werre With rebukes reherced here in vayne In rehersaile greatly thou doest ecre For I caste be right wele certayne In my defence to reply agayne It was nat I she that thou doest mene It was Fregundis â—he lusty yonge quene This Fregundis thou shalt vnderstande Right womanly and fayre of her visage Chilperik was whylom her hrsbande For her beauty toke her in mariage By her traines and her great outrage He was after the story who list rede At mischefe slaine thou shalt so finde in dede Though ye by langage make strong defence In these matters which cause me to muse I haue againe you lost my pacience That so subtelly wolde your selfe excuse Coutrariously your traynes ye abuse For Cloâ—ayre I haue so red parde Was not engendred of Sigebert nor of the. I remembre full wele that I haue rad That Chilperyk though ye therat disdain Recorde of auctours that prudent be sad He in trouth was gendred of you twayne Which in his dying me list nat for to fayne Left sonnes two the story ye may rede Theobarte and Theoderyke to succede Bochas qd she though thou turne vp so doâ— The said stories reherced here in dede Folowing the malice of thyne opinion Maugre thy wil forthe I wyll procede As I began take therto good hede The fyrst Theoderik thou shalt vnderstande Cosin Germaine was to my husbande King of Burgoine that time and another He of hatred and indignacion Slewe Theobart whiche was his brother His wyfe and children for short conclusion Which in the mighty famous region Of Antrasâ—e reigned as lorde and kyng What euer thou saiest this is trouth no leasinge Nay nay qd Bochas it was all otherwyse I may nat suffre howe ye go there amonge All this langage of newe that ye deuise Brought to a prefe concludeth vpon wronge What shold we lenger this mater draw aloÌ„g Your self were cause wher ye be loth or faine By Theodorik y e Theoberte was slaine The grounde herof gan percell of enuye By your froward breunyng couetise Which ye had onely to occupie To rule the lande after your owne gyse And if I shall plainly here deuise Of these mischeues reherced god do bote Ye were your selfe ground chefe crop rote Quod Brounchylde I conceiue wel and se Ye of your partie haue lost all reuerence Your selfe enarmed to shewe your cruelte Against me touching the violence Of two slaughters reherced in sentence First how Theodrik his brother slew iÌ„ dede Called Theobarte a pitous thing to rede Him selfe after strangled with poyson His wife his children hewe in peces smale As ye quod Bochas make here mencion Some parte is trewe but nat al your tale For I suppose ye should wexe pale For shame of thing which ye can nat excuse Whan Theoderik beginneth you to accuse He put on you the crime of false treason Ye slewe his wife and children also Him selfe also ye murdred by poison I would wete what ye coude say hereto Alas qd she what should I do Was neuer woman in hie nor lowe estate All thing considred more infortunate Fortune of me set now but lyttell price By her frowarde furious violence Turnyng her whele and visage of malice Causeth to me that no man yeueth credence Had in dispite voide of reuerence And by fortunes mutabilite Sole abiecte and fall in pouerte O Bochas John for shorte conclusion Thou mayest againe me thy style auaunce I haue deserued to haue punicion And al the princes barons now in FrauÌ„ce Crie out on me and aske auengeaunce Refuge is none nor recure in this thing Tho w t Clotarie my selfe be crowned king For my defautes foule and abhominable Tofore the iudges of all the parliament I was foriudged founde also culpable Of euery crime conuicte by iudgement Myne accusours there beyng present Of one and other standing a great route Marked w t fingers of folke y â— stode aboute For very shame I did mine eyen close For theÌ„ that gaured cast on me their sight But as folke may by tokens we le suppose Mine eares were nat stopped halfe a ryght Taken by force lad forth by might By the hangman drawe ouer hill and vale Dismembred after hewe on peces smale With my blode the pament al bespraynt ThaÌ„ked by fortune such was mine aueÌ„ture The soule parted the body was so faynt Who red euer of any creature That muche more turment did endure Prayde Bochas to haue al thing in mynde Write her life and leaue nothing behynde ¶ Lenuoy THis tragedy of BrouÌ„child y â— quene Loke her story who list yeue attendaunce Froward to red coÌ„tagious to sene And contrary to all good gouernaunce Borne in Spaine crowned quene of FrauÌ„ce Double of tonge vpfynder of treason Caused al that lande stande at deuision From tho traines there coude no man flene Sourse headspring of sorow mischauÌ„ce Shed hony first stange after as do been Her myrremedled w t sugred false plesaunce What she said encluded in variaunce Maystresse of murdre and of discencion Caused all that lande stande at deuision Princes of Gaule might nat sustene Great outrages nor the great greuaunce Nor the surfetes done in their yeres grene Brought y â— kingdome almost to vttraunce All of assent cried on her vengeaunce The fame arose howe all that region In her falsnesse stode at deuision The knyfe of murdre grounde was so kene By her malice of longe continuaunce Her corage fret with infernall tene Spared nouther kyn nor alyaunce Paysed her forfetes and wayed in balaunce As Bochas writeth she was the occasion Which made al Fraunce to stand at deuision ¶ Bochas marueyling of the malice and cruelte of Brounchylde writeth thus BOchas astonied gaÌ„ inwardly mar-uayle Fyll in a maner ambyguyte Of Brounchyldes
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
all Inde conquered in substaunce Atwene him and king Lisymachus Of whom tofore is made remembraunce Began a warre and a great distaunce And as they met with their apparayles In a great felde ordeyned their battayles On Lisymachus fyll the disconfiture Wherof Seleuchus glad in especiall Dempt his winnyng came not of nature But by influence very celestiall Gan waxe proude in his estate royall Not supposing in his victorious stall Of his mischeues that should after fall For as the processe declareth vnto vs How of Egypt the great Tholome Brother in lawe to Lysimachus Fyll on Seleuchus by full great cruelte Slew him at mischefe the story ye may se Loste his lyfe as made is mencion In Macedoyne the mighty region And it is know of antiquitee By rehearsayle of the olde auctours That this foresayd great Tholome Was to Alexander one of the enheritours Kyng of Egypt there raignyng in his flours After whose name descedyng downe by grees Were all the kinges called Tholomees As I fynde touchyng his lynage By procreacion he had children thre The first of them to speake in playne langage I named was Ceraunius Tholome Next Philadelphus a daughter Arcynoe That wedded was by her faders coÌ„sentyng To Lisymachus of Macedon kyng The .xx. Chapter ⧠Howe the two sonnes of Quene Arcynoe were by their mothers brother trayterouslye slayne and she exyled ANd thus remembred in bokes olde Death of Seleuchus wrought by Tholome Vnwarely slayne tofore as I haue tolde Next in order came Arcynoe To John Bochas by great aduersite All with teares bedewed her vysage And gan coÌ„playne the coÌ„straynt of her rage This mighty quene the sayd Arcynoe Had sonnes twaine full famous of renoun The tone Lisymachus excelling of beautye That other Philip as made is mencion And her ioye and dilectation In worldly blisse there is no more to sayne Was holy set vpon these children twayne For by the occasion of their great fayrenes Men delited greatly them to se Namely women the story dothe expresse And their mother this quene Arcynoe Stode in great hope that they should be Mighty kynges by iust succession In Macedony the mighty region Onely by the title of their fathers ryght Whiche to her hart gaue full great gladnes For she dempt that none other wight To succede should haue no entresse But Fortune the blynde false goddesse Disposed so for her children twayne That none of theÌ„ their purpose shold attayne For whaÌ„ their father Lisimachus was slaine The sayd quene called Arcinoe To saue her lyfe coulde none other gayne But with her sonnes fearfully to fle Into Cassander a mighty stronge citee Onely for drede of one Antigonus Whiche theÌ„ pursued the story telleth thus But the brother of quene Arcynoe Called Ceraunius rescued her party Agayne Antygonus ye may the story se Yet in his hart he had great enuy Albe that they were nere of one alye That her two sonnes should kynges â—e Of Macedoyne and raygne in that countre For he was set onely of couetise To be crowned in Macedoyne kyng And of his false treason the story doth deuise Them to disâ—â—yue this was his workyng First to the quene full humbly knelyng He made promise vnder great surete In Macedoyne she should crowned be And her children so fayre of their vysage Should be kept vnder gouernaunce Vnto time that they came to age And for to put her in more assuraunce Ceraunius swore god geue him sory chaunce He purposed for all his false workyng To crowne her quene make her soÌ„nes king Toke all the gods therunto witnes And swore agayne with a plaine vysage Vnto the quene of fraude and doublenes His purpose was to haue her in mariage Crowne her quene to her great aduauntage Thus he swore all be he was her brother Yet in hart god wot he thought another Vnder colour of this assuraunce She let him enter Cassandre the cite Came again him to do him more pleasaunce With all her lordes of hye and lowe degre Made the stretes hanged for to be With clothes of golde in solemne wise To all their goddes she did sacrifise And thus he was receyued solemnely The day was halowed and holde feastiual The quene for ioye ordeyned rychely Her two sonnes that were so faire in all To be crowned with crownes full royall Go afore her in the maister strete Gloriously their vncle for to mete With felonous hart vnder a frendly face This Ceraunius rote of all treason Gan his cosyns benâ—igly embrace Him purposyng by false collusion To procede to their destruction And fynally fyrst he did his payne The quene texyle slea her chyldren twayne But or this treason was brought to a prefe Whan the quene apperceiued his falsenes And saw her sonnes brought to mischefe She coniured him 〈◊〉 her mortall distresse To haue pitie of naturall gentilnes Spare his cosins afore him where they stode Of royall mercy so nere borne of his bloud And with a crye paâ—yng 〈…〉 She fyl afore him â—wownyng 〈◊〉 ground Like as she had be 〈◊〉 culpable Seing her sonnes bleadyng w t many wouÌ„de But all for nought there was no mercy fouÌ„d For with their bloud this story is not fayned Her garment was dolefully distayned Her face fayre was foyled with ordure Her golden heere was all to torne rent And like a thrall this wofull creature With mortall wepyng had her sight blent And after that I fynde how she was sent To bury her children for there was no space Into an yle called Samothrace Is any story whiche maketh mencion That a pryncesse of so hye degre Founde so great cause of lamentacion She beyng daughter to great Tholome Her children slayne by vengeable crueltie And to beholde the death most dolorous Of her husbande called Lisymachus â–ª She after banished in exyle made her ende w t sorowful coÌ„playnt her life thus draw aloÌ„g Tyll into fate her spirite did wende It is no drede her paynes were full stronge And if I shoulde rehearce all the wronge That she suffred it woulde greue me to sore Therfore of her now I write no more ¶ Lenuoy THis tragedy sheweth an apparence And a lykenesse of faythfull assuraunce Excyte men to yeue false credence Vnto fortunes false variaunce Which cast her baytes angles of pleasaunce An hoke hid vnder of vengeable crueltie As this chapiter put in remembraunce Of Lisymachus and of Arcynoe Is there any greater euidence Of worldly trouble or worldly constaunce Than to se prynces from their magnificence And from their mighty royall puissaunce Vnwarely brought by fortune to mischauÌ„ce And ouerwhelmed from their tranquilitie Se here a myrror full notable in substaunce Of Lisymachus and quene Arcynoe The ryng the anker of great excellence yeâ—â— to Seleuchus for marciall suffisaunce Whan Appâ—â—â— by heauenly influence Lyst with his mother make his alyaunce Sent hiÌ„ these relikes of singuler acquaintaÌ„ce To set his manhode in more surete But in al such quaueryng acquayntauÌ„ce Thinke on Lisimachus and Arcinoe The vncouth