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
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
Whiche from aboue by heauenly influence Had from her byrth a maner knowledgyng In suche augury great practike and science Whiche to Gordius expowned euery thyng Sayd of Asie he should be lorde and kyng And raygne there duryng all his lyfe In hope wherof she became his wyfe After his weddyng he waxt fortunate The cronicle can beare me well recorde There tyll in Frigy a sodayne great debate Among the commons a mortall discorde Knowyng no meane to bryng theÌ„ at accorde Tyll their goddes by notable prouidence Taught them a way to appease their violeÌ„ce How that debate shoulde among them last Vnto the time they had chosen a kyng And they gan cry pray their goddes fast By some signe or myracle out shewyng To geue to them a maner knowlegyng That they myght to their notable encreace Chose such one y â— should them set in peace They had aunswere to waite be wel ware To set spyes by busy attendaunce On whom they met ridyng in a chare To Joues temple to do his obseruaunce And hym receyue by goddes ordinaunce Vpon his heade withouten more tariyng To set a crowne in Frigie to raygne kyng And Gordius in his chaire ridyng Toward the temple they on the way him met And awaytyng chose him to their kyng And solemnely home they did hym fet Vpon his head a ryche crowne they set And he to them so egall was and mete That he them brought into rest and quiete Thus to the crowne Gordius did attâ—yne By tokens shewed vnto hys great auayle And their discordes and stryues to restrayne He to his lieges gaue notable counsayle That they should with royall apparayle Take his chayre as he did them deuyse And offer it vp in most lowly wise In the temple that was consecrate To Jupiter a full solempne place And more to make their offryng fortunate They should it set without lenger space Tofore the goddesse that was called Grace Whiche by myracle their hartes to appease Set all the people in quiete and in ease And whan the kyng Alexander had Losed the knot of whiche I haue you tolde And of the chaire whiche Gordius ladde The secretes seyne misteries manifolde Worldly presuÌ„ption gan make his hart bolde Without title of any ryghtwisenes The citye Gordy to spoile of his riches And all Affryke he robbed eke also Vp to the mountayne y t called was Taurus The whiche hyll hath famous names two For it is also named Caucasus Where this prynce most vyctorious Ordeyned first with speare and shelde Agaynst kyng Dary for to holde a felde Vpon a mountayne they together met The marciall plaine named Horestes And most proudly their wardes there they set All for the warre and nothing for the pees Where Alexander in knyghthode peerles All the Perciens battayled in his syght And Darius party were put vnto flight Kyng Alexander shortly to conclude In his most stately royall magnificence Set not his trust in no great multitude But in his knyghts which long in his preseÌ„ce Had had in armes longe experience Were well preued in marciall disciplyne Tenhaâ—ce his coÌ„quest by their prudeÌ„t doctrin Whiche in y â— iourney haue theÌ„ so well borne That in their nobles founde was no lacke For syxty thousande of fotemen theÌ„ beforne They slewe of Perce and men on horsbacke Other ten M so mortall was the wracke And .xl. thousande as made is mencion Were prisoners and put to theyr raunson On Grekes partie the story dothe wel shew Macedonoys on Alysanders syde In comparison were slayne but a fewe For of fote men and men that dyd ryde Through the feldes y â— were so large wyde There were that day in theyr mortal striues Nat full thre C. whiche y â— loste their lyues Dary coude none other rescue make Fled at mischefe in full great distresse His wife his doughter led awaye and take His tentes spoyled his story bereth witnesse Grekes made glad with full great rychesse His cofers spoiled he fonde no better succour And he enpouerished of hys whole treasour Whan Dary saw his deedly auenture Ful pitously in heart he dyd mourne And anone after thys disconfiture To Babylon in hast be gan retourne And while that he dyd there soiourne Knowyng no recure to hym y t might auayle With Alysandre to holde more battayle Than of purpose to set hym selfe in ease And for taleye hys deedly fell greuaunce In his entent kyng Alysander to please Cast for to sende him letters of pleasaunce Yeue hym giftes in full great abundaunce But al y â— sleight which darius hath wrought Kyng Alysander set them echone at nought This manly kyng kept his conceyte close Lyst nat shewe what he ment in dede But cast fully after hys purpose Vpon his conquest farther to procede After the gettyng of Perce and eke of Mede To wyn Surry Egypt and Libye lande Demyng fortune redy to hys hande And of hys conquest farther to endyte Whan his glory gan most freshely shyne The temple of Jupiter cast hym for to visite Whiche stode in Libye auctours determine Sayde how he was discended from the lyne Of thylke god borne to be hys heyre As lorde of heauen fire water earth ayre And that the priestes fully shoulde assent With heauenly gods to make hym egall Great richesse and treasour he them sent Thus drede and mede made hym celestiall Falsely forgâ—t that he was mortall And of ambicion by Marciall apparayle Cast with Dary agayne to haue battayle And as I fynde howe they dyd mete The two prynces with people innumerable In the confront of the lande of Crete And kyng Dary of folkes defensable Brought to the felde a people incomparable Four hundred M. of fotemen fet fro farre With Alysander for to holde warre An hundred M. there came with him also On horsbacke in stele armed bryght And all thys people whan they had a do All be that daye full longe last the fyght Were slayne and take and yput to flyght Where Alysander to hys encrease of glorye Had of kyng Dary that day the victorye And Perciens to theyr final mischefe Without mercy or paying of raunson With kynge Dary were put to great reprefe Voyde of all hope and consolacion Fâ—ed as I fynde into the region Called Parthe where as it is tolde He of that people was take and put in holde And though hys fetters were of golde ryche He had therof god wote no pleasaunce Fortunes gyftes be nat aye ylyche In her false whele there is suche variaunce Diuers of there strange of her countenauÌ„ce Made Alysander with a lytle numbre The multitude of Dary to encombre Within a towne called Tharsa he was take In a charet with cheynes strong ybonde Of all his frendes pitously forsake Ledde hurt with many a mortal wounde And this murdre contriued was and founde By one Bessus a froward recheles knyght Which stode afore most forthered in his sight And was assured by fayth of his legiaunce To kyng Dary to be true in
Gotes was set vp for a folde Founde and rent out in his dayes olde With cordes draw no rescue might him saue Of cruell vengeaunce to Catullus graue Where Scilla made by cruell iudgement With a sharpe sworde forged forto byte After time his eyen were out rent Bothe at ones his handes of to smyte His head of smit no ran̄som might hi quyte Set on a pole it woulde be none other And of dispight sent vnto hys brother To Marius of whome I spake nowe right The great duke so mighty and so huge Which had afore take him to the flight For feare of Scilla in that mortal deluge Into a citie to finde there refuge Called Preneste ther standing in gret drede Namely when he behelde his brothers hede Forasmuch as he no succour fonde Dispayred this was hys purpose To slee him selfe with his owne honde In thilke place where he was kept close Drewe out hys sworde and vp anone he rose Cōstrained his seruaūt in that sodain affray Smit of his head the selfe same day Men say howe death is fyne of all mischefe Ende of aduersite that dothe wretches tary Fortune here maketh another prefe In Marius howe she her course gan vary By an euidence hateful and contrary To shew her malyce and vngoodlyheed Agayne this duke alas whan he was deed This froward lady of malyce most vēgeable Whan her lyst furiously to raue And shew her selfe cruell and vnstable To none estate she lyst no regarde haue Caused Marius to be take out of his graue By cruell Scilla in story it is founde His vgly carayne smyt on peeces rounde And after more to shew hys cruelte Marius shoulde haue no burying place Cast his carayne of cankred enmyte Into Tybre there was none other grace Lo thus can fortune for her folke purchace By whiche example touchyng Marius Of worldly chaunges Bochas writeth thus Maketh in this chapter a discription First what thing is very gentlenesse To set a prefe and a probacion Nothyng attayneth vnto hie noblenesse But the clere shinyng of vertuous clennesse Which may nat shew i hie nor low parage But where it groweth out of a pure corage Worldly power oppression tyranny Erthly treasure golde stones nor rychesse Be no meanes vnto gentry But if vertue rule their hye prowesse For where vyces haue entresse In hie byrthe meane or low kynrede Deme no man gentle but onely by his dede In royall places of stone metall wrought With galaryes or stately cloysters rounde Gentilnesse nor noblesse is nat sought Nor in selers nor in vautes rounde But onely there wher vertue doth habounde Curyous clothes nor great possessions Maketh nat a man gengle but condycions Phylosophers conclude in their entent And all these worthy famous olde auctours No man may que the in his testament Gentilnesse vnto his successours Of wycked wede come no holsome flours Concluding thus of good men of shrewes Call eche man gentle after his good thewes Duke Marius of whom I spake toforne Of nature the story beareth wytnesse As by discent poore and nedy borne By disposycyon of coragyous noblesse Had in his persō wyt strength hardynesse Vnder all this there dyd his herte myne A worme of auaryce his worshyp to decline What vayleth plenty y ◠neuer may suffyse Or what the flode that stauncheth no thurst Or what an appetyte which euer doth aryse Alway to eate and euer to eate hath lust Of cankred hungre so fretyng is the rust That the riuer of Tantalus in his rage Of gredy etykes the fret may nat asswage Of Marius ye haue herd the ende His woful fall and his vnhappy caas In to fate howe he dyd wende Nowe wyl I folow myne auctor Bochas Howe vnto him thre Cleopatras With loke downe cast wofull face chere All atones dyd to him appere The fyrst of them by processe of writing Had thre husbandes Bochas doth expresse Wedded in youth to Alisaundre the kyng Called zebenna a prince of great noblesse After that for her great fayrenesse She wedded was vnto Demetrius And last of all to kyng Antyochus Of her three husbandes woful auenture And of her sonnes great vnkyndnesse Bochas afore hath done his busy cure Curyously the maner to expresse Which to reherce agayne were ydelnesse Syth all the processe here tofore is founde Of the first and eke of the secounde Which wedded was to kyng Tholome Lyke as afore eke made is mencion Bothe of their ioye and their aduersyte The first slayne by drinkyng of poyson And the seconde to her confusion By Euergetes were she wo or fayne Was with her chylde serued y ◠was slayne The thyrde wedded was to kyng Crispus Slayne in a temple by full great outrage For drede and shame gan wexe furious To saue her selfe knewe none auauntage Saue she enbraced of Jupiter an ymage In the story as here tofore is founde Or she was dead suffred many a wounde ⧠The .iii. Chapter ⧠Howe king Mithridate bode .vii. yere in wyldernes had great turmentes bothe on sea and lande by his blode broughte to vttraunce slewe himselfe with a sworde I Wyll passe ouer these Cleopatras three Forth procede to the hasty fate Sone execute by Parcas cruelte Vpon the duke called Mithridate First reherce the great vnkyndlye hate Of them that were his tutours as I rede Him to destroy by assent of his kynrede Which of purpose dyd hys death prouide By many vncouth straunge occasion In his tender youth first they made him ride Vpon an horse wylder than a lyon Of purpose onely for his distruction But al be so that he was yonge of age The horse he ruled in all his most rage Nat of doctrine but euen of nature He was disposed connyngly to ryde Ouer him the maystry to recure Maugre the horse of wyt he was his gyde What way he toke forwarde or asyde He daunted him y ◠where so euer he rode Bridled him and on his backe he bode His owne kyn and his next alyes Most laboured to bryng hym to mischefe With venomous drynke set on hym espyes At good leyser as doth a couerte thefe Of their fell poyson for to make a prefe In their entent this is well couthe Him to murder in hys tender youthe But whan y t he apperceyued their treason To saue him selfe made great ordinaunce Anone as he gan haue suspection Of theyr vnkindly hatefull purueyaunce For remedies made cheuisaunce Was prouided their malyce to decline By many notable proued medicine And their malyce prudently to eschue Is remembred whyle he was yonge of age With certayne frendes which y ◠dyd hym sue He disposed of custome hys corage To hunt and chase beastes most sauage Vnder that colour he dyd it for a wyle Ferre fro his countre tabsent him for a whyle Of one corage one heart and one chere Suffred manly toke none heuynesse In desertes space of seuen yere Amonge hye hylles bode in wyldernesse Set in Asia the story beareth witnesse Founde no lodgyng trasyng the
vpon him of surquedous outrage Without title byrthe or lynage To succede by fraude and false labour Among Romains to reigne as emperour He was vngracious sitting in that estate In mischefe spent his dayes euerychoue With lyce and wormes made infortunate Through skyn and fleshe fret vnto the bone Craft of medicine nor socour was ther none So depe he was fret in his entrayle Died ▪ in distresse no leche might auayle ¶ Here Bochas counsayleth princes to remembre on Arnolde MYne auctour Bochas stynte here a while Sharped his penne of entenciō Gan for anger to transporte his style To write of tyrauntes the transgression More wode and fell than any Scorpion Them counsailing whan they be most bolde For to remembre of this proude Arnolde He ne was nat in his pride assayled With wolues Tigres nor Lions With rauynous Beares nor wilde bores trauayled Nouther with other mighty champions Which haue conquered many regions But with wormes engendred of his kynde The said Arnolde was murdred as I fynde In suche disioynt the said Arnolde stode With lice and wormes fret againe nature That was so nie borne of Charles blode Impotent the paine to endure Whiche was in sothe an vncouth auenture That a prince might nat be socoured Of smale wormes for to be deuoured A greate ensample who lyst considre and see To princes all for to abate their pride Let them consydre theyr fragylite To se an emperour to abide Thassaute of wormes and ley ▪ their boste asyde In this Arnolde wysely aduertyse How god hath power their pompe to chastise ▪ Death of Arnolde did my pen encombre For the great abhomynacion Than to Bochas came the twelft in nombre Called Pope Jhon as made is mencion Entring by fraude and false election To goddes lawe frowarde and contrary Nar like a pastour but lyke a marcenarye Called aforne he was Octauian Nothing resembling Peters gouernaunce Fro the time in Rome that he began To sit as Pope he gaue his attendaunce To folow his lust and his fleshly plesaunce In hauking and hunting stode his felicite And amonge women conuersaunt to be Vnto surfete ryot and glotony He gaue him wholy and toke of it no kepe Greatly disclaundred he was of lechery Kept in his court without shame or drede A nombre of women in cronicle as I rede Two cardinals of purpose did entende His vicious life to correckre and amend And of entent these Cardinals two The churche esclan̄dred cast them to redresse Made letters sent them to Orcho Duke of Saxon that he should him dresse Toward Rome and of hie noblesse On holy churche to haue compassion Make of this mischefe iust reformacion This Pope Jhon whan he hath perceiued Of these Cardinals the maner of writing And howe the duke y ◠letters hath receiued He to do vengeaunce made not taryeng Bode no lenger this iudgement yeuing Cut of the nose felly of that one Hand of y ◠other and both were called John The emperour did his letters sende To this Pope of hole affection Of his defautes he should him amende But there was found no correction For which he was deposed and put doun By Cardynals for his cursidnesse Me list nomore to write of his wretchidnes For his defautes his gret ontrage This John put downe as ye haue herde deuise Mine auctour after caught a great corage Seing this mischefe in many londry wyse In holy churche which that dyd aryse Among prelates cast him selfe blyue Their defautes openly to discryne Of their pride and presumpcion And while he gan studie in this matter He gan rembre anone in his reason Vpon a verse written in y t Sautere Touche nat my prophetes ne nigh thē nat to nere Nor againe thē beware in dede and thought In no wyse that ye maligne nought For this cause as ye shall vnderstande Touching this matter plainly as I rede Mine auctour gan withdraw his hande Left his purpose and forth gan procede To whose presence or that he toke hede Came a prince duke Charles of Lorayne Him besought to write his greuous payne ⧠The .xv. Chapter ☞ Of Charles of Lorayne confounded with hunger THis Duke of Lorayne as ye shall conceiue Had werre with y ◠king of Fraūce Called Hugh Capet and as I apperceyue An archebyshop to do the king plesaunce Of hatred made his ordinaunce Agayne this duke a wayte vpon him set That he him toke a bedde whan he slept The said byshop gan falsly vndermyne This worthy duke by full false treason Which as I fynde was called Anceline And he was bishop that time of Leon Which by fraude and false collusion Toke this prince y t was duke of Loraine And to the king he brought him by a traine By whome he was deliuered to prison To Orliaunce and with chaynes bounde What was his ende was made no mencion But in a pyt horryble and profounde Mischefe with hunger did him so confounde That I suppose this duke of Loraine Consumed was for constraint of his paine The xvi Chapiter ¶ Howe king Salamon whylom king of Hungery was put to flight AFter to Bochas there came doun Princes four and eche for his party Their grefes tolde and fyrst Salamon That whylom reigned in Hungry Bothe fole and cowarde bokes specify Voyde of reason noysed of ygnoraunce And at a point coude no purueiaunce Fortune also did at him disdayne For he was nouther manly nor coragious Again whom were worthy knightes twain Herta was one with Laodislaus Famous in armes notable and vertuous Bothe at ones on Salomon came doun And made him flye out of his region Through his vnhappy frowarde cowardise There was in him founde no defence Flight was his shelde list in no wyse Gaine his enemies make no resistence Fayled herte to come to presence To saue his lande he drede him selfe so sore Of whom Bochas writ in his boke no more The .xvii. Chapter ¶ Howe Petro kyng of Hungery was slayne AN other kynge put here in remembraūce Called Petro reygning in hungry For his defautes agayne the kynge of Fraunce Y called Charles of malice and foly By indignacion this was his turmentry His eyen put out ther was no better socour And after slaine by dome of the emperour The .xviii. Chapter ⧠Howe Diogenes the Emperour was taken and his eyen put out AFter to Bochas there came twain on the ryng Duke of Sweue formest as I rede Againe themperour fyrst malicyously working Henry the emperour reigning tho in dede But for his malice this was his fatal mede Banyshed to dwel amonge beastes sauage Slaine in a forest for his great outrage Whan Constantine departed from thys lyfe Whiche of all Grece was lorde gouernour By mariage of her that was his wife A knight Diogenes was made emperour Fortune to him did so great fauour Constantinople holding in his hande As souerayne prince of al grekes lande Yet ther were some that grutched theragain And had of him great indignacion The king of Perce
his hande Of whose noblesse Pope Vrban had ioy Him to encrease for vertuous liuing Which that time was duke of Anioy After chosen of Cecile to be kyng Of Pope Vrban required by writyng Toward Rome that he should him dresse Of king Manfroy the tyranny to oppresse Agayne the Pope and holy churche right This said Manfroy dyd great extorcion Noble Charles as goddes owne knight Came with stronge hande vp to Rome toun Whiche in his comming gaue possession To Gyot Manfort for to haue the garde In his passage to gouerne the vowarde To Rome with great ordinaunce They passed ouer the boundes of Itayle This maÌ„ly knight Charles borne in fraunce Lad with him many a stronge batayle The Popes enemy manly to assayle But all this whyle to stande at diffence This said Charles founde no resistence Entring Rome to be their protectour Full well receyued at his first entryng Chose and preferred for chefe senatour By the pope most glad of his comming Of Cecile was after crowned king And of Jerusalem as made is mencion Graunted to him full possession Whiche in his ginning bare him so well Entring y â— land with knightly apparayle Of Cassine gate fyrst the stronge castell At Beneuent had a great batayle With kiÌ„g Manfroy whose partye did assayle To reherce shortly his auenture Charles made on him a discomfyture In which bataile king MaÌ„froy was slaine And noble Charles toke possession Wherof Romains were full glad and fayne Yet in Cecile there was rebellion But they were brought vnto subiection And Conradine recorde of al wrighting Sonne of Conrade claymed to be king Gan make him strong proudly toke his place At Alygate a famous olde cite Noble Charles with knightly chere face Fyll vpon him made him for to flye And to set rest in the countre To auoyde trouble make al thing certaine Gaue iugement Conradyne to be slayne Amonge kynges notable and glorious Charles was put as made is mencion Lyke a prince stronge and victorious In full peasyble and hole possession Of Cecile and all that regyon Agayns whom was no disobeysaunce Yelded of hole herte to his gouernaunce By tytle also of his alyaunce Fortune greatly did him magnifye For as it is put in remembraunce The noble princesse that called was Mary Doughter to Stephane reigning in Hungry Joyned was and knit in mariage To Charles son to thencrece of his lynage This same Charles by auctorite So as him selfe list to ordayne Was made king of the great cyte Called JerusaleÌ„ of townes moste soueraine By whiche title he bare crownes twayne His brother Lewes olde bokes say The same time in Egipt gan werray Gate all the countreys aboute enuyron whiche that sarazyns dyd falsly occupye Brought them agayne to subiection Of Jerusalem that iande to magnifye Cartage in Affrike with all their regalye And all the countreys beyng afore coÌ„trayre To kyng Charles became tributayre This whyle he sate highest in his glory Lyke Phebus shyning in his mydday spere with many conquest many great victory whan his noblesse shone most bright clere The same tyme with a frownyng chere Fortune gan from Charles tourne her face And him berafte her fauour and her grace This lady fortune doth selde in one coÌ„tune She is so geryshe of condicion A sorceresse a traytour in coÌ„mune Cast a false meane to his distruction One of his sonnes slayne with poyson which dyd eclypse myne auctor doth expresse A full great partye of his olde gladnesse He was disclaundred of all the vyce which appertayneth vnto tyranny I meane the vice of frowarde auaryce which is contrary vnto his chiualry Diffamed also of false auoutrye whiche was susteyned through his mayntenauÌ„ce within the lande by a knight of Fraunce The same knight abydyng in his hous All Cecile troubled with that dede The great offence was so disclaundrous Thrugh all the region it began to sprede For thylke woman plainly as I rede was wyfe to one whiche suffred this offeÌ„ce And to be venged dyd his dyligence John Prosith plainly was his name whiche cast him fully auenged for to be That kyng Charles should beare the blame Slewe al the frenchmen that bode in y â— couÌ„tre Without grace mercy or pite And for to do full execucion Required was the kyng of Aragon Lost of Cecile hole the region With obeysaunce of many countre And of Jerusalem the possession Fyll by processe in great aduersite And last constrained wyth greuous pouerte To god most mekely wyth ful heuy chere Soone to be dead was hys prayer Supprised he was w t sorowe in his corage Lost his force fyl in to malady Languished forth tyll he gan faâ—l in age Agayne fortune founde no remedy And by occasion of false auoutry Fyl to mischefe and for sorow drede This Charles died no more of him I rede ¶ Lenuoye Lyke as Phebus in some freshe morninge After Aurora the day doth clarifye Falleth oft that his bryght shining Is derked with some cloudy skye Alykenes shewed in this tragedye Expert in Charles the story doth well preue Youth and age rekened truely The fayre day men do praise at eue The noble fame of his fresh gynning To saint Lowes he was nygh of alye Ryght wyse manly vertuous of liuyng Called of knighthod flour of chiualry Tyll maintenaunce of auoutry Came in to hys courte to hurte hys name and greue His life his deth put in ieoparty The fayre day men do prayse at eue Lyke desertes meÌ„ haue theyr guerdoning Vertuous lyfe doth princes magnify The contrary to them is great hyndring Folke experte the trouth may not denye Serche out the rewarde of cursed lechery Where it is vsed the houshold may not preue In this matter to Charles haue an eye The fayre day to prayse towarde eue Noble princes al vyces eschewing Your hyghe corage let reason gye Withdraw your hand fro riotous watchyng Flye fleshly lustes and vicious companye Oppresse no man do no tiranny Socour the nedy pore folke do releue Let men report the prudent policye Of your last age whan it draweth to eue ⧠The .xxix. Chapter ¶ Of Hugoline Erle of Pise slaine in prison AFter Charles story red the woful fyne As ye haue herde the maner and y â— gyse To Jhon Bochas appered Hugolyne Called whylome the erle of Pyse Tyll they gan againe him aryse Most vengeable cruell and vnkynde Slewe him in prison no more of him I finde Saue his children of haterede and enuy Were murdred eke in a depe prison Next with his coÌ„playnt the kinge of Armeny Came tofore Bochas that called was AthoÌ„ A christen prince full famous of renoun For our fayth from which he lyst nat erre Gayne Tartaâ—ines longtime he held werre This manly king in knighthod full famous It was shewed his story who lyst rede Had a brother fell and dispytous Called Sabath desyrous to succede Sted of his brother the kingdome to possede By false treason reued of his right Kept him in holde and put him out
her husbande her sonnes twaine Fortune in party eclypsed hath the light Of her welfare and gan at her disdayne Yet euen like as whan it doth rayne Phebus after sheweth more clerenesse So she fro trouble rose to more nobles I meane as thus rehersyng no vertue In her person that men coude espye But onely this by tytle of this issue Whan Charles doughter on that partye Was to the king wedded of Hungrye Called Andree a man of great corage He sayed his wyfe but right tendre of age The same Iane nat without vice As is rehersed somwhat by myne auctour To whome Phylipot whylom was norice As ye haue herde and by full great labour Of the said Iane Robert made gouernour Sonne of Phylipot for a great rewarde Made of Cecyle and of that lande stewarde This fauour done to Philipot Cathenoyse Caused in that lande great indignacion Whose doughters weddīg caused gret noyse Maryed to charles the gret erle of Marchon whiche gaue to folke greate occasion To deme amysse aboute in eche countre That all y ◠lande was gouerned by tho thre By quene Iane and Phylipot Cathenoyes And the said Robert stewarde of Cecyle Son to Philipot this was the common vois The Quene and Robert by their subtil wyle Had of assent vsed a longe while The hateful synne of aduoutry Rose in Cecyle and went vp to Hungry For Quene Iane began no maner thing But Cathenoyse assented were therto The execucion and fully the working Brought to conclucion by Robert al was do And in this time rose a great stryfe also Disclaunderous and a froward discorde Atwene the quene him that was her lorde Harde to procede vpon suspection Sclaunder is swift lightly taketh his flight For which men shoulde eschue the occasion Of fame and noyse of euery maner wight By prouidence remembred in his sight Whan the report is through a lande ronne Harde it is to stint it whan it is begonne Withstand principles occasions to decline Lest vnwarely ther folow great domage To late commeth the salue of medicine To festred sores whan they be vncurable ▪ And in case very resemblable To eschew sclaūder who list nat for to spare Maye nat fayle to fal into the snare Thus for a time the slaunder was kept close Albeit so it did for a while abyde Another mischiefe ful pitously arose Which afterward spred abrode ful wyde Aduoutry to murder is a very gyde Set at a priefe mine auctour doth recorde The king Andre was strangled with a corde Out of his chambre raysed a great heyght By a coniected false conspiracion He was entreated brought downe by sleyght After strangled as made is mencion Whose death to punish by commission Hugh erle of Anelyne by a patent large To be iudge toke vpon him the charge Of this murder rose vp a great noyse By euidence full abhominable Philipot called Cathenoyse Her sonne doughter that they were culpable Dome was yeue by Iudges ful notable And to conclude shortly their iudgement With chaines boūd at stakes they wer brent ¶ Lenuoy ▪ THys Tragedy afore rehersed here Telleth the domage of presumption By experience rehersyng the manere Whan beggers rise to dominacion Is none so dredeful execucion Of cruelte yf it be wel out sought Than of such one as came vp of nought Recorde on Philipot that with hūble chere By sodayne fauour and supportacion Which was to fore a simple smal landere Of no value nor reputacion By fortunes gery trāsmutacion Shed out her malyce testate whan she was brought List not consider how she came vp of nought Where is more disdayne or more daungere Or more frowarde communicacion More vengeable venim doth appere Nor more sleyghty false supplantacion Nor more conspired vnware collusion Nor vndermining done couertly wrought Than of such folke as come vp of nought Fortunes chaunges meuinges circulere With her most stormy transmutacion Now one set vp ful hie in the sphere Enhaunceth vices and vertues put down Record on Philipot whose venemous treasō Compassed aforne in her secret thought The dede sheweth y t she came vp of nought Noble princes with your bright eyen clere Aduertise in your discretion That no flaterer come in your court so nere By no fraude of false disception Alway remembring afore in your reason On this tragedy on this treason wrought By a false flatter that came vp of nought The .xxxvi. Chapter Howe kyng Sauses was slayne by his cosin which was brother vnto the king of Aragon THe that time came of this trauayle Bochas dempt holding for the best This noble Poete of Florente and Itayle To make his penne a while for to rest Closed his boke and shut it in his chest But or he might sparre it with the key Came thre princes mekely gan him prey Amonges other remembred in his boke Theyr greuaunces briefly to declare Wherwith Bochas gan cast vp his loke And of cōpassion behelde theyr pitous fare Thought he would for no slouthe spare To theyr requestes goodly condiscende And of his boke so for to make an ende Here gan first reherse by writyng In his complaynt ful pitously he made Touching the fall of the great king Called Sauses which his soiour had The place named was Astrociade And as he writ a lytle there beside Was alytle I le called Emaside Bothe these Iles together knit in one Wher Sauses had his dominacion Liuing in peace enemy had he none In longe quyet had possession Whose kyngdom hole as made is mencion In the vulgar myne auctour write the same Of Malliogres plainly bare the name There is also another smaller yle Called Maylorge and of both twayn The said king was lord a great while Kepyng his estate notable and souerayne Hauyng a cosyn gan at him disdayne Which was brother as made is mencion Vnto the king that tyme of Aragon In the yles remembred by wryghtinges Whan the people went in to batayle Was the vsage founde vp first of stinges With cast of stones their enemies to assayle They had of shot none other apparayle In that tyme arblast nouther bowe Perauenture was tho but lytell knowe All these countreis were called but one lande Where Sawses helde possession Till his cosyn with strong and mighty hande With great power sodaynly came doun Brought people out of Arragon Fyll on kyng Sawses feble of diffence Gate that kingdome by knightly violence The balaunce was nat of euyn peys Atwene these cosyns who lyst take hede For in hys conquest the Arragoneys Of cruelte hath smytten of the hede Of kyng Sawses quakinge in his drede Though it stode so they were nygh of alye There was that day shewed no curtesy The .xxxvii. chapter ☞ Howe Lewes king of Jerusalem and Cecile was put downe AFter thys Story tolde in wordes fewe And kyng Sawses slayne by tyranny There came a prince and gan his face shewe Called Lewes lorde of Trynacry The same yle in that party Called Cythane the story telleth thus After
wēt For vnder a colour of liberalite Vnto his palys gladly he would cal Straūgers echone y ◠came through his cūtre And solemly receyue thē one and al And lyke a kynge both in chambre and hal Make them such chere in all maner thynge As apperteyned to a worthy kyng But whyle his gestes lay a nyght to slepe This false tirant in ful cruel wyse Murdred them ethone or they toke kepe And after that thys was also his gise With their bloud to make a sacrifice To Jupiter god of that countre Of hole entent to please his deite That in his kyngdome of frutes grayne The land encresed by great habundaunce Doun from heuin he would send thē rayne This meane he made this cheuisaunce To murdre and slee he had so great plesaūce For of al thing him thought it did him good To murdre his gestes and to shede their blod Whā this murdre of Busiris was couth That no strāgers myght passe his lād i pees This manly knyght yet flowryng in youthe Thys noble famous thys worthy Hercules Among other he put hym selfe in prees And lyke a gest outwarde in shewyng Came to the palys of Busiris the kyng Rebuked hym of his great outrage Done to hys gestes by cruel violence And for to make pesible that passage And for to auenge y ◠his importable offence And of his murdre to make a recompence Thys Hercules slewe Busiris in dede And toke the bloud whych he dyd blede Offred it vp Jupiter to please For thys victory hym to magnifye And al Egipt thus was set in ease Their landes and frutes gan also multiply Theyr grayne encresed about on eche partye And to habounde by influence of rayne Whych afore time of vitayle was barayne Another giaunt called Antheus Kyng of Libye and gouerned al the land Whom Hercules most strong and coragious Sūtime outraid slewe hym with his hand For as they wrastled by experience he fand Touching the erth this giant it is trewe His force his myght dyd alway renewe But whan Hercules the maner dyd espye Howe his strength renewed agayne so ofte Theragaynst he shope a remedy Hye in the ayre he peysed hym vp a lofte And with strokes harde and nothynge softe Backe and bone so sore he did embrace That he fyll deed tofore hym in the place But some bokes of thys giant tell Within his kyngdome who dyd him assaile He would of newe his chiualry compel Efte agayne to mete hym in battayle And in this wyse full selde he dyd fayle To aforce of newe as ye shal vnderstand His strength his myght all enemis to w t stād But Hercules of hye discrecion The felde on him manly to recure Had hym by sleyght out of hys region And as they met there of auenture The sayd Anthens might not endure But was disconfited by Hercules anone Maugre his myght and his men echone After this conquest Hercules is gone For exercise his prowes for to vse Agaynst the myghty stronge Gereon Kyng of Spayne of Melleager and Ebuse The whych tiraunt myght hym not excuse That all his labour as poetes lyst compyle Was from these realmes his people to exile Hys tiranny myght not long endure For Hercules that noble worthy knyght Made vpon hym a great disconfiture And slough the tyraunt as they met in fyghte And after that through his great myght Of highe prowes and magnanimyte Sloughe Cerberus with his heades thre The famous bull of the lande of Crete Whych that distroyed all that region He sloughe also whan that they dyd mete And in Nemea he slough a feirse lyon And for a recorde of hys high renoun Of manly force his skyn away he toke And to his body a cote thereof he shope To his enemis to shewe hym more dredeful Therfore he ware that hidious garment And for he was in armes neuer founde dul But ylike freshe euer in his entent In to a mountaine anone he made hys went Called Erimanthus there in his passage He slewe a boar most wylde most sauage Besyde a ryuer called Styphalus Of furious byrdes he slewe a great nombre Within the kyngdome of kyng Pheneus All the countre they dyd encombre For wyth their shadowe cōtagious vmbre On sede on frutes where euer they alight Al was deuoured in euery mannes sight Vpon the mountayne called Auentyne Which is not far from Rome the citye There is a wode as cronicles determyne Right freshe of light and goodly on to se And Hercules passyng by that countre Fro Spaynward passyng by Itayle Cachus the giant dyd hym there assaile While Hercules among the leues grene Layde him to slepe by sodayne auenture And his beastes against the sonne shyne While that he slepte went in their pasture Came Cachus forth ful hidious of stature Thought he would these beastes w t him haue Stale them echone and hyd thē in a caue And lyke a thefe he made them go backward That no man should y ◠traces of them know Neyther of their passage haue no regarde For by their tailes he ledde them on a rowe In to his caue which that stode full lowe And for they were of excellent fayrnes To kepe them close he did his businesse Out of his slepe whan Hercules awoke And parceyued his oxen were away He rose vp and cast about his loke Began to aspye in all the hast he may To what partie the traces of them lay And while he stode thus musyng in the shade He herd the lowyng that his oxen made And by their lowing he gan anone aproche Toward the parte wher they were kept close Fonde the caue vnder a myghty roche And proud Cachus which had thē in depose Agaynst Hercules he sturdely arose But for al that he myghte hym selfe not saue For he hym sloughe at thentring of the caue And thus his beastes he hath ayen recured That sempte afore inrecuperable After the mountaine byforce he hath assured Which for brigātes afore was full doutable But by his knyghthod it was made habitable That men myght for drede of any foe Whan euer they would frely come and go Touchyng his conquest vpon Feminye Agaynst Amasones with Theseus he went The quene Ipolyta through his chiualry For his praye anone to hym he hent And Ipolita of ful true entent Gaue vnto hym in token of victory A girdel of golde to haue her in memorie After to Affrike he went a full great pace Onely of purpose the gardin for to se Which apperteyned to kynge Athlas That brother was to the kynge Promothee In astrology full wel expert was he And of this gardyn of whych I haue tolde The riche braūches apples were of gold Through magike made by great auisement Ful streyte kepte and closed enuyron And y watched with a fell serpent That no man entred that ryche mancion But Hercules most mighty of renoun The serpēt slough through his māly pursute And fro the gradeyn he bare away the frute This said Athlas
parcel for couetyse To haue treasour some treason to practise And for to eschewe his malice treason For her nauy she maketh ordinaunce By the auise of them in whom as by reason She should of ryght set her affiaunce And they ful redy her to do plesaunce By one assent for nothynge would fayle With fayre Dydo out of that lande to sayle In Cypres fyrst was her aryuaile And theâ—e she founde by the riuer syde Of yong maydens w t ful rych apparayle Sixty and ten in the same tyde Whiche in the temple of Venus dyd abyde After the custome as I can reporte Of Cypriens straungers to disporte And in their most faythful humble wyse After the ryghtes of Cypre the countre Vnto Venus eche day do sacrifice Them to conserue in their virginite Duryng their life to lyue in chastitye Neuer to be ioyned in mariage And w t quene Dydo they went to Cartage In their passage fyll a great myrracle As Seruius maketh mencion For Dydo toke of Juno this oracle Outher by apparyng or by aduision Of Cartage to bylde that myghty toun And at reuerence of that great goddesse She to the parties fast gan her dresse The sayd citye stately for to founde And her werkemen as they the erth sought An oxes head of auenture they founde And to quene Dido anone the head brought Meninge wherof to serche out they thought And her clerkes in their deumayle Tolde it was token of seruage trauayle For which she list not to buylde in that place But remeued as she ought of ryght And fro thence but a litel space A soyle she founde ful dylectable of sight And as her werkmen wyth their full myght The grounde gan serch or they toke hede The story telleth they found an horse head And by expownyng of her deuinours Founde this beast myght greatly auaile Vnto princes and mighty conquerours Necessary in werre and batayle And for no wight her noblesse shoulde assaile Cartage she buylded of so great excellence Againe al enemyes to stand at diffence Some bokes declare and specify Dydo dyd as much land purchace As a skyn in rounde might occupy Of an oxe theron to buyld a place The grounde coÌ„passed toke a large space Whych strongly buylded thus it is befal After the skyn men Byrsa dyd it cal And whan this citie mightily was walled After a skyn wrought by good curray The name toke Carta it was called Lether of Birsa plainly this is no nay Toke eke his name durynge many a day Carta and Birsa knit in their langage As much to say as this word Carthage And in Affryke stant this teritory Where she builded this citye dilectable Founded it in laude and memory Of mighty Juno the goddesse honorable The citye walled w t towers strong stable Time of kyng Dauid amidde the fourth age As I sayd erst called it Cartage With great worshyp she raygned in y â— towne Euer of purpose to liue in chastitie And rounde about floured her renowne Of her prudence and her honestye Tyll the report of her famous beautye Came to the eares which gladly wil not hide Of a kyng that dwelled there beside Of Musytans he was lorde and syre As poetes playnly lyst decryue Whiche in his hart greatly gan desire The quene Dido by her assent to wiue Vnto her grace if he might aryue But for she had auowed chastitie She neuer cast maried to be The kyng supprised w t loue in his courage For her wisdome and her great bountee Sent for the princes of Carthage On this matter to haue a treatee To condiscende if it might be Like his desire in all their best entent Do their deuoyre to make her consent With his request he gan them eke manace If he fayled of his entencion Like his desire to stande in her grace Sayd he would be enemy to their towne To ordayne by force for their destruction Not fully sober nor fully in a rage This was to them playnely his langage But for they knewe her great stedfastnes And her hart very immutable They were aferde any word to expresse Lest their aunswere were not acceptable To his highnes for he was not treatable Eke in their conceyt they gan also recorde To his desyre the quene would not accorde With good aduice an answere they puruey To his purpose in party fauourable Aferde he would their noble towne werrey Or of disdayne vpon them be vengeable But quene Dydo in her entent aye stable Cast she would whatsoeuer they her tolde Her chast auowe faythfully to holde She set aside of this cruell kyng His fell manaces and his words great And to her prynces for their consentyng Which stode in feare of y â— he did them threate She vnto them yaue a maner heate For they were bolde to attempt or attame To treate of matter rebounding to her shame Nay rather dye quod she than assent To his desires whiche thing god forbede Or fro the tenter of my chaste entent For to remeue other in thought or dede Whiche were disclaunder to all womanhead To condiscende for any manacyng To breake a vowe for pleasaunce of a kynge Touchyng manaces made to the citie For to destroy it with his great myght Without cause or title of equitie To ground him a quarell agayne right Onely for he is blynded of his syght With froward lust my chaste auowe to assaile Be ryght well sure how he therof shall fayle If ye were bolde and manly of courage For comon profite your citye to defende And to w tstande his vycious outrage To treate w t him ye would not condiscende But mine entent platly to comprehend Whether it be to you ioye or displeasaunce In my promise shal be no variaunce My lorde Sicheus whiche alas is deade Vnto the worlde who lyst aduert Trust verely for manacyng nor dreade That he shall neuer dye in myne hert Nor he shall neuer myne auowe peruert Thus auysed while that I stande fre Quene of Cartage to gouerne this citye Mine hasty answere I pray you not disdaine But that ye list to yeue me libertye With your support that I may attayne To haue a space graunted vnto me This is to mene the space of monethes thre My lordes will to accomplyshe of entent Whiche whilome made in his testament Vnder couloure to her aduauntage She toke this space bokes specify That she might her citye of Cartage The meane time strongly fortify Agayne her enemies that for no sluggardy Of them that would her high estate confound Vnpurueyed her city not be founde Whan thre monethes passed were and gone She after would for hartly pleasaunce With sundry ryghtes many mo than one To all her goddes do some obseruaunce For a speciall singuler remembraunce Of him that was as ye shall vnderstande Whilom her lorde and best beloued husband And more to exalt her glory and his honour Held his exequtes by due reuerence Of all Cartage in the highest tower With brenning fire fumes and incence Her princes all beyng
his harmes to restore Bochas writeth of his wo nomore But of his fal howe he fyll in dede To tel the maner forth he doth procede And for a whyle he set his style asyde And his processe in party he forbare To speke of Cresus that was kyng of Lyde And gan resort to write of Balthasar Agayne rehersynge or that he was ware Howe myghty Cirus of woful auenture Made on hym proudly a discomfiture And as it is put in remembraunce Of Balthasar to holde vp the party Cresus wyth hym had made an aliaunce With al his puissaunce al his chyualry His lyfe his treasoure to put in ieoparty Sworne in armes as brother vnto brother By Cirus vēquyshed the one after the other Both their mischefe no lenger was delayed Al be that Cresus faught long in hys defence He finally by Cyrus was outrayed And depriued by knyghtly vyolence Take in the felde there was no resistence And rigorouslye to his confusion With myghty fetters cast in darke prison And more to encrease his gret aduersite A sonne of his tendre yong of age That was dumbe from his natiuite And neuer spake word in no maner lāgage Cyrus commaunding by furious outrage That Cresus shoulde by vengeable cruelte By a knyght of Perce in prison headed be And with his sworde as he gan manace Cresus to haue slayne wythout al reuerence The dombe chylde there present in the place Which neuer had spoken thus said in audiēce Withdrawe thy stroke do no violence Vnto my lorde thy fame so to confounde To slee a kyng that lyeth in prison bound The knight astonied hath his stroke forborne Gretly abashed in that darke habitacle Whych herde a chyld that neuer spake toforne Agaynst his swerde to make au obstacle Ran and tolde this marueylous myracle To myghty Cirus with euery circūstaūce Hopyng therby to atempre his greuaūce But where as tyrauntes be set on cruelte Their croked malice ful harde is to appese So indurate is their iniquite That al in vengeaunce is set their hertes ese Them selfe reioysinge to se folke in disease Lyke as they were in their frowarde daūger Clerely fraunchised fro god his power Thys cruel Cirus most vengeable of desire To execute his fel entent in dede Let make in haste of fagottes a gret fyre And gan thē kyndle wyth many coles rede And made Cresus quakyng in his drede For to be take where as he lay ful lowe And bad men should in to the fyre him throw But Iupiter whych hath his vengeaūce seyn Howe cruel Cirus with malice was attaynt From heauen sent a tempest and a reine That sodainely y ◠horrible fire was quaynt Woful Cresus w t dredful fyre made faynt Escaped is his furious mortall payne God and fortune for hym lyst so ordayne This aduenture in maner marueylous The hert of Cirus gan somwhat tenbrace And caused hym for to be pitous Agayne Cresus and granted him hys grate To occupye whyle he hath lyfe and space The land of Lyde except only thys thynge He shoulde not after be called kyng And thus of Lyde the kynge dyd fyne Which toke his beginyng of one Ardisius And endured the space of kynges nyne Loke who so wyl the bokes tel thus Hereof no more but forth vnto Cirus I wyl procede wyth al my busy cure For to translate hys woful auenture The .xxvii. Chapter ¶ How the cruell tyraunt Cirus delited euer in slaughter and shedynge of blode and so ended HEyre by discent to great Astiages Poorely brought forthe as is made mēcion And had al Asie to his great encres Holdyng that reigne by iust succession In longe quyete wythout rebellion Tyl tyme he thought in ful frowarde wyse The world was smal to staunch his couetise He had an etyke most contagious Fretyng vpon hym for desyre of good A dropsy hateful and furious Of froward rage that made his hert woode A woluyshe thurst to shede mānes bloud Which ouerth warted by false melancoly Hys royal corage in to tiranny But whan he presumptuously dyd entende To robbe reue folke through his pyllage God and fortune made hym to discende Ful sodaynly from hys royal stage Demyng of pryde it was a great auauntage To wyn landes of very force and myght Tho in his cōquest were no tytle of ryght To wyll he yaue holy the soueraynte And aduertised nothyng to reason But preferred his sensualite To haue lordshyp and dominacion Aboue sad trouth and discrecion Whych causeth princes frō their estate roial Or they be ware to haue a sodayne fall For the lordshyp of al Asia Might not suffise to Cirus gredinesse But thought he would conquere Cithia And there werre to encrease hys ryches Though he no tytle had of ryght wysnesse Saue false lust wherof mē shoulde haue ruth That wyl in princes shoulde oppresse truth Fyrst his Cirus al princes dyd excel Both in conquest victory batayle Of golde treasure as bokes of hym tell Kyngdoms to wyn he dyd most preuayle And yet two vyces dyd his hert assayle Fyrst couetise euer to encrease in good With a desire to shede mens bloude Wyth two vyces he brenned euer in one That neuer might from his hert twyn Made a great army towarde Septētrion And cast him proudly to set on and begyn Cithia the mighty land to wyn Quene Thomiris there reigninge as I fynde Whose kyngdom ioyneth to Ethiope in Inde Towarde the party whych is orientall The see of Surry floweth full plentuous Downe to the see called occidentall And southwarde renneth to Caucasus And folke of Cithie that ben laborious Which tyl the land hath not to their liuing But onely frutes which from therth spring The lande of Cithie is ryche for the nones For greyne fruite a land ful couenable Ryche of golde perle and precious stones Ryght comodious and wonder dilectable But a great party is not habitable The people dredful to bylde their mancions For feare of deth bycause of the gryffons The noble fame nor the high renoun Was not ferre knowe nor ysprad aboute Of Thomiris quene of that region Nor of her noblesse within nor wythout Tyl that king Cirus with a ful great route In to Cithia gan hym proudly dresse The hardy quene to spoyle of her richesse But she her fame more to magnifie Gan in great haste with ful rich apparayle Ful prudently assemble her chyualry And toke a felde if he woulde her assayle Redy with him to haue a batayle And of her meyny lyke as sayth my boke Vnto her sonne the thyrde parte she toke And yaue hym charge in the same place Hym selfe that daye to aquite lyke a knyght And for to mete Cirus in the face And nothyng drede with hym for to fyght But whan kyng Cirus of him had a syght Cast hym that day the yong prince oppresse Rather by wyles than manhod or prowesse Fyrst he let stuffe his large pauilions With great plenty of drinkes dilectable Diuers meates and confections Rounde aboute vpon
To se a woman so sturdy of vysage Yet men expert all day may se and lere They be by nature ful cruell of corage And no cowardes found of their langage Set at assay and than it shall be sene Wher they be ferfull their quarell to sustene They mai of mekenes shew a fayre pretence Some serpent is of colour syluer shene And some floures ful fresh of apparence Growe on thystels rough sharp and kene And some that ben angelyke to sene And very heuenly with their golden tresses Ben at a prefe verye lyonesses To say the sothe a poore man may be shent I dare no more speke of this matere But kyng Xerxses for all his proud entent All his nauy and his people yfere Were put to flight outraied of their chere Their shyppes drowned amonge the waues rude That none abode of al that multitude Kyng Xerxses hurt and wounded mortally Vnnethes he might the great payne endure His quakyng hert quit him so cowardly On see and lande suche was his auenture And yet agayne his damages to recure Thre hundred M. of feyghters hee gan call Vpon grekes of newe for to fall A mighty Duke called Mardonyus Was captayne made his people for to lede But Themistocles min auctor telleth thus Knowing of Xerxses the cowardnes drede A lettre made for to be sent in dede Enfourming him by grekes greate outrage How of his bridge was broken the passage Of which maruayle when ther came tidinge To king Xerxses he after anon ryght As he that was aferde of ech thynge Full lyke a cowarde tooke him to the flyght Fled in a bote lyke a coward knyght Of al his people there were no more yseyne To awayte vpon him saue a chamberleyne All his people departed here and yonder Standyng in mischefe great indygence To many a coast they wēt and rode asonder Pyned with hunger lacked their dispence Punished also wyth vnware pestylence Feble of trauayle myght not endure For impotence to carye their armure Alas eche way lay ful of caraynes The soyle with blode stayned and the grene The ayre terrible of pathes and of plaines That no man might it endure nor sustene The sauour was so odyous and vnclene Rauenous foules ful homely in their sight Them selfe to fede vpon the corse alyght Thre hundred M. of Perciens were slayne Which Mardonyus afore full proudly lad Of which tiding king Xerxses was not fayn But for distresse and sorow gan to mad And one the last mischefe that he had Was whan Thimon a noble grekish knight Xerxes discomfited and put his men to flight This Thymon was sonne to Melciades His father whilom of Athenes kyng Which last of all outrayed hath Xerxses Saue of his ende there fyll another thyng Artabanus full sleyghty of werkyng Which to Xerxses was not suspect in dede Compassed his dethe in Bochas as I rede This Artaban was prouest of hys house And an officer most especyall With his seuen sonnes strong and dispitous Vpon a nyght furyous and fatall Fyll vpon Xerxses in his palayes royal And in his story as it is remembred On pieces small they haue him dismembred This was of Xerxses the last fynal mede Of his high pride the funerall guerdon Frō his two kingdomes of Perce and Mede Froward fortune hath hym plucked doun What may auayle the dominacion Of such princes as hold them selfe euyn For to be egall with goddes hyghe in heuyn Men list not know such chaūges for no prefe And namely princes in their puissaunces Against erthly parels all worldlye mischefe They can prouyde them set ordynaunces As they that drede fortunes varyaunces But to God ward they take ful lytel hede For the great riches which they do possede If they may heare of an erthe quaue Tofore it fall or any token se Than wyl they go anon them self to saue Out of their houses from the townes fle To put their life the more in suerte Lest their building made of so great costage Fyll vpon them in that mortall rage Or if an horse ronne oute of his stable Breke his colere thicke double and longe Men wyl ordayne a locke of yron able To kepe hym in be he neuer so stronge And thus men can redresse euery wronge Touching the body by great auysenesse Saue for the soule they wyl nothing redres Whan a ryuer passeth ferre his boundes Boyleth vpward fyndeth no resistence Wynneth land and ouerfloweth groundes Drowneth townes with his vyolence Yet men wyl trauayle to fynde a defence To turne her cours som way shal be sought But toward god mē thīke lytell or nought Agaynst sickenes men seke medicines Letwaries and dyuers pocions Serche in physike sondry disciplynes Them to dyete in their transgressions Restoratyues and eke confeccions But vnto Godward in this present lyfe Men not trauayle for no confortatyfe Men their bodies wyl put in distresse Of false desyre and couetous feruence Only cacroche and wyn great ryches Suffre colde labour and vyolence And nother spare for gold nor for dyspence To vnderfonge perylles of vaynglory Only for thynges that ben transitory They passe mountains many hidous roch In hope it shuld to their entent auayle To many mortal monstre they approche And many vncouth sea they sayle Jeopart their lyfe in warre and in batayle By many a daunger mani streyt they ride For worldly treasor which wyl not abide But toward goodes that ben perdurable Full lytle or nought their hertes they encline Nor to the heuenly company most notable They wyl not lyft vp nother heed ne eyne Toward the spheres of Phebus and Lucine Castyng their stremes to vs from ferre Which to considre all worldly men done erre What myght auayle the great couetyse Of kyng Xerxses in his estate royal Of the gret people which ye haue herd deuise Ten hundred M. the people was nat small But for all that he had an hydous fal Whan that he was as tofore is remembred On pieces smale piteously dismembred ☞ Lenuoye THis tragedi put vs in remembraūce Of y ◠vnsiker flateryng blyndnesse Both of fortune and of her vatiaūce And of her vgly froward doublenes In Xerxses shewed for all his ryches To vs declaring plainly in figure A rauynous prince may no whyle endure Kyng Xerxses had vnder his obeysaunce Al Perce and Mede the stori bereth witnes Thought all erthe to lytell in substaunce To staunche the etyke of his gredynesse A fret of hauing put him in such distresse Whose fyne declared by recorde of scripture A rauinous prince may no whyle endure He made also an odious ordynaunce Of surquedy his power for to dresse To robbe the gods maugre their puisaunce And spoyle the temples of their frowardnes Take their treasors agayn all rightwisnes But they him shewed of sodayne auenture A rauinous prince may no whyle endure Great Appollo toke on his men vengeaunce With vnware tempest for al their sturdines Leuin thunder brought them to mischaūce Guerdon most able agayn the
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
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
and the vyolence To Eucratides was very importable Besieged first and for lacke of defence Take at mischefe his fone not mercyable For Demetrius was on hym so vengeable Whan he was slayne w tin his owne boūdes Made the carayne be cast out to y ◠houndes Not wythstandinge he was a worthy kynge Borne of hye blode such was his auenture Demetrius sonne aboue al erthly thynge Hated hym by recorde of Scripture Of rancoure denyed hys sepulture And for the matter is hateful and contrary On his story I wyll no lenger tary The .v. Chapter ¶ Howe Herodes kyng of Parthoys werred wyth Romains whych after his sonne and heyre was slayne made hys bastarde sonne kynge y t anon after slewe his father TO Arthabanus whilō of Parthois kynge I purpose my style to transporte A full olde prince had in his liuing Sonnes twayne bokes so reporte Which in his age dyd him most comforte Mithridate was the eldest brother And herodes called was that other Mithridate by reason of hys age Hys father dead dyd after him succede Which banished was for tiranny outrage Afterwarde for mischefe and for nede In to Babylon he toke his flyght for drede The people anone after his partyng Of Indignacion made hys brother kynge Thus came Herodes to estate royal Pursued hys brother in to Babilon Layde a siege rounde aboute the wall They to him yelded vp the toun Thus was hys brother brought to cōfusion Afore the castell wythout lenger date Made smyte of the head of Mithridate In Parthois after he toke possession Thus yong Herodes of voiūte and pride Gan a werre agayne them of Rome toun Whom to w tstande they lyst not longe abyde The cōsull Crassus cam down to theyr syde Cōmaūded was short processe for to make Toward Parthois hys voiage for to take Crassus lyst not to entre in that reme Left Parthois the story dothe deuyse Toke his waye towarde Jerusalem To take there a solempne empryse In the temple onely of couetise Toke there agayne the tytle of ryghtwysnes Vp al their treasour their great ryches By which he gate in diuers regions Great multitude to hold vp his party Led wyth hym eleuen legyons Towarde Parthois fast gan him hye By hys letters proudly gan defy The sayd Herodes wyth great apparayle Myd his countre profred him battayle The next morowe whā Crassus toke y ◠felde To him was brought of blacke a cote armure Which whan his knightes auisedly beheld Dempt it a token of discomfiture For in contrary Romayns do their cure Whan their capitaine shal fighte or be hed His cote armur is outher white or red Another token frowarde to beholde The fyrst Egle beate in his banere Also soone as men dyd it vnfold Contrariously he tourned loke and chere The back to Crassus folke sawe y t stode nere A pronostyke to Romayns ful certaine Howe fortune to them was that daye againe By the flud passinge of Eufrates w t vnware tempestes hys standerdes echone In to the ryuer were cast amonge the prees To reken them all vpryght stode not one Wherof astoyned they wold no further gone These pronostykes made them so afrayed Lyke men in hert dispaired and dismaied Of these tokens Crassus was recheles The pronostykes also he dyd dyspyse Toke vpon him to passe Eufrates To entre Parthoys onely for couetise To whom Herodes sendeth in thys wyse That hys commynge was more for pyllage Than for knyghthode manhode or corage Al the power of Parthoys tho came downe With many Prefecte men of great courage Agayne Crassus them of Rome towne Which as I tolde abode on their pyllage That turned after to their great domage The sonne of Crassus slayne in that fray His father take and al vpon a daye His head smyt of in whom was no defence But disconfyted wyth many a legion The heade of Crassus brought to the presence Of Herodes within his royal toun Whych hath comaunded golde to be broughte doune To be molte there as he lay dead And to powre thereof full hys head This thinge was done for a mockery In signe onely the storye doth deuyse That golde nor treasour vpon no party Staunche myght his thrust of couetyse Suche gredines eche man should dispyse For auaryce of custome in eche place Of hye prowes doth the prise difface Herodes after dyd serche all the wardes Through al the felde vpon Crassus syde Toke the penons baners standardes And in his tempels large longe and wyde Let hange them vp of surquedy and pride In signe onely and eke for a memory He of Romains hath get the victory With whiche he lyst not onely be content Wenyng his fortune shoulde abyde stable In to Surry he hath hys sonne sēt Called Pachorus made him a constable Of that region with him to be partable Of al treasours and mouables y ◠he founde Whereuer he rode throughout al lond This Pachorus by hys chyualry Encrease gan in his tendre age Wherof Herodes his father had enuy Fearful it shoulde tourne to his domage Lest he would by tytle of heritage Maugre him at hys agayne commynge Take vpon him of Parthoys to be king Than Pachorus was called home agayne Out of Surrye where in conclusion Al that he had wrought was in vayne Bycause one Cassius fro Rome was come Slewe al the people in the region Whych appertayued to Pachorus as I find doun Without capitaine for they were left behynde To withstande this Romayne Cassius Herodes hath his sonne sent agayne Whych anone after the story telleth thus Amyd the felde vnhappely was slayne To trust fortune it is a thynge but vayne Whiche of custome to day is fauourable And to morowe geryshly chaungeable Of Pachorus dethe whan the noise arose And the distressynge of his chyualry And to Herodes abydyng in Parthois Tyding was brought farde as he would die Of hertely sorow fyl in to a frensy Heyre was none left of the royall lynes Saue thurty bastardes borne of concubines Thus Herodes was cast in great sickenes Hys sonnes deth was to hym importable Hys worldly ioy was gon his gladnes Fortune cōtrary which neuer can be stable Age fylon hys lyfe was not durable And of one thyng most he dyd hym drede Cause he had none heire to succede Whyche woulde not suffre him lyue in pees Tyll at the last he caught a fantasy Chase a bastarde called Pharactes Bycause he was famous in chyualry Gaue him the crowne and the regaly Which anone after breuely to conclude Slewe Herodes of ingratitude The .vi Chapiter ☞ Howe Fimbria a Consull of Rome slewe him selfe AFter to Bochas by processe of this boke Foure myghty princes notable of estate Towarde him thei cast chere loke Lyke vnto folke that were infortunate With whom fortune had ben at debate For by their maner as it sempt wele They were at mischiefe fall fro her whele First Fymbria a romayne consulere Sent by the romayns to a great cite Called Nichomede came as a
worlde one the best knyght Thus erthly princes w t at their poÌ„pus fame Which ouer the world yeueth so gret a soun Of slauter and murdre they toke firste their name By false rauyn and extorcion Clambe so vp fyrst to dominacion BreÌ„nyng of countreis conquest by vyolence Set them in chaires of worldly excellence In this batayle that called was ciuile Holde atwene Pompey Cesar Julius Thre hundred M. slayne within a whyle Thre thousande take the story telleth thus Without princes not able and glorious As kynges and pretours reckned al atones Tribunes Consuls and Centuriones Phebus on y â— soil might not his bemes spred Nor on the grouÌ„de shewe out his clere lyght Men that were slayne laye so thicke on brede That of the earth no man had a syght Wolues beares rauinous foules of flight Came great plente to fede there eche day Besyde the ryuer of Nile where they lay Gobbets of fleshe whych foules dyd arace Fro dead bodies borne vp in the ayre Fyl fro the clawes vpon Julius face Amydde the felde where he had repaire Made his visage blody and not fayre Albe that he to his encrees of glorye Had thylke day of Romayns the vyctory The head of PoÌ„pey brought w t his stately rig Offâ—â—d vp to Julyus hye presence He by compassyon the murdre aduertisyng Of his innate imperyal excellence Brast out to wepe and in his aduertence Thought it pyte a price of so great myght Shuld so be slayn y â— was so good a knight The corse abode without a sepulture Tyll one Codrus of compassyon After the batayle and disconfyture Besought hym of great affection To hyde the trunke lowe in the saÌ„des doun Sought tymbre there he fonde but small To do exequies with fyres funerall Nowe sith thys prince came to suche mischefe Murdred slayne by Tholome the kyng Here of her power fortune hath made a prefe What trust there is in any worldly thynge After his deth wanted he not buryeng This proude PoÌ„pey so famus of his hande Of fyshe deuoured as he lay on quicsande What shall men set by power or noblesse Of slyding goodes or any worldly glory Which to restrayne may be no syckernes Fortune and the worlde is so transitory Though Mars to day gyue a man victorye Parcase to morowe vnwarely he shal dey I take recorde of Cesar and Pompey Sith al stant vnder daunger of Fortune Ye worldly men do your loke vp dresse To thilke place where ioy doth aye coÌ„tune The blynde lady hath there none entresse Set pride asyde take you to mekenesse To sue vertue do truely your labour Gaine al pompe make PoÌ„pey your myrrour ¶ Lenuoy THys tragedy of Duke Pompey Declareth in grosse the chefe occasion Why he and Cesar gan fyrst warrey Eche againe other through vayne ambicion To haue lordshyppe and dominacion Ouer y e Romains by fauer fraude or mighte Possession take no force of wrong nor ryght To trouthes partie pride is loth to obey Extort power doth great distruction Wyse policye al out of the waye Prudent counsaile age with discrecion Lost their liberte of free eleccion Who was most stronge with him helde euery wyght Possession take no force of wronge nor right Such deuision made many man to dey Brought the cyte to desolacion With two princes fortune lyst to pley Till from her whele she cast theÌ„ both doun Subtel disceit fraude and collusion By ambicious climbinge blent their syght Possession take no force of wronge nor right Noble princes remembre what I saye Peyse this story wythin youre reason Of false surmouÌ„ting auarice beareth the key Recorde of Cesar Pompey of Rome toun Whose wylfull warres hateful discencion Geueth clere warning to you euery wyght No claime is worth without title of ryght The .xii. chapter ¶ Howe victorious Julius Cesar brente the vessels of Tholome slough Achilas that woulde haue murdred hym and after great victories was murdred with him selfe bodkins by Brutus Cassius AFter the woful complaynte lamentable Of Pompeyes deth pitous for to here Warres remeÌ„bred w t tresoÌ„s importable Compassed fraudes faced with fayre chere Conspired murdre rehersed the manere How kinge Tholome fraudulent of courage The dethe conspired of Pompey fall in age The processe tolde I holde it were but vayne Thereof to wryte a newe tragedy Thing ones sayde to reherce agayne It were but ydel as for that partie But howe Cesar went out of Thessaly Came to Alisandre to lodge him in that place I will remeÌ„ber with supporte of youre grace He lodged was in the paleys royall Where he was busy by diligent labour Through that region in temples royal To spoile goddes and haue al their treasour Where he was mocked and founde no fauour For Achilas whych that slewe Pompey Cast him with Cesar proudly to warrey His purpose was to fall vpon Cesar As of nature was hys condicion Falsely to murdre men or they were ware By some sleight to fynde occasion To distroy Julius by treason And to accomplyshe hys purpose in party Had twenty thousande in hys company This Achilas false cruel and disceyuable Cast him disceyue Cesar if he myght â–ª Of the Egipciens leader and constable With the Romayns purposeth for to fyghte But whan Cesar therof had a fyghte He is discended â–ª and fast by the see Brent al the nauy of kynge Tholome All the vessels were driuen vp wyth a flode To great domage of the sayd Tholome Julius brent them euyn there he stode And a great parte besyde of the cite And there was brent which was great pite The famous lybrary in Egipt of the kyng Full .xl. thousande volumes there lying In which thing Bochas reherseth in sentence Howe Tholome was greatly commendable That through his busy royall prouidence Made him selfe a librarye so notable For to al clerkes in study that were able Of seuen sciences the story bereth mynde Lyke their desire myght bokes fynde After this fyre in Farus the countre The Egipciens had a great battaile Wher Cesar was of great necessite That day constrained whan y e felde can fayle Toke a barge from Egypt for to saile But so great prees folowed at his backe Almost the vessel was lyke to go to wracke Cesar armed with letters in his hande Put his person that daye in a venture Two hundred paas he manly swam to lande And coÌ„nyngly to lande he doth recure Notwithstandyng his heuy great armure But yet tofore or Cesar toke the see He in the felde had take Tholome And Achilas the murdrer of Pompey With al his felowes that were of assent Were slayne that daye there went non away Many Egipcien the same tyme brent Cesar of mercy for Tholome hath sent To Alysandre sent hym home of newe Charging he should to Romaynes be trew But whan he was deliuered from prison Of Egipciens in Alysandre the cite From euery coast gadred great foyson Againe Julius came downe with his meyne But yet for all hys hasty cruelte Such
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
Andriscus of low byrth borne hauyng no tytle became kinge of Macedone was taken died in prison The xxiiii ca. Howe Alisander Ballas kyng of Surry for extorcion pride vnkyndnes dyed at mischefe with a Lenuoy The xxv chap. Bochas agaynst the rebellions and sedicions in Rome betwene Tribunes and the commons The .xxvi. chapter Howe the wyfe of â—asdrubal brent her selfe and her children The .xxvii. chapter Of Machabeus Jonathas taken by the kyng of Surry The xxviii ca. How Demetrius the seconde lost at the last his head The .xxix. cha Howe zebenna kyng of Surry by intrusion entrynge had a mischeuous endynge The .xxx. Chapter How Bitynctus kyng of Auergnoyes by the Romaynes was taken and died in prison The .xxxi. chapter Howe the tyraunt Euergetes wedded quene Cleopatra and howe he slewe her sonne exiled hys wyfe wedded her doughter The .xxxii. chapter How Jugurtha by intrusion was king of Numidy slew the ryghtfull heires and howe he was after drowned hym selfe with a Lenuoy The .xxxiii. chap. Thus endeth the table with the chapters of the fifth boke and here foloweth the table of the syxt boke which contayneth seuentene chapters BOchas syttynge in his studye all alone wryteth a great processe how Fortune like a monstruous ymage hauyng an Câ—haÌ„des appeared vnto him and spake and Bochas vnto her makynge betwene them manye great argumentes reasons of Fortunes chaunces Leaf .cxxxiiii. In y e first chapter of the syxt boke Fortune rehearseth her condicions vnto Bochas she wynge hym howe she hath many one enhaunsed for a tyme and anone after she hath them sodaynly ouerthrowen Howe Gayus Marius of lowe byrthe borne came to hie estate which blent with couetyse after many great batayls dyed at mischefe The seconde chap. Howe kynge Mithridate abode seuen yere in wyldernesse and had great tourmentes bothe on sea and land by hys blode brought to vttraunce and howe he slewe hym selfe with a sworde with a Lenuoye Howe Eucradites kyng of Sithie was slayne by Demetrius and after hys carrayne cast to houndes The .iiii. chapter Howe Herodes king of Parthoys warred with the Romayns whiche after hys sonne and heyre was slayne made his bastarde sonne kynge that anone after slewe hys father The fifth chapter Howe Fimbria a consull of Rome slew hym selfe The syxt chapter Of Albinius that was slayne with stones The seuenth chapter Howe Adrian borne of lowe degre falslye vsurped to be kyng of Rome whych w t his churles was after brent The eyghte chapter Howe Sinthonius king of Trace y â— all coueited all forwent and died in pouerte The .ix. chapter Bochas in briefe sentence maketh a discription of the kyngdome of Trace and pasleth ouer lyghtlye vnto the accomplishment of hys boke The tenth chapter Howe after manye great conquestes of duke Pompey there beganne great warre betwene hym and Julius and how there were thre hundred thousande slayne and at the laste the head of Pompey smyt of with a Lenuoy The .xi. chapter Howe the noble Julius Cesar brent the vessel of Tholome sloughe Achyllas that woulde haue murdred hym and after hys great victoryes he hym selfe was slayne wyth bodkyns by Brutus Cassius The twelfth chapter Howe y â— last Scipion coÌ„sulere of Rome for he woulde not lyue in seruage of Julius roue hym selfe to the hearte wyth a Lenuoye The thirtene chapter How Octauian succeded next and how the murdrers of Julius dyed at mischefe The fourtene chapter Howe Tullius was two tymes exiled and at last slaine by Pompilius The fyftene chapter A chapter agayne ianglers and diffamers of rethorike The sixtene chap. Howe Sextus warred agayne Triumuir and of the death of great Anthony and Cleopatras The seuententh chap. Thus endeth the table wyth the Chapters of the syxte boke â–ª and here foloweth the table of the seuenth boke which contayneth xi chapters OF Antony sonne heire to the great Antony and of Cesarius Julia Agrippa Cassius and Galbus The fyrst chapter How the tyraunt Herodes slew his wyfe and children and afterwarde hym selfe died at michefe with a Lenuoy The ii chap. Of Antipas exiled by Octauian and of Archelaus sonne of Herodes the seconde The thyrde Chapter Of the strife betwene Calligula Tiberius and Messalyne The thirde chap. Of the moste vicious and cruell tyrant Nero that slew Peter and Paule and last of all hym selfe with a Lenuoy The fyfth Chapter How Eleazarus a Jewe borne for extorcion and robbery was brought into prison and there ended The syxe chapt Howe the heade of Galba was smitten of fylled full of golde and offred at the sepulture of Nero. The seuenth chapter How Occho and Vitellius for glotony lechery ribaudy and tyrannye ended mischeuously The eyght chapter Bochas complayneth agayne the foule vyce of glotony The nynth chap. A chapter diseriuyng the golden worlde that is to saye whan temperaunce had the gouernaunce with a Lenuoy The x. chap. How the kinred of Jacob was distroied Christ borne crucified JerusaleÌ„ distroyed and xi hundred M. slayne by sworde hungre fyre pestilence The xi chapter Thus endeth the table with the chapters of y â— seuenth boke and here foloweth the table of the eyghte boke whiche contayneth xxvii chapters The table of the eyght boke THe Prologne of the translatour The first chapter of the eyght boke expoundeth howe the proude tyraunt Domician emperour of Rome and manye other emperours nobles for their great outrage and wretchednesse ended mischeuouslye Howe Gallyen sonne of Valerian was slayne The seconde chapter How Quintilius was murdred by women The thyrde chapter Of Aurelian in Denmarke borne The fourth chapter Howe Probus discomfited the Romaynes and after was slayne The fyfth chap. Howe Clarus and hys two sonnes were mischeued The syxt chapter How the noble Queene zenobia fought with Aurelian and howe she was take The seuenth chapter Howe Galerius oppressed martyrs and christes fayth and of his mischeuous end The eyght chapter How Maxence the emperour enemye to Christes fayth ended mischeuouslye The nynth chapter How Lucinius enemy to Christes faith was slayne The tenth chapter Of Constantine and Crispus and how Dalmacius was slayne The eleuenth ca. Of the brethren Constaunce and Constancius and how Magnencius Decius murdred them selues The twelfth chapter Howe Constantine baptised by Siluester was cured of his lepry The xiii chap. Howe Julian Apostata enemy to Christes fayth by false illusion was chosen emperoure and after slayne The fourtenth Chapter Howe the emperour Valence slewe holye hermites shed thristen bloude distoyed churches and after was brent him selfe The fiftene chapter Of kyng Amasicius and howe Gracian and Theodosy distroyed temples of false goddes and howe Gracian was putte to flyght The syxtene chapter A goodly processe howe Theodosy with prayer and small numbre gate the victorye of a great numbre The seuentene chapter How knightes and gentle men chase Alerike kyng and howe the commons chase Radagassus which had a mischeuous end The eyghtene chapter Howe Ruffyn chamberlayne with Theodosy vsurped to be Emperour for hys
mighty fierce Lyon And whan y â— swerd of vengeaunce doth bite Vpon prynces for their transgression The common people in their opinion For very dread tremble adowne quake And by suche meanes their vyces forsake And suche also as haue ben defouled In their vyces by longe continuaunce Or in their synnes lye ymouled By good exaÌ„ples may cum good repentauÌ„ce Who so repenteth the lord will him auauÌ„ce And him accept in lowe and high estate The meke preserue punyshe the obstinate This sayd matter touchyng such thinges Mine aucthor Bochas herafter shal declare By exaÌ„ple of prynces and of mighty kyngs What was their fine not the truth spare And though my style naked â—e and bare In Rethorike myne aucthour to ensue Yet fro the truth shall I not reâ—â—we But on the substaunce by good leiser abyde After mine aucthor lyke as I may attaine And for a part set eloquence aside And in this boke bewepen and complayne The assault of Fortune froward sodayn How she ou princes hath kyd her veÌ„geauÌ„ce And of her malice the deadly mortal chauÌ„ce But O alas who shal be my muse Or vnto whom shall I for helpe call Calliope my callyng wyll refuse And on Pernaso her worthy susters all They will their suger temper with no gall For their swetenes and lusty freshe singyng Ful farre discordeth froÌ„ matter coÌ„playning My master Chaucer w t his fresh coÌ„medies Is deade alas chiefe Poete of Brytayne That sumtime made ful piteous tragedies The fall of Prynces he did also complayne As he that was of makyng souerayne WhoÌ„ al this lande of ryght ought prefarre Sith of our langage he was y â— lode starre Senec in Rome through his hye prudence Wrote Tragedies of great moralitie And Tullius chiefe well of eloquence Made in his tyme many a fresh ditty Fraunces Petraâ—eke of Florence that cityâ— Made a boke as I can aduert Of two Fortunes wilfull and peruert And agaynst bothe wrote the remedies In bokes twayne made a diuision Among rehearsyng many freshe stories The first boke is thus conueyed doun A dialoge betwene gladnes and reason The second by me well to witnes Made betwene reason worldly heauines The matter is wondets delectable Though wo with ioye haue an entresse And John Bochas wrot maters lameÌ„table The fall of princes where he dothe expresse How for their ioye they fyl in great distresse All these writers through their hye renown Great worshyp did vnto their nacion And semblably as I haue tolde toforne My maâ—â—et Chaucer did his busines And in his daies hath him so well borne Out of out tonge to auoyde al rudenes And to reforine it w t colours of swetenes Wherfore let vs geue him laude and glory And put his name w t Poetes in memory Of whose labour to make mencion Where of right he shoulde commended be In youthe he made a translation Of a boke whiche called is Trophe In Lumbard tonge as men may read se And in our vulgare long or that he dyed Gaue it to name of Troylus Creseyde Whiche for to reade louers them delite They haue therin so great deuocion And this Poete also him selfe to quite Of Boecius boke the consolation Made in his tyme an olde translation And to his sonne that called was Lowys He made a treatise ful noble of great prise Vpon that labour in full notable forme Set them in order with their diuisions Mens wittes to accomply she and conforme To vnderstande by full expert reasons By domifiyng of sundry mancions The rote out sought at the ascendent To forne or he gaue any iudgement He wrote also full many a day agone Dant in English him selfe so doth expresse The piteous story of Ceix and Alcion And the death also of Blaunche the duches And notably did his businesse By great auise his wittes to dispose To translate the Romaynt of the Rose Thus in vertue he set all his entent Idlenes and vyces for to fle Of fowles also he wrote the parliament Therin remembring of royall Eagles thre Howe in their choyse they felt aduersitye To fore nature profered the battayle Eche for his partye if it woulde auayle He did also his diligence and payne In our vulgare to translate and endite Orâ—gene vpon the Maudelayn And of the Lyona boke he did write Of Annelida and of false Arcite He made a complaynt dolefull and piteous And of the broche which that Vulcanus At Thebes wrought full diuers of nature Ouide writeth who so therof had a syght For high desire he shoulde not endure But he it had neuer be glad ne light And if he had it once in his myght Like as my master sayth writeth in dede It to conserue he shoulde euer liue in dred This poet wrote at the request of the quene A legende of perfite holines Of good women to fynde out nyntene That did excell in bountie and fayrenesse But for his labour and his businesse Was importable his wyttes to encomber In all this world to finde so great a nuÌ„ber He made the boke of Caunterbury tales When the pylgryms rode on pilgrymage Through out Kent by hylles and by vales And the stories all tolde in their passage Endityng them full well in our language Some of knyghthode some of gentlenes And some of loue and some of perfitenes And some also of great mortalitie Some of disport coÌ„cludyng great sentence In prose he wrote the tale of Mellebe And of his wife that called was Prudence And of Grisildes perfite pacience And howe the monke of stories new olde Pyteous tragedies by the way tolde This sayd Poete my master in his dayes Made and compiled many a freshe dittie Complaynts ballades rouÌ„dels vyrelayes Full delectable to heare and to se For whiche men should of ryght and equitie Syth he in englysh in making was the best Pray vnto god to geue his soule good rest And these Poetes that I make of mencion Were by olde tyme had in great deyntye With kynges and princes in euery regyon Greatly preferred after their degre For lordes had pleasaunce for to se To study among and cast their lokes At good leasure vpon wyse bokes For in the tyme of Cesar Julius When the triumphe he wan in Rome towne He enter woulde the schole of Tullius And heare his lecture of great affection And notwithstaÌ„ding his coÌ„quest renowne Vnto bokes he gaue great attendaunce And in stories had great ioye pleasaunce Also in this lande I dare affyrme a thinge There is a prynce full mighty of puissaunre A kynges sonne and vncle to the kynge Henry the syxt whiche nowe is in Fraunce And is lieutenaunt hath the gouernaunce Of our Brytayne through whose discrecion He hath conserued vs in this region Duryng his time of full high prudence Peace and quiet han susteined ryght That notwithstaÌ„dyng his noble prouideÌ„ce He is in dede proued a good knyght Eyed as Argus with reason and forsight Of high lecture I dare of him
for him a space To lyue in earth and so long endure Tyll that he knowe and se his owne face And for his sake full many a seruituâ—e By ordinaunce of god and of nature Whan they him se shall fele full great payne If they in loue his grace may not attayne But he shal be contrary and daungerous And of his port full of straungenesse And in his hart right inly surquidous By the occasion of his natife fayrenes And presumyng of his semelinesse No woman so freshe ne so fayre of face That able were to stand in his grace And for the excellence of his great beantye He purposed him in his tender age Neuer in his lyfe wedded for to be He thought him selfe so fayre of vysage For whych he cast through his great outrage Agaynst all lustes of loue to disdayne To hunt at beastes alone and be slayne And in this whyle that he kept hym so In the forest and in wyldernes A water goddesse that called was Ecco Loued him full hote for his fairenes And sikerly did her busines To folow his steppes ryght as any lyne To her desyres to make him to enclyne He heard her wele but he sawe her nought Wherof astonied anone he gan to enquere As he that was amarueyled in his thought Sayd euen thus is any wyght now here And she aunswered the same in her manere What euer he sayd as longeth to Ecco Without abode she sayd the same hym to Come nere quod he and began to call Come nere quod she my ioy my pleasauÌ„ce He loked about among the rockes all And sawe nothyng beside ne in distaunce But she abrayed and declared her greuaunce And to him sayd mine owne hart dere Ne be not straunge but let vs dwell in fere Nay nay quod he I will nothing obey To your desires for short conclusion Well leuer I had playnly for to dey Than ye should haue of me possession We be nothing of one opinion I here you well though I no fygure se Go forth your way ye speake no more w t me And she ashamed fled her way anone As she that myght of him no socour haue But dispayred this Ecco is forthe gone And hidde her selfe in an vgly caue Among the rockes is buried in her graue And though so be y t men her voyce may heare After that time she neuer durst appeare Thus Narcissus through daunger disdeine Vpon the lady did cruell vengeaunce But whan the Goddes his cruelty had seiâ—e Towardes him fyll a great greuaunce Of his vnmercy they had displeasaunce And right as he merciles was founde So w t vnmercy he caught his deadly wound For all daunger displeaseth to Venus And all disdayne is lothsome to Cupide For who to loue is contrarious The god of loue will quite him on some syde His dreadfull arrowes so mortally deuyde To hurt and mayme all that be retchlesse And in her seruyce founde mercilesse And for Narcissus was not merciable Towarde Ecco for his great beautye But in his port was founde vntretable Cupyde thought he woulde auenged be As he that her prayer hearde of pitie Causyng Narcissus to fele and haue his part Of Venus brande and of her fiery darte And on a day whan he in wildernes Had after beastes runne in huntyng And for longe labour can fall in werines He was desirous to haue some refreshyng And wonders thurstlewe after traueylyng Myght not endure lenger there to dwell And at the last he founde a cristall well Right freshe springyng wonder agreable The water lusty and delectable of sight And for his thirst was to him importable Vpon the brynkes he fell downe ryght And by reflection in middes of y e water bright Him thought he sawe a passyng faire ymage To hym appeare most angelyke of vysage He was enamoured with the semelinesse And desierous therof to stand in grace And yet it was not but a lykelinesse And but a shadowe reflectyng of his face The whiche of feruence amorously tembrace This Narcissus with a piteous complaynt Start into the well and so him selfe dreynt And thus his beauty alas was layed lowe His semelines put full farre abacke Thus whan he gan fyrst him selfe knowe And sene his vysage in whiche was no lacke Presumptuous pryde caused all to wracke For who to much doth of him selfe presume His owne vsurpyng wyll sonest him coÌ„sume And finally as these olde Poetes tell This Narcissus without more succour After that he was drowned at the well The heuenly goddes did him so fauour They turned him into a full freshe floure A water lilly whiche dothe remedy In hote accesses as bokes specify After that Narcissus was at the well dreynt And to John Bochas declared had his wo Biblis appeared with teares all be spreint And toward him a great pase gan she go And her brother Camnus came also And of one wombe as gemelles twayne But she tofore her fate gan complayne She in her loue was not vertuous For ayenst God and kyndes ordinaunce She loued her brother named Camnus And whan he sawe her froward gouernauÌ„ce He vnto her gaue none attendaunce Though she of sleyght to accoÌ„plysh her enteÌ„t In secrete wise a pistle to him sent She sayd it was an impossible thing Without his grace her selfe to saue And but he were to her assentyng She els playnly may not health haue But onely death and afterwarde her graue Thus in her writyng to him she did attame And to be couert she ne wrote no name But whan this pistle came to his presence Vertuously therat he gan disdayne And gaue therto no maner aduertence Neither toke no hede of her furious payne But suffred her eternally to playne Tyll that she was as Ouid can wel tell With oft wepyng transformed to a well Next came Myrra wyth face full piteous Whiche that sumtime loued ayenst nature Her owne father called Cynarus For whose sake great payne she did endure For she â—e durst her sorowe not discure Tyll her noryshe by sygnes dyd espy The hartily constraynt of her malady For her nourice of whiche I haue tolde Conceiued hath by open euidence As she knoweth both of newe and olde In suche matters all hole the experience That through long labour and great diligeÌ„ce Diuers wayes and meanes out she sought To her fathers bed that she Myrra brought With whom she had her lust and pleasaunce For she vnknow lay with him all nyght He was deceaued by dronklewe ignoraunce And on the morow longe or any lyght She stale away and went out of his sight With her noryce whiche kept her long close Till vnto the tyme that her wombe arose But her father that was of Cypre king Which as I tolde was called Cynarus Whan he the truthe espyed of this thing That by his daughter he was deceiued thus She waxt to him loth some and odious Fledde from his sight so sore she was aferde And he pursued after with his swerde In Araby the hote mighty lande Kyng Cynarus
among with transmutations Set in Ouide by full souerayne style Whan he on them had mused a long while Sene the maner both of forowe and ioye He began to remēber of Priamus of Troy First of his byrthe and of his kynrede How among kinges he was most famous And as poetes recorde of him in dede He descended of worthye Dardanus Whiche as his line declareth vnto us From Jupiter was lynially come downe Vnto his father called Laomedoun Of olde Troy this Laomedon was kyng Destroyed by Grekes he and his countrye After whom this Priamus raynyng Made there ayen a myghty strong citye Where he full longe in full great royaltie With wife childer most worthy of renoun With scepter and crowne held the possessioun Gouerned his citye in peace and rightwisnes And Fortune was to him fauourable For of all Asie the treasour and riches He did assemble this kyng most honourable And in armes he was so commendable That through the worlde as far as mē gone Of high nobles the ronoume of him shone This Priamus had children many one Worthy princes and of full great myght But Hector was among them euerychone Called of prowes the lanterne and the lyght For there was neuer borne a better knyght Troylus in knyghthode so manly was foūd That he was named Hector the seconde But I should rehearse the manhede Of kyng Pryam and of his sonnes all And how his citye besieged was in dede And all the story to remembraunce call Betwene him and Grekes how it is befall The circumstaunces rehearsyng vp doun To set in order the first occasion Of the siege why it was first layed By Hercules and also by Iason The maner whole in Troye boke is sayde Rudely endited of my translation Folowyng vpon the destruction Called the second whych by accomptes cler◠Fully endured the space of ten yere For as me semeth the labour were in vayne Truely also I not to what entent That I should write it newe agayne For I had once in commaundement By him that was most noble and excellent Of kynges all for to vndertake It to translate and write it for his sake And if ye list to wete whom I meane Henry the fifte most myghty of puyssaunce Gaue me the charge of entent full cleane Thinge of olde time to put in remembraunce ▪ The same Henry for knyghtly suffisaunce Worthy for manhode teken kynges all With nyne worthies for to haue a stall To holy churche he was chefe defensoure In all suche causes Christes chosen knyght To destroy heritykes he set all his laboure Loued all vertues and to sustayne right Through his nobles his manhode might Was diligent and did his busy payne To haue set peace betwene realmes twayne A meane in sothe England and Fraunce His purpose was to haue had a peace finall Sought out meanes w t many a circumstan̄ce As well by treaty as actes marciall Theron ieoparded lyfe goodes and all But wo alas agaynst death is no boone This land may say he dyed all to soone For among kinges he was one of the best So all his dedes conueyed were by grace I pray to God so geue his soule good rest Wyth sayntes in heauen a dwellyng place For here with vs to little was the space That he abode of whom the remembraunce Shall neuer dye in England ne in Fraunce This worthy kyng gaue to me in charge In Englysh tonge to make a translation Out of latyn within a volume large Howe longe the grekes lay tofore the toun And how that Paris fyrst at Cytheron In Venus temple sleighly dyd his payne There to rauysh the fayre quene Heleyne In which boke the processe ye may se To hym how she was wedded in the toune And of the siege layde vnto the cyte By Menelay and kyng Agamennon And many another full worthy of renoun On eyther partie which that in battaile Fro day to day ech other dyd assayle Wherto shuld I tell or what shuld I write The deth of Hector or of Achylles Or wherto should I of newe endite How worthy Troilus was slaine in y ◠prese The ende of Paris or of Pallamides Or the slaughter of manly Deyphebus Or howe his brother called Hellenus Tolde afore howe it was great folly That Paris should wed quene Heleyne And how Cassandra in her prophecy On this wedding fore began compleyne And for the constreint of her hertely paine How she wexe madde ran about the toune Tyl she was caught shet vp into prison Al this matter ye may behold in dede Set by and by wythin Troye boke And how Creseide loued Dyomede Whan worthy Troylus she wilfully forsoke Of her nature a quarel thus she toke To assay both if nede were also to feyne To take the thirde leue thē both tweyne I passe ouer and tel of it no more Ne by what meanes the grekes wan y ◠toun How Eneas neyther how Anthenore Ayenst kyng Priam cōspired false traison Neyther howe Vlixes gate Paladion The deth of Priam ne of Eccuba the quene Ne howe Pyrrus flewe pong Pollicene Neyther here to write it is not mine entent Repeyre of grekes home in to their countre After the cyte at Iiyon was brent Neither of their mischefe they had on the see Neyther howe Vlixes founde Penolope A true wyfe though he were long her fro Through al Grece I can rede of no mo Of these matters thus I make an eude What fil of grekes after their viage To Troy boke tho folke I send Which haue desire to se the surplusage Howe grekes made fyrst their passage Towardes Troy besiegynge the cite Bede the storye ye get no more of me The .xvii. Chapter ☞ Here speketh Bochas the authour of thys boke agaynste the surquedous pryde of them that truste in rychesse sayeng these wordes vnto them ME proude folkes that set your affiaūce In strength beaute or in hye nobles If ye consider fortunes variaunce And coude a myrrour before your eyen dresse Of kyng Pryam and of his great richesse To se how he and his children all From their noblesse sodainly ben fall Hector of knighthode called sours wel Sad and demure and famous of prudence Paris also in beaute dyd excell And Helenus in perfyt prouidence Troylus in armes had great experience Also Deyphebus preued manly on his fone Yet in y ◠warre they were slaine euerychone Had not this kyng also as I can deuise By noble Heccuba whiche that was y ◠quene ▪ A doughter called Cassandra the wyse Her yong suster fayre Pollicene Alas alas what may all such pride mene For albeit their renome spronge ful far Yet are these women deuoured in the war Was he not mighty strong in all thynges And had also of his aliaunce Ryght worthy princes many rych kynges And nighe al Asie vnder his obeisaunce Holde in his tyme most famous of puissance Most renomed of richesse and tresours Tyl that fortune wyth her sharpe shoures Whan that he satte highest
treasoure Badde him aske what thyng that he woulde That might him please or do to hym succour But of all that he nothinge ne tolde But prayed him ful lowly that he shoulde Not drawe frō him that thynge ayen al right Which for to giue lay not in his myght What thyng is that quod Alexander agayne I haue by cōquest al erthly tresour wun The philosopher said he spake in vayne Thou hast quod he no lordship of the sun Thy shadow letteth his bemes fro my tun And sith thou hast no power of hys lyght I pray the hertely forbarre me not his sighte Though Alexāder was myghty of puissance And all the world had in his demeyne Yet was hys reason vnder the obeysaunce Of fleshly lustes fettred in a cheine For in hys person wyl was souereyne His reason bridled by sensualite Troublyng the fredome of ryght equite For where that wyll hath dominacion In a prince which should sustayne ryght And parcial fauour oppresseth his reason And trouthes titel is bornedoun with myght And equal doome hath lost his clere light Though for a season they sit in hie cheyres Their fame shal fade within a fewe yeres In this make I comparison Bytwene Alexander and Diogenes That one endured but a short season For that he loued warre more than pees And for that other was not recheles But helde hym content wyth giftes of nature Vnto great age his pouert dyd endure Alexander was slayne wyth poysone In his triumphes whan he dyd excell But in a tunne that lay ful low downe Diogenes dranke water of the well And of their end their difference to tel Alexander wyth couetous was blent The philosopher wyth litel was content Blessed be pouert that may endure longe Maugre the fraude daunger of fortune Where as kynges and emperours strong In their estate no whyle may contune And al vertues rekened in cōmune Twene indigence and great habundaunce Is a good meane content with suffisaunce For with great plentye men be not assured After their lust alway to lyue in ease And though y ◠mē great tresure haue recured With their riches they fele many disease Lords haue not al thyng that may thē please But hertely ioy philosophers expresse Is grettest tresour twene pouert riches For this chapiter sheweth a fygure A maner lykenesse and demonstracion Howe Diogenes lenger dyd endure Than mighty Priam or kyng Laomedon So to exemplifye in conclusion There is more trust in vertuous symplesse Than in presumynge of vicious false riches For the auoutry of Paris and Heleine Brought al Troye to distruccion Pryde and luxury were also meanes tweine Why grekes layd a siege to the towne And finally cause of their confusion To eyther partie losse of many a man The groūd conceiued why fyrst that war gā Lenuoye THis tragedy piteous and lamentable Ful dolorous to write and to expresse That worthy Priam of kinges most notable Was fal in pouert for al his great richesse Fro kyngly honour in to wretchednes From sceptre croune and from his regaly To mischiefe brought through false auoutry ▪ Was not fortune froward and disceuable For to suffer by her doublenesse And by her course whych euer is variable That worthy Hector flour of al prowesse Should vnwarly most famous of noblesse Be slayne alas chefe stocke of chiualry For a quarel of false auoutry Agamemnon accompted incomparable Among grekes for trouth rightwysnesse To gouerne most glorious and able Within his paleis the storye bereth wines His wife Clitimnistra through her cursednes Assented was to murdre hym of enuy For the occasion of false auoutry Ye noble princes cōceiue howe chaungeable Is worldly honour through vnstedfastnes Sith of king Priam the glory was vnstable Fixe in your minde thys mater doth impresse And your corages knightly doth vpdresse Agayne al tytles holdeth champarty Whych appertayneth to false auoutry ¶ The .xix. Chapter Of mighty Sampson whiche tolde hys counsayle to Dalyda whereby he was disceiued WHo was more stronger thā Sampson None more deliuer y ◠byble bereth wytnesse Without weapen he slough a fierse lyon And for his enemyes to hym dyd expresse His vncouth problem anon he gan him dresse Agayne Philistines and slough of thē thirty To paye hys promyse spoyled them by by His problem was the text thus rehersyng After the letter in very sothfastnesse There came out mete of a thynge etynge And fro the strong there went out swetnes But hys wyfe of frowarde doublenes Which euer wrought to his disauayle Of worthy Sampson tolde the counsayle What is more stronge than is a lyon Or more swete than hony in tastyng But women haue thys condicion Of secrete thynges whan they haue knowleging They bolne inwarde their hertes aye freting Outher they must dye or discure So britel of custome is their nature This was the case the lyon that was deed Agayne the sonne gapynge lay vp right Aswarme of been entred in his heed Of whom there came hony anone ryght And whan Sampson therof had a syght He fautasied in hys opinion Full secretly this proposicion As ye haue herde gan it forth purpose That philistines to hym it should expowne Vnder a payne the trouth to hym vnclose But wyth hys wife they priuely gan rown And she on Sāpson gan cōpleyn and frowne And faymngly so long vpon hym wepe That he coud not his coūsayle fro her kepe Which whan she knewe made no taryeng But plaine and hole she gan it to declare Such double trust is in their wepynge To kepe their tonges women can not spare Such wepyng wyues yuell mote they fare And al husbands I pray god gyue thē sorow That tel their counsaile at euyn or morowe She told thē hole she told it thē not halfe And Sampson than gan vpon thē smyle If ye not had herde it in my calfe Ye should not haue found it a great whyle Who may be sure where women lyst begyle Though bokes Sāpson of strēgth so cōmēde Yet durst he not ayenst hys wyfe offende This mighty Sampson did also his payne Thre hundred foxes ones that he founde He toke their tailes knit thē twayn twain And amyd euerich he set a fyre bronde And as they ran in Phylistines lond So furiously vp and downe they went That they their frutes their vynes brent Eke by trayson whan he was ones bound Wyth stronge cordes as he lay a slepe There .iii. M. whych that Sampson founde To haue murdred hym or he toke kepe He brake his bondes and vp anone he lepe Of an asse he caught a chaule bone And a thousande he slough of them anone He gan to faynt and had a sodaine lust For to drinke faded face and chere And god sent hym to staūche with hys thurst From the asses to the water christal clere Which that sprāge out large lyke a ryuere Refreshed his spirite whych afore gan dul Tyl that he had of water dronke his ful After he went to Gasam the citye Amōg hys
in Isidor ye may see Founde amonge Grekes craft of eloquence First in Rome by souerayne excellence Of Rethoryke Tullius founde the stoures Plea and defence of subtill oratours Callicrates a grauer most notable Of white yuore did his busines His hande his eye so iust were and so stable Of an ampt to graue out the likenes Vpon the ground as nature doth him dresse This craft he founde as Sardanapall Founde ydlenes mother of vyces all Of a scriueyn Bochas maketh mencion How in a scrowe of little quantitye Wrote of all Croy the destruction Folowyng Omerus by great subtiltye Whiche is had among grekes in great daintie Because he was founde in his writyng So compendious the story rehearsyng Archimides made a chare also And a small shyp with all the apparayle So that a Bee might close them both two Vnder his wings which is a great maruaile And nothing sene of all the whole entayle This craft he founde of vertuous busines To eschue the vyce of froward ydlenes Pan god of kynde with his pypes seuen Of recorders founde first the melodyes Of Mercury that sit so hye in heauen First in his harpe founde sugred armonies Holsom wines through fined from their lyes Bacchus founde first on vines heauy lade Licour of lycours courages for to glade Perdry by compas founde tryangle lyne And Euclyd first founde Geometrye And Phebus founde the craft of medicine Alâ—umasar founde astronomy And Mynerua gan chares first to gye Iason first sayled in story it is tolde Toward Colchos to winne the flece of gold Ceres the goddesse founde first tylth of londe Dâ—onysius triumphes transitory And Bellona by force first out fonde Conquest by knighthode in the field victory And Martis sonne as put is in memory Called Etholus founde speres sharpe kene To runne in warre in plates bryght shene Eke Aristeus founde out the vsage Of mylke and cruddes and of hony sote Piroydes for great aduauntage Fro flyntes smote fyre daryng in the rote And Pallas whiche y t may to colde do bote Founde out weauyng this is very sothe Through yet prudence of all maner clothe And fido founde first out the science Of measures and of proporcions And for marchauntes did his diligence To finde balaunces by iust diuisions To auoyde all fraude in cities and in townes On nouther party playnly to compyle Of true weyght that there were no gyle Compare in order clerely all these thinges Founde of olde tyme by diligent trauayle To the pleasaunce of prynces and kynges To shewe how much cunnyng may auayle And wey again warde y e froward aquitayle Contrariously how Sardanapall Founde ydlenes mother of vyces all Let princes all hereof take hede What auayleth vertuous busines And what damage the reuerse dothe in dede â–ª Vycious life slouthe and ydlenes And these examples let them eke empresse Amyd their harte and howe Sardanapall Founde ydlenes mother of vyces all ¶ Lenuoy NOble prynces here ye may well se As in a myrrour of full clere euidence By many examples more than two or thre What harme foloweth of slouth negligence Depe imprintyng in your aduertence How great hindring doth wilful frowardnes To your estate through vycyous ydlenes Whan reason fayleth and sensualitye Holdeth the brydle of lecherous insolence And sobernes hath lost his libertie And to false lust is done the reuerence And vyce of vertue hath an apparence Misleadeth prynces of wilfull retchlesnes To great errour of froward ydlenes ¶ The .xvi. Chapter ¶ How Amazias in Iuda king for pride and presumption was vainquished in battaile and after slayne IN his study as Bochas sate musyng With many an vncouth solemne fantasy To him appeared many a mighty kyng And tofore all came worthy Amazie His sonne also that called was Ozie Of Dauids bloud discended as I rede Eche after other in Juda to succede First Amazias complayned on fortune Causing his grcuous great aduersities The traytoresse called in commune These kinges twayne castyng froÌ„ their sees Whose ouerturnyng from their dignities Vnware fallyng dreadfull and terrible Ben ceriously remembred in the bible Their ende men may there reade and se How fortune their fates did entrete Wherfore to eschue and flye prolixitie Of tedious thing in this processe to lete And in substaunce to gleaâ—e out the grete Of their fallyng I purpose not to spare Compendiously the causes to declare This Amazias hauyng gouernaunce By â—ust tytle of succession â–ª The scepter of Iuda w t all y â— who le puissauÌ„ce Full peasably helde in his possession Tyll that pryde and false presumption Most frowardly did his hart embrace Whiche all at ones made him lose his grace In hart he had a maner vayne glory Because that god made him to preuayle In his conquest and to haue victory Amaleâ—hites to vaynquyshe in battayle Eke Gabanites as he them did assayle Purposyng after if he might With Israelites of pryde for to fight Vnto kyng Joas of Israell he sent Him coÌ„maundyng to obey his byddynge And be like subiecte as were in their entent His predecessours in all maner thing Whilom to Dauid the noble worthy kyng This was his sonde to Joas plat playne Whiche by a probleÌ„ thus wrote to him agayn THe vgly thistle of the vales lowe Proudly presumyng aboue his degre To make hys pryde openly be knowe Sent hys message to the Cedre tre That his sonne might wedded be To his daughter althoughe in substaunce Atwene them two was a great disâ—ordauuâ—e But of the forest the beastes sauagyne In their courages had therof disdeyne All of assent fyersely dyd enclyne The thystle leaues abrode vpon the pleyne That there was nether lease nor pricke seyne This was the probleÌ„ which Joas by writing Sent in a pistle to Amazie the king BVt Josephus in his origynall The sayd epistle as he doth expresse Sayth of the vale how the pouder small Of pryde sent to the hygh Cypresse That his daughter of excellent fayrenes Vnto his sonne playnely to discryue Myght be deliuered and haue her to wyue But a fel beast which beside stode Of cruell yre and indignacion With fete disdaynyng y e pouder cast abrode Hygh in the apre about him enuyron The whyche ensample conceyued of reason Who that attempteth to clymbe hygh aloft With unware chaunge his fall is full vnsoft Atwene the Cedre of trees so royal And a sharpe thystle is no conuenience Nor twene a cypresse estately founde at all And lothsome pouder is a great difference For royall bloud should haue no assistence To be ioyned nor â—â—yt in mariage With such as beÌ„ brought forth of low parage The Cedre is stronge mighty of substauÌ„ce In his vpgrowynge ryght as any lyne And tho the thystle haue spottes of pleasauÌ„ce He hath eke pryckes small as any spyne And bothe natures playnly to termine The Cedre of kynde who loketh well about To no thystle should his braunches loute â—olesome of odoure is the faire Cypresse As bokes tell and vertuous of kynde Dust and
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
ytake And so consumed amonge the coles blake This was the ende of Alcibiades Which in knighthod was most souerayne In werre a lyon and a lambe in pees As Mars victorius his fate so dyd ordayne To fames palaies he flieth w t wyngs twain Son to Mynerua to speke of hygh prudeÌ„ce And lyke Mercury by notable eloquence The .xvii. chapter Here Bochas maketh an exclamation vpon the dethe of Alcibiades OFatal sustren which span y â— lyues thred So short a term why did ye determin â–ª To suffre him brenne among the coles rede Ye were to hasty to breke and vntwyne His web of knighthod y t so clere dyd shyne And cast of noblesse his beames out so cleare Alas that euer he fyll in your daungere Out on Stix and on Attropose That haue of malyce slayn so good a knyght Out on you thre that kepe your selfe so close Doughters ycalled of the derke night And thou LetuÌ„ that queyntest eke the lyght Of Alcibiades myrrour lâ—tern To speke in knighthod how men shuld them gouerne Yeslee the worthy and wretches ye do spare Thercites lyueth Hector is slayne in dede Your funeral smokes maketh relmes so bare To race vp Cedris their braunches may nat sprede Ye pul the laurer ye make y â— firs sede Ful lytel thanke in kyngdoms ye deserue Caytiues to fostre and do the worthy sterue Alcibiades is passed into fate Light of knighthod lyeth clipsed in the shade The Parcas susterne to soone set hys date Of his high noblesse to make the laurer fade Lacedemonois of his dethe wer glad Funerall fyre his body hath dyffied For hygh prowesse his soule stellifyed ¶ Lenuoye ALas this tragedy doth my hert to blede My pen quaketh of ruth and of pyte In my writyng whan that I take hede To se the straunge fearfull dyuersyte Of all worldly vusure felycite Howe from their sees shortli to comprehend Froward fortune doth princes down discend Alcibiades of corage and of manhed As is rehersed in bokes ye may se Of genltylnes and of goodly heed Of semelynes of fredom and of bounte Of hygh prudence and magnanymite Was most famous as auctours him coÌ„med yet from hys seate fortune made him discend All the people both of Perce and Mede Whyle he gouerned Athenes the cyte Stode in his dauÌ„ger and gan his sworde to drede And al that were rebel to his countre He chastised them in their most cruelte But whan his fame gan hyghest vp tascend From her whele fortune made him discend Murdre treson with prudent frendlihede Outward fayre chere couert iniquite Plesaunt in speche and vnder that falshede Houyshed out sharpe tayled lyke a bee Songe of Sirenes to drown men in the see In one combyned their malyce can extend To cause princes from their sees discend Noble princes that se so much and rede Remembring storyes of antiquite Afore prouidyng that treason not procede Be aye moste dredfull in hygh prosperyte Let others fallyng a myrrour to you be The turne of fortune al auctors reprehend That who syt hyghest is redâ—est to discende The .xviii. Chapter ☞ Here Bochas writeth agaynest the desyres of people AFter this proces if ye list to lere Lyke as Bochas maketh mencion That worldly folk moste souerainlye desier To haue in lordship great exaltacion And vp to climbe in their entencion Of worldly worshyp to the hyghest place All erthly treasours atones to enbrace The feruent flame of their gredy desyres In muche gatheryng findeth no suffisaunce Their hungry etyke kyndleth so the fyres Of auarice by longe continuaunce That theyr thyrst with worldly habundauÌ„ce On Tantalus ryuer abraydeth euer in one Drowned iÌ„ driÌ„king deme their parts none There may no tresour their dropsy staunch The more they driÌ„ke y e more they lyst in dede In Tagus flodes the deper that thei launche The gretter drinesse doth â— their brests brede The higher water an ebbe moste they drede False indygence their hert hath so coÌ„founded At the full sees seme their barge is grouÌ„ded Thus euery man wold to ryches attayne With suffisaunce but few hold them conteÌ„t Who most habouÌ„deth rathest will complaine For lacke of good alas howe they be blent Wher shal their gadriÌ„g their good be spent Some one percase shall theÌ„ therof discharge whom they most hate speÌ„d it out at large Within a body full lytell of stature Corages growe vp to their magnificence Which vp tascend do their busy cure And in their clymbing transitorye ascence Hauyng an hope of worldly apparence Like as nothig their puisauÌ„ce might trouble Nothing aduerting how fortune is double Some set their ioy in coÌ„quest in werres To enbrace all erthe vnder their puissaunce Lyke as they might â—eche aboue the sterres To bring down heuen vnto their obeisaunce But if their power were wayed in balaunce And counterwayd aright in their memory They shuld fynde that all is but veynglory What may auail them their fetherbeds softe Shetes of reynes longe large and wyde Dyuers deuyses or clothes chaunged oft Or vicious meyny walkyng by their syde Voyde of vertue ambicious in their pride â–ª Which causeth priÌ„ces by report of such fame For their misâ—uing to haue an euell name And thus for lacke of vertuous dilygence Through false luxury and ydelnesse And vpon flaterers the outragious expence Support of wronge oppressing right wisnes Where lesyngemongers haue an entresse Whom to sustayn whan priÌ„ces do their cure God wyl nat suffre that they shal loÌ„g endure Office of princes is to support right His sworde of knighthode fro wronge to redresse The pore releuing nat toppres theÌ„ w t myght His old seruauntes well preued nat disdayn His hasty rigour his vengaunce sodayne Let mercy tempere to dome or he procede And God shal quite him at his most nede The .xix. Chapiter Here John Bochas speaketh agaynst idelnesse rehersing howe some men haue ioy in one scyence and some in another MIn auctor Bochas maketh a rehersayle In eschewing of froward ydlenes That vnto vertue may moste auayle Good diligent laboure and honest busynesse And so concluding full plainlye doth expresse Euery maÌ„ reioiseth this seÌ„teÌ„ce is nat glosed To do such thing to which he is disposed Some haue ioy by heuenlye influence To knowe the course aboue celestial And some of knighthod do their diligence To preue them selfe in actes marciall And some reioyse in their entent fynal In eloquence some in philosophy Some aboue all to study in poetry The hardy knight is seruaunt to faint George Mening of planets sercheth thastronomere Martes smyth laboureth in his forge Harneys of stele maketh tharmourere But the deuisour by diligence entere By freshe contriuyng out of the olde entayle Fyndeth newe deuises of plate and of mayle The labourer setteth wholy his pleasaunce To tylth of land in time to sowe his grayne To encrease his sede by yerely habundaunce And that his plough labour not in vayne Castyng his seasons of drouth eke of rayne And poetes to sit
the riches treasure and pyllage Whiche that he might fynde in the toun For vtter fyne of hys entencion Was to destroy of wilfull crueltie The famous Cartage y ◠mighty strong citye Of all the thralles in the towne dwellyng And suche as were borne of lowe lynage To strēgth his party this was his workyng He made them all by mortall fell outrage Within the mighty castell of Cartage To kepe them close of malyce and enuy Agayne the citye him selfe to fortify But all for nought the mighty Senatours Therof ware and of high prudence Gaine his malice all his false robbours They made thē strong through their prouidence In especiall to ordeyn a defence First on their party to let the commyng Of Mauritayne the stronge cruell king And of assent they lyst nat delay But rose a tones by great ordynaunce Their false duke to venquisshe and outray Him his churles they brought to vttraunce Fyll vpon him wyth a great puisaunce And fynally procedyng of reason This was his dome by auyse of all the toun First of this duke as it is remembred He was dispoyled his doublet eke vnlaced Ioynt fro ioynt hewen and dismembred And from his heed out his eyen araced And ryght as he had afore compased To haue distroyed his owne mighty toun As ye haue herd he receyued the guerdon ¶ Lenuoye THis tragedy doth pitously complayne And maketh a maner lamentacion Of these mighty ryche princes twaine Slayne in Cartage as made is mencion Causelesse the tone saue by thoccasion That pestilēce in his froward viage Slewe all his people that were borne in Cartage Fortune also gan frowardly disdayne Agayne this ryche mighty duke Haynoun Whan of malyce he gan mortally ordayne The Senatours to murdre of his toun At his feest by craft of false poyson As ye haue herde reherced his outrage He was agaynwarde dismēbred in Cartage Who doth vengeaunce vēgeaūce shall attayn In hygh estate without excepcion And who of pyte vengeaunce doth restrayne He shall of mercy receyue the guerdon For ryght requireth of trouth and reason Cruell princes shall haue for their wage Deth lyke this duke dismēbred in Cartage Noble princes do your beste payne For to preserue fro rebellyon The comon people which stand in no certain With euery wynde tournyng vpsodoun After fortune they chaunge affeccion Turning their hertes w t tryst or glad visage Lyke as y ◠people dyd whylom in Cartage ⧠The autour agayne couetous people NAture y ◠is content with lyttell thing The wise ware circūspect goddes Which vnder god in heuī aboue reignig The world to gouern is called thēpres Mother of rychesses the first founderesse Which serched out by her artyficeres The straunge treasours hyd in the my neres This noble lady this princesse most famous Knowyng of man the vncouth condicyons Sawe by experyence richesse were noyous In hym to eclypse the disposyons And conuay his inclynacions By a wronge way vertue to set asyde Howe couetouse was a full peryllous gyde For auarice is to all vertues contrayre The gredy worme y ◠serpent vnstauncheable Man to betraisshe w t promyses debonayre At prime face sote and agreable Taught him of nature by craft most deceyuable Through subtyll serching as it wer for y ◠nones First out of erth to delue precious stones Of riche myners they serche out y ◠entrayles To fynde out metals for worldly auaūtages Contryued shyppes with theyr brode sayles By diuers sees to make their passages And couetyse ordayned first vyages Caused princes to ryde in landes ferre Eche agayne other for to gyn a werre Of auarice gan first these robberyes Awayte of brigantes all extorte pyllages Murdre slaughter and couert briberyes Of olde contryued furyous fell domages Wrought and atcheued in all maner ages Nowe in these dayes let set it at a prefe False couetyse caused all suche mischefe She was first rote of false extorcion To spoyle the temple mother of rauyne And sterer vp of oppressyon To take by force this was her doctryne And as myne auctor doth plainly determyne And concludeth in full pytouse wyse Rote of all yuell is false couetyse She is eke norice of conteke and of stryfe Maystresse of murdre and wilfull vyolence Made men to ieoparte body good and lyfe Caused discencion and disobedyence Grutching of comons w tdraught of reuerēce By rigorous constraynt sodayne rebellions Rumour in realmes vnware subuercions This froward dragon full of ydropisy Whose fretyng etike there may no plēty fede To staunche his thyrst there is no remedy The more he drinketh the more he hath nede And the more tresure y ◠more he stant in drede With Tantalus though he swym in y ◠flodes In Mydas well playneth for lacke of goods This worme eke causeth y ◠men in riches Haue drede of theues a night in their waking And if they heare on cofer bedde or presse Cat rat or mouse or any worme meuyng He weneth anone within him selfe demyng That there were come w t great apparayle Some vncouth pillor his treasure to assayle The wofull soule standeth euer in drede And aye abydeth in labour and trauayle And of the goodes whiche he doth possede Falleth in dispayre lest they would him fail Twene hope drede there is suche battayle Through enterminyng eche other to cōfound To be most gredy whan they most abounde Hope vnasured with drede dispayred Metyng in hartes make a mortall warre Whā hope presumeth w t drede he is apayred And like a cowarde maketh him stand afarre Dull of his chere as is a cloudy starre Which dare not shew the light of his treasour But euer to encrease set wholy his labour He dare not touch thing that he loueth most His cofers close be shut vnder key Thoughe he haue muche he maketh therof no bost Lest for his tresure men would hym werrey Playneth for nede like as he would dey Fayneth false pouert to spare his dispence Oppressyng plenty with froward indigence And though his chestes heaped be with golde With yron barres fast shut and closed False scarcitie gouerneth his housholde That by none excesse he is not vndisposed His indigent hart so straytely is enosed To Herebus heyre yet well worse in dede In greatest ryches to cōplayne vpon nede This Herebus hath of yrou not of stone For auaryce buylt a foule citee Where as the whele turneth of Ixion Vnder the boundes of Thesephone Where zisiphus may neuer a day go free But with his stone continually trauayleth And the more busy his labour lest auayleth Thus auarice to vertue most contrary Founde among vyces full contagious Euer busy their restlesse stone to cary Now vp now downe w t wery zisiphus Whose endles labour braydeth on Theseus Whiche helde the brydle of fruteles busines Condemned in hell to liue in ydlenes Of couetise the cruell marinere Is called Charon which w t Flegetonte By many a streyght and many fell daūgere Sayleth in the floudes of furious Acheronte
neuer ceace Such ioy he had the common we le tencreace Thys was also hys vsaunce euermore What euer he gate to part it in largesse Of golde nor coyne he set but lytle store For all his heart was set on gentlenesse By manly fredome and playnly to expresse He spared no good it shewed well in dede Hys true seruauntes to helpe in theyr nede He kept nat in cofers hys treasour Of his nature he was so liberall For to releue eche manly soudiour Suche as were preued in actes marciall And for to holde hys feest funerall After his dethe his storie maketh mynde He was so fre he left nothyng behynde All his offices and famous dignities And great emprises in hys tyme wrought Encresed frāchises through Grece ī his cities With liberties by hys prudence out sought For common profit and for him selfe nought With great augmenting of strāge teritories All this came in by meane of his victories And amonge all hys knyghtly excellences By diuers auctours vnto mynde is brought How all hys lyfe he studied in sciences And vpon connyng set holy hys thought By manly prowesse of dethe he fered nought That was shewed as it is well founde The day whā he receyued his dethes woūde He was home borne vnto hys pauillion All his armour with bloude stayned reed And on a couche by his men layed downe And gan abrayde as he lay halfe deed Sirs quod he of one thyng take heed Hath any enemy thys daye in the felde When I was wounded taken vp my shelde And when hys knyghtes had tolde hym nay By a maner of knyghtly reioysyng He them commaunded without more delaye To his presence that they should it bryng And thervpon full pitously lokyng Full lyke a knyght and with mortall chere He kyssed it and sayde as ye shall here Thou were my felow in armes my brother That neuer wouldest my felowshyp forsake Sure abyding ther was nat such another In euery iourney that I dyd vndertake To me welcome an ende I must nowe make After my deth my soule shall haue plesaunce The to be kept yet for a remembraunce Afore hys deth as it is put in mynde The same hour it came to hys memorie To enquire he left it nat behynde Haue we quod he this daye had victorie Or in the felde who hath y ◠palme of glorie His knightes he prayed y ◠day he should dey The playne trueth they would to hym sey And they hym tolde playnly all the caas How his partie had wonne the feld of might And with that worde he so reioysed was That he hys spirite yelde vp anone ryght And so he died lyke a worthy knyght In whō is shewed what aueyleth in sentence Nobles of knighthode ioyned w t prudence And by the meane of hys wyse doctrine Philyppe that laye with hym in hostage Gan encreace in knyghtly discipline He wext in vertue ryght as he wext in age Whose father was by furions outrage Called Alysandre as made is mencion Slayne by hys mother by false trayson After whose dethe Perdicca in dede The yonger brother the story doth deuise To the crowne gan linially succede Slayne anone after in full cruell wyse Suche false murder euery man shuld agrise As ye haue herde first of Amynta Of Alysander and of kyng Perdicca The .xxvi. Chapter ☞ Howe the proude tiraunt Aman was hanged and the innocent preserued THe horrible fall furious for to rede That foloweth after of y ◠great Aman A ful false tyraūt foūd in word dede And was of byrth a Macedonian Which as the bible full well reherse can Was chefe maister who can well conscerne With Assuerus hys people to gouerne He was exalted hye in pryde To goddes people most contrarious Hys hatefull venym he lyst nat for to hyde But lyke a tiraunt most malicious Of wylful rancour fell and dispitous Fully disposed and coud him nat withdrawe To destroy the Jewes and theyr holy lawe To hys entent he gate auctoritie By hys subtell false compassyng Sent out letters into eche countrie Thrugh al Perce by biddyng of the kyng That hye and low within the land dwellyng No wight except that people all about Should vnto Aman obey knele and lout Thys was the byddyng of kyng Assuere Whan quene Vasty was voyded for her pride And Hester chosen a mayde most entere Was brought to court with y ◠kyng to abyde Which had in youth for to be her gyde A worthy Jewe called Mardoche Within Susis a fayre large cite By whose counsaile euery thyng she wrought Passyng fayre and of great mekenesse And when the Enukes to y ◠king her brought She was accepted for her great fayrenesse Vnto hys grace her storye beareth witnesse And there cherished in especiall Aboue all the maydens in the court royall And of all Perce she was crowned quene A pees commaunded through al tho regions Duryng the feast that men might sene The kynges nobley in cities and touns And of thys feast the ryche royall souns Came to the eares of simple Mardoche Whiche came with other the maner for to se. Tofore the palays as he dyd abyde With other Jewes in hys company Of happe as he cast hys eare asyde He of two porters the counsaile dyd espy How they them cast by false conspiracie To slee the kyng some day of the yere Like their entent whan they foūd best leisere Whan Mardocheus prudently gan fele The secrete malice of theyr compassyng Of compassion he would it nat concele But made Hester discure it to the kyng Wherof conuict they were led to hangyng As me semeth a competent guerdone For all that falsely ymagine suche treasone By which meane the sayd Mardoche Was wel accepted to the kyng Assuere Lykely also to stande at liberte Out of the malyce and fell daungere Of cursed Aman which made hym no chere But compassed in full fell manere Hym to distroy and Jewes all yfere Thys Mardocheus the Byble tell can Withdrew hym selfe to do reuerence Vnto thys tyraunt this frowarde Aman Lyke as the statute cōmaunded in sentence Whiche thing tauenge by frowarde violence This Aman made of hatrede to be set Afore the palais a myghty stronge gybet But who that cast hym to do vengeaunce And innocentes for to oppresse with myght And wylfull malice tagrege theyr greuaunce As God were blynde had of them no syght But at the last he wyll of very ryght Punysh the proude for furious violence The poore supportyng for theyr pacience As Mardocheus by innocent lyuyng By meane of Hester and her great mekenes Accepted was to Assuere the kyng The lawe of Jewes set in more surenes Frowarde Aman for hys cursednes Vengeable of pride in the bible ye maye see Was hye enhanged vpon a galowe tree Mardocheus of prudence and reason The furious daunger of Aman set asyde Preserued hys people fro destruction The tyraunt hanged for hys frowarde pride Thus can our lorde hys iudgementes deuide When he seeth tyme most mighty
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
dronke myghty wynes To fyll their paūches they were so desyrous That they forgate their marciall doctrines To ascēd y ◠moūtayne feble were their chines Their heades totter their braine gan faile The temple aloft to spoyle or to assayle In their assending by wayes that they chees Vpon the roche they were beat doune Priestes of the temple put thē selues in prees One bare a standard another a penoune Clad in chesibles for hye deuocion And with their other vncouth apparayles Bothe on the roche lowe in their battayles The people of Brennus was incomperable Spred all the felde the story beareth witnes But it is sayd of olde and is no fable That no defence is in dronkennes And wisdome fayleth where is greate excesse And in a felde playnly to conclude Victory alwayes standeth not in multitude For they were set as Bochas dothe deuise Not to knighthode but to false outrage To spoyle and robbe by gredy couetise And stuffe their somters with great pillage Furious rauine hath brought thē in a rage And farewell knighthode marciall noblesse Where couetise is lady and maistresse Two mighty dukes were with Brennus Whiche that were chefe of his counsayle Euridanus that one that other Thessalonus Which as they thought to their great auaile Began a purpose and it was disauayle To robbe the people the countrey ech toun Whiche turned after to their confusion Thus auarice w t stomake vnstaūcheable Hath strāgled y ◠power of many a worthy knight And couetise her sister vntretable Hath of high nobles full oft quaint the lyght Wher Tātalus raigneth a lion hath no might This to meane honger and couetousnes Turneth all nobles into cowardnes For by the counsayle of these dukes twayne Brennus set all his opinion To spoyle and robbe dyd his busy payne To pyll the cities of all that region But in this while as made is mencion Myd their battayles Bochas dothe me lere The God Appollo and Pallas did appere Appollo first shewed his presence Freshe yonge lusty as any sunne shene Armed all with golde with great vyolence Entred the felde as it was well sene And Diana came with her arowes kene And Mynerua in a bright haberion Which in their cōminge made a terible soun The noyse was herd of their bright armure Which made their enemyes almost to raue That they might afore them not endure Fled the felde for drede them selfe to saue And there was herde an hidous erthquaue And from heauen in this mortal batayle Of colde constreyning great stones do hayle Their aduersaries beate downe grounded And afore them durst not abide And Brennus so mortally was wounded Both brest heed hurt through eyther syde Lo here the ende of couetise and pride For Brennus for constraynt of his smert Roue with a dagger him selfe to the herte This was his ende vēgeable merueylous And his dukes slayne both twayne Called Euridanus and Thessalonus The grekish goddes gan at him so disdayne Of sacrilege se here the greuous payne For to goddes who lyst do no obseruaunce Shall vnwarly be punished wyth vēgeaūce It is not holsome with goddes to play Nor their puissaunce presūptously to attame For where as they by vengeaūce lyst werray who lyst assay shall fynde it no game For his presūpcion Brennus founde the same For Appollo Diana and Mynerue For his outrage vnwarly made hym sterue ⧠Lenuoye THis tragedy declareth who lyst here Of duke Brennus many great batayle His extorte conquest and holy the maner Howe by force he rode through al Itayle After how he the Romayns dyd assaile His fall in Grece by vengeable violence For he to goddes would do no reuerence Toke al the treasours iuels most entere Out of their temples and richest apparayle Golde and perle and al that yfere To his encrease whych that myght auayle The rich he robbed oppressed the porayle Of verye pompe and frowarde insolence And lyst to goddes do no reuerence This mighty tiraūt most surquedous of chere With couetyse brent in hys entrayle Whose gredy fret ther might no mesure stere Tyll that fortune at mischefe dyd hym fayle He lacked might her variant whele to nayle Agayne whose fall there was no resistence For he to goddes lyst do no reuerence Noble prynces conceyue and do lere The fall of Brennus for misgouernayle And prudently paysyng thys matere Vertue is strōger than outher plate or maile Afore considred what Brennus doth coūsayle Chefe preseruatyfe of your magnificence Is to god to do due reuerence The .xxiiii. Chapter ⧠Howe Pyrrus kynge of Pyrothe lyst nat lyue in peace but of pryde and presumption in warre came vnto mischaunce IN Bochas boke next folowīg on y ◠rig Came yong Pirrus sonne of Earides Borne by discent to reigne be kyng And to enherite the lande of Pyrothes Yet in his youth and his tender encrees The frowarde people dwellynge in y ◠place Without his gylte gan his dethe purchace But to preserue hym as made is mencion He was committed and take in kepyng Certayne yeres for hys sauacion To one Glaucus of Illirie king Whose wife was cosyn by record of writing To the sayde famous Earides And she in story called Beronices He nye of blode to thys noble queene Bothe twayne borne of one lynage Wonder gracious to all that did him sene And well fauoured of fetures and visage And in the whyle of his tender age One Cassander of Macedone kyng Compassed his deth by subtel false workyng And his purpose for to bryng aboute He sent for hym by false collusion Puttyng Glaucus playnlye out of doute But yf he came lyke hys entencion He wolde worke to hys destruction Gather people bothe nye and farre And on Glaucus gyn a mortall warre But kyng Glaucus toke herof no hede Hauyng to Pyrrus so great affection Of him receyued verely in dede To be his sonne by adoption Purposyng of whole entencion To make Pyrrus plainly if he may To be his heyre and raigne after his day Pyrrus alway vp growyng by encrees Full amiable bothe of there and face And in this while the people of Pyrothes Knowyng that he stode in Glaucus grace Chaunged their hartes cast thē in short space For to restore all of one courage The sayd Pyrrus to his heritage Thus by assent he was crowned kyng Yonge freshe and lusty semely ther withal Wonders well thewed in his vp growyng Like his lynage of courage wext royall The whiche was cause in especiall He was beloued offrendes about And of his enemyes greatly had in doubt The name of him gan to sprede farre Through all Grece about in eche countrey The lande of Tarent gan in his tyme warre Agayne the Romaynes as ye may se Requiryng Pyrrus that he woulde be Fauourable and helpyng of entent To the party of them of Tarent To their request he can condiscende And of purpose cast him not to fayle If that fortune woulde him grace sende With myghty hande marciall apparayle For
Romayns Sempronius another Consulere That was felowe to the sayde Scipion Sent â—ke fro Rome w t a full proude chere Gayne Hanyball but in his coÌ„myng doun Tofore Tresbie a large myghty towne Outrayed was by fatal auenture And after neuer his fal myght recure Of two Consulers this was the woful fyne Sempronius and Gneus Scipion Ouer the mountayne called Appenyne Went Hanibal through his great renoun To great domage and great confusion Of his people that passed the mountaines Distroyed w t colde snowe hydeous rayns Lost his knightes hys tresour his goodes There myght as tho be made no defence His gret stedes drowned in the floodes By the waters mighty vyolence Fonde for the time no better resistence Saue he escaped fro that sodayne wracke On an OliphauÌ„te he rydyng on the backe So importable was his greuous payne Onely borne vp of marcial corage Yet there he lost one of his eyen twayne Kept of knighthode one chere one vysage Through Itayle helde alway his passage Slewe a Consull called Flaminius Thus in thre battayls he was victorious But in thys whyle as saythe myne auctoure Quintus Fabius subtyl and disceyuable Whiche was in Rome a famous dictatour And he apperceyued by tokens ful notable No Romayne captaine was in tho dayes able As it was shewed by experience Gayne Hanyball to make resistence Yet in his conceyte he subtillye gan serche To fynde a waye he dyd his busy paine Day by day gan fully theron werche Outher by fraude or some coÌ„passed trayne To lye in wayte and secretely ordayne Embusshmentes to his auauntage Of Hanyball to stop the passage But al his traynes serued him of nought For Hanybal this worthy Affrican In his conquest so proudly hath wrought So lyke a prince and a knightly man For thilke tyme that he werres gan Agayne the Romayns both on see lande That they were feble his power to withstaÌ„d This QuiÌ„tus fabius kept him alway close Lyinge a wayte to fal on Hanihal And of assent eke to his purpose There was one Varo manly wyse wythal And these twayne in especiall Within Poyle a large great countre Fought wyth Hanybal at Cannas the cytie As the story maketh rehersayle The Romayne party of worthy werriours Where forty thousand slayne in battaile Emilius Paulus thurty senatours Twenty in numbre y t had ben Pretours And thre hundred captaynes of estate Slayne by Haniball in that mortal debate And by the slaughter of Emilius The noble consul Romains dispayred And Hanybal that day victorious To his lodgyng is agayne repayred His fone outrayed and mortally appayred Knewe no refute agayne this manly knyght But at mischefe toke them to the flyght The which day yf that Hanyball Had them folowed proudly to the towne By the counsayle of one Marthaball A manly knyght a prince of hye renowne He shoulde haue had full possession That day of Rome lyke to hys entent But I suppose fortune lyst nat assent In thys processe playnlye as I rede This Hanyball wexte proude ryght pompous Of four victories dempt hym selfe in dede Aboue all other to be most glorious Of his corage most inly surquedous But o alas alytle slouth and pryde For lacke of pursute his conquest set asyde Yet in hys conquest of knightes y â— laye dede Of Consulers olde and yonge of age With Senatours the processe who lyst rede Slayne in the felde in that mortall rage Duke Hanyball sent vnto Cartage Of clene golde by recorde of writynges Out of the felde thre bushell full of rynges After four victories here remembred By and by the processe who lyst se In which many worthy were dismembred Bothe of Affrike and Rome the cite Abate gan the great prosperite Of Hanybal by froward auenture Set ones backe fortune is harde to recure After the flours of hys felicite His noblesse drewe to declination To Capne he went a myghty stronge cite There to soiourne as made is mencion All the tyme of wynter colde season Where to his lust and bodily pleasaunce Of all vitayle founde great haboundaunce Whiche made his knightes slowe to y â— werre For wine women and plenty of vitayle Full oft sythe cause men to erre Make them feble their enemyes tassayle Gorges agroteied enbossed their entrayle Disposeth men rather to rest and slepe Then of their enemyes for to take kepe But whan wynter with his frostes colde Was ouergone in thylke region Hanyball gan his purpose holde To laye a siege vnto Rome towne But so great raynes fyll fro heauen downe So great tempest vpon euery syde For the constraynt he myght nat abyde To fortifye the sayde Hanyball Agayne his enemies where he had ado Sent letters vnto Hastruball In right great haste for to come hym to But fortune her whele hath tourned so That Hastruball wer he lothe or fayne By Salmator venquished was and slayne Of whiche mischefe and discomfiture Hanybal gan dull in hys corage Complayned sore of hys misauenture Knewe no refute agayne thys mortall rage Herde eke say that Affrike and Cartage Were of newe to hys confusion Strongly werryed by worthy Scipion. Siphax also of Numedy kyng Which agayne Romayns gan a werre make Maugre his might and all his fell workyng Was by force of Scipion ytake Wherthrough his corage greatly gan aslake And how Cartage chefe of that region Besieged was also by Scipion. Thus Hanyball constrayned was of nede Home to repayre for rescue of Cartage And was also in bokes as I rede The same tyme fall farre in age And at mischefe and great disauauntage Agayne Scipion full lytle might auayle By whom he was discomfited in batayle Cartage constrayned of necessite Them to submit vnto Rome toun And for their more aduersite Gneus Gernilius was fro Rome sent doun Onely of purpose for this conclusion For to procure in especiall Final distruction and death of Hanyball After all his marciall labours His olde felicite wext frowarde vnmete In holow ymages put all hys treasours Toke his passage into the lande of Crete And fortune contrarye and vnswere Made officers kepe hys rychesse In the temple of Diane the goddesse Som what for trust and percell eke for drede To fynde succour he went to the kyng Of Bithinye to helpe hym in hys nede Called Prusias but of hys commyng The sleyghty Romayns had knowledgyng To Bithinye downe theyr letters sent If Hanybal escaped they shoulde repent The letters redde the kyng the same daye Made his people besiege the dongeon Where duke Haniball of trust alone lay All destitute when he knew this treason Tescape hys enemyes draÌ„ke wylfully poysoÌ„ Chase rather so other escape was none Then in the handes to fall of hys fone Tofore his dethe sayde this oryson To all y â— goddes deuoutly downe knelyng That they woulde of this false treason Take vengeaunce of Prusias the kyng Whiche was cause by hys false workyng Of the destruction and dethe finall Of this famous worthy Hanyball ¶ Lenuoye THis tragedy frowarde to wryte
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
herts bote Angust passed againe in to the rote By course of nature y â— vertue doth resorte To reuolucion of kynde I me reporte Who should than debarre me to be double Sith doublenesse longeth to me of right â–ª Nowe lyke soÌ„mer nowe with winter trouble Now blinde of loke derke as y â— cloudy nyght Nowe glad of there of herte mery lyghte They be but foles againe my myght to muse Or me atwite though I my power vse Selde or neuer I byde not in one poynt Men must at lowpes take me as they fynde And whan I stande furthest out of ioynt To set folkes backwarde farr behynde Than worldly men with their eyen blynd Sore complayne vpon my doublenesse Call me than the frowarde false goddesse Thus by your wrytig marueilous laÌ„gage I am disclaundred of mutabilite Wherof by ryght I catche great auauntage Syth doublenesse no sclaunder is to me Whiche is a percel of my liberte To be called by tytle of ryghtwysnesse Of chaunges newe lady and princesse Thus whan fortune had sayd her wyl Parcell declared of her gouernaunce Made a stint and soberly stode styll Jhon Bochas sate herde al her dalyaunce Feareful of chere pale of countenaunce In order enprinted eche thynge y t she sayde Ful demure thus he dyd abrayde He toke vpon him vertue and corage Vpon a poynte for to abyde stable Certes quod he lyke to thy vysage All worldly thiges be double chaungeable Yet for my parte by remembraunce notable I shal perfourme southly if I conne This litel boke that I haue begonne And lest my labour dye not nor appall Of this boke the tytle for to saue Among myne other lytel workes all With letters large aboue vpoÌ„ my graue This bookes name shall in stone be graue Howe I John Bochas in especial Of worldly princes written haue the fall Of whyche emprise the cause to discriue Thys was first grounde I wyl not deny To eschewe slouth and vyces all my lyue And specially the vyce of glottony Which is norice vnto lechery This was chefe cause why I vndertoke The compylacion of this lytle boke Yet by thy talkyng as I vnderstande Eche thing here of nature is chaungeable After thy sentence both on see lande Yet coude I reken thynges that be stable As vertuous lyfe abydyng vnmutable Set hole to godwarde of wyl thought Maugre thy power ne chauÌ„geth nought Thou mayst eke call vnto remembraunce Thinges made stable by grace whiche is deuyne Hast thou not herde y â— perseuerauÌ„ce Of holy martirs whych lyst not to decline Fro Chrystes fayth tyl they dyd fyne Thy whele in them had none interesse To make them vary fro their stablenesse A man that is enarmed in vertue Againe thy myght to make resistence And set his trust by grace in Christ Iesu And hath al hole his hertely aduertence Ou ryght wisnesse force and on prudence With theyr suster called Attemperaunce Hath a sauecondute againe thy variaunce They set no store by thy double whele With supportacion of other ladyes thre Their trust staÌ„d not in plate mayle or stele But in these vertues faythe hope charite Called vertues theologice Watch wyth the fowre afore here specified Thy whele and the haue vtterly defied If I with wynges might flye to heauen There shoulde I se thou hast nothyng adone With Jupiter nor the planetes seuen With Phebus Mars mercury nor the mone But worldly foles erly late and sone Such as be blent or dyrked with lewdnesse By false opinion call the a goddesse Giftes of grace nor giftes of nature Almesse dede done with humilite Loue and coÌ„passion be ferre out of thy cure Semelinesse strength bouÌ„tye or beaute Vertuously vsed in their degre Gaine non of these thy power may not stretch For who is vertuous lytel of thee doth retch Of thy condicions to set another prefe Which foles vse in their aduersite For excusacion as somtyme sayeth a thefe Whan he is hanged it was his destyne Aâ—witeth fortune of his iniquite As she had power domination To rule man by wyl againe reason For whych quod Jhon Bochas in party desolate To determin such heauenly hid fecrees To tho that be deuines of estate I remit such vncouth priuitees And w t Poetes that be of lowe degrees I esche we to climbe to hye a loft Lest for presumpcion I shuld not fal soft But if I had hyd in my corage Such misteries of diuine prouidence Without enuy I would in plaine langage Vttre them by writinge with huble reuerâ—ce Predestynacion nouther prescience Not appertaine fortune vnto the And for my part I wyl excuse me And procede lyke as I vndertoke After that I tolde my matere Of fal of princes for to wryte a boke But yet afore if thou wouldest here I desire of hole herte and entere To haue a copie of princes names al Which fro thy whele thou hast made to fal Thy secre bosome is ful of stories Of suÌ„dry princes how they their life haue lad Of their triumphes and victories Which olde Poetes and Philosophers sad In meter and prose compiled haue an rad Song their laudes their fautes eke reserued By remembraunce as they haue deserued Of which I haue put some in memory Theron set my study and laboure So as I coude to their encrease of glory Though of laÌ„gage I had but smal fauour Cause Caliope did me no socour For which thou hast duringe al this while Rebuked me of my rude style Men would accouÌ„pt it were a great dulnesse But if language conueied be by prudence Out declared by sobre auysenesse Vnder support fauoured by defence Of Tullius chefe prince of eloquence Should more profite shortly to conclude Than my style spoke in termes rude Yet ofte tyme it hath be felte and seyne Vnder huskes growyng on land erable Hath be founde and tried out good greine Vnder rude leaues shakynge vnstable Pulled fayre frute holesome delytable And semblably where rethorike hath failed In bluÌ„te termes good couÌ„saile hath auayled Phylosophers of the golden ages And Poetes that founde out freshe ditees As king Amphion w t his faire langages And w t his harpig made folke of low degrees And laborers tenhabyte firste cytees And so by musyke and Phylosophy Gan firste of commons noble policy The chefe of musike is melody accorde Well of Philosophy sprang out of prudence By whych two meanes gan vnitye acorde With politike vertue to haue their asistence Wisemen to reigne subiectes do reuerence And by this grounde in stories men may se Were bylte the walles of Thebes the citie Accorde in musyke causeth the melody Where is discorde there is diuersite And where is peace is prudent policy In eche kingdome and euery great countre Strife first induced by thy duplicite For which y u maist as clerkes thee discryues Be called lady of contekes and of striues Fyrst were founde out hateful deuysions By thy contriued false mutabilitees Slaughter debate frowarde
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
away besyde And at the siege lyst no lenger abyde Lucullus then the myghty Consuler Pursued after slew of hys meyne Such a multitude that Asopus the ryuer Was made with blode lyke the reed se w t winde tempest fordriuen also was he And when he saw no succour in the lande To shyp he went w t strong and mighty hand He founde fortune cruell aduersary On lande and se this worthy Mithridate And Neptunus made the see contrary Agayns him his puyssaunce to abate What shall men call it influence or fate So sodaynly a prynce of hye renowne Fro hye noblesse to be plounged downe For any mischefe he kept aye one visage This Mithridate and lothe was for to plye Or for to bowe so stronge was hys corage But efte agayne goth with hys chiualry Towarde Adrastus an hyll of Armeny Where as Pompey beset hym enuyron Sent fro Rome to his distruction Mithridate makyng his lodgyng place Vnder that hyll when it drew to nyght The troubly heuen w t thuÌ„dring gan manace The firy leuyn dyrked hath hys syght The cloudy moue eclipsed of her lyght Astonied hym by vnware violence That he stode confuse of all prouydence He was by tempest and vnware derkenesse Almost made wery of hys wofull lyfe Yet I fynde of very kyndnesse Hipsicrata whiche that was hys wyfe Nouther for werre nor no mortall stryfe Left him neuer disguysed of vysage Folowed him arayed as a page Yet in hys most mortall heuynesse Whan cloudy fortune gan him most manace Of his corage the naturall quickenesse Appaled nat nor remeued from his place So hie prowesse dyd hys heart enbrace Nat dispayred for no sodayne fall Of condicion he was so marciall In token wherof he standyng at mischefe Chaunged nouther chere nor countenaunce An euidence and a full great prefe Of manly force and heartely assuraunce Defiyng fortune with all her varyaunce Whan that he founde to hys distruction Of dispayre greatest occasion With hym he had a baylife as I fynde Called Castor whiche of condicion Was to his lorde false and eke vnkynde And conspired agayne him false treason In token wherof vp to Rome toun Hys lordes children yonge tender of age â—yke a thefe he sent them in hostage One of his sonnes he murdred by treason Which Mithridate toke ful sore at herte Another sonne as made is mencion False to his father which whaÌ„ he did aduerte The vnkyndnesse made him sore smerte For of all vyces shortly to conclude â—orst of al is hatefull ingratitude This same childe of whom I make mynde Called Pharnax whych agayne nature To his father traytour and vnkynde And his purpose agayne hym to recure In al hast dyd his busy cure For to accomplyshe his purpose in party Drewe to him hole his fathers chyualry By sleight mede whaÌ„ he was made strong He besieged his father rounde aboute Vnto nature me semeth he dyd wrong To put his father in so great a dout Kyndnesse was ferre shyt wythout Whan the sonne wyth hate set a fyre Agayne his father falsly dyd conspyre Wyth multitude his father was constrayned Maugre hys myght in to a toure to flee Hys sonne vnkynde hath at him disdained And yet for al his straunge aduersite Of his corage the magnanimite In his person stode hole lyst not vary Though fortune was to hym contrary Yet myne auctour Bocas beareth recorde That Mithrydate if it would haue be Requyred his sonne to be at accord And set asyde al olde contrariouste But he vnkynde indurate was parde Euer frowarde malycious of corage So disposed from his tendre age So that the kyng Mithrydate alas Was ouercome by vnkyndenesse That neuer afore in no maner caas Stode dismayed but of hye prowesse Kept aye one face all passions to represse This vertue force by marcial doctrine For none aduersite suffred hym declyne Ende of his werres his mortall stryues Of his debates and discencions Hys concubines his daughters hys wiues By meane onely of certayne pocions Slewe them al by drinkynge of poysons For he not woulde the cause to dyscriue After his death they shoulde byde on lyue Hys owne death of mortall fell rygour Compassed afore thus he gan deuyse Made a french knyght y â— was a soudiour With a sharpe sworde in ful cruel wyse To ren him through wherby the frauÌ„chyse Conserued was his purpose to fulfyl He woulde not dye but by his owne wyll Lo here the ende of kyng Mithridate Let princes all of his deth take hede Howe rechelesly he passed in to fate And by assent made his herte blede And Bochas here who lyst hys boke to rede Playnly rehersynge but in wordes fewe To worldely princes doth his coÌ„ceyte shewe ¶ Lenuoye MYghty prynces lyfte vp your corrages Towarde heauen doo youre hertes dresse Of your memory turne vp the vysages Wher ioy is euer peace concorde gladnesse True armonye celestiall swetnes Counterpayse in your remembraunce Worldly chaunges fortunes variaunce Aduertise the mortal fell outrages Of blody werres impossible to repres Whyle false enuy wyth his furious rages In sondry realmes hath so great entres Slaughter murdre deuision falsenes Which conscience haue brought to vttrauÌ„ce Through soden chaunge of worldly variauÌ„ce Reken vp princes that sate hye on stages What was the fyne of their royall noblesse Or of tirauntes reken vp the blody wages Sodaine slaughter guerdoned their wodenes Mithridate can beare hereof wytnes By blode vnkynde brought vnto vttrauÌ„ce Through soden chauÌ„ge of worldly variaunce Prynces remembre vpon the golden age Whan Saturne ruled y â— worlde in rightwisnes Next Jupiter for peoples auauÌ„tage The silueren worlde conserued in clennes Which Mars hath nowe turned to felnes Made it steelen w t sworde dagger launce Through soden chauÌ„ge of worldly variauÌ„ce Of Mithridate regestre the vyages Conspired poysons taffray his prowesse On land and see tempestious passages By coÌ„straynt bode .vii. yere in wildernesse Of his wandrynge payse the vnsykernes Hys ende myschefe knewe no auoydaunce Gayn worldly chauÌ„ge nor fortuÌ„es variauÌ„ce If neglygeÌ„ce haue brought you in rerages Towarde God or he reken in streyghtnesse Let reason medle for you to lay hostages Compassyon mercy partynge of almesse Towarde heuen to support your feblenesse Whan your merites shal paise in balaunce Of worldly chauÌ„ges fortunes variaunce Deth spareth nother hye nor lowe lynages Haue mynde heron for any rechelesnes Transitory be here your pylgrimages Set with brigaÌ„ts vnwarely you toppresse But of prudence by great auysenesse Wyth prouydence preserue your puyssaunce Gayn worldly chauÌ„ge fortunes variaunce ☞ The .iiii. chapter ⧠Howe Eucratydes kynge of Sythie was slayne by Demetrius and after his carayne cast to houndes NExt in ordre to Bochas dyd apere A woful prince that put hym selfe in prees Reignyng in Sithia his story doth vs lere The name of whom was Eucratides But to disturbe his quiet and his pees Agayne him plainly as I fynde Came Demetryus y â— myghty kyng of Inde Of whom the power
laboure with many a straunge forayne soudyoure Hauynge no title nor commyssion Contynued longe in hys rebellyon Wherof astonied was Dioclisian Seyng this mischefe dredful and perillous Ordayned in haste that Maximian Was surnamed and called Herculius Made hym emperour called Agustus Whiche had a fore no more gouernaunce But Gaule whiche now is called Fraunce Also more ouer this Dioclisian Made in thys whyle gouernours twayne Constancius and one Maximian Surnamed Galerius Cōstancius i certayn In this whyle to wedde he dyd his payne Doughter of Maximian called Herculius Named the odora myn auctor writeth thus By Theodora this Constancius Had sixe children in trewe mariage Broder to Cōstātyne y ◠cronicle telleth thus Whiche afterwarde when he came to age For his manhode and marciall corage Was chose and made Lord and gouernour Of all the worlde and crowned emperoure Carausius which had ful seuen yere Lyke as I tolde rebelled in Bretayne Agaynst the romayns a great extorcionere A knighte Allectus that did at hym disdayne Murdred him and after did his payne By force only and extort tyranny Fully thre yeres his place to occupye Tyll Asclepio was sent from Rome doun Slewe Allectus maugre all his myght ▪ Brought all Bretayne to subiection Of the romayns lyke as it was ryght And in this while like a manly knight For Italiens gan romayns disobey Constancius gan proudly them werrey He first wyth them had a stronge batayle His meyay slayne and put to the flighte Trustyng on fortune he gan thē efte assayle And sixty thousand were slayne in the fight The felde was his thrugh fortunes might As she that coude dissymule for a whyle And afterwarde falsly him begyle I wyll passe ouer as brefely as I can Set a syde all forayne incidentes Resorte agayne to Dioclisian Which at Alisaūdre proudly pytched his tentes The captaine slewe gaue commaund emēts To his knightes to do their auauntage With the cite by robbynge and pyllage Can agayne christen great persecucion Vsed this tyranny in the Orient By his bydding Maximian came doun Towarde the parties of the Occident Bothe these tyrauntes wrought by assent Vnder whose sworde many martyr deyes Slayn in Octodorū the legion of Thebeies At Verolamye a famous olde cyte Saynt Albou slaine his legend doth so tell And in Rome by furious crueltye The pope slayne that called was Marcel By their statutes and by their domes fell Churches were brent in townes and cyties Lost their fraunchise and al their liberties Frowarde enemy he was to Christes lawe Made many a martyr to dye for his sake Wext feble and olde and gan him withdraw From occupacion his rest for to take His attorney Maxymyan he dothe make In his last age it is reherced thus Stode in great drede of Constantius The drede of him sate so nye his hearte And thervpon toke suche a fantasy Imagining he might not start By fraud of him but that he shuld dye Almoste for fere fyll in a frensye Of which drede the boke maketh mencion He slewe him selfe by drinkyng of poison As I tolde erst in the Occident Maximian called Herculius Reygned as Emperour euer in hys entent To pursue martyrs he was aye laborus Of whose byrth Bochas foūd no auctoures This to saye he coude neuer rede Where he was borne nor of what kynrede He findeth no more of this Maximian Of his vsurpynge in esspeciall But that he was by Dioclisian Set in dignite called imperiall Famous in armes prudent and marcial Daunted al tho that did againe him striue Slewe Gencyans called in nomber fiue Rode in Affrike lyke a conquerour Broughte to subiections the sturdy nacions Fortune that time did him such fauoure Gate Sarmatoise with other regions with other cities and many riche towns By his conquest of new that he hath won Through y ◠world his name shone like y ◠son He was cheryshed in armes from hys youth And did greate emprises for Rome the cytie Yet Dioclisian as it is well couthe Counsayled him resigne his dignitie But he was lothe to forsake hys see Syth he was Lord and gouerned al For to renounce his state imperiall But by assent of Dioclisian As he him selfe had left the gouernaunce Euen so thys Maxymyan Discharged him self of his royal puissaunce But afterwarde he fyll in repentaunce And busy was as dyuers bokes sayne The state of Emperour to recure agayne Which for to acheue he dyd his diligence He was distourbed by Galerius For his sonne that called was Maxence Put in possession myn auctour writeth thus To which thing he gan wexe enuyous And gan ordeyne meanes in hys thought To trouble him but it auailed nought Whan his purpose myght take none auayle Againe Maxence as Bochas doth discryue His daughter Fausta that knew his coūsail Discured his purpose for which he fled bliue Into Gaule and durst no lenger striue And by Constantius in Marcile the cite Slayne sodenlye lost al his dignite The .viii. Chapter Howe Galerius oppressed martyrs and Christes fayth and myscheuously ended NExt tofore Bochas came Galerius A man disposed to ryot and outrage Euel teached frowarde and vicious There is no story that speketh of hys lynage Yet was he set ful hye vpon the stage Of worldly dignyte rose vp to hye estate Yet in his ginning he was not fortunate He was sent out by Dioclisian And made emperour by hys auctorite Agayne Narseus the proud knightly man Reignyng in Perce and Lord of that coūtre Whiche helde werre with Rome the cyte For which Galerius toke on him this emprise wyth myghtye hande hys pryde to chastyse Galerius entred into Derce lande Kinge Narseus met him of auenture Had a strong batayle fought hand for hande His fortune such he might not endure On Galerius fyll the discomfyture Clad in purple as made is mencyon Of Dioclisian receyued hys guerdon At their meting anone or they were ware Dioclisian made him to abide To his confusyon sytting in his chare To walke on fote by the chares syde Wyth many a rebuke abated was his pryde Galerius for the great shame Gan seke a meane agayne to get hys name Came for to assemble hys old soudiours Made for his ordinaūce by diligent workig Chase out the best proued warryours With a great hoste to Perce he came ryding and ofte there fought with the king That the perciens maugre al theyr myght Were of Galerius that dai put to flight The felde was his he gate greate riches Robbed their tentes and wan there pillage In this resort receiued in sothnes In great nobles because of that voyage Thus can fortune chaunge her vysage Of Dioclisian where he stode in disdaine wyth newe tryumphe resorted is agayne This cloudy quene stādeth neuer in certain whose double whele quauereth euer in dout Of whyse fauour no man hath be certayne Though one haue grace another is put out Let euerye man as it cometh about Take his tourne and neuer in her assure Faylynge in armes is but auenture Thus Galerius
after hys batayle On Perciens gan wexe gloryous Gouerned Affrike and lordshyp of Itayle Throughout the Orient he was victorious Tyll he for age gan wexe tedious His last dayes maligned as men saith Of false hatred agayne christen fayth And him to healpe in these false maters It is remembred to his confusion In his empyre he set two vicats Gaue them power in euery region The lawe of Christ to oppres and put downe To punyshe matters and put them to deathe And in this whyle ful manye one he fleeth By this sayd truell Galerius which of th empyre had al the gouernaunce Of cursed hart and corage dispiteous By his vsurped imperyal puissaunce Gaue auctorite for to do vengaunce Vnto twaine Seuerus and Maxence On al cristen by mortal vyolence A certayne space bothe of one accorde To the state of emperour chose was MaxeÌ„ce Tyl Seuerus and he fell at dyscorde And after by vengable pestylence within a city of noble preeminence Called Rauenue Seuerus ther was flayne Of whiche Galerius was nothynge faine For whyche in haste thys Galerius Him to support and stand in hys defence Chase out of Denmarke a knight Lucinius To be emperour through knightly excelleÌ„ce For to withstand and fight agayn Maxence But Maxence of romayne knightes all was chosen emperour and set vp in his stall with which election Galerius wext wode Fil in a maner of froward frensy His entraile brent corrupt was his bloude And of his froward vengable malady In euery membre gan rotte and putrifye Tyll the eyre aboute him enuiron To al that felt it was venim and poison Like a Lazar corbed backe and chine In this while on cristen most vengeable To him auailed no maner medicyne But there was in Christes faythful stable That spake vnto him w t langage ful notable In wordes fewe concludinge in substaunce The gret Jupiter hath take on y â— veÌ„gaunce And euermore for shorte conclusion with a bolde spyrite to him gan abrayde It is nat Jupiter worshipped in thys towne In the capitoyle set sothly as I sayd But Jupiter that was borne of a mayde â–ª which list not suffer of that thou dost endure That anye medecynes shulde therecure Lyke atyraunt by vengaunce furious At mischefe dieth as bokes tell Perpetually with cruell Cerberus Vpon the whele of Ixion to dwell For His demerites wyth tantalus in hell There to receiue his finall guerdon which coude on martyrs haue no compassion It was hys ioy for to shed their bloud Sent out letters to diuers regions Like a slye wolf rauynous and wode To slee martirs by diuers passyons Lyke his desert receiued his guerdons Horrible death did them first confounde with furies infernall lyeth in hell bounde The .ix. Chapiter ¶ Howe Maxence the emperour enemy to Christes faithe mischeuously ended After Galerisu cruell vyolence Gayne christen blode as Bochas hath tolde with piteous there the Emperour Maxence Came tofore Bochas of age not ful olde Famous in armes sturdy freshe and bolde Albe he entred notlike an heritoure Coke vpon him to reigne as gouernoure To Christes fayth he was also enemy After sone he lost his gouernaunce Of infortune slayne sodainly God on tyrauÌ„tes vnwarely taketh vengasice Of whose burying was made no remeÌ„brauÌ„ce For he was nat receiued of the ground But caste in Tibre like a rotten hounds The .x. Chapiter Howe Lucinius enemy to Christes faythe was slayne Next tofore Bochas came Lucynius A knighte of Denmarke borne of good lyne whiche had an ennemy the boke saith thus â–ª An hardy knighte called Maximine Chose a captaine w t the mperour CoÌ„stantyne To the faith of Christ he bare gret enmyte Slayne anone after in Trace the cyte Of whose death Lucinius was glad Gan agayne christen persecucion In his procedyng sodainly wext mad which commaunded of false presumpcyon whan he began to do execucion That nochristen nowhere him beside By no condicion shulde in his house abide This Lucinius which falsly did erre Againe our faith christen men to assasle Gaine Constantine of newe he gan warre But of his purpose in sothe he did fail For he was twise discomfited in batayle By Constantine ones in Hungrye Next in Grece besyde Eualye Thus CoÌ„stantyne through his hye renoune Gate nye Gcece and euerye great countre Alde Lucinius flode in rebellion Gayne Constantine both on land and sea But when he sawe it wolde none otherbe He might not escape in no place Put holy him selfe in Constantyns grace But Constantine for his hie rebellion Gaue iudgement in hast that he be dead Leaste in the citie were made diuision By Lucinius wherof he stode in drede This same while as Bochas toke hede There came before him w t chere ful piteous â–ª Brethern twayne Constantine and Crispus The .xi. Chapter Of Constantyne and Crispus and howe Damalcus was slayne To coÌ„stantine of whom I spake toforne They were sonnes CoÌ„stantine and Crispus The same twayne of one mother borne CaÌ„e tofore Bochas his boke reherceth thus with them came eke Lucinius Sonne of Lucinius which in Rome toun Afore was slayne for hys rebellyon Constantine his werres to gouerne Made them vicars the self same thre Echone rightwise and coude wel discerne What mighte auaile moste to their citye To encrese the profit of the commonte Their names tolde CoÌ„stantine and Crispus Tofore remembred with them Lucinius while these thre vicars vnder the emperour Gouerned Rome as Knightes most famous In Alisaundre rose vp a great errour By a false preest called Arryus To our beleue a thing contrarious And for he did again our fayth so wyrche By a decre was put out of the chyrche By assent at Bithinye full notable In Nicea a famous great citye This errour was proued ful dampnable Thre C. bishops were present there parde And eightene the cronicle who list se And all these of one sentence â—like Preued Arrius a false heretike This same time bokes doth specifye Howe Constantine of hasty crueltye The sayd vicars nigh of alye Fayned a cause to slee them all thre No cause rehersed nor told of equitye Saue only this in which he gan procede To make his cosyn Dalmacius to succede But his fauour was not fortunate Towarde Dalmacius nor gracious in sentence Among whose knightes fell a sodeyn debate Constantine there being in presence Dalmacius withoute reuerence with sharp swordes to speke in wordes fewe â–ª Vnto the death was wounded and phewe The .xii. chapter ¶ Of the brethern Constaunce Constancius and how Magnentius and Decius murdred them selfe THan came Constaunce Constancius yong brethren thus writeth min autour To Constantine in time of Arrius And eche of them by ful great labour Did his payne to reygne as emperoure Tyl at the last breuely for to say Eueryche of the in gan other to werrey This said Constaunce is entred Perce land Nyne times he fought agayne Sapore The same king as ye shal vnderstand That with romaynes had foughten afore But finally Constaunce hath
hath shyppes by the sea to sayle Bachus at Wynchester gretly doth auaile Worcestre with frutes haboundeth at the ful Herford with beastes Cotswolde with wul Bathe hot bathes holsome for medicine Yorke mighty timbre for great auauntage Corn wall mynes wherin to myne Salisbury beastes full sauage Whete mylke hony plente for euery age Kent and Canterbury hath great cōmodite Of sondrie fyshes there taken in the see Bochas reherseth there is eke in Bretayne Founde of Gete a full precious stone Blacke of colour and vertuous in certayne For sickenesses many mo than one The poudre of whiche wyll difcure anone If it be dronke though it be secre Of maydenhede broken chastite Ther ben of peerles founde in muskil shelles And the best that haue most whitenesse And as the boke of Brutus also telles How king Arthure to speke of worthynesse Passed all kinges in marciall prowesse Touchyng his line his royall kynrede Who that lyst se in Brutus he may rede His father called Vter Pendragon A manly knight and famous of corage Right notable in his actes euerychon Arthur but yonge and tendre of age By full assent of all his baronage By succession crowned anonright Called of Europe the moste famous knight Curteys large and manly of dispence Myrrour called of lyberalite Hardy stronge and of great prouidence And of his knightly magnanimite He droue Saxons out of his countre Conquered by prowesse of his mighty hand Orcadoys Denmarke and Holande Irland Gaule Norway Scotlād fran̄ce As Martes son to the werres mete Wrought by counsaile and by ordinaunce Of prudent Marlyn called his prophete And as I fynde he let make a sete Among his Britōs most famous notable Through all the worlde called y ◠roūde table Most worthy knightes proued of their hand Chosen out by Arthur this order was begō Their famous nobles through euery land Shone by reporte as doth the midday sonne To Fames palays the renome is vp ronne Statutes set by vertuous ordinaunce Vnder profession of marciall gouernaunce The first statute in the regestre founde Fro which they should na◠decline of right By full assuraunce of othe custome bounde Aye to be armed in plate forged bright Except a space to reste them on the night Seke auentures and their time spende Rightful quarell to sustene and defende The sebler partye if he had right By theyr power manly to supporte If that they were required of any wight Folke disconsolate to beare vp comforte At all times men may of him reporte No maner wyse they do no vtolence And again tiraūtes make knightly resistece That widowes maidens suffre no domage By false oppression and hateful cruelte Restore children to their true heritage Wrongly exiled folke to their countre And for holy churches liberte Redy euer to make them selfe stronge Rather to die than suffer them haue wronge For cōmon profyte as chosen champyons Pro Republica defending their countre Shewe aye them selfe hardy as lyons Honoure to encrece chastise dishoneste Releue al them that suffre aduersite Religious folke haue them in reuerence Pylgrimes receiue y ◠faile of their dispence Called armes seuen dedes of mercy Buryed soudiours that fayle sepulture Folke in prison deliuere them graciously Suche as poore be their raunsome to recure Wounded people that languyshe endure Which pro republica māly spent their blood By statute bounde to do suche folkes good To put them selfe neuer in auenture But for matters that were iust and trewe Afore prouided that they stode sure The ground wel know were it olde or newe And after that the matter whan they knewe To procede knightly and nat fayne As ryght required theyr quarel to darrayn A clerke there was to cronicle theyr dedes By purciuauntes made to him reporte Of their exployte and their good spedes Rad songe to folke gaue great comforte These famous knightes making their resorte At hygh feastes eueriche toke his sete Lyke to their estate as was to them mete One was voyde called the see perilous As Sanke royall doth playnly determyne None to entre but the most vertuous Of god prouided to be a pure vyrgine Borne of discente to accomplyshe to fyne He alone as chefe and souerayne All auentures of Wales and Bretayne Amonge al kynges renomed most famous As a bryght sonne set amyd the sterres So stode Arthur notable and glorious Lyke freshe Phebus cast his lyghte aferres In peace like Argus most marcial in werres As Ector hardy lyke Vlixes tretable Called amōge christen king most honorable His roial courte he dyd so ordayne Through eche coūtre so fer spred out the light Who that euer came thider to complaine By wronge oppressed required of right In his defence he shulde fynde a knyght To hym assigned finally to entende By marciall dome his quarell to defende If it fell so that any straunge knyght Sought auentures thyder came fro ferre To do armes his request made of right His chalenge sene were it of peace or werre Was accept to the courte came nerre Lyke as he came wyth many or alone They were deliuered forsake was neuer nōe There was the schole of marcial doctrine For yonge knyghtes to lerne al the gyse In tendre age to lerne ful disciplyne On horse and fote by notable exercyse Thing take in youth doth helpe in many wise And ydelnes in grene yeres gonne Of al vertues clypseth the clere sonne Wydowes maidens oppressed folke also Of extorte wronges wrought by tiranny In that countre what nacion came therto Receyued were there lyst no man denye Of their complayntes founde sone remedy Made no delay but forth anone ryght Them to defende assigned was a knyght Eke by their order they bounde were of troth By assuraunce and by othe sworne In their emprises let for no slothe Playnely to tell howe they haue them borne Their auenture of thinges done beforne Right as it fyll spare in no manere To tel eche thinge vnto theyr regystrere Thynge openly done or thinge that was secre Of auenture as bytwene twayne Or any quarel take of volunte Trewly reporte and platly not to fayne Them to be sworne the statute dyd ordayne Not conceled of worshyp nor of shame To be regestred reporte the selfe same And to conclude the statute hath vs leared Euery quarel grounded on honeste In that courte what knyght was requyred In the diffence of trouth and equyte Falshed excluded and duplicite Shall aye be redy to sustayne that party His lyfe and hys body to put in ieoparty Thus in Bretayne shone y ◠clere light Of chiualrye and of hie prowesse Which through the world shad his beames bright Wel of worshyp condite of al noblesse Imperial courte all wronges to represse Head sprīg of honor of largise chefe cesterne Myrrour of māhod of noblesse the lanterne Yet was there sene neuer so bryght a sonne The sommers day in the mydday spere So freshly shyne but some skyes donne Might percase curtaine his beames clere Oft it
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
Venandre and of three other kinges and howe they were distroied AFter all these straunge vncouthe thynges Tofore Jhon Bochas as made is mencion There came foure myghtye kynges For to complayne their desolacion Fyrst Gisiuill kyng of the region Called Venandre in werres ful contraire Vnto a prince called Belisaire And to this saide noble Belisaire Full renomed that tyme in chiualry The kyng of Gothes was also aduersayre And both atones of hatred and enuy Assented fully to holde champerty Gayne Belisaire which throughe his hie renoun Toke theÌ„ both cast theÌ„ in prison There is no more of theÌ„ in Bochas founde But after them in order by writyng Came Amarales wyth many blody wound Which in his tyme was of Mawres kynge Without cause or title of any thynge Vpon Jane Sanguin gan werray agayne right Which through Affrik was one y â— best knight The sayde Jane armed in plate and mayle Met Amarales in Affrike on a sande And helde with him a mighty strong bataile And lyke a knight slewe hym wyth his hand Droue al his people proudly frâ— that lande And in my boke there is none other mynde To be remembred oâ— him that I can fynde Than Synduall of Bretaine lorde kyng Tofore Bochas put him selfe in prees Gan shewe his mischefe pitiously wepyng Whan he helde werre wylfull recheles Agayne a prince called Narsates A Romayne knight feirse hardy stronge In his defence whaÌ„ men wold do hun wroÌ„g This Narsates of case or auenture Though he in dede was a manly knyght He fayled membres in sothe of engendrure His aduersaries echon he put to flight Toke their king forthwith anone ryght As the cronicle playnly doth recorde Hye on a galowes he hinge him with a corde Of Narsates after this victory Kyng Totila had full great disdaine With a great host most poÌ„pous in his glory Came vpon him and met hym in a playne With multitude though he were ouerlayne Turnyng Totila which many man behelde Of Narsates was slayne in the felde In order next Bochas doth write Of Gepidoys howe king Trusmonde Required him that he woulde endite The gret aduersites in which he dyd habouÌ„d And of his doughter called Rosamounde The vnhappy chaunce to make discryue To whom fortune was contrary al her lyue Albuinus king of Lombardy Which many a laude helde in subiection Conquered Beme Prage and Hungery The land of Gepedois with manye a region Fought with their king as made is mencion Slewe in battaile the said Trusmonde Wedded after his doughter Rosamonde Myne auctour gretly comendeth her beaute And wryteth also she was but young of age Whose story first whan I dyd se Howe vngracious also was her mariage I gan were pale and dead in my visage Greatly astoined confuse of very shame To write the story in hindring of her name I wyll forbeare and lightly passe here The surplusage lightlye ouerpasse For by and by to tel all the manere Of felonies that dyd in hertes brace It shoulde blot this boke and eke deface For which I cast truely and not fayle Touching her story to make rehersaile The .xxvii. Chapter ☞ Howe Albuinus was murdred by hys wife and howe she moste vycious was after murdred also KInge Albuinus as ye shall vnderstande After many a conquest and victorye Whyche he hadde bothe on see and lande To put his triumphes in memory Let crye a feast to his encrese of glory At whiche feest solempne and principall So as he sate in his estate royall Parcell for pride parcel for gladnesse The quene present the sayd Rosamonde Take supprised he was wyth dronkenes Of stronge wynes whych y t day did haboâ—d Sent a Goblet of golde as it is founde Vnto the quene with licour full pleasaunt Bad to her father she shoulde drinke a taunt She dempt it was a maner mokery First her name and worshyp to confounde To byd her drinke ataunt for her party To her father this sayd Trusmounde Slaine afore wyth many blody wounde By Albuinus through his vnhappy chaunce Of whych rebuke she cast to do vengeaunce She bare the rancour ful long in her entent Whiche day by day gan renewe encrease A certayne squier she made of her assent It to accomply she she woulde neuer cease And on another squier she gan preace Called Perdius accorded all in one This false murdre to execute anone The daye was set whyle he lay a slepe Fyll vpon him w t sharpe swordes grounde Her lorde was slayne alas he toke no kepe Or he died of fortune he hath founde A speares head to a tronchon bounde Him selfe defending in that mortall strife But slaine he was by treason of his wife After this murdre to escape fro daunger This Rosamonde fled awaye by night With her went Melchis her squier Toke a shyp sayled by sterre light To Rauenne they toke the waye ryghte Led with them for refute and socour Of Albuinus al the hole treasour After she was wedded to Melchise Man of this worlde stode most in her grace Her loue appalled set of him no prise For she not coude be content in one place Her ioye was euer newe thing to purchace To assaye many neuer pleased with one Tyll by experience she preued had echone Prouost of Rauenne and chefe gouernour For the excellence of her great beaute Aboue al women loued her peramour Whan she entred fyrst that cite And through her fraude and duplicite She cast to murdre in her frowarde auyce Her newe husband that called was Melchis The hote sommer in lusty freshe May The same Melchis for hete and werines Him selfe to bathe went a certayne day Caught a great thurst of very fayntnes And Rosamonde of infernall falsnes Toke a goblet with licour great foâ—son Gaue him to drinke wine medled with poisoÌ„ He dranke vp halfe and therwithal he gan Brest and belly to swell and to aryse Intoxicate wext deadely pale and wan And whan he dyd her treason aduertise He made her drinke in the same wise Maugre her wyll she might it not restrayne Guerdon for murder they died bothe twayne In this chapter but litle fruite I fynde Saue onely thys to put in remembraunce That folke shoulde call agayne to mynde Murdre afore god requyreth aye veÌ„geaunce This funeral story wayed in balaunce Wrought by Melchis compassed and founde By false treason of cursed Rosamounde Slewe first her lorde Albuinus as I sayde Two of her squiers dyd execucion Out of his slepe whan he dyd abrayde Let counterpayse what was her guerdon Ech murdred other by drinking of poison Melchis drank first next draÌ„k RosamouÌ„de At them it gan to theÌ„ it dyd rebounde Counterpaysed one murder for an other Albuinus slayne by Rosamounde hys wyfe By assent of Melchis after eche to other The poison parted there gan a fatall strife Murder for murder they both lost their life Who vseth falsnes ful wel affirme I dare Shal with falsnes be quit or he be
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
the name of king Siculus Trinacry a countre merueylous Toke first his name of famous hylles thre The chefe of them is called Peâ—orus The next Pathmus the third Lyllybe Not ferre from Ethua the sayd hilles be Beside a sea full perilous and ylle With two dangers Caribdis and Scille The sayd Lewes kyng of Jerusalem And of Cecile the boke maketh mencion Which was chased and put out of his realme By another Lewes and put down Ended in pouerte for short conclusion This last Lewes of pite dyd hym grace Tyl he died to haue a dwellyng place The .xxxviii. Chapter How king John of Fraunce at Poyters was taken prisoner by prince Edwarde and brought into Englande NExt of all and last of euerychone Cursyng Fortune with all her variaunce Makyng hys complaynt to Bochas came king John Tolde his tale how he was take in Fraunce By priÌ„ce Edward for all his great puissauÌ„ce And after with strong and mighty hand He was fro Poyters brought into England Afore distroyed his castels and his townes And ouerthrowen manly in battayle His princes slayne theyr baners penouns Nor brode standers might them not auayle The trace out sought spoiled of plate maile Maugre his might kiÌ„g John was prisoner In England after abode full many a yere Set afterwarde to full great raunson The worthy slayne on the Frenche party The same time in Brutes Albyon There floured in suche noblesse chyualry With high prudence and prudent policy Mars and Mercury aboue eche nacion Gouerned that tyme Brutus Albion Mars for knighthode theyr patron i batraile And Mynerua gaue them influence Meynt with brightnesse of plate mayle To stour in clergye and in hie prudence That prince Edward by marciall violence That day on liue one the best knight Brought home kinge John maugre all hys might Though Bochas gaue him fauour by laÌ„gage His heart enclined to that partye Which vnto him was but small auauntage Worde is but winde brought in by enuye For to hinder the famous chiualrye Of English meÌ„ ful narow he gan him thinke Left speare shelde fought with pen ynke Though the sayd Bochas floured in Poetry His parcial writyng gaue no mortal wouÌ„de Caught a quarell in his melancoly Which to his shame afterward did rebounde In conclusion lyke as it was founde Agayne king John a quarel gan to take Cause that he would of English men be take Helde them but small of reputacion In his report men may hys writyng see His fantasy nor hys opinon Stode in that case of none authorite Their kiÌ„g was take their knightes did flee Wher was Bochas to helpe theÌ„ at such nede Saue with his pen he made no man to blede Of right wisnesse euery croniculer Should in his writyng make no exception Indifferently conuey his matter Not be perciall of none affection But gyf the thanke of mortal guerdon Hys style in order so egally obserued To euery party as they haue deserued Laude of king John was that he abode In that he quit hym like a manly knight His lordes slayne some away they rode Most of his meyny toke them to the flight This iourney take for king Edwardes right The feelde y wonne haue this in memory Trouthes hold hath gladly the victory Of king John what should I write more Brought to this land with other prisoners Vpon which the realme complayned sore By rehearsayle of olde Croniclers Died in England within a fewe yeres Led home agayne after theyr writynges Lieth at S. Denys with other kinges ⧠Lenuoye OF Bochas boke the last tragedye Compendiouslye put in remembraunce How prince Edwarde w t his chiualrye Fought at Poiters w t king John of FrauÌ„ce And through his mighty Marciall puysauÌ„ce GrouÌ„ded his quarell vpon his fathers right Toke him prisoner ful like a manly knight By collusion kyng John dyd occupye Set out of order the royall aliaunce Scepter and crowne with all the regalye Was down desceÌ„ded to Edward iÌ„ substauÌ„ce CoÌ„ueyed y e brauÌ„ches by lineall concordaunce For which title grounded vpon right Prince Edward fought like a manly knight His clayme and quarel more to fortify In token y â— god his quarel would auaunce Discomfiture was made on that party Vpon kyng John by violent vtraunce An heauenly signe by influent purueyaunce Sent from aboue to shew Edwardes right For which y e priÌ„ce fought like a maÌ„ly knight Noble princes your heartes do applye Justly to way this matter in balaunce All thing paysed ye mâ— it not denye If ye consider euery circumstaunce In right Judges may be no variaunce The fielde dâ—rreyued deme who hath right For whiche y e priÌ„ce fought like a maÌ„ly knight Thing of assent put in ieopardy And committed to Gods ordinaunce There may be after no contrauersy Atwene party quarel nor distaunce Who shal reioyse in this case stode Fraunce Sith at Poyters declaring who hath right PriÌ„ce Edward fought like a manly knight ¶ Here Bochas maketh a rehearsayl how Fortune hath made highe estates vnwarely to discende LEt folke of wisdom coÌ„sider in their wit Gather vp a sum count in theyr reason To all estates how Fortune hath her quit To popes prelates gyn first in Rome town To cardinals most souerayne of renown When they sat hiest coude them not defende Agayn Fortune by no proivsion But with a turne she made them to diseend After in order call to remembraunce The state imperial of famous emperours Which as Appollo through theyr puyssaunce Theyr fame vp blow to Jupiters tours And forget not these olde conquerours Aboue Mercury cast them to ascende Tyl that fortune with her frowarde shours Most sodaynly made them to discende Kinges and princes of diuers regions In Asye Europe Affrike and Cartage Of Ethiope the marciall champions Monsters of Inde hydous of visage Athlas Hercules iÌ„ their most furious rage Against whose might no man coude hiÌ„defeÌ„de What folowed from their hyest stage Fortune vnwarely made them to discende Priestes prelates well fed fat persons And patriarkes that had great soueraynte Reken vp religioÌ„s w t al their brode crownes Byshops abbottes confyrmed in their see Beholde of fortune the mutabylite Seculere chanons w t many great prebende whan they sate hyghest in their felycite Howe sodaynly she made them to discende All y t is written is written to our doctryne One courbeth lowe another gothe vpright Some be vicious some in vertue shyne Phebus now clipsed soÌ„tyme shyneth bright Somtyme cloudy somtyme sterlight Some folke appayre some dothe amende Shew of Fortune the power the might One goth vpward another doth discende Some man holy encreaseth in vertue Another rechelesse of frowarde wilfulnesse One is perfit and stable in Christ Jesu Another braydeth vpon frowardnesse One encreaseth with treasour richesse Who list thriue to labour must attende Maugre the world Fortunes doublenesse Doth one arise another doth discende One is busy and setteth ail his labour Early to aryse his good to multiply Another spendeth and is a great wastouâ— Some tre is barayn some tre doth fructifye One can say sothe another can well lye One can gather another can dispende Vnto fortune this matter dothe applye She maketh one to arise another to disceÌ„de All these matters combined into one Of which this boke maketh mencion Voyde the wede of vertue take the corne As reason teacheth in your discrecion And for to make a short conclusion In a brefe summe this b 〈…〉 o comprehende Fortunes whele by reuolâ—â—ion Doth one clymbe vp another to discend ☞ The wordes of the translatour W 〈…〉 letters leues this lytell boke treÌ„bling Pray to the prince to haue on the pyte Vâ—â—â—e of all picture and enlumynyng Wâ—â—â—h hast of Cicero no curious dyte 〈◊〉 of his gardayne no floures of beaute 〈…〉 graunt grace thy rudenesse nat offende 〈…〉 hygh noblesse and magnanymyte 〈…〉 s presence whan thou shalt ascende And for my parte of one hert abyding 〈…〉 de of chaunge and mutabylite 〈◊〉 present this boke with hand shakyng Of hole affection knelyng on my kne Praying the lord one two and thre Whose magnificence no clerke may coÌ„preheÌ„de Sende you might grace and prosperite Euer in vertue to encreace and ascende To kisse y â— steppes of theÌ„ that were furtheriÌ„g Laureat poetes whiche had soueraynte Of eloquence to supporte thy makyng And pray all tho that shall this processe se In thyne excuse that they lyst to be And where it is amysse for to amende Set thy grounde vpon humylite Vnto their grace that thou mayst ascende In a shorte clause thy content rehersyng As one vp clymbeth to great prosperite So another by experte knowlegyng From great rychesse is brought to pouerte Alas O boke what shall I say of the Thy tragedyes thrugh all y â— worlde to sende Go forthe I pray excuse thy selfe and me Who loueth most vertue highest shal ascende Blacke be thy wede of coÌ„playnt mourniÌ„g Called fall of princes from their felycite Lyke Chaunteplure now singing nowe weping Wo after myrth next ioy aduersyte So entremedled there is no suerte Lyke as this boke doth prayse coÌ„prehende Nowe on the whele now set in lowe degre Who will encreace by vertue must ascende The ende of Bochas Volumes
horible dede Which Nero vsed whylom on Sporus And on an other called Ompharus Both male chyldren as bokes tel can Them to transfourme to likenes of a womaÌ„ Some bokes of hym determine Lyke a ribaude horrible and detestable He misused his mother Agripine And lyke a tiraunt cruel and vengeable Which to remember is abhominable He made her wombe be corue vpon a daye To se the place nyne monethes where he lay Of disnatural hateful cruelte To God nor vertue hauyng no regarde And of the vyce of prodigalite He was accused in knyghthod a cowarde And to al vertue contrary and frowarde Of whos wodenes good hede whan I toke I was ashamed to set hym in thys booke He hated al that were vertuous And to them had special enuy Hys brethern his wyfe this tirant dyspitous He falsly slewe in hys malencoly His mayster Senec auctours specifye Aye whan he saw him hauiÌ„g a maner drede In an hote bathe to deth he made him blede To Polifagus a wodeman most sauage Which that fed him most with fleshe of man Nero toke men olde and yonge of age To fynde him vitayle in stretes where he caÌ„e Cursed at his ende cursed whan he gan Whan he dyd offre innocentes blode To be deuoured of him that ran so wode Christes fayeth fyrst he gan werreye Of emperours in hys frowarde entent Peter and Paule in Rome he made deye Vpon a day their legende dothe assent Halfe the cite of Rome I fynde he brent And Senatours welnye euerychone This Nero slewe spared almost neuer one Made hys Mules be shod wyth siluer shone Of surquedye whan he shoulde ryde The cite brent Romayns after sone Pursued him vpon euery syde And from a subarbe where he did abyde Twene Salaria and Numentana right Ther stant a path whyder he toke hys flyght By a depe marys as Nero toke his flyght Whan he saw he myght not asterte He was so pursued by a Romayne knyght To fynde socour he myght not dyuerte Roue him selfe anone vnto the herte Wyth a sharpe dagger a cursed ende lo Of the false tiraunt that called was Nero. In stede of a Lenuoye OF this Nero to write a Lenuoye Nor of his dedes to make mencion To rede the processe no man should haue ioye For al concludeth of murdre and of treason On aduoutry excesse and poyson Riot glotony lechery vengeaunce Slaughter of him selfe ended with mischauÌ„ce If that I myght I wolde race his name Out of this boke that no man should it rede His vicious lyfe chefe myrrour of diffame Set hym asyde let no wyght take hede For to remembre so many a cruell dede Saue onely thys to thinke in substaunce Howe euery tiraunt endeth in mischaunce Of him I cast to wrytenowe no more And what I say is sayde but in reprefe Of the vyces that he wrought of yore Duryng his empyre concluding for a chefe All tyrannye shall ende wyth myschefe Recorde on Nero which for misgouernauÌ„ce As ye haue herde ended wyth mischaunce The .vi. Chapter Howe Eleazarus a Jewe borne for extorcion and robbrye was brought in prison and there ended AAter Nero came Eleazarus A Jewe of byrth a price of robbry An extorcioner cruel dispitous For his outrages don in that party To redresse his hateful tiranny A mighty pretour was sent fro Rome doun Called Felix in to that region By force of Felix take he was and bounde Maugre his myght vnto Rome sent Strongly fettred wyth massy chaynes rouÌ„d Suffred in prison many great turment At the last this was his iudgement There to abyde because he was a thefe For euermore ended in mischefe The .vii. Chapter How the heade of Galba was smytten of filled ful of golde and offred at the sepulture of Nero. TOfore Bocas next came Galba down Whych in Spayne dyd many knyghtly dede After the deth rehersed of Neroun In hope stode this Galba as I rede In th empyre iustly to succede Parcell for knightehode he hath hym so well borne And for great mariage which he had beforne I finde in Bochas rehersed in sentence He was disclaundred of hateful vices thre He was cruell contrary to clemence Straite in keping gayne liberalite Vengeable of herte gayne mercy and pitie A thynge not sitting vnto chyualry Of custome yeue to slouth and slogardy To occupye th empyre he began Among Romains toke possession Claiming a title by one Licyâ—ian That was his sonne by adopcion But anone after for his presumpcion One called Occho a full manly knyght Smyt of his head were it wronge or ryght This sayd Galba mine auctour writeth thus From his empire vn warely pulled doun Had an enemy called Patrobolus The head of Galba toke in possession Filled it with golde made an oblacion At the sepulture of Nero therewithal To all the goddes goddesses infernall The .viii. Chapter Howe Occho and Vitellius for glottony lechery ribaudry and crueltie ended in mischefe ANd after that thys offryng was full doo As ye haue herde to Bochas than To make hys complainte in order came Pyso Afore surnamed iustly Lycinian Sonne adoptyfe to tel as I began Of the sayde Galba claimyng to succede Slaine anone after by Occho as I rede Than was thempire parted in to three Occho toke Rome vnto his partye And Vitellius to reigne in the countre Ouer the boundes of all Germanye And Vaspasian reigned in Surrey But fyrst this Occho surnamed Siluius Came to complaine cruel and dispitous Of al thempire this same Siluius By slaughter rauyne and extorcion By murdre dethe and dedes outragious With mighty hande toke the possession And there began a great deuision Whiche was occasion of great sorowe woo Atwene Vitellius and this sayde Occho It is reherced that in Germanye In sondry places they had battayls three In the whych Occho wyth hys partye Venquished the felde made hys fone to flee But through fortunes mutabilite The fourth tyme playnly this is the caas Maugre hys myght discomfited ther he was Tofore Bedry a myghty stronge cite Of Germanye was this discomfiture After which of frowarde cruelte This sayde Occho seyng his auenture With wo supprised might not endure Of his constraint the unportable payne Toke a sworde and roue his herte a twayne Vitellius hauing the victory With his power as made is mencion Of surquedy and false vayne glory Came with his hoste in to Rome toun But Bochas here maketh a discripcion Rehersing shortly his byrth eke his lyne And how that he of blode was Saturnyne This to say Saturnus king of Crete Chaced by Jupiter out of his region And Ianus had in Itayle take his sete Vpon a mount called Ianiculum Where nowe of Rome is bilte the large toun Ianus receuyng of liberalite Whan Saturne fled in to his cite Tofore y â— coÌ„ming of Saturne this no fayle Rude and boystous and beastial of reason Was al the people abyding in Itayle Land was none sowe nor turned vp so doun Nor marchaundise vsed in no toun Tyll Saturne taught the
maner of liuyng Of tilth labour to Ianus that was kyng Afore whose commyng tofore as I you tolde Craft was none vsed by no creature Nor no building of houses newe nor olde But liued as beastes their liuelode to recure Lyke as they were learned of nature They coude tho daies make no cloth ne shape Of frosty wethers the greuous colde tescape They were not busy by costfull apparayle Of sundry meates and confections Of diuers drinkes manifolde vitayle To be curious to their refections Marketts were none in cities nor in tounes No man wyth other bought nor solde Tyll Saturne came theÌ„ the maner tolde And whan he had taught them the manere And set an ordre of their gouernaunce There symple people as bokes do vs lere Lyke as to god did their attendaunce w t certaine rightes to do their obseruaunce Worshipped him and after did him call Saturne most myghty of their goddes al. After this Saturne was made a petegre To set an ordre conueied from his lyne Discending downe the maner who list se To one Latinus and so forth to Lauine Which was his doughter as poetes determie Thus by disceÌ„t fro Saturne Faunus Borne of their blode came Vitellius The fyrst knyght borne of that linage Bycause he was manly and ryght famous Had in armes prowesse and great corrage He called was Vitellius Publius And of him came Vitellus Lucius Father to him mine auctour doth expresse Of whom that I haue gonne this processe Diuers stories remembre plainly tell During hys youthe and stode at liberte How this for sayde that called was Vitell Was the most vicious y â— any where might be Yeue to ribaudy and al dishoneste Because of which chauÌ„ged was his name Called Spintour a name of great diffame I finde that he was an hasardour In all his workes passyng riotous For his surfetes great with the emperour That whilom was called Claudius And for his dedes and maners outragious For his great waste and prodigalite Of great dispce he fell in pouerte Amonge his riotes surfetes moe than one Whiche he did in countreis here and there I finde that he for nede solde a stone Which his mother bare whylom at her eare For by olde time was vsed who list lere Women that were that tyme of hye degre Bare at their eares stones and perre And by the sellyng of that rych stone For whych that he receyued great treasour By subtyll workyng sleightes mo than one He gate him trendes was made emperour And therewithall he dyd eke his labour To receyue another dignite To be chefe byshop in Rome the cite And in short tyme thys Vitellius Of th empyre toke on him al the state The sworde receiued of Cesar Julius Vsed a garnement that was purpurate Dempt of him selfe he was most fortunate Not w t staÌ„ding more boldely that time atleest Of Aliensoys holden was the feest Aliensoys was a solempnite Amonge Romaynes kept by dayes olde In freÌ„ch myne auctour recordeth thus parde And in that tyme of custome no man shoulde Nor by statute bounde was nor holde To do no maner occupacion That touched vnto religion Duryng this feast he should haue hys askyng By a custome vsed in that cite And Vitellius as emperour and kyng Asked that time another dignite To be chefe byshop and haue auctorite Of that estate wyth power hole playne No man so hardy to reply theragayne From al vertue Vytel dyd vary Set at nought al wysdome and science Thought vnto him was not necessary CoÌ„ning knighthode maÌ„hode nor prouideÌ„ce Gaue hym onely to slouth and negligence To glotony folowyng his desyres Watche alnyght wyth drinke â—eresoupers Beyng a byshop of their panym lawe Lyke romayne ryghtes doynge their seruise Tofore the goddes he wold him selfe w tdrawe And cast asyde senser and sacrifice And call a boy in ful vngodly wyse A kechyn boye tofore the hye auter And hym coÌ„mauÌ„ded to bryng hym hys dyner Beyng arayed in his pontificail For the maner voyde of deuocion Lyke a ribaude or lyke a wode minstral Euer dronkle we and out of all ceason Gorge vpon Gorge this excessyue gloton Most ydropike dranke oft agayne lust The more he dranke the more he was athrust Thys was a byshop sacred for Sathan And an emperour crowned wyth mischauÌ„ce More lyke in porte a beast than a man Vsed al his power in slaughter vengeauÌ„ce To shed blode was set all hys pleasaunce Takynge no hede nouther of wrong ne right And thus he wexte hatefull to euery wyght Hys soudiours forsoke hym nye echone In al parties by hym where they were sent Through al the countreis of Septemtrion And in al Surry towarde the orient Of one accorde and all of one assent Echone forsoke hym wyth him bode not a maÌ„ And became seruauntes to Vaspasian Vitellius sawe it wolde be none other And for feble of dronknenes and outrage And sawe the power gan fayle of hys brother Whan he had sent and signed the voyage Agayne Vaspasian to holde hys passage But al for nought backward went hys party Stode dyspayred of euery remedy Thus Vitellius vnhappy to the werres Lyke a fordronke vnhappy gloton Whose bost afore raught vp to the sterres Now al hys pryde in mischefe is come doun Fayne for to accord to thys conuencion For litel treasour whych men shoulde hym assygne To Vaspasian th empyre to resygne Thys was his promise but he held it nought What he sayd his worde was neuer stable Certaine flaterers chauÌ„ged had hys thoughte And certayne comoÌ„s that euer be chauÌ„geable Gaue him couÌ„saile sayd hym selfe was able To gouerne thestate imperial And none so able for to reken al. Fyrst of Almayne he sent out soudiours And of presumpcion a newe werre he gan Thought y â— he was amoÌ„ge other werriours Able to fight agayne Vaspasian And of auenture it befell so than In these werres Vaspasians brother Yslayne was it woulde be none other This froward man called Vitellius Vngracious euer founde in hys entent Smyt of the head of the sayde Fabius Brother of VaspasiaÌ„ and to Rome it sent And after that the Capitoyle he brent But suynge on within a lytel space Among Romayns he lost both hap grace Of hys riot what shoulde I more entrete For except riot nothynge of hym I rede His coke his pastelere folke were most mete To serue his lustes and appetites to fede Forsoke him not but went wyth hym in dede Toward Champayne ryght as any lyne Vp to a hyll called Auentyne Standing in hope but that was but in vayne Of Vaspasian the fauour to recure Euyn to Rome retourned is agayne The palays entred there him selfe to assure Hauyng with him none other creature The gates shyt whych was to him shame Take at the last forsoke hys owne name Halfe naked he was and halfe clad Al alone lyke as he was founde So in the citie afore the people lad Both his handes behynde hys backe bounde With mighty chaines and
Henry hys father gan counsayle Agayne the churche to do no violence But him submit wyth humble obedience The strife enduringe atwene these estates Frederik made his sonne to be accused To hym of crymelese magestatis Woulde not suffer he should be excused But lyke a man maliciously refused By his fathers cursed false treason He was coÌ„maunded to dye in prison Some bokes say he was taken brought To his father of dome to haue sentence But lyke a man passed sorow thought Whych to hys lyfe had none aduertence Furiously and wyth great vyolence As he was lad alas on horsbake Hys horse fyl downe so hys necke he brake Some bokes reherse of hym and sayne Hys father toke agayne hym occasion And whan he had longe in cheynes layne At great mischefe he dyed in prison And some saye that he fyl doun Of a bridge as Bochas reherseth herâ— And drowned was in a depe ryuere ☞ A commendacion of Bochas of suche as be kynde to their kynred NExte in ordre myne auctour dyd hys cure To make a speciall commendacion Of such as be disposed by nature And by their kyndly inclinacion As blode requireth and generacion To acquite theÌ„ selfe in thought wyll dede Without fayning vnto theyr kinred Specially that none vnkindnesse Be founde in them for none aduersite To consider of naturall gentylnes To them appropred is mercy and pyte And to auoyde the false duplicite That was in Frederik whyche so vnkyndly Let slee hys sonne that called was Henry Pyte is appropred to kynrede Father and mother by disposicion To cherysh theyr chyldren and eke fede Tyl seuen yere passe lawe maketh mencion And as they be bounde of naturall reason That tyme passed their tendernes tenâ—lyne Vnto fortune by vertuous dyscipline Than afterwarde in theyr adolescence Vertuously to tech them and chastise Norish them in doctrine and Science Fostre in vertue vices to dyspyse To be curteyse prudent sad and eke wyse For whan they gyn wyth vertue in that age Gladly after they do no great outrage As it longeth to euery gentle lygne And blode royall by kyndly influence To father mother shewe them selfe benigne Of humble hertes to do them reuerence Aye to remembre in their aduertence On syxe princes that wrought the contrarye For whyche fortune was their aduersarye Eueriche to other founde was vnkinde In cursed blode may be no kindnesse Of one tarage sauoureth tree and rynde The frute also beareth of the tre wytnes And semblably the fathers cursednes Wyth mortall sworde in nature reprouable Againe the childe is ofte sene vengeable Among whych Brutus is rekened one Next in order folowed Manlius Slewe their chyldren by recorde euerychone Philip Manlius and also Cassius And cruell Herode fel and malicious Frederik also most vengeably Slewe his sonne that called was Henry This Frederik aye frowarde and contrary Towarde his son not gracious nor benygne From holy churche vngoodly he gan vary And theragayne frowardly maligne And lyke a man obstinate and vndigne Dyed accursed thrugh misgouernaunce Wythout confession or repentaunce The .xxiiii. chapter ☞ Howe Manfroye kyng of Poyle was slayne NExte too Bochas of Poyle came the kynge Began hys fall and complaynte to specify Called Manfroy and for hys false workyng Put downe and slayne cause of his tiranuy Lo what auayleth septr or regaly To a tyraunt which of violence List to god warde haue none aduertence The .xxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Ences kyng of Sardiny dyed in prison WYth loke downe cast deadly pale of chere Of Sardinya Ences nexte came doun Kyng of that lande to tell the manere Howe he werrayed agayne the myghty toun Called Bononâ—a to his confusion By them veÌ„quished wyth chaynes rouÌ„de Dyed in prison so long he lay there bounde FolowiÌ„g myne auctour called Bocas Jhon In Sardinia as he maketh mynde Serpent nor wolfe in that lande was none Hauyng a well whych of very kynde Theues eyen the water maketh blynd To true folke as he doth deuine Water thereof was helth and Medicine There groweth also an herbe as bokes sey Which that is so diuers of nature Who tasteth therof laughyng he shal dey No medicine may helpe them nor succour The touche therof stante eke in auenture If it enter his mouth on any syde He shal alyue for laughter not abyde The .xxvi. chapter ⧠Howe an other Frederyke was slayne by iudgemente of hys brother THere was another frowarde Frederike Sonne of Alphonce that was king of Castyle Of corage wode and eke franâ—yke His owne brother falsly to begyle Began a werre lastynge but a whyle Whose purpose was his brother to dysceiue And the crowne of Castile to receyue This Frederike came with a greate battaile Agayne his brother for the same entent Of his purpose yet he dyd fayle God nor fortune were not of assent Take in the felde and by iudgement Of his brother for his great trespace Slayne openly he had no better grace The .xxvii. Chapter ☞ Howe Manimettus and Argones dyed at mischefe MAnymettus of Perce lorde and kyng Came next in preace distressed in gret payne Vpon fortune pitiously playnyng His aduersite dyd him so constrayne For there was one whych at him did disdaine Called Argones voide of title or ligne Gayne Manimettus proudlye gan malinge Whych Argones for his presumpcion Take at mischete by sodayne violence His dome was giuen to dye in prison Of no power to make resistence But fortune that can no difference Of her chaunges atwene frende and fo Caused them dye at mischefe both two ⧠The .xxviii. Chapter ☞ Howe Charles Kynge of Jerusalem and of Cecile for auarice and auoutry died at mischefe AFter these forsayde rehersed in sentence As Bochas remembreth in hys style Came Noble Charles vnto presence Kyng of Jerusalem and also of Cecile Of whose coÌ„ming myn auctour a great while Astoyned was to se his knyghtly face With such chere come in to the place For by hys porte who behelde hym wele Considred fyrst his loke and hys vysage It sempt he trad vpon fortunes whele And of his noble marciall corage Had of her power gotten auauntage Shewyng him selfe on eche partye Her and her might dyd vtterly defye First to commende his royall hye lynage And of his vertuous famous alyaunce And by writing and praysing of langage The name of him specially to auaunce Sayth he was borne of the blode of FrauÌ„ce And to encreace most soueraynlye his prise Writeth he was brother vnto saynt Le wyse Gaue to Fraunce this commendacion So as Phebus passeth eche other sterre Right so that kingdom in comparison Passeth euery lande both nie and ferre In policy be it peace or werre For it transcendeth in peace by prouydence And in werre by knightly excellence These wordes be nat take of myne auctour Entytled here for a remembraunce By one Laurence whiche was translatour Of this processe to commende Fraunce To prayse that lande was all his plesaunce Sayth influence of that royall lande Made Charles so worthy of