-
Balthasar (Belshazzar).
-
- His sone, which that highte Balthasar,
- That heeld the regne after his fader day,
-
He by his fader coude nought be war,
Skeat1900: 3375
- For proud he was of herte and of array;
-
And eek an ydolastre was he ay.
- His hye estaat assured him in pryde.
- But fortune caste him doun, and ther he lay,
-
And sodeynly his regne gan divyde.
Skeat1900: 3380
-
-
A feste he made un-to his lordes alle
Skeat1900: (201)
- Up-on a tyme, and bad hem blythe be,
- And than his officeres gan he calle—
-
‘Goth, bringeth forth the vessels,’ [tho] quod he,
-
‘Which that my fader, in his prosperitee,
Skeat1900: 3385
- Out of the temple of Ierusalem birafte,
- And to our hye goddes thanke we
- Of honour, that our eldres with us lafte.’
-
- His wyf, his lordes, and his concubynes
-
Ay dronken, whyl hir appetytes laste,
Skeat1900: 3390
-
Out of thise noble vessels sundry wynes;
Skeat1900: (211)
- And on a wal this king his yën caste,
- And sey an hond armlees, that wroot ful faste,
- For fere of which he quook and syked sore.
-
This hond, that Balthasar so sore agaste,
Skeat1900: 3395
-
Wroot
Mane, techel, phares,
and na-more.
-
- In al that lond magicien was noon
- That coude expoune what this lettre mente;
- But Daniel expouned it anoon,
-
And seyde, ‘king, god to thy fader lente
Skeat1900: 3400
-
Glorie and honour, regne, tresour, rente:
Skeat1900: (221)
- And he was proud, and no-thing god ne dradde,
- And therfor god gret wreche up-on him sente,
- And him birafte the regne that he hadde.
-
-
He was out cast of mannes companye,
Skeat1900: 3405
- With asses was his habitacioun,
- And eet hey as a beste in weet and drye,
- Til that he knew, by grace and by resoun,
- That god of heven hath dominacioun
-
Over every regne and every creature;
Skeat1900: 3410
-
And thanne had god of him compassioun,
Skeat1900: (231)
- And him restored his regne and his figure.
-
- Eek thou, that art his sone, art proud also,
- And knowest alle thise thinges verraily,
-
And art rebel to god, and art his fo.
Skeat1900: 3415
- Thou drank eek of his vessels boldely;
- Thy wyf eek and thy wenches sinfully
- Dronke of the same vessels sondry wynes,
- And heriest false goddes cursedly;
-
Therfor to thee y-shapen ful gret pyne is.
Skeat1900: 3420
-
-
This hand was sent from god, that on the walle
Skeat1900: (241)
-
Wroot
mane, techel, phares,
truste me;
- Thy regne is doon, thou weyest noght at alle;
- Divyded is thy regne, and it shal be
-
To Medes and to Perses yeven
,’ quod he.
Skeat1900: 3425
- And thilke same night this king was slawe,
- And Darius occupyeth his degree,
- Thogh he therto had neither right ne lawe.
-
- Lordinges, ensample heer-by may ye take
-
How that in lordshipe is no sikernesse;
Skeat1900: 3430
-
For whan fortune wol a man forsake,
Skeat1900: (251)
- She bereth awey his regne and his richesse,
- And eek his freendes, bothe more and lesse;
- For what man that hath freendes thurgh fortune,
-
Mishap wol make hem enemys, I gesse:
Skeat1900: 3435
- This proverbe is ful sooth and ful commune.
-
Cenobia (Zenobia).
-
-
Cenobia, of Palimerie quene,
- As writen Persiens of hir noblesse,
- So worthy was in armes and so kene,
-
That no wight passed hir in hardinesse,
Skeat1900: 3440
-
Ne in linage, ne in other gentillesse.
Skeat1900: (261)
- Of kinges blode of Perse is she descended;
- I seye nat that she hadde most fairnesse,
- But of hir shape she mighte nat been amended.
-
-
From hir childhede I finde that she fledde
Skeat1900: 3445
- Office of wommen, and to wode she wente;
- And many a wilde hertes blood she shedde
- With arwes brode that she to hem sente.
- She was so swift that she anon hem hente,
-
And whan that she was elder, she wolde kille
Skeat1900: 3450
-
Leouns, lepardes, and beres al to-rente,
Skeat1900: (271)
- And in hir armes welde hem at hir wille.
-
- She dorste wilde beestes dennes seke,
- And rennen in the montaignes al the night,
-
And slepen under a bush, and she coude eke
Skeat1900: 3455
- Wrastlen by verray force and verray might
- With any yong man, were he never so wight;
- Ther mighte no-thing in hir armes stonde.
- She kepte hir maydenhod from every wight,
-
To no man deigned hir for to be bonde.
Skeat1900: 3460
-
-
But atte laste hir frendes han hir maried
Skeat1900: (281)
-
To Odenake, a prince of that contree,
- Al were it so that she hem longe taried;
- And ye shul understonde how that he
-
Hadde swiche fantasyes as hadde she.
Skeat1900: 3465
- But nathelees, whan they were knit in-fere,
- They lived in Ioye and in felicitee;
-
For ech of hem hadde other leef
and dere.
-
- Save o thing, that she never wolde assente
-
By no wey, that he sholde by hir lye
Skeat1900: 3470
-
But ones, for it was hir pleyn entente
Skeat1900: (291)
- To have a child, the world to multiplye;
- And al-so sone as that she mighte espye
- That she was nat with childe with that dede,
-
Than wolde she suffre him doon his fantasye
Skeat1900: 3475
- Eft-sone, and nat but ones, out of drede.
-
- And if she were with childe at thilke cast,
- Na-more sholde he pleyen thilke game
- Til fully fourty dayes weren past;
-
Than wolde she ones suffre him do the same.
Skeat1900: 3480
-
Al were this Odenake wilde or tame,
Skeat1900: (301)
- He gat na-more of hir, for thus she seyde,
- ‘It was to wyves lecherye and shame
- In other cas, if that men with hem pleyde.’
-
-
Two sones by this Odenake hadde she,
Skeat1900: 3485
- The whiche she kepte in vertu and lettrure;
- But now un-to our tale turne we.
- I seye, so worshipful a creature,
- And wys therwith, and large with mesure,
-
So penible in the werre, and curteis eke,
Skeat1900: 3490
-
Ne more labour mighte in werre endure,
Skeat1900: (311)
-
Was noon, thogh al this world men sholde seke.
-
- Hir riche array ne mighte nat be told
- As wel in vessel as in hir clothing;
-
She was al clad in perree and in gold,
Skeat1900: 3495
- And eek she lafte noght, for noon hunting,
- To have of sondry tonges ful knowing,
- Whan that she leyser hadde, and for to entende
- To lernen bokes was al hir lyking,
-
How she in vertu mighte hir lyf dispende.
Skeat1900: 3500
-
-
And, shortly of this storie for to trete,
Skeat1900: (321)
- So doughty was hir housbonde and eek she,
- That they conquered many regnes grete
- In the orient, with many a fair citee,
-
Apertenaunt un-to the magestee
Skeat1900: 3505
- Of Rome, and with strong hond helde hem ful faste;
- Ne never mighte hir fo-men doon hem flee,
-
Ay whyl that Odenakes dayes laste.
-
- Hir batailes, who-so list hem for to rede,
-
Agayn Sapor the king and othere mo,
Skeat1900: 3510
-
And how that
al this proces fil in dede,
Skeat1900: (331)
-
Why she conquered and what title had therto,
- And after of hir meschief and hir wo,
- How that she was biseged and y-take,
-
Let him un-to my maister Petrark go,
Skeat1900: 3515
- That writ y-nough of this, I undertake.
-
-
When Odenake was deed, she mightily
-
The regnes heeld, and with hir propre honde
- Agayn hir foos she faught so cruelly,
-
That ther nas king ne prince in al that londe
Skeat1900: 3520
-
That he nas glad, if that he grace fonde,
Skeat1900: (341)
- That she ne wolde up-on his lond werreye;
-
With hir they made alliaunce by bonde
- To been in pees, and lete hir ryde and pleye.
-
-
The emperour of Rome, Claudius,
Skeat1900: 3525
- Ne him bifore, the Romayn Galien,
- Ne dorste never been so corageous,
- Ne noon Ermyn, ne noon Egipcien,
- Ne Surrien, ne noon Arabien,
-
Within the feld that dorste with hir fighte
Skeat1900: 3530
-
Lest that she wolde hem with hir hondes slen,
Skeat1900: (351)
- Or with hir meynee putten hem to flighte.
-
- In kinges habit wente hir sones two,
- As heires of hir fadres regnes alle,
-
And Hermanno, and Thymalao
Skeat1900: 3535
- Her names were, as Persiens hem calle.
- But ay fortune hath in hir hony galle;
- This mighty quene may no whyl endure.
- Fortune out of hir regne made hir falle
-
To wrecchednesse and to misaventure.
Skeat1900: 3540
-
-
Aurelian, whan that the governaunce
Skeat1900: (361)
- Of Rome cam in-to his hondes tweye,
- He shoop up-on this queen to do vengeaunce,
- And with his legiouns he took his weye
-
Toward Cenobie, and, shortly for to seye,
Skeat1900: 3545
- He made hir flee, and atte laste hir hente,
- And fettred hir, and eek hir children tweye,
- And wan the lond, and hoom to Rome he wente.
-
- Amonges othere thinges that he wan,
-
Hir char, that was with gold wrought and perree,
Skeat1900: 3550
-
This grete Romayn, this Aurelian,
Skeat1900: (371)
- Hath with him lad, for that men sholde it see.
-
Biforen his triumphe walketh she
- With gilte cheynes on hir nekke hanging;
-
Corouned was she, as after hir degree,
Skeat1900: 3555
- And ful of perree charged hir clothing.
-
- Allas, fortune! she that whylom was
- Dredful to kinges and to emperoures,
- Now gaureth al the peple on hir, allas!
-
And she that helmed was in starke stoures,
Skeat1900: 3560
-
And wan by force tounes stronge and toures,
Skeat1900: (381)
-
Shal on hir heed now were a vitremyte;
- And she that bar the ceptre ful of floures
-
Shal bere a distaf, hir cost for to quyte.
[T. 14380.
(
Nero
follows in
T.;
see
p 259.)
-
De Petro Rege Ispannie.
-
-
O noble, o worthy Petro, glorie of Spayne,
[T. 14685.
-
Whom fortune heeld so hy in magestee,
Skeat1900: 3566
- Wel oughten men thy pitous deeth complayne!
- Out of thy lond thy brother made thee flee;
- And after, at a sege, by subtiltee,
-
Thou were bitrayed
, and lad un-to his tente,
Skeat1900: 3570
-
Wher-as he with his owene hond slow thee,
Skeat1900: (391)
- Succeding in thy regne and in thy rente.
-
-
The feeld of snow, with thegle of blak ther-inne,
[T. 14693.
- Caught with the lymrod, coloured as the glede,
-
He brew this cursednes and al this sinne.
Skeat1900: 3575
- The ‘wikked nest’ was werker of this nede;
-
Noght Charles Oliver, that ay took hede
- Of trouthe and honour, but of Armorike
- Genilon Oliver, corrupt for mede,
-
Broghte this worthy king in swich a brike.
Skeat1900: 3580
-
De Petro Rege de Cipro.
-
O worthy Petro, king of Cypre, also,
Skeat1900: (401)
- That Alisaundre wan by heigh maistrye,
- Ful many a hethen wroghtestow ful wo,
- Of which thyn owene liges hadde envye,
-
And, for no thing but for thy chivalrye,
Skeat1900: 3585
- They in thy bedde han slayn thee by the morwe.
- Thus can fortune hir wheel governe and gye,
-
And out of Ioye bringe men to sorwe.
[T. 14708.
-
De Barnabo de Lumbardia.
- Of Melan grete Barnabo Viscounte,
-
God of delyt, and scourge of Lumbardye,
Skeat1900: 3590
-
Why sholde I nat thyn infortune acounte,
Skeat1900: (411)
- Sith in estaat thou clombe were so hye?
- Thy brother sone, that was thy double allye,
- For he thy nevew was, and sone-in-lawe,
-
With-inne his prisoun made thee to dye;
Skeat1900: 3595
- But why, ne how, noot I that thou were slawe.
-
De Hugelino, Comite de Pize.
-
-
Of the erl Hugelyn of Pyse the langour
- Ther may no tonge telle for pitee;
-
But litel out of Pyse stant a tour,
-
In whiche tour in prisoun put was he,
Skeat1900: 3600
-
And with him been his litel children three.
Skeat1900: (421)
- The eldeste scarsly fyf yeer was of age.
- Allas, fortune! it was greet crueltee
- Swiche briddes for to putte in swiche a cage!
-
-
Dampned was he to deye in that prisoun,
Skeat1900: 3605
-
For Roger, which that bisshop was of Pyse,
- Hadde on him maad a fals suggestioun,
- Thurgh which the peple gan upon him ryse,
- And putten him to prisoun in swich wyse
-
As ye han herd, and mete and drink he hadde
Skeat1900: 3610
-
So smal, that wel unnethe it may suffyse,
Skeat1900: (431)
- And therwith-al it was ful povre and badde.
-
- And on a day bifil that, in that hour,
- Whan that his mete wont was to be broght,
-
The gayler shette the dores of the tour.
Skeat1900: 3615
-
He herde it wel,—but he spak right noght,
- And in his herte anon ther fil a thoght,
- That they for hunger wolde doon him dyen.
- ‘Allas!’ quod he, ‘allas! that I was wroght!’
-
Therwith the teres fillen from his yën.
Skeat1900: 3620
-
-
His yonge sone, that three yeer was of age,
Skeat1900: (441)
-
Un-to him seyde, ‘fader
, why do ye wepe?
- Whan wol the gayler bringen our potage,
- Is ther no morsel breed that ye do kepe?
-
I am so hungry that I may nat slepe.
Skeat1900: 3625
- Now wolde god that I mighte slepen ever!
- Than sholde nat hunger in my wombe crepe;
-
Ther is no thing, save breed, that me were lever.’
-
- Thus day by day this child bigan to crye,
-
Til in his fadres barme adoun it lay,
Skeat1900: 3630
-
And seyde, ‘far-wel, fader, I moot dye,’
Skeat1900: (451)
-
And kiste his fader, and deyde the same day.
- And whan the woful fader deed it sey,
- For wo his armes two he gan to byte,
-
And seyde, ‘allas, fortune! and weylaway!
Skeat1900: 3635
- Thy false wheel my wo al may I wyte!’
-
- His children wende that it for hunger was
- That he his armes gnow, and nat for wo,
- And seyde, ‘fader, do nat so, allas!
-
But rather eet the flesh
upon us two;
Skeat1900: 3640
-
Our flesh thou yaf us, tak our flesh us fro
Skeat1900: (461)
- And eet y-nough:’ right thus they to him seyde,
- And after that, with-in a day or two,
- They leyde hem in his lappe adoun, and deyde.
-
-
Him-self, despeired, eek for hunger starf;
Skeat1900: 3645
-
Thus ended is this mighty Erl of Pyse;
- From heigh estaat fortune awey him carf.
- Of this Tragedie it oghte y-nough suffyse.
- Who-so wol here it in a lenger wyse,
-
Redeth the grete poete of Itaille,
Skeat1900: 3650
-
That highte Dant, for he can al devyse
Skeat1900: (471)
-
Fro point to point, nat o word wol he faille.
[T. 14772.
(
For
T. 14773,
see
p. 269;
for
T. 14380,
see
p. 256.)
-
Nero.
-
-
Al-though that Nero were as vicious
[T. 14381.
-
As any feend that lyth ful lowe adoun,
-
Yet he, as telleth us Swetonius,
Skeat1900: 3655
- This wyde world hadde in subieccioun,
-
Both Est and West, South and Septemtrioun;
- Of rubies, saphires, and of perles whyte
- Were alle his clothes brouded up and doun;
-
For he in gemmes greetly gan delyte.
Skeat1900: 3660
-
-
More delicat, more pompous of array,
Skeat1900: (481)
- More proud was never emperour than he;
- That ilke cloth, that he had wered o day,
- After that tyme he nolde it never see.
-
Nettes of gold-thred hadde he gret plentee
Skeat1900: 3665
- To fisshe in Tybre, whan him liste pleye.
- His lustes were al lawe in his decree,
- For fortune as his freend him wolde obeye.
-
- He Rome brende for his delicacye;
-
The senatours he slow up-on a day.
Skeat1900: 3670
-
To here how men wolde wepe and crye;
Skeat1900: (491)
- And slow his brother, and by his sister lay.
-
His moder made
he in pitous array;
- For he hir wombe slitte, to biholde
-
Wher he conceyved was; so weilawey!
Skeat1900: 3675
-
That he so litel of his moder
tolde!
-
- No tere out of his yën for that sighte
- Ne cam, but seyde, ‘a fair womman was she.’
- Gret wonder is, how that he coude or mighte
-
Be domesman of hir dede beautee.
Skeat1900: 3680
-
The wyn to bringen him comaunded he,
Skeat1900: (501)
-
And drank anon; non other
wo he made.
- Whan might is Ioyned un-to crueltee,
- Allas! to depe wol the venim wade!
-
-
In youthe a maister hadde this emperour,
Skeat1900: 3685
- To teche him letterure and curteisye,
- For of moralitee he was the flour,
- As in his tyme, but-if bokes lye;
- And whyl this maister hadde of him maistrye,
-
He maked him so conning and so souple
Skeat1900: 3690
-
That longe tyme it was er tirannye
Skeat1900: (511)
- Or any vyce dorste on him uncouple.
-
- This Seneca, of which that I devyse,
-
By-cause
Nero hadde of him swich drede,
-
For he fro vyces wolde him ay chastyse
Skeat1900: 3695
- Discreetly as by worde and nat by dede;—
- ‘Sir,’ wolde he seyn, ‘an emperour moot nede
- Be vertuous, and hate tirannye’—
-
For which he in a bath made him to blede
-
On bothe his armes, til he moste dye.
Skeat1900: 3700
-
-
This Nero hadde eek of acustumaunce
Skeat1900: (521)
- In youthe ageyn his maister for to ryse,
-
Which afterward him thoughte a greet grevaunce;
- Therfor he made him deyen in this wyse.
-
But natheles this Seneca the wyse
Skeat1900: 3705
- Chees in a bath to deye in this manere
-
Rather than han another
tormentyse;
- And thus hath Nero slayn his maister dere.
-
- Now fil it so that fortune list no lenger
-
The hye pryde of Nero to cheryce;
Skeat1900: 3710
-
For though that he were strong, yet was she strenger;
Skeat1900: (531)
- She thoughte thus, ‘by god, I am to nyce
- To sette a man that is fulfild of vyce
- In heigh degree, and emperour him calle.
-
By god, out of his sete I wol him tryce;
Skeat1900: 3715
- When he leest weneth, sonest shal he falle.’
-
- The peple roos up-on him on a night
- For his defaute, and whan he it espyed,
- Out of his dores anon he hath him dight
-
Alone, and, ther he wende han ben allyed,
Skeat1900: 3720
-
He knokked faste, and ay, the more he cryed,
Skeat1900: (541)
- The faster shette they the dores alle;
-
Tho wiste he wel he hadde him-self misgyed,
- And wente his wey, no lenger dorste he calle.
-
-
The peple cryde and rombled up and doun,
Skeat1900: 3725
- That with his eres herde he how they seyde,
- ‘Wher is this false tyraunt, this Neroun?’
- For fere almost out of his wit he breyde,
- And to his goddes pitously he preyde
-
For socour, but it mighte nat bityde.
Skeat1900: 3730
-
For drede of this, him thoughte that he deyde,
Skeat1900: (551)
- And ran in-to a gardin, him to hyde.
-
-
And in this gardin fond
he cherles tweye
-
That seten by a fyr ful greet and reed,
-
And to thise cherles two he gan to preye
Skeat1900: 3735
- To sleen him, and to girden of his heed,
- That to his body, whan that he were deed,
- Were no despyt y-doon, for his defame.
- Him-self he slow, he coude no better reed,
-
Of which fortune lough, and hadde a game.
Skeat1900: 3740
-
De Oloferno (Holofernes).
-
-
Was never capitayn under a king
Skeat1900: (561)
- That regnes mo putte in subieccioun,
- Ne strenger was in feeld of alle thing,
- As in his tyme, ne gretter of renoun,
-
Ne more pompous in heigh presumpcioun
Skeat1900: 3745
- Than Oloferne, which fortune ay kiste
- So likerously, and ladde him up and doun
- Til that his heed was of, er that he wiste.
-
- Nat only that this world hadde him in awe
-
For lesinge of richesse or libertee,
Skeat1900: 3750
-
But he made every man reneye his lawe.
Skeat1900: (571)
- ‘Nabugodonosor was god,’ seyde he,
-
‘Noon other god sholde adoured be.’
-
Ageyns his heste no wight dar trespace
-
Save in Bethulia, a strong citee,
Skeat1900: 3755
- Wher Eliachim a prest was of that place.
-
- But tak kepe of the deeth of Olofern;
- Amidde his host he dronke lay a night,
- With-inne his tente, large as is a bern,
-
And yit, for al his pompe and al his might,
Skeat1900: 3760
-
Iudith, a womman, as he lay upright,
Skeat1900: (581)
- Sleping, his heed of smoot, and from his tente
- Ful prively she stal from every wight,
- And with his heed unto hir toun she wente.
-
De Rege Anthiocho illustri.
-
-
What nedeth it of King Anthiochus
Skeat1900: 3765
- To telle his hye royal magestee,
- His hye pryde, his werkes venimous?
- For swich another was ther noon as he.
- Rede which that he was in Machabee,
-
And rede the proude wordes that he seyde,
Skeat1900: 3770
-
And why he fil fro heigh prosperitee,
Skeat1900: (591)
- And in an hil how wrechedly he deyde.
-
- Fortune him hadde enhaunced so in pryde
- That verraily he wende he mighte attayne
-
Unto the sterres, upon every syde,
Skeat1900: 3775
- And in balance weyen ech montayne,
-
And alle the flodes of the see restrayne.
-
And goddes peple hadde he most
in hate,
- Hem wolde he sleen in torment and in payne,
-
Wening that god ne mighte his pryde abate.
Skeat1900: 3780
-
-
And for that Nichanor and Thimothee
Skeat1900: (601)
- Of Iewes weren venquisshed mightily,
- Unto the Iewes swich an hate hadde he
-
That he bad greithe his char ful hastily,
-
And swoor, and seyde, ful despitously,
Skeat1900: 3785
- Unto Ierusalem he wolde eft-sone,
- To wreken his ire on it ful cruelly;
- But of his purpos he was let ful sone.
-
- God for his manace him so sore smoot
-
With invisible wounde, ay incurable,
Skeat1900: 3790
-
That in his guttes carf it so and boot
Skeat1900: (611)
- That his peynes weren importable.
- And certeinly, the wreche was resonable,
- For many a mannes guttes dide he peyne;
-
But from his purpos cursed and dampnable
Skeat1900: 3795
- For al his smert he wolde him nat restreyne;
-
-
But bad anon apparaillen his host,
- And sodeynly, er he of it was war,
-
God daunted al his pryde and al his bost.
-
For he so sore fil out of his char,
Skeat1900: 3800
-
That it his limes and his skin to-tar,
Skeat1900: (621)
- So that he neither mighte go ne ryde,
- But in a chayer men aboute him bar,
- Al for-brused, bothe bak and syde.
-
-
The wreche of god him smoot so cruelly
Skeat1900: 3805
- That thurgh his body wikked wormes crepte;
-
And ther-with-al he stank so horribly,
- That noon of al his meynee that him kepte,
-
Whether so he wook or elles slepte,
-
Ne mighte noght for stink of him endure.
Skeat1900: 3810
-
In this meschief he wayled and eek wepte,
Skeat1900: (631)
- And knew god lord of every creature.
-
- To al his host and to him-self also
- Ful wlatsom was the stink of his careyne;
-
No man ne mighte him bere to ne fro.
Skeat1900: 3815
- And in this stink and this horrible peyne
- He starf ful wrecchedly in a monteyne.
- Thus hath this robbour and this homicyde,
- That many a man made to wepe and pleyne,
-
Swich guerdon as bilongeth unto pryde.
Skeat1900: 3820
-
De Alexandro.
-
-
The storie of Alisaundre is so comune,
Skeat1900: (641)
- That every wight that hath discrecioun
- Hath herd somwhat or al of his fortune.
- This wyde world, as in conclusioun,
-
He wan by strengthe, or for his hye renoun
Skeat1900: 3825
- They weren glad for pees un-to him sende.
-
The pryde of man and beste
he leyde adoun,
- Wher-so he cam, un-to the worldes ende.
-
- Comparisoun might never yit be maked
-
Bitwixe
him and another conquerour;
Skeat1900: 3830
-
For al this world for drede of him hath quaked,
Skeat1900: (651)
-
He was of knighthode and of fredom flour;
- Fortune him made the heir of hir honour;
-
Save wyn and wommen, no-thing mighte aswage
-
His hye entente in armes and labour;
Skeat1900: 3835
- So was he ful of leonyn corage.
-
-
What preys were it to him, though I yow tolde
- Of Darius, and an hundred thousand mo,
- Of kinges, princes, erles, dukes bolde,
-
Whiche he conquered, and broghte hem in-to wo?
Skeat1900: 3840
-
I seye, as fer as man may ryde or go,
Skeat1900: (661)
- The world was his, what sholde I more devyse?
-
For though I write or tolde you evermo
- Of his knighthode, it mighte nat suffyse.
-
-
Twelf yeer he regned, as seith Machabee;
Skeat1900: 3845
- Philippes sone of Macedoyne he was,
- That first was king in Grece the contree.
- O worthy gentil Alisaundre, allas!
- That ever sholde fallen swich a cas!
-
Empoisoned of thyn owene folk thou were;
Skeat1900: 3850
-
Thy
sys
fortune hath turned into
as,
Skeat1900: (671)
-
And yit for thee ne weep she never a tere!
-
- Who shal me yeven teres to compleyne
- The deeth of gentillesse and of fraunchyse,
-
That al the world welded in his demeyne,
Skeat1900: 3855
- And yit him thoughte it mighte nat suffyse?
- So ful was his corage of heigh empryse.
- Allas! who shal me helpe to endyte
- False fortune, and poison to despyse,
-
The whiche two of al this wo I wyte?
Skeat1900: 3860
-
De Iulio Cesare.
-
-
By wisdom, manhede, and by greet labour
Skeat1900: (681)
-
Fro humble bed to royal magestee,
- Up roos he, Iulius the conquerour,
- That wan al thoccident by lond and see,
-
By strengthe of hond, or elles by tretee,
Skeat1900: 3865
- And un-to Rome made hem tributarie;
- And sitthe of Rome the emperour was he,
- Til that fortune wex his adversarie.
-
- O mighty Cesar, that in Thessalye
-
Ageyn Pompeius
, fader thyn in lawe,
Skeat1900: 3870
-
That of thorient hadde al the chivalrye
Skeat1900: (691)
- As fer as that the day biginneth dawe,
- Thou thurgh thy knighthode hast hem take and slawe,
- Save fewe folk that with Pompeius fledde,
-
Thurgh which thou puttest al thorient in awe.
Skeat1900: 3875
- Thanke fortune, that so wel thee spedde!
-
- But now a litel whyl I wol biwaille
- This Pompeius, this noble governour
- Of Rome, which that fleigh at this bataille;
-
I seye, oon of his men, a fals traitour,
Skeat1900: 3880
-
His heed of smoot, to winnen him favour
Skeat1900: (701)
- Of Iulius, and him the heed he broghte.
- Allas, Pompey, of thorient conquerour,
- That fortune unto swich a fyn thee broghte!
-
-
To Rome ageyn repaireth Iulius
Skeat1900: 3885
- With his triumphe, laureat ful hye,
-
But on a tyme Brutus Cassius,
- That ever hadde of his hye estaat envye,
- Ful prively hath maad conspiracye
-
Ageins this Iulius, in subtil wyse,
Skeat1900: 3890
-
And cast the place, in whiche he sholde dye
Skeat1900: (711)
- With boydekins, as I shal yow devyse.
-
- This Iulius to the Capitolie wente
- Upon a day, as he was wont to goon,
-
And in the Capitolie anon him hente
Skeat1900: 3895
- This false Brutus, and his othere foon,
- And stikede him with boydekins anoon
- With many a wounde, and thus they lete him lye;
- But never gronte he at no strook but oon,
-
Or elles at two, but-if his storie lye.
Skeat1900: 3900
-
-
So manly was this Iulius at herte
Skeat1900: (721)
- And so wel lovede estaatly honestee,
- That, though his deedly woundes sore smerte,
-
His mantel over his hippes casteth he,
-
For no man sholde seen his privitee.
Skeat1900: 3905
-
And, as he lay on deying in a traunce,
- And wiste verraily that deed was he,
- Of honestee yit hadde he remembraunce.
-
- Lucan, to thee this storie I recomende,
-
And to Sweton, and to Valerie also,
Skeat1900: 3910
-
That of this storie wryten word and ende,
Skeat1900: (731)
- How that to thise grete conqueroures two
-
Fortune was first freend, and sithen fo.
- No man ne truste up-on hir favour longe,
-
But have hir in awayt for ever-mo.
Skeat1900: 3915
- Witnesse on alle thise conqueroures stronge.
-
Cresus.
-
- This riche Cresus, whylom king of Lyde,
- Of whiche Cresus Cyrus sore him dradde,
- Yit was he caught amiddes al his pryde,
-
And to be brent men to the fyr him ladde.
Skeat1900: 3920
-
But swich a reyn doun fro the welkne shadde
Skeat1900: (741)
- That slow the fyr, and made him to escape;
- But to be war no grace yet he hadde,
- Til fortune on the galwes made him gape.
-
-
Whan he escaped was, he can nat stente
Skeat1900: 3925
- For to biginne a newe werre agayn.
- He wende wel, for that fortune him sente
- Swich hap, that he escaped thurgh the rayn,
- That of his foos he mighte nat be slayn;
-
And eek a sweven up-on a night he mette,
Skeat1900: 3930
-
Of which he was so proud and eek so fayn,
Skeat1900: (751)
- That in vengeaunce he al his herte sette.
-
- Up-on a tree he was, as that him thoughte,
- Ther Iuppiter him wesh, bothe bak and syde,
-
And Phebus eek a fair towaille him broughte
Skeat1900: 3935
-
To drye him with, and ther-for wex his pryde;
- And to his doghter, that stood him bisyde,
- Which that he knew in heigh science habounde,
- He bad hir telle him what it signifyde,
-
And she his dreem bigan right thus expounde.
Skeat1900: 3940
-
-
‘The tree,’ quod she, ‘the galwes is to mene,
Skeat1900: (761)
- And Iuppiter bitokneth snow and reyn,
- And Phebus, with his towaille so clene,
-
Tho ben the sonne stremes for to seyn;
-
Thou shalt anhanged be, fader, certeyn;
Skeat1900: 3945
- Reyn shal thee wasshe, and sonne shal thee drye;’
-
Thus warned she him ful plat and ful pleyn,
- His doughter, which that called was Phanye.
-
- Anhanged was Cresus, the proude king,
-
His royal trone mighte him nat availle.—
Skeat1900: 3950
-
Tragedie is noon other maner thing,
Skeat1900: (771)
- Ne can in singing crye ne biwaille,
-
But for that fortune alwey wol assaille
- With unwar strook the regnes that ben proude;
-
For when men trusteth hir, than wol she faille,
Skeat1900: 3955
-
And covere hir brighte face with a cloude.
[
See
p. 256.
Here stinteth the Knight the Monk of his Tale.