The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.
About this Item
Title
The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author
Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Publication
London :: Published for the Chaucer Society by N. Trübner,
1868-1879.
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The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact mec-info@umich.edu. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact libraryit-info@umich.edu.
"The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AGZ8232.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 8, 2024.
Pages
descriptionPage 479
[6-text p 256]
¶ Heere bigynneth / the Monkes tale / de casibus virorum Illustrium.
Iwol biwaille / in manere of TragedieThe harm of hem / that stoode in heigh degreeAnd fillen so / that ther nas no remedieTo brynge hem / out of hir aduersiteeLine 3184 ffor certein / whan þat ffortune list to fleeTher may no man / the cours of hire withholdeLat no man truste / on blynd prosperiteeBe war of thise ensamples / trewe and oldeLine 3188
[Lucifer.]
AT lucifer / though / he an Angel wereAnd nat a man / at hym wol I bigynneffor though ffortune / may noon Angel dereffrom heigh degree / yet fel he for his synneLine 3192 Doun in to helle / where he yet is InneO Lucifer/ brightest . of Angels alleNow artow sathanas / þat mayst nat twynneOut of miserie / in which þat thou art falleLine 3196
[Adam.]
Loo Adam / in the feeld of DamysseneWith goddes owene fynger/ wroght was heAnd nat bigeten / of mannes sperme vncleneAnd welte all Paradys / sauynge o treeLine 3200 Hadde neuere worldly man so heigh degreeAs Adam / til he for mysgouernanceWas dryuen / out of hys hye prosperiteeTo labour and to helle / and to meschance
Line 3204
descriptionPage 480
[6-text p 257]
[Sampson.]
Loo Sampson / which that was AnnunciatBy Angel / longe er his NatiuiteeAnd was / to god almyghty consecratAnd stood in noblesse / whil he myghte seeLine 3208 Was neuere / swich another as was heeTo speke of strengthe / and ther-with hardynesseBut to hise wyues / toolde he his secreeLine 3211 Thurgh which / he slow hym self / for wrecchednesse
Sampson / this noble almyghty Champion [folio 173b] With-outen wepene / saue his handes tweyneHe slow / and al torente the leonToward his weddyng walkynge by the weyeLine 3216 His false wyf / koude hym so plese and preyeTil she his conseil knew / and she vntreweVn-to hise foos / his conseil gan biwreyeAnd hym forsook. and took another neweLine 3220
Thre hundred foxes / took Sampson for IreAnd alle hir tayles / he togydre bondAnd sette the foxes tayles / alle on fireffor he / on euery tayl / had knyt a brondLine 3224 And they brende / alle the cornes in that londAnd alle hire Olyueres / and vynes ekeA thousand men / he slow eek with his hondAnd hadde no wepene / but an Asses chekeLine 3228
Whan they were slayn / so thursted hym / that heWas wel ny lorn / for which he gan to preyeThat god wolde / on his peyne han som piteeAnd sende hym drynke / or elles moste he deyeLine 3232 And of this asses cheke / that was dreyeOut of a wang tooth / sprang anon a welleOf which he drank anon / shortly to seyeThus heelpe hym god / as Iudicum can telle
Line 3236
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[6-text p 258] Line 3236
By verray force / at Gazan / on a nyghtMaugree Philistiens of that CiteeThe gates of the toun / he hath vp plyghtAnd on his bak. ycaryed hem hath heeLine 3240 Hye on an hill / þat men myghte hem seeO noble almyghty Sampson / lief and deereHad thou nat toold / to wommen thy secreeIn all this world / ne hadde been thy peereLine 3244
This Sampson / neuere Ciser drank ne wynNe on his heed / cam rasour noon ne sheereBy precept of the Messager diuynffor alle hise strengthes / in hise heeres weereLine 3248 And fully twenty wynter yeer by yeereHe / hadde of Israel the gouernanceBut soone / shal he wepe many a teereffor wommen / shal hym bryngen to meschanceLine 3252
Vn-to his lemman Dalida he toldeThat in hise heeris / al his strengthe layAnd falsly to hise foomen / she hym solde¶ And slepynge in hir barm / vp-on a day [folio 174a] Line 3256 She made to clippe / or shere / hise heres awayAnd made hise foomen / al this craft espyenAnd whan þat they / hym foond in this arrayThey bounde hym faste / and putten out hise eyenLine 3260
But er his heer/ were clipped or yshaueTher was no boond / with which men myghte him byndeBut now is he / in prison in a CaueWhere as they made hym / at the Queerne gryndeLine 3264 O noble Sampson / strongest of mankyndeO whilom / Iuge in glorie and in richesseNow maystow wepen / with thyne eyen blyndeSith thou fro wele / art falle in wrecchednesse
Line 3268
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[6-text p 259] Line 3268
The ende of this caytyf was as I shal seyeHise foomen / made a feeste vp-on a dayAnd made hym as a fool / biforn hem pleyeAnd this was / in a temple of greet arrayLine 3272 But atte laste / he made a foul affrayffor he / the pilers shook / and made hem falleAnd doun fil Temple and al / and ther it layAnd slow hym self / and eek his foomen alleLine 3276
This is to seyn the Prynces euerichoonAnd eek / thre thousand bodyes were ther slaynWith fallynge / of the grete Temple of stoonOf Sampson / now wol I na moore saynLine 3280 Beth war / by this ensample oold and playnThat no men / telle hir conseil til hir wyuesOf swich thyng as they wolde han secree faynIf þat it touche / hir lymes or hir lyuesLine 3284
[Hercules.]
Off Hercules / the souereyn ConquerourSyngen hise werkes / laude and heigh renounffor in his tyme / of strengthe he was the flourHe slow / and rafte the skyn of the leounLine 3288 He of Centauros / leyde the boost adounHe Arpies slow / the crueel bryddes felleHe golden Apples / refte of the dragounHe drow out Cerberus / the hound of helleLine 3292
He slow the crueel tyrant BusirusAnd made his hors / to frete hym flessh and boonHe slow / the firy serpent venymusOf Acheloys hornes two / he brak oonLine 3296 And he slow Cacus / in a Caue of stoonHe slow-the geant Antheus the strongeHe slow the grisly boor / and that anon [folio 174b] And bar the heuene / on his nekke longe
Line 3300
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[6-text p 260] Line 3300
Was neuere wight sith that this world biganThat slow so manye Monstres / as dide heThurgh-out this wyde world / his name ranWhat for his strengthe / and for his heigh bounteeLine 3304 And euery Reawme / wente he for to seeHe was so stroong þat no man myghte hym letteAt bothe the worldes endes / seith TropheeIn stide of boundes / he a pileer setteLine 3308
A lemman hadde / this noble ChampionThat highte Dianira / fressh as MayAnd as thise clerkes / maken mentionShe hath hym sent. a sherte fressh and gayLine 3312 Allas this sherte / allas and weylawayEuenymed was / so subtilly with-alleThat er þat he / had wered it half a dayIt made his flessh / al from hise bones falleLine 3316
But nathelees / somme clerkes hire excusenBy oon þat highte Nessus that it makedBe as be may / I wol hire noght accusenBut on his bak this sherte he wered al nakedLine 3320 Til þat his flessh / was for the venym blakedAnd whan he saugh / noon oother remedyeIn hoote coles / he hath hym seluen rakedffor with no venym deigned hym to dyeLine 3324
Thus starf / this worthy / myghty HerculesLo / who may truste / on ffortune any throweffor hym þat folweth / al this world of preesEr he be war / is ofte yleyd ful loweLine 3328 fful wys is he / that kan hym seluen knoweBeth war / for whan that ffortune list to gloseThanne wayteth she / her man to ouerthroweBy swich a wey / as he wolde leest suppose
Line 3332
descriptionPage 484
[6-text p 261]
[Nebuchadnezzar.]
The myghty trone / the precious tresorThe glorious ceptre / and Roial magesteeThat hadde the kyng NabugodonosorWith tonge / vnnethe may discryued beeLine 3336 He twyes / wan Ierusalem the CiteeThe vessel of the temple / he with hym laddeAt Babiloigne / was his souereyn seeIn which his glorie / and his delit he haddeLine 3340
The faireste children / of the blood Roial [folio 175a] Of Israel / he leet do gelde anoonAnd maked ech of hem / to been his thralAmonges othere / Daniel was oonLine 3344 That was the wiseste child of euerychonffor he / the dremes of the kyng expownedWhere as in Chaldeye / clerk ne was ther noonThat wiste / to what fyn / hise dremes sownedLine 3348
This proude kyng leet maken a statue of goldSixty cubites long and seuene in bredeThe which ymage / he bothe yonge and ooldComanded to loute / and haue in dredeLine 3352 Or in a ffourneys / ful of flambes redeHe shal be brent that wolde noght obeyeBut neuere wolde assente / to that dedeDaniel / ne hise yonge felawes tweyeLine 3356
This kyng of kynges / proud was and elaatHe wende / þat god that sit in magesteeNe myghte / hym nat bireue of his estaatBut sodeynly / he loste his dignyteeLine 3360 And lyk a beest / hym semed for to beeAnd eet hey as an Oxe / and lay ther outeIn reyn / with wilde beestes walked heeTil certein tyme / was ycome aboute
Line 3364
descriptionPage 485
[6-text p 262] Line 3364
And lik/ an Egles fetheres / wax his heresHise nayles / lyk a briddes clawes weereTil god relessed hym / a certeyn yeresAnd yaf hym wit / and thanne with many a teereLine 3368 He thanked god / and euere his lyf in feereWas he / to doon amys / or moore trespaceAnd til that tyme / he leyd was on his beereHe knew / that god was / ful of myght and graceLine 3372
[Belshazzar.]
His sone / which that highte BalthasarThat heeld the regne / after his fader dayHe by his fader / koude noght be warffor proud he was / of herte and of arrayLine 3376 And eek / an ydolastre / he was ayHis hye estaat assured hym in prydeBut ffortune / caste hym doun / and ther he layAnd sodeynly / his regne gan diuideLine 3380
A feeste he made / vn-to hise lordes alleVp-on a tyme / and bad hem blithe beeAnd thanne / hise Officers gan he calleGooth bryngeth forth / the vessels quod he [folio 175b] Whiche that my fader / in his prosperiteeLine 3385 Out of the temple / of Ierusalem birafteAnd to oure hye goddes / thanke weOf honour / that oure eldres with us lafteLine 3388
Hys wyf hise lordes / and hise concubynesAy dronken / whil hire Appetites lasteOut of thise noble vessels / sondry wynesAnd on a wal / this kyng hise eyen casteLine 3392 And saugh an hand Armlees / þat wroot ful fastffor feere of which / he quook and siked sooreThis hand / that Balthasar so soore agasteWroot Mane techel phares / and na moore
Line 3396
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[6-text p 263] Line 3396
In al that land / Magicien was noonThat koude expounde / what this lettre menteBut Daniel / expowned it anonAnd seyde kyng god to thy fader senteLine 3400 Glorie and honour / regne / tresour / renteAnd he was proud / and no-thyng god ne draddeAnd therfore / god greet wreche vp-on hym senteAnd hym birafte / the regne þat he haddeLine 3404
He was out cast of mannes compaignyeWith asses / was his habitaciounAnd eet hey as a beest in weet and dryeTil that he knew / by grace and by resounLine 3408 That god of heuene / hath domynaciounOuer euery regne / and euery creatureAnd thanne / hadde god of hym compassiounAnd hym restored / his regne and his figureLine 3412
Eek / thou that art his sone / art proud alsoAnd knowest alle thise thynges verrailyAnd art rebel to god / and art his fooThou drank eek / of hise vessels boldelyLine 3416 Thy wyf eek and thy wenches synfullyDronke of the same vessels / sondry wynysAnd heryest false goddes cursedlyTherfore to thee / yshapen ful greet pyne ysLine 3420
This hand was sent from god / that on the walWroot Mane techel phares / truste meThy regne is doon / thou weyest noght at alDyuyded is thy regne / and it shal beLine 3424 To Medes and to Perses [yeue] quod heAnd thilke same nyght this kyng was slaweAnd Darius / occupieth his degree [folio 176a] Thogh he therto / hadde neither right ne lawe
Line 3428
descriptionPage 487
[6-text p 264] Line 3428 Lordynges / ensample / heer-by may ye takeHow that in lordshipe / is no sikernesseffor whan ffortune wole a man forsakeShe bereth awey / his regne and his richesseLine 3432 And eek hise freendes / bothe moore and lesseffor what man / þat hath freendes / thurgh ffortuneMishape / wol maken hem enemys as I gesseThis prouerbe / is ful sooth and ful communeLine 3436
[Zenobia.]
CEnobia / of Palymerie QueeneAs writen Persiens / of hir noblesseSo worthy was in Armes / and so keeneThat no wight passed hire in hardynesseLine 3440 Ne in lynage / nor in oother gentillesseOf kynges blood of Perce / is she descendedI seye nat that she hadde moost fairnesseBut of hire shape / she myghte nat been amendedLine 3444
ffrom hire childhede / I fynde that she fleddeOffice of wommen / and to wode she wentAnd many a wilde hertes blood she sheddeWith arwes brode / that she to hem senteLine 3448 She was so swift / þat she anon hem henteAnd whan þat she was elder / she wolde killeLeons / leopardes / and Beres al to-renteAnd in hir Armes / weelde hem at hir willeLine 3452
She dorste / wilde beestes dennes sekeAnd rennen in the montaignes al the nyghtAnd slepen vnder the bussh / and she koude ekeWrastlen / by verray force / and verray myght/Line 3456 With any yong man / were he neuer so wightTher myghte no thyng in hir Armes stondeShe kepte hir maydenhod / from euery wightTo no man / deigned hire for to be bonde
Line 3460
descriptionPage 488
[6-text p 265] Line 3460
But atte laste / hir freendes han hire mariedTo Onedake / a Prynce of that contreeAl were it so / that she hem longe tariedAnd ye shul vnderstonde / how that he?Line 3464 Hadde swiche fantasies / as hadde sheBut nathelees / whan they were knyt infeereThey lyued / in ioye / and in feliciteeffor ech of hem / hadde oother lief and deereLine 3468
Saue o thyng that she wolde neuere assente [folio 176b] By no wey / that he sholde by hire lyeBut ones / for it was hir pleyn ententeTo haue a child / the world to multiplyeLine 3472 And also soone / as þat she myghte espyeThat she was nat with childe / with that dedeThanne wolde she suffre hym / doon his fantasyeEft soone / and nat but oones out of dredeLine 3476
And if she were with childe / at thilke castNa moore / sholde he pleyen thilke gameTil fully / fourty dayes / weren pastThanne wolde she ones / suffre hym do the sameLine 3480 Al were this Onedake / wilde or tameHe gat na moore of hire / for thus she seydeIt was to wyues / lecherie and shameIn oother caas / if þat men with hem pleydeLine 3484
Two sones / by Onedake hadde sheThe whiche she kepte / in vertu and lettrureBut now / vn-to oure tale / turne weI seye / so worshipful a creatureLine 3488 And wys ther-with / and large with mesureSo penyble in the werre / and curteis ekeNe moore labour / myghte in werre endureWas noon / though al this world men wolde seke
Line 3492
descriptionPage 489
[6-text p 266] Line 3492
Hir riche array / ne myghte nat be toldAs wel in vessel / as in hire clothyngShe was al clad / in perree and in goldAnd eek / she lafte noght / for noon huntyngLine 3496 To haue of sondry tonges / ful knowyngWhan þat she leyser hadde / and for to entendeTo lerne bookes / was al hire likyngHow she in vertu / myghte hir lyf dispendeLine 3500
And shortly / of this proces for to treteSo doghty was hir housbonde and eek sheThat they conquered / manye regnes greteIn the Orient with many a faire CiteeLine 3504 Apertenaunt vn-to the magesteeOf Rome / and with strong hond held hem ful fasteNe neuere myghte / hir foo men doon hem fleeAy / whil that Onedakes dayes lasteLine 3508
Hir batailles / who so list hem for to redeAgayn Sapor the kyng and othere moAnd how al this proces / fil in dedeWhy she conquered / and what title therto [folio 177a] Line 3512 And after/ of hir meschief and hire woHow þat she was / biseged and ytakeLat hym / vn-to my maister Petrak goThat writ ynough of this .I vndertakeLine 3516
Whan Onedake was deed / she myghtilyThe regnes heeld / and with hire propre hondAgayn hir foos / she faught so cruellyThat ther nas kyng ne prynce in al that londLine 3520 That he nas glad / if he that grace fondThat she ne wolde / vp-on his lond werreyeWith hire / they made alliance by bondTo been in pees / and lete hire ride and pleye
Line 3524
descriptionPage 490
[6-text p 267] Line 3524
The Emperour of Rome ClaudiusNe hym bifore / the Romayn GalienNe dorste neuere / been so corageusNe noon Ermyn / ne noon EgipcienLine 3528 Ne Surrien / ne noon ArabyenWith-Inne the feeldes / that dorste with hire fighteLest that she wolde / hem with hir handes slenOr with hir meignee / putten hem to flighteLine 3532
In kynges habit / wente hir sones twoAs heires / of hir fadres regnes alleAnd hermanno / and ThymalaoHir names were / as Persiens hem calleLine 3536 But ay ffortune / hath in hire hony galleThis myghty queene / may no while endureffortune / out of hir regne made hire falleTo wrecchednesse / and to mysauentureLine 3540
Aurelian / whan that the gouernaunceOf Rome / cam in-to hise handes tweyeHe shoope / vp-on this queene to doon vengeaunceAnd with hise legions / he took his weyeLine 3544 Toward Cenobie / and shortly for to seyeHe made hire flee / and atte last hire henteAnd fettred hire / and eek hire children tweyeAnd wan the land / and hoom to Rome he wenteLine 3548
Amonges othere thynges / that he wanHir Chaar/ þat was with gold wroght and perreeThis grete Romayn / this AurelianHath with hym lad / for that men sholde it seeLine 3552 Biforn his triumphe / walketh sheeWith gilte cheynes / on hire nekke hangyngeCoroned was she / after hir degree [folio 177b] And ful of perree / charged hire clothynge
Line 3556
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[6-text p 268] , [6-text p 271] Line 3556
Allas ffortune / she that whilom wasDredeful / to kynges and to EmperouresNow gaureth al the peple / on hire allasAnd she / that helmed was in starke shouresLine 3560 And wan by force / townes stronge and touresShal on hir heed / now were a vitremyteAnd she that bar/ the ceptre ful of flouresShal bere a distaf / hire costes for to quyteLine 3564
[Nero.]
Al though / that Nero were viciusAs any feend that lith in helle adounLine 3654 Yet he / as telleth vs SwetoniusThis wyde world / hadde in subiecciounLine 3656 Bothe Est and West North / and SeptemtriounOf Rubies / saphires / and of peerles whiteWere alle hise clothes / brouded vp and dounffor he in gemmes / greetly gan deliteLine 3660
Moore delicaat moore pompous of arrayMoore proud / was neuere Emperour than heThat ilke clooth / þat he hadde wered o dayAfter that tyme / he nolde it neuere seeLine 3664 Nettes of gold threed / hadde he greet plenteeTo fisshe in Tybre / whan hym liste pleyeHise lustes were al lawe / in his decreeffor ffortune / as his freend / hym wolde obeyeLine 3668
He Rome brende / for his delicasieThe Senatours / he slow vp-on a dayTo heere / how men wolde wepe and crieAnd slow his brother / and by his suster layLine 3672 His mooder made he / in pitous arrayffor he / hire wombe slitte / to biholdeWhere he conceyued was so weilawayThat he so litel / of his mooder tolde
Line 3676
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[6-text p 271] , [6-text p 272] Line 3676
No teere out of hise eyen / for that sighteNe cam / but seyde / a fair womman was sheGreet wonder is / how þat he koude / or myghteBe domesman / of hire dede beauteeLine 3680 The wyn to bryngen hym comanded heAnd drank / anon / noon oother wo he madeWhan myght is ioyned vn-to cruelteeAllas to depe / wol the venym wadeLine 3684
In yowthe / a maister hadde this Emperour [folio 178a] To teche hym lettrure / and curteisyeffor of moralitee / he was the flourAs in his tyme / but if bookes lyeLine 3688 And whil this maister / hadde of hym maistryeHe maked hym / so konnyng and so sowpleThat longe tyme it was / er tirannyeOr any vice / dorste on hym vncowpleLine 3692
This Seneca / of which that I deuyseBy cause Nero / hadde of hym swich dredeffor he fro vices / wolde hym chastiseDiscreetly / as by word / and nat by dedeLine 3696 Sire wolde he seyn / an Emperour moot nedeBe vertuous / and hate tirannyeffor which / he in a bath / made hym to bledeOn bothe hise Armes / til he moste dyeLine 3700
This Nero / hadde eek/ of acustumaunceIn youthe / agayns his maister for to ryseWhich afterward / hym thoughte greet greuaunceTherfore / he made hym dyen in this wiseLine 3704 But nathelees / this Seneca the wiseChees in a Bath to dye / in this manereRather than han / any oother tormentiseAnd thus hath Nero / slayn his maister deere
Line 3708
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[6-text p 272] , [6-text p 273] Line 3708
Now fil it so / that ffortune liste no lengerThe hye pryde of Nero to chericeffor though þat he was strong yet was she strengerShe thoughte thus / by god I am to nyceLine 3712 To sette a man / that is fulfild of viceIn heigh degree / and Emperour hym calleBy god / out of his sete / I wol hym triceWhan he leest weneth / sonnest shal he falleLine 3716
The peple roos vp-on hym on a nyghtffor his defaute / and whan he it espiedOut of hise dores / anon he hath hym dightAllone / and ther he wende han ben alliedLine 3720 He knokked faste / and ay the moore he criedThe fastere shette they / the dores alleffor drede of this / hym thoughte þat he dyedAnd wente his wey / no lenger dorste he calleLine 3724
The peple cride / and rombled vp and dounThat with his erys / herde he / how they seydeWhere is this false tiraunt this Nerounffor fere / almoost out of his wit he breyde [folio 178b] And to hise goddes / pitously he preydffor socour / but it myghte nat bitydeffor drede of this / hym thoughte þat he deydeAnd ran in-to a gardyn hym to hydeLine 3732
And in this gardyn / foond he cherles tweyeThat seten by a fyr / greet and reedAnd to thise cherles two / he gan to preyeTo sleen hym / and to girden of his heedLine 3736 That to his body / whan þat he were deedWere no despit ydoon / for his defameHym self he slow / he koude no bettre reedOf which / ffortune lough / and hadde a game
Line 3740
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[6-text p 273] , [6-text p 274] Line 3740
[Holofernes.]
Was neuere Capitayn / vnder a kyng/That regnes mo / putte in subiecciounNe strenger was in feeld / of alle thyngAs in his tyme / ne gretter of renounLine 3744 Ne moore pompous / in heigh presumpciounThan Oloferne / which ffortune ay kisteSo likerously / and ladde hym vp and dounTil þat his heed was of / er þat he wisteLine 3748
Nat oonly / that this world / hadde hym in Aweffor lesynge / of richesse / or liberteeBut made euery man / reneyen his laweNabugodonosor / was god seyde heeLine 3752 Noon oother god / [ne] sholde adoured beeAgayns his heeste / no wight dorste trespacesaue in Bethulia / a strong CiteeWhere Eliachim / a preest was of that place
But taak kepe of the deeth of OloferneAmydde his hoost he dronke lay a nyghtWith-Inne his tente / large as is a berneAnd yet for al his pompe / and al his myghtLine 3760 Iudith a womman / as he lay vprightSlepynge / his heed of smoot and from his tentefful pryuely / she stal from euery wightAnd with his heed / vn-to hir toun she wenteLine 3764
[Antiochus.]
What nedeth it of kyng AnthiochusTo telle / his hye Roial magesteeHis hye pride / hise werkes venymusffor swich another / was ther noon as heLine 3768 Rede which þat he was / in MachabeeAnd rede / the proude wordes that he seydeAnd why he fil / fro heigh prosperitee [folio 179a] And in an hill / how wrecchedly he deyde
Line 3772
descriptionPage 495
[6-text p 274] , [6-text p 275] Line 3772
ffortune / hym hadde enhaunced so in prideThat verraily / he wende he myghte attayneVn-to the sterres / vp-on euery sydeAnd in balance / weyen ech montayneLine 3776 And alle the floodes / of the see restrayneAnd goddes peple / hadde he moost in hateHem wolde he sleen / in torment and in payneWenynge / þat god ne myghte his pride abateLine 3780
And for that Nichanore / and ThymotheeOf Iewes / weren venquysshed myghtilyVn-to the Iewes / swich an hate hadde heThat he bad / greithen his Chaar ful hastilyLine 3784 And swoor / and seyde ful despitouslyVn-to Ierusalem / he wolde eft sooneTo wreken his Ire / on it ful cruellyBut of his purpos / he was let ful sooneLine 3788
God for his manace / hym so soore smootWith invisible wounde / ay incurableThat in hise guttes / carf it so and bootThat hise peynes / weren importableLine 3792 And certeinly / the wreche was resonableffor many a mannes guttes / dide he peyneBut from his purpos / cursed and dampnableffor all his smert he wolde hym nat restreyneLine 3796
But bad anon / apparaillen his hoostAnd sodeynly / er he was of it warGod daunted / al his pride and all his boostffor he so soore / fil out of his CharLine 3800 That it hise lemes / and his skyn to-tarSo that he neyther/ myghte go ne rydeBut in a chayer / men / aboute hym barAl forbrused / bothe bak and syde
Line 3804
descriptionPage 496
[6-text p 275] , [6-text p 276] Line 3804
The wreche of god / hym smoot so cruellyThat thurgh his body / wikked wormes crepteAnd ther-with-al / he stank horriblelyThat noon of al his meynee / þat hym kepteLine 3808 Wheither so he wook or ellis slepteNe myghte noght for stynk of hym endureIn this meschief / he wayled and eek wepteAnd knew god / lord of euery creatureLine 3812
To all his hoost and to hym self also [folio 179b] fful wlatsom was / the stynk of his careyneNo man / ne myghte hym bere / to ne froAnd in this stynk and this horrible peyneLine 3816 He starf ful wrecchedly / in a MonteyneThus hath this Robbour / and this homycideThat many a man / made to wepe and pleyneSwich gerdon / as bilongeth vn-to prydeLine 3820
[Alexander the Great.]
The storie of Alisaundre / is so communeThat euery wight that hath discreciounHath herd somwhat or al / of his ffortuneThis wyde world / as in conclusiounLine 3824 He wan by strengthe / or for his hye renounThey weren glad / for pees vn-to hym sendeThe pride / of man and beest / he leyde adounWher so he cam / vn-to the worldes endeLine 3828
Comparison / myghte neuere yet been makedBitwixen hym / and another Conquerourffor al this world / for drede of hym hath quakedHe [was] of knyghthod and of fredom flourLine 3832 ffortune hym made / the heir of hire honourSaue wyn and wommen / no man mighte aswageHis hye entente in Armes and labourSo was he ful / of leonyn corage
Line 3836
descriptionPage 497
[6-text p 276] , [6-text p 277] Line 3836
What pris were it to hym / though I yow toldeOf Darius / and an hundred thousand moOf kynges / princes / Erles / dukes / boldeWhiche he conquered / and broghte hem in-to woLine 3840 I seye / as fer as man may ryde or goThe world was his / what sholde I moore deuyseffor though I write / or tolde yow eueremoOf his knyghthode / it myghte nat suffiseLine 3844
Twelf yeer he regned / as seith MachabeePhilippes sone of Macidoyne he wasThat first was kyng in Grece the contreeO worthy gentil Alisandre allasLine 3848 That euere sholde fallen swich a casEmpoysoned / of thyn owene folk thou weereThy sys / ffortune / hath turned in-to AasAnd [yet] for thee / ne weepe she neuer a teereLine 3852
Who shal me yeuen teeris to compleyneThe deeth of gentillesse / and of ffranchiseThat al the world / weelded in his demeyneAnd yet hym thoughte / it myghte nat suffise [folio 180a] Line 3856 So ful was his corage / of heigh empriseAllas / who shal me helpe to enditeffalse ffortune / and poyson to despiseThe whiche two / of al this wo I wyteLine 3860
[Julius Cæsar.]
By wisedom / manhede / and by labourffrom humble bed / to roial magesteeVp roos he Iulius the ConquerourThat wan al thoccident by land and SeeLine 3864 By strengthe of hand / or elles by treteeAnd vn-to Rome / made hem tributarieAnd sitthe of Rome / the Emperour was heTil that ffortune / weex his Aduersarie
Line 3868
descriptionPage 498
[6-text p 277] , [6-text p 278] Line 3868
O myghty Cesar / that in ThessalieAgayn Pompeus / fader thyn in laweThat of the Orient hadde all the ChiualrieAs fer/ as þat the day bigynneth daweLine 3872 Thou thurgh thy knyghthod / hast hem take and slaweSaue fewe folk / that with Pompeus fleddeThurgh which thou puttest al thorient in AweThanke ffortune / that so wel thee speddeLine 3876
¶ But now a litel while / I wol biwailleThis Pompeus / this noble gouernourOf Rome / which that fleigh at this batailleI seye / oon of hise men / a fals traitourLine 3880 His heed of smoot to wynnen hym fauourOf Iulius / and hym the heed he broghteAllas Pompeye / of Thorient ConquerourThat ffortune / vn-to swich a fyn thee broghteLine 3884
¶ To Rome agayn / repaireth IuliusWith his triumphe / lauriat ful hyeBut on a tyme / Brutus CassiusThat euere hadde / of his hye estaat envyeLine 3888 fful priuely / hath maad conspiracyeAgayns this Iulius / in subtil wiseAnd caste the place / in which he sholde dyeWith Boydekyns / as I shal yow deuyseLine 3892
This Iulius / to the Capitolie wenteVpon a day / as he was wont to goonAnd in the Capitolie / anon hym henteThis false Brutus / and hise othere foonLine 3896 And stiked hym / with boydekyns anoonWith many a wounde / and thus they lete hym lyeBut neuere gronte he / at no strook but oon [folio 180b] Or elles at two / but if his storie lye
Line 3900
descriptionPage 499
[6-text p 278] , [6-text p 279] Line 3900
So manly / was this Iulius of herteAnd so wel louede / estaatly honesteeThat though hise deedly woundes soore smerteHis Mantel / ouer hise hypes caste heLine 3904 ffor no man / sholde seen his priueteeAnd as he lay / of diyng in a traunceAnd wiste verraily / that deed was heeOf honestee / yet hadde he remembraunceLine 3908
Lucan / to thee / this storie I recomendeAnd to Sweton / and to Valerius alsoThat of this storie / writen word and endeHow þat / to thise grete Conquerours twoLine 3912 ffortune was first freend / and sitthe fooNo man ne truste / vp-on hire fauour longeBut haue hire / in awayt for euere mooWitnesse / on alle thise Conquerours strongeLine 3916
[Cresus.]
This riche Cresus / whilom kyng of LydeOf which Cresus / Cirus soore hym draddeYet was he caught/ amyddes al his prydeAnd to be brent/ men to the fyr hym laddeLine 3920 But swich a reyn / doun fro the welkne shaddeThat slow the fyr / and made hym to escapeBut to be war / no grace yet he haddeTil ffortune / on the galwes / made hym gapeLine 3924
Whanne he escaped was / he kan nat stenteffor to bigynne / a newe werre agaynHe wende wel / for þat ffortune hym senteSwich hape / that he escaped thurgh the raynLine 3928 That of hise foos / he myghte nat be slaynAnd eek a sweuene / vp-on a nyght he metteOf which / he was so proud / and eek so faynThat in vengeance / he al his herte sette
Line 3932
descriptionPage 500
[6-text p 279] , [6-text p 280] , [6-text p 268] Line 3932
Vp-on a tree / he was / as that hym thoughteTher Iuppiter hym wesshe / bothe bak and sydeAnd Phebus eek a fair towaille hym broughteTo dryen hym with / and therfore wax his prydeLine 3936 And to his doghter / that stood hym bisydeWhich þat he knew / in heigh science haboundeHe bad hire telle hym / what it signyfydeAnd she his dreem / bigan right thus expoundeLine 3940
The tree quod she / the galwes is to meene [folio 181a] And Iuppiter / bitokneth snow and reynAnd Phebus / with his towaille so cleneTho been / the sonne bemes for to seynLine 3944 Thou shalt anhanged be / fader certeynReyn shal thee wasshe / and sonne shal thee dryeThus warned hym / ful plat and ful pleynHis doghter / which that called was PhanyeLine 3948
An-hanged was Cresus / the proude kyngHis roial Trone / myghte hym nat auailleTragedies / noon oother maner thyng /Ne kan in syngyng crie ne biwailleLine 3952 But that ffortune / alwey wole assailleWith vnwar strook / the Regnes þat been proudeffor whan men trusteth hire / thanne wol she failleAnd couere hire brighte face / with a clowdeLine 3956
[Peter the Cruel, of Spain.]
Onoble / o. worthy Petro / glorie of SpayneWhom ffortune heeld / so hye in magesteeWel oghten men / thy pitous deeth complayneOut of thy land / thy brother made thee fleeLine 3568 And after/ at a seege by subtilteeThou were bitraysed / and lad vn-to his tenteWhere as he / with his owene hand slow theeSuccedynge / in thy regne and in thy rente
Line 3572
descriptionPage 501
[6-text p 268] , [6-text p 269] Line 3572
The feeld of snow / with thegle of blak ther-InneCaught with the lymerod / coloured as the gleedeHe brew this cursednesse / and al this synneThe wikked nest was werker of this nedeLine 3576 Noght Charles Olyuver / that took ay heedeOf trouthe and honour / but of ArmorikeGenylon Olyuer / corrupt for meedeBroghte this worthy kyng in swich a brikeLine 3580
[Peter of Cyprus.]
Oworthy Petro / kyng of Cipre alsoThat Alisandre wan / by heigh maistriefful many an hethen / wroghtestow ful woOf which / thyne owene liges hadde envieLine 3584 And for no thyng but for thy ChiualrieThey in thy bed / han slayn thee by the morweThus kan ffortune / hir wheel gouerne and gyeAnd out of Ioye / brynge men to sorweLine 3588
[Bernabo Visconti, of Milan.]
Off Melan / grete Barnabo ViscounteGod of delit. and scourge of LumbardyeWhy sholde I nat thyn Infortune acounteSith in estaat / thow cloumbe were so hye [folio 181b] Thy brother sone / that was thy double allyeffor he thy Nevew was / and sone in laweWith-Inne his prison / made thee to dyeBut why ne how / noot I þat thou were slaweLine 3596
[Ugolino, Count of Pisa.]
Off the Erl Hugelyn of Pyze / the langourTher may no tonge / telle for piteeBut litel out of Pize / stant a tourIn which tour/ in prison put was heLine 3600 And with hym / been hise litel children threThe eldeste / scarsly / fyf yeer was of AgeAllas ffortune / it was greet cruelteeSwiche briddes / for to putte / in swiche a Cage
Line 3604
descriptionPage 502
[6-text p 269] , [6-text p 270] Line 3604
Dampned was he / to dyen in that prisonffor Roger / which þat Bisshope was of PizeHadde on hym maad / a fals suggestionThurgh which / the peple / gan vpon hym riseLine 3608 And putten hym to prison / in swich wiseAs ye han herd / and mete / and drynke he haddeSo smal / that vnnethe it may suffiseAnd therwith-al / it was ful poure and baddeLine 3612
And on a day / bifil / þat in that hourWhan þat his mete / wont was to be broghtThe Gayler shette the dores of the tourHe herde it wel / but he spak right noghtLine 3616 And in his herte / anon ther fil a thoght/That they for hunger / wolde doon hym dyenAllas quod he / allas that I was wroghtTher-with / the teeris fillen from hise eyenLine 3620
His yonge sone / that thre yeer was of ageVn-to hym seyde / fader / fader // why do ye wepeWhanne wol the Gayler / bryngen oure potageIs ther no morsel breed / that ye do kepeLine 3624 I am so hungry / that I may nat slepeNow wolde god / that I myghte slepen euereThanne sholde nat hunger / in my wombe crepeTher is no thyng but breed / that me were leuereLine 3628
Thus day by day / this child bigan to cryeTil in his fadres barm / adoun it layAnd seyde / fare wel fader / I moot dyeAnd kiste his fader/ and dyde the same dayLine 3632 And whan the woful fader/ deed it sayffor wo / hise Armes two / he gan to byteAnd seyde / Allas ffortune and weylaway [folio 182a] Thy false wheel / my wo al may I wyte
Line 3636
descriptionPage 503
[6-text p 270] Line 3636
Hise children wende / that it for hunger wasThat he hise Armes gnow / and nat for woAnd seyde fader/ do nat so AllasBut rather ete the flessh vp-on vs twoLine 3640 Oure flessh thou yaf /. take oure flessh vs froAnd ete ynogh / right thus they to hym seydeAnd after that with-Inne a day or twoThey leyde hem / in his lappe adoun and deydeLine 3644
Hym-self despeired / eek for hunger starfThus ended is / this myghty Erl of Pizeffrom heigh estaat ffortune awey hym carfOf this Tragedie / it oghte ynough suffiseLine 3648 Who so wol here it in a lenger wiseRedeth / the grete Poete of ytailleThat highte Dant. for he kan al deuyseffro point to point. nat o word wol he failleLine 3652
¶ Heere stynteth the Knyght the Monk of his tale. .