The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 256]

¶ Here telleþ þe monk // De casibus virorum illustrium ¶ C^m. xxj^m.

I Wol bewayle in maner of Tregedye The harme of hem þat standeþ in heih degre And fellen so þat þer nas no remedye To bringen hem out of here aduersite Line 3184 ffor certein when þat fortune lust to fle Ther may no man of hire þe cours wiþholde / [²Lat nonis truste on blyn[d] prosperite²] Beþ war by þis ensamples ȝong and olde Line 3188

[Lucifer.]

At lucifer þough he an aungel were And nought a man at him I wol begynne ffor þeigh fortune may non aungel dere ffrom heih degre ȝet felle he for his synne Line 3192 Doun in-to helle wher as he ȝet is Inne O lucifer brightest of aungeles alle Now art þou Sathanas þat mayst not twynne [folio 236b] Out of miserie which þou art y-falle Line 3196

De Adamo [in margin.]

[LO Adam in the felde of/ Damascene. [Harl. MS 1758 folio 184a] With goddis/ owne finger/ wroght/ was/ he. And not bi getyng/ of/ mannes/ sperme vnclene. And welte all Paradis/ sauyng/ oo tre. Line 3200 Had neuyr/ worldly man so hye degree. As/ Adam had till he for his/ gouernaunce. Was/ dryuen out/ of/ his/ hye prosperite. To labour/ an to helle & to myschaunce.]

[6-text p 257]

[Sampson.]

¶ Lo Sampson which was annunciate By þangel long er his natiuite / And was to god almighty consecrate And stood in nobles whiles he mighte se Line 3208 Was neuer such anoþer as was he To speke of strengþe and þerto hardynes But to his wyues tolde he his secre Thurgh which he slough himself þurgh wrecchednes Line 3212

¶ Sampson þis noble and mighty champion Wiþouten wepen sauf his handes tweye he slough and al to-rente þe leoun Toward his weddyng walkyng by þe weye Line 3216 his false wyf couþe him so plese and preye / Til sche his counseil knewe and sche vntrewe Vnto his foos his counseil gan bewreye And him forsok and took anoþer newe Line 3220

¶ An hundred foxes tok Sampson for Ire And alle here tayles he togyder bond And sette þe foxes tayles alle on fuyre ffor he in euery tail haþ putt a brond Line 3224 And þey brent alle þe cornes in þat lond And eek here Olyues and here vynes eeke A þousend men eek he slough wiþ his hond And hadde no wepne but an asse cheeke Line 3228

¶ Whan þey were slayn so þursted him þat he Was wel neigh lorn for which he gan to preye That god wolde of his peyne haue som pite [folio 237a] And sende him drinke or elles most he deye / Line 3232 And of þis asse cheeke þat was so druye Out of a wang tooþ sprang anon a welle Of which he drank ynough schortly to seye Thus hilpe him god as Iudicium can telle Line 3236

[6-text p 258] Line 3236

¶ By verray force at Gasan on a night Maugre philistiens of þat Cite The gates of þe toun he haþ vp plight And on his bakke y-karyed hem haþ he Line 3240 heighe on an hille where as men mighte se O noble almighty Sampson leef and deere That strong and noble haþ be / In alle þis world ne hadde þer ben þy peere Line 3244

¶ This Sampson neuer cyder drank ne wyn Ne on his heed came Rasour non ne scheere By precepte of þe messanger deuyn ffor alle his strengþe was in his here Line 3248 And fully twenty ȝeer by ȝere he hadde of Israel þe gouernance But after soone schal he wepe many a teere ffor wommen schuln bringe him to meschance Line 3252

¶ Vnto his lemman Dalida he tolde That in his heeres alle his strengþe lay And falsly to his fomen sche him solde And slepyng vpon hire barme vpan a day Line 3256 Sche made to clippe or schere his here away And made his foomen alle his crafte aspyen And whan þat þay him fond in such aray They bonde him faste and putte out his eyen Line 3260

¶ But er his heer was y-clipped or y-schaue Ther was no bond þat might him bynde But now is he in prisoun putte in a Caue Where as þey made him at þe querne grynde Line 3264 O noble Sampson strengest of mankynde O whilom Iugge in glorie and in richesse Now maystow wepe with þin eyen blynde [folio 237b] Seþenes þou art fro wele falle in to wrecchidnesse Line 3268

[6-text p 259] Line 3268

¶ The ende of þis Caytiffe was as I schal seye his foomen made a feste vp-on a day And made him as here fool biforn hem pleye And þis was [in] a temple of gret aray Line 3272 But at þe laste he made a foul affray ffor he tuo postes schook and made hem falle / And doun fel temple and al þer it lay And slough himself and eek his foomen alle Line 3276

¶ This is to say þe princes euerichon And eek a þousand bodyes were þey slayn Wiþ fallyng of þe grete temple of stoon Of Sampson ne wol I no more sayn Line 3280 Beþ war of þis ensample olde and playn That noman telle here counseil to here wyues Of such þing as þay wolde haue secre fayn If þat it touche here lymes or here lyues Line 3284

[Hercules.]

¶ Of Ercule þe soueraign conquerour Syngen his werkes lewede and heih renoun ffor in his tyme of strengþe he bar þe flour he slough and rafte þe skyn fro þe leoun Line 3288 he of sent arwes leyde þe boost a doun he arpyes slough þe cruel briddes felle he golden apples rafte þe dragoun he drough out Serberois þe hound of helle Line 3292

¶ He slough þe cruel tyraunt Buserus And made his hors to frete him fleissh and boon He slough þe verray serpent venymous Of Achilles tuo hornes brark he oon Line 3296 And he slough Cacus in a Cave of ston He slough þe geaunt Anteus þe stronge / He slough þe grisly boor and þat anoon And bar þe heed vpon his necke longe Line 3300

[6-text p 260] Line 3300

¶ Was neuer wight siþen þe world bygan þat slough so many monstres as dede he Thurgh out þis wilde world his name ran [folio 238a] What for his strengþe and for his bounte Line 3304 And euery Reeme went he for to see He was so strong þat no man might him lette And boþe þe worldes ende saith trophe / In stede of boundes he a piler sette Line 3308

¶ A lemman hadde þis noble Campion That highte Deianyre freissh as may And as þe clerkes maden mencion Sche haþ him sent a scherte freisch and gay Line 3312 Allas þis scherte and weylaway Enuenymed was subtily wiþ alle That or þat he had wered it half a day It made his boones fro his fleissch to falle / Line 3316

¶ But naþeles some clerkes hire exusen By oon þat highte Nessus þat it maked Be as be may I wol hire nought accusen But on his bakke þe scherte he weres al naked Line 3320 Tille þat his fleissh was fro þe venym blaked And whan he saugh non oþer remedye In hote coles he haþ himself y-raked ffor wiþ no venym deyned he to dye Line 3324

¶ Thus starf þis worþy mighty hercules Lo who may truste on fortune ony þrowe ffor him þat folweþ alle þis world of prees Er he be war is ofte y-leyd ful lowe Line 3328 fful wys is he þat himself can knowe Beþ war for when þat fortune lust to glose / Than wayteþ sche hire man doun to þrowe By such a way as he wolde lest suppose // Line 3332

[6-text p 261]

[Nebuchadnezzar.]

¶ The mighty trone þe precious tresor The glorious septir and realle mageste That hadde þe king Nabugodonosor Wiþ tunge vnneþe may discryued be Line 3336 he twyes nam Iherusalem þe cite / The vessel of þe temple he wiþ him ladde ¶ At Babiloyne was his souerain see / [folio 238b] In which his glorie and his delit he hadde / Line 3340

The fayrest children of þe blood royalle Of Ierusalem he dede do gylde anon And maked eche of hem to ben his þralle Among alle oþer Daniel was oon Line 3344 That was þe wisest childe of euerychon ffor he þe dremes of þe king expowned Wher as in Caldey clerk was þer non That wiste to what fyn his dremes sowned Line 3348

¶ This proude king leet make a statue of golde Sixty cubites longe and seuen in brede To which Image boþe ȝonge and olde Comaunded he to lowte and haue in drede / Line 3352 Or in a fourneys ful of flammes rede He schal be brent þat wolde nought obeye But neuere wolde assente to þat dede Danyel ne his ȝonge felawes tweye Line 3356

¶ This king of kynges proude and elat he wende god þat sitte in mageste Ne might him nought byreue of his estate But sodeinly he lost his dignite Line 3360 And like a beeste him seemed for to be And ete hey as an oxe and lay þer oute In reyn wiþ wilde bestes walked he Til a certein tyme was come aboute Line 3364

[6-text p 262] Line 3364

¶ And ylike an Egles feþeres were his heres And nayles like briddes clawes were / God releeued him at certeyn ȝeeres And ȝaf him witte and þanne wiþ many a tere Line 3368 he þankede god and euer his lyf in feere Was he to don amys or more trespas And or þat y-leyd was on his beere he knew wel þat god was ful of might and grace Line 3372

[Belshazzar.]

¶ his sone which þat highte Baltyzar þat heeld þe regne after his fader day he by his fader couþe nouȝt be war [folio 239a] ffor prowd he was of herte and of array Line 3376 And eek an ydolatre was he ay his heihe astate asseured him in pryde But fortune caste him doun and þer he lay And sodeinly his regne gan deuyde / Line 3380

¶ A feste he made vnto his lordes alle vpon a tyme he made hem bliþe be / And þenne his officeres gan he calle Goode bringeth forth þe vesselles quod he Line 3384 Which þat my fader in his prosperite Out of þe temple of Ierusalem byrafte And to oure heihe goddes þanke we Of honour þat oure eldres wiþ vs lafte Line 3388

¶ His wyf his lordes and his concubynes Ay drunken whiles here appetyte laste / Out of þis noble vesseles sondry wynes / And on a wal þis king his eyhen caste Line 3392 And saugh an hande armles þat/ wrot ful faste ffor feer of which he quook and siked sore This hande þat Baltazar made so sore agast Wrot mane techel phares and no more Line 3396

[6-text p 263] Line 3396

¶ In al þat lond magicien was þer non That couþe expoune what þis lettre ment But Daniel expouned it anon And sayde king god to þi fader sent Line 3400 Glory and honour Regne tresor and rent And he was prowde and no þing god ne dradde / And þerfore god gret wreche vpon him sent And him byrafte þe regne þat he hadde Line 3404

¶ He was out cast of mannes companye Wiþ asses was his habitacion And eete hey as a beeste in wete and drye Til þat he knew by grace and by resoun Line 3408 That god of heuen haþ domynacion Ouer euery regne and euery creature And þenne hadde god of him compassion [folio 239b] And him restored his regne and his figure Line 3412

¶ Eke þou þat art his sone art proud also And knowest alle þis þinges pryuyly and art rebell to god and art his foo Thou drank eeke of his vessels boldely Line 3416 Thy wyf eek and þy wenche synfully Drank of þe same vessels sondry wynes And heryed false goddes cursedly Ther fore to þe schapen gret pyne is / Line 3420

¶ This hand was sent fro god þat on þe wal Wrot mane techel phares truste me Thin regne is doon þou weyest not at al Deuyded is þy regne and it schal be Line 3424 To Medes and to Perses ȝeuen quod he And þilke same night þe king was slawe And Daryus occupieth his degre They he þerto nad neyþer right ne lawe Line 3428

[6-text p 264] Line 3428

¶ Lordynges her-by ensample may ȝe take How þat in lordschipe is no sikernesse ffor whan fortune wole a man forsake He bereþ a-wey his regne and his richesse / Line 3432 And eek his freendes boþe more and lesse And what man haþ freendes þurgh fortune Mishap wole make hem enemys I gesse This prouerbe is ful soþ and ful commune Line 3436

[Zenobia.]

¶ Cenobya of Palymere þe queene As writen Persiens of hire noblesse So worþy was in armes and so keene That no wight passed hire in hardynesse / Line 3440 Ne in lynage ne in oþer gentillesse / Of kinges blood of Perce sche descended I saye þat sche nad nouȝt most fairnesse But of hire schap sche might nought ben amended Line 3444

¶ ffro hire childhode I fynde þat sche fledde Office of wommen and to woode sche wente And many a wilde hertes blood sche schedde [folio 240a] With arwes brode þat sche to hem sente / Line 3448 Sche was so swyfte þat sche anon hem hente And whan þat sche was elder sche wold kille Leouns luperdes and beres alto-rent And in hire armes welde hem at hire wille Line 3452

¶ Sche dorste wilde bestes dennes seeke And rennen in þe mounteinz al þe night And slepe vnder a bussche and sche couþe eeke Wrastlen by verray force and verray might Line 3456 Wiþ any ȝong man were he neuer so wight Ther mighte no þing in hir armes stonde Sche kepte hir maydenhed fro euery wight To no man deyned hire to be bonde / Line 3460

[6-text p 265] Line 3460

¶ But atte laste hir freendes han hire maryed To Odenake a Prince of þat Cite Al were it so þat sche hem longe taryed And ȝe schuln vnderstonde how þat he Line 3464 Hadde suche fantasies as hadde sche But naþeles whan þey were knette in feere They lyueden in ioye and in felicite ffor sche of hem hadde oþer leef and deere / Line 3468

[Saue oo thyng/ that/ sche wolde neuyr/ assente. [Harl. MS 1753 folio 187a] ] By no wey þat he schulde by hire lye But ones for it/ was hire pleyne entent To haue a childe þe world to multiplye Line 3472 And al so sone as sche might aspye That sche nas nouȝt wiþ childe wiþ þat dede Thanne wolde sche suffre him don his fantasye Eftsone and nouȝt but ones out of drede / Line 3476

¶ And if sche were wiþ childe at þilke caste No more schulde he pleye þilke game Til fully fourty dayes were paste Thenne wolde sche ones do suffre him þe same Line 3480 Al were þis Odenak wilde or tame he gat nomore of hire for þus sche sayde It was to wyfes lecchery and schame / In oþer caas if þat men with hem playde [folio 240b]

¶ Tuo sones by þis Odonak had sche The whiche sche kepte in vertu and lettrure But now vnto oure tale turne we / I saye þat worschipful creature Line 3488 And wys þerwith and large wiþ mesure So penyble in þe werre and curteys eeke No more laboure mighte in werre endure Was non þey alle þis world men schulde seke Line 3492

[6-text p 266] Line 3492

¶ Hire riche aray mighte nought be told As wel in vessel as in hir cloþinge Sche was al cladde in perrye and in goolde And eek sche lefte nought for non huntynge Line 3496 To haue of sondry tonges folk knowynge Whan þat sche leyser hadde and for to entende To lerne bookes was al hire likynge How sche in vertu might hir lyf dispende Line 3500

[And schortly of/ this/ storie for to entrete. [Harl. MS 1758 folio 187b] ] ¶ So doughty was hire housebande as sche That þey conquered many regnes grete In þe orient wiþ many a fair Cite Line 3504 Apportienant vnto þe mageste Of Rome and with strong hand heeld hem faste Ne neuer might here fomen don hem fle Ay whiles þat Oedenak dayes laste Line 3508

¶ Here batayles who so luste hem for to ride· Agayn Sapor þe king and oþer mo· And how þat al þis proces felle in ·dede· Why sche conquered and what title had þerto Line 3512 And after of hire meschief and hire woo how þat sche was beseged and y-take let him vnto my mayster Petrarke go That writ of þis ynough I vndertake Line 3516

¶ Whan Odenake was deed sche mightily The regnes huld and wiþ hir propre hand Agayn hire foos sche faught trewely That þer nas king ne Prince in al þat land Line 3520 That he nas gladde if þat he grace fand [folio 241a] That sche ne wolde vpon his land werrey With hire þey made alleyance by band To ben in pees and lete hir ryde and pley Line 3524

[6-text p 267] Line 3524

¶ The Emperour of Rome Claudius Ne him byforn þe Romain Galien Ne dorste neuer be so coragius Ne non Ermyne ne non Egipcien Line 3528 Ne Surrien ne non arabien Wiþinne þe feeld þat dorste with hire fight Lest þat sche wolde hem wiþ hir handes sleen Or with hire meyne putten hem to flight Line 3532

[IN kynges/ abite wente hir/ sones/ two . [Harl. MS 1758 folio 187b] ] As Eyres of here regnes alle And hermanno and Thymalao Here names were as Perciens hem calle Line 3536 But ay fortune haþ ay in hir hony galle This mighty queene may no while en-dure ffortune out of hire regne made hire falle To wrecchednes and to mysauenture Line 3540

¶ Aurelion whan þat þe gouernance Of Rome cam in-to his handes tweye he schoop vpon þis queen to do vengance And wiþ his legiouns he took his weye Line 3544 Toward Cenobye and schortly for to seye He made hir flee and at þe last hir bent And fetered hire and eek hir children tweye And wan þe lond and home to Rome þey went Line 3548

¶ Among þese oþer þinges þat he wan hire char þat was wiþ gold wrought and perre This grete Romayn þis aurelian Haþ wiþ him ladde for þat men schulde se Line 3552 Byforn his tryumphe walkeþ sche Wiþ gilte cheynes on hire necke hangyng Corouned sche was as after hire degre And ful of perre charged hire cloþing Line 3556

[6-text p 268] Line 3556

¶ Allas fortune sche þat whilom was Dredful to kynges and to emperoures· [folio 241b] Now gaureþ al þe poeple on hire allas· And sche þat helmed was in starke stoures· Line 3560 And wan by force townes strong and toures· Schal on hire heede were a vytremyte And sche þat bar þe septre ful of floures Schal bere a distaff hir costes for to quyte Line 3564

[Peter the Cruel, of Spain.]

¶ O noble o worþy petre glorie of Spayne Whom fortune helde so heyh in mageste Wel oughte men þin pitous deþ complayne Thy bastard broþer made þe to fle And after at a sege by subtilte þow were betrayed and lad to his tent Line 3570 Wher as he wiþ his owen hand slough þe Succedyng in þy regne and in þin rent' Line 3572

¶ The feeld of snow wiþ þe egle blak þer-Inne Caught wiþ þe lymrodde coloures as þe gledes he brew þis cursednes and al þe synne The wicked neste was werker of þis needes Nought Charles Olyuer þat ay took god heede Of trouþe and honour but of armorekke Line 3578 Genyloun Olyuer corupte for meede Broughtest þis worþi king in such a brekke Line 3580

[Peter of Cyprus.]

¶ Worþy Petre king of Cypre also þat alisaundre wan by heigh maystrie fful many an heþen wroughtest þou ful wo Of which þin owen liege had enuye Line 3584 And for no þing but for þin Chiualrie They in þin bedde han slayn þe by þe morwe Thus gan fortune gouerne and gye And out of ioye bringe men in-to sorwe Line 3588

[6-text p 269]

[Bernabo Visconti, of Milan.]

¶ Of Melane gret barnabo viscounte God of delite and scourge of lumbardye Why schulde nouȝt I þin fortune acounte / Seþþen in estaat þou clombe were so hihe Line 3592 Thin broþer sone þat was þin double allye ffor he þin neuew was and sone in lawe [folio 242a] Wiþinne his prison made þe to deye But why ne how wot I þat þou were slawe // Line 3596

[Ugolino, Count of Pisa.]

¶ Of þe erl hugelyne of Pyse þe langour Ther may no tunge telle for pite But lytel out of pyse stant a toure In which toure in prison putte was he Line 3600 And wiþ him ben his litel children þre The eldest skarsly .v. ȝer was of age allas fortune it was gret cruelte Suche briddes for to putte in such a kage Line 3604

¶ Dampned he was to deyen in þat prison ffor Roger which þat bisschop was of pyse Hadde on him maade a fals suggestion Thurgh which þe poeple gan on him aryse Line 3608 And putten him to pryson in swich wyse As ȝe haue herde and mete and drynk he hadde . . . . . And þer-wiþ-al it was ful pore and badde Line 3612

¶ And on a day bifelle þat in þat oure Whan þat his mete was wont to be brought The Gailler schutte þe dores of þe toure He herde it wel but he saugh it nought Line 3616 And in his herte anon þer felle a þought Þat þey for hunger wolde don him deyen Allas quod he allas þat I was wrought Þer-wiþ þe teeres felle fro his eyen Line 3620

[6-text p 270] Line 3620

¶ his ȝonge sone þat þre ȝeer was of age vnto him sayde fader why do ȝe wepe When wil þe Gaylere bringen oure potage Is þer no morsel bred þat ȝe do kepe Line 3624 I am so hungry þat I may nought slepe Now wolde god þat I might slepen euer Thanne schulde non hunger in my wombe crepe þer nys no þing sauf bred þat me were leuer Line 3628

¶ Thus day by day þis childe gan to crye Til in his fadres barme a doun it lay And sayde fare wel fader I mot deye [folio 242b] And kissed his fader and deyde þe same day Line 3632 And whan þe woful fader ded him say ffor wo his armes tuo he gan to byte / And sayde allas fortune and welaway Thyn fals wheel my wo I may al wyte Line 3636

¶ His children wende þat it for hunger was þat he his armes gnowe and nought for wo And sayde fader do nouȝt so allas But raþer ete þe fleissch vpon ous tuo Line 3640 Oure fleissch þou ȝaf vs take oure flessch vs fro And ete ynough right þus to him þay sayde / And after þat wiþinne a day or tuo They leyde hem doun right in his lappe and deyde / Line 3644

Himself dispeyred eek for hunger starf Thus ended is þe mighty erl of Pyse ffro heih estate fortune fro him karf Of þis tregetrye it ought ynough suffise / Line 3648 Who so wol heere it in a lenger wise Redeþ þe grete poete of ytayle / That highte daunte for he can it deuyse ffro poynt to poynt nouȝt o word wol he fayle Line 3652

[6-text p 271]

[Nero.]

¶ Al þough þat Nero was as vicious As eny feend þat liþ ful lowe adoun Ȝet he as telleþ vs Swetheneus This wilde world haþ in Subieccioun Line 3656 Boþe Est and west and Septemptrioun Of Rubies Saphires and of perlis white Were alle his cloþes brouded vp and doun ffor he in gemmes grete gan delyte Line 3660

¶ More delicate more pompous of array More proud was neuer emperour þan he Þat ilke cloþ þat he had wered a day After þat tyme he nolde it neuer se Line 3664 Nettes of golde þred hadde he gret plente To fissche in Tybre when him leste to pleye his lustes were as lawe in his degre [folio 243a] ffor fortune as his freende wolde him obeye Line 3668

¶ He Rome brente for his delicacye The senatoures he slough vpon a day To heere how þat men wolde weepe and crye And slough his broþer and by his suster lay Line 3672 His mooder made he in pitous aray ffor he hire wombe slitte to byholde Where he consceyued was so weylaway Þat he so litel of his moder tolde Line 3676

¶ No teere out of his eyhen for þat sight Ne came but sayde a fair womman was sche Gret wonder is þat he couþe or might Be domesman of hire ded beute Line 3680 The wyn to brynge þo comanded he And drank anon. non oþer wo he made / Whan might is ioygned vnto cruelte Allas to deepe wole þe venym wade Line 3684

[6-text p 272] Line 3684

¶ In ȝouþe a mayster hadde þis emperour To teche him lettrure and curtesye ffor of moralite he was þe flour As in his tyme but if bookes lye Line 3688 And whiles his mayster hadde of him maystrye He made him so konnyng and so souple / That longe tyme it was or tyrannye Or any vice dorste in him vncouple Line 3692

¶ This Seneka of which I deuyse By cause nero hadde of him such drede ffor he for vices wolde him chastise Discretly as by word and nought by drede Line 3696 Sire wolde he sayn an Emperour moot neede Be vertuous and hate tyrauntrye ffor which he him in bathe made to blede In boþe his armes til he moste dye Line 3700

¶ This nero hadde eek of a costummance In ȝouþe aȝeins his mayster for to ryse Which aftirward him þought a gret greuaunce [folio 243b] Therfore he made him deye in þis wise Line 3704 But naþeles þis Seneke þe wise / Chees in a bathe to deye in þis manere / Raþer þan han anoþer tormentrye And þus haþ Nero slayn his mayster deere Line 3708

¶ Now felle it so þat fortune lust no lenger þe heihe pryde of nero to cherissche ffor þough he were strong ȝet was sche strenger Sche þoughte þus by god I am to nyse Line 3712 To setten a man þat is fulfilde of vice In heigh degre and emperour him calle By god out of his sete I wol him tryce When he lest weneþ sonnest schal he falle Line 3716

[6-text p 273] Line 3716

¶ The poeple ros vpon him on a night ffor his defaute and whan he it aspyed Out of his dores anon he haþ him dight Allone and þer he wende han ben allyed Line 3720 he knokked faste and ay þe more he cryed þe faster schutten þey þe dores alle Tho wiste he wel he hadde himself begyled And went his way no lenger dorste he calle / Line 3724

¶ The poeple cryed and rombled vp and doun þat wiþ his eeres herde he how þey sayde Wher is þis false tyraunt þis Neroun ffor fere almost out of his witte a brayde Line 3728 And to his goddes pitously he sayde ffor socour but it mighte nought betyde ffor drede of þis him þoughte þat he deyde and ran in to a gardyn him to huyde Line 3732

¶ And in þis gardyn fond he cherles tweye And saten by a fuyre ful grete and rede And to þe cherles twey he gan to preye To slen him and to gurden of his hede Line 3736 That to his body whan þat he were dede Were no despite y-done for his deffame / Himself he slough he couþe no better reed [folio 244a] Of which fortune lough and hadde a game Line 3740

[Holofernes.]

¶ Was neuer Capitayn vnder a king þat regnes mo putte in subieccioun Ne strenger was in feeld of alle þing As in his tyme ne gretter of Renoun Line 3744 Ne more pompous in heigh presumpcioun Then Olyferne which fortune ay keste / So likerously and ladde him vp and doun Til þat he hed was er þat he wiste / Line 3748

[6-text p 274] Line 3748

¶ Nought oonly þat þis world had of him awe / ffor lesyng of Richesse and liberte But he made euery man reneye his lawe / Nabugodonosor was lord sayde Line 3752 Non oþer god schulde honoured be Aȝeins his heste no wight dar trespace / Saue in Bethulya a strang Cite Where Elyachim a prest was of þat place Line 3756

¶ But take keepe of þe deþ of Olypherne Amydde his hoste he drunke lay a nyght Wiþinne his tente large as is a berne / And ȝet for alle his pompe and alle his might Line 3760 Iudith a womman as he lay vpright Slepyng his heed of smot and fro his tent / fful pryuyly sche stal fro euery wight . . . . . Line 3764

[Antiochus.]

¶ What needeþ it of king antiochus To telle his heihe and real mageste his heighe pruyde his werkes venymous ffor such anoþer nas neuer non as he Line 3768 Redeþ which þat he was in Machabe And redeþ þe proude wordes þat he sayde And why he felle fro his prosperite And in an hulle how wrecchedly he deyde Line 3772

¶ ffortune him hadde enhaunced so in pruyde þat verrayly he wende he mighte atteyne vnto þe sterres vpon euery syde Line 3775 And in a balaunce to weye vche mountayne / [folio 244b] And alle þe floodes of þe see restreyne And goddes poeple hadde he most in hate Hem wolde he sle in torment and peyne / Wenyng þat god ne might his pruyde abate Line 3780

[6-text p 275] Line 3780

¶ And for þat Nichamour and Thymothee Wiþ Iewes were venquyscht mightily Vnto þe Iewes swich an hate hadde he That he hadde greythed his chaar ful hastily Line 3784 And swor and sayde ful dispitously vnto Ierusalem he wolde eft sone / To wreke his Ire on hit ful cruelly But of his purpos he was lette ful sone / Line 3788

¶ God for his manace him so sore smot/ Wiþ inuisible wounde ay vncurable/ That in his guttes karf so and bote That his peynes were importable Line 3792 And certeynly þe wreche was resonable ffor many mannes guttes dede he payne But fro his pourpos cursed and dampnable ffor alle his smerte he nolde him nought restreyne Line 3796

¶ But bad anon apparaylen his Oste And sodeinly er he was of hit/ ware God daunted alle his pruyde and alle his boste ffor he so sore felle out of his chare Line 3800 That hurt his lymes and his skyn totare So þat he ne mighte go ne ryde But in a Chayer men aboute him bare Al forbrused boþe bak and syde Line 3804

¶ The wreche of god him smot so cruelly That in his body wickede wormes crepte And þer-wiþ-al he stank so orribly That non of alle his meigne þat him kepte / Line 3808 Wheþer so þat he wook or elles slepte / Ne mighte nought/ þe stynk of him endure In þis meschief he weyled and eek wepte / And knewe god lord of euery creature [folio 245a] Line 3812

[6-text p 276] Line 3812

¶ To alle his host and to himself also fful wlatsom was þe stynke of þis Careyne No man ne mighte him bere to ne fro And in his stynke and in his horible peyne Line 3816 He starf ful wrecchedly in a mounteyne Thus haþ þis robbour and þis homicide That many a man made to weepe and pleyne Such guerdon as bilongeþ vnto pruyde / Line 3820

[Alexander the Great.]

¶ The story of alisaundre is so commune That euery wight þat haþ discrecioun haþ herd somwhat or al of his fortune This wilde world as in conclusioun Line 3824 He wan by strengþe or for his heigh renoun They weren glad for pees vnto him sende The pruyde of man and beste he leyde a doun Wher so he cam vnto þe worldes ende Line 3828

¶ Comparison might neuer ȝit/ be maked Betwix him and anoþer conquerour ffor alle þis worlde for drede of him haþ quaked he was of knighthede and of fredam flour Line 3832 ffortune him made þe heier of hure honour Saue wyn and wommen no þing might aswage / His heihe entent in armes and labour So was he fulle of louynge corage Line 3836

¶ What pite were it to him þey I ȝou tolde Of darius and an .C. þousand mo Of kinges princes dukes eerles bolde Which he conquered and brouȝt hem in-to woo Line 3840 I say as fer as man may ryde or goo Þe worlde was his what schulde I more deuyse ffor þough I write or tolde ȝou euermo Of his knighthode he mighte nought suffise Line 3844

[6-text p 277] Line 3844

¶ Twelf ȝeer he regned as saiþ Machabe Philippes sone of Macedo he was / That first was king of Grece þe Contre / O worþy gentil alisandre allas [folio 245b] Line 3848 þat euer schulde falle such a caas Enpoysoned of þin folk þou were þyn. S fortune haþ torned in-to an aas And ȝet for þe ne weep sche neuer a tere Line 3852

¶ Who schal men ȝeue teeres to compleyne The deþ of gentilesse and of fraunchise þat alle þe world weeldid in his demeygne / And ȝet him þoughte it might not suffise / Line 3856 So ful was his corage of heigh emprise Allas who schal me helpe to endite ffals fortune and poyson to despise þe whiche tuo of al þis wo I wite Line 3860

[Julius Cæsar.]

¶ By wisedom manhede and by labour ffro humbleheed and fro Royal mageste vp ros he Iulius þe Conquerour That alle þe Occident by land and fee Line 3864 By strengþe of hand or elles by tretee And vnto Rome made hem tributarie And seþenes of Rome þemperour was he Til þat fortune wax his aduersarie Line 3868

¶ O mighty Cesar þat in Tessalye Aȝens Pompeus fader þin in lawe That of þe Orient hadde al þe chiualrye as ferre as þat þe day begynneþ dawe Line 3872 þou þorugh þin knighthode þou hast hem take and slawe / Saue fewe folk þat wiþ Pompeus fledde / þurgh which þou puttest al þe Orient in awe Thanke fortune þat so wel þe spedde Line 3876

[6-text p 278] Line 3876

¶ But now a litel while I wol bewayle / þis Pompeus þis noble gouernour Of Rome which þat fleigh at þis batayle I say on of his men a fals traytour Line 3880 His heed of smoot/ to wynne him fauour Of Iulius and him þe heed broughte Allas Pompeye of þe Orient conquerour That fortune vnto such a finye broughte [folio 246a] Line 3884

¶ To Rome aȝein repayreþ Iulius Wiþ his triumphe laureate ful heyȝe But on a tyme Brutus Cassius That euer had of his heigh estaat enuye Line 3888 fful priuily had maad conspiracie Aȝeins þis Iulius in subtil wise And caste þe place in which he schulde deye Wiþ boydekynnes as I schal ȝou deuyse Line 3892

¶ Þis Iulius to þe Capithole went vppon a day as he was wont to goon And in þe Capitolye anon him hent This false brutus on his foule foon Line 3896 And stiked him wiþ boydekynnes anon Wiþ many a wounde and þus þey leet/ him lye But neuer gronte he at no stroke but oon Or elles at tuo but if his story lye Line 3900

¶ So manly was þis Iulius of herte And so wel loued estaatly honeste That þough his dedly woundes so sore smerte His mantel ouer his hepes caste he Line 3904 ffor noman schulde seen his priuyte And as he lay as deyinge in a traunce And wiste verrily þat deed was he Of honeste ȝet hadde he remembrance Line 3908

[6-text p 279] Line 3908

¶ Lucane to þis story I recomende And to Sweton and to Valerius also That of þis story writeþ word and ende how þat þese grete conqueroures tuo Line 3912 ffortune was ferst freend and siþen a foo No man ne truste vpon his fauour longe But haue hire in awayte for eueremo Witnesse on alle þise conqueroures stronge Line 3916

[Cresus.]

¶ This riche Cresus whilom king of lyde Of whiche Cresus Cyquus sore him dradde Ȝet was he caught amyddes alle his pryde Line 3919 And to be brent men to þe fuyre him ladde [folio 246b] But such a reyn doun fro þe walken schadde þat slough þe fuyr and made him to askape But to be war ȝet no grace he hadde Til fortune on þe galwes made him gape Line 3924

¶ Whan he askaped was he can not stynte ffor to begynne a newe reyne aȝein he wende wel for þat fortune him sente Such happe þat he escaped þurgh þe rayn Line 3928 That of his foos he mighte not be slayn And swich a swefne vppan a night he mette Of which he was so proud and eek so fayn That in vengaunce he alle his herte sette Line 3932

¶ Vpon a tree he was as þat him þoughte There Iubiter him wisshe boþe halse and syde And Phebus eek a fair towayle him broughte To druye him wiþ and þerfore wax his pryde Line 3936 And to his doughter þat stood him besyde Which þat he knew in heigh sentence abounde He bad hire telle him what it signefyed And sche his dreemes bygan right þus expounde Line 3940

[6-text p 280] Line 3940

¶ The tree quod sche þe galwes is to mene And Iubiter bitokneþ snow and rayn And Phebus wiþ his towayle so clene Tho be þe sonne stremes for to sayn Line 3944 Thou schalt an honged be fader certayn Reyn schal þe waissche and sonne schal þe druye þus warned him ful platte and ful playn His doughter þat called was Phanye / Line 3948

¶ An honged was Cresus þe proude king His roial trone might him nought auayle Tegedie is non oþer maner þing Ne can synnynge crye ne by-wayle Line 3952 But þat fortune alway wol assayle / Wiþ vnwar strook þe regnes that ben proude ffor whan men trusteþ hire þan wol sche fayle And couere hire brighte face wiþ a cloude [folio 247a] Line 3956

¶ Explicit/

Notes

• [No breaks between the stanzas in the MS.]
• [stoden, later, in the margin]
• [^2_2 later, in margin]
• ¶ Primo de lucifero
• [Harl. extract ends]
• ¶ De Ercule
• ¶ De Rege Nabu|godonosore
• ¶ De Baltazar dicti Regis Nabugodo|nosor filio
• ¶ De Cenobia Paly|merie regina
• [wrongly markt b in margin, by a later corrector, to follow a (De nero &c).
• ¶ De Petro Spayne
• ¶ Rege
• ¶ Bertheun Claykyn
• ¶ Olyuer Mawny
• [Bertrand du Guesclin, & his cousin Sir Oliver de Mauny, l. 3579.]
• ¶ De petro regis
• ¶ Cypri
• ¶ De Barnabo vicecomite
• ¶ Mediolano /
• ¶ De hugylyno Comite Pisano.
• no gap in the MS.
• [wrongly markt .a. by a later corrector, to go before Peter of Spain.]
• De nero
• ¶ De Olipherno
• no gap in the MS.
• ¶ De antiochio illustri.
• ¶ De alexandro magno philippi Regis Macedonie filio.
• ¶ De Iulio Cesare.
• Cresus.