[6-text p 272]
[6-text p 273]
¶ Now fil it so / that ffortune liste no lenger
The hye pride of Nero / to cherice
ffor thogh þat he was strong/ yet was she strenger
She thoghte thus / by god I am to nyce
Line 3712
To sette a man / that is fulfild of vice
In heigh degree / and Emperour hym calle
By god / out of his sete I wol hym trice
Whan he leest weneth / sonnest shal he falle
Line 3716
¶ The peple roos / vp on hym / on a nyght
ffor his defaute / and whan he it espied
Out of his dores / anon he hath hym dight
Allone / and there he wende han been allyed
Line 3720
He knokked faste / and ay the moore he cryed
The faster shette they / the dores alle
ffor drede of this / hym thoughte þat he dyed
And wente his wey / no lenger dorste he calle
Line 3724
¶ The peple cryde / and rombled vp and doun [folio 95a]
That with hise erys / herde he / how they seyde
Where is this false tirant this Neroun
ffor fere almoost out of his wit he breyde
Line 3728
And to hise goddes / pitously he preyde
ffor socour / but it myghte noght bityde
ffor drede of this / hym thoughte þat he deyde
And ran in to a gardyn / hym to hyde
Line 3732
¶ And in this gardyn / foond he cherles tweye
That seten by a fyr / greet and reed
And to thise cherlis two / he gan to preye
To sleen hym / and to girden of his heed
Line 3736
That to his body / whan þat he were deed
Were no despit ydoon / for his defame
Hym self he slow / he koude no bettre reed
Of which / ffortune / lough and hadde a game
Line 3740
