De Rege Antiocho illustri
What nedeth it of kyng anthiochus Line 2575
To telle his hye roial magestee, Line 2576
His hye pride, his werkes venymus? Line 2577
For swich another was ther noon as he. Line 2578
Rede which that he was in machabee, Line 2579
And rede the proude wordes that he seyde, Line 2580
And why he fil fro heigh prosperitee, Line 2581
And in an hill how wrecchedly he deyde. Line 2582
Fortune hym hadde enhaunced so in pride Line 2583
That verraily he wende he myghte attayne Line 2584
Unto the sterres upon every syde, Line 2585
And in balance weyen ech montayne, Line 2586
And alle the floodes of the see restrayne. Line 2587
And goddes peple hadde he moost in hate; Line 2588
Hem wolde he sleen in torment and in payne, Line 2589
Wenynge that God ne myghte his pride abate. Line 2590
And for that nichanore and thymothee Line 2591
Of jewes weren venquysshed myghtily, Line 2592
Unto the jewes swich an hate hadde he Line 2593
That he bad greithen his chaar ful hastily, Line 2594
And swoor, and seyde ful despitously Line 2595
Unto jerusalem he wolde eftsoone, Line 2596
To wreken his ire on it ful cruelly; Line 2597
But of his purpos he was let ful soone. Line 2598
God for his manace hym so soore smoot Line 2599
With invisible wounde, ay incurable, Line 2600
That in his guttes carf it so and boot Line 2601
That his peynes weren importable. Line 2602
And certeinly the wreche was resonable, Line 2603
For many a mannes guttes dide he peyne. Line 2604
But from his purpos cursed and dampnable, Line 2605
For al his smert, he wolde hym nat restreyne, Line 2606
But bad anon apparaillen his hoost; Line 2607
And sodeynly, er he was of it war, Line 2608
God daunted al his pride and al his boost. Line 2609
For he so soore fil out of his char Line 2610
That it his limes and his skyn totar, Line 2611
So that he neyther myghte go ne ryde, Line 2612
But in a chayer men aboute hym bar, Line 2613
Al forbrused, bothe bak and syde. Line 2614
The wreche of God hym smoot so cruelly Line 2615
That thurgh his body wikked wormes crepte, Line 2616
And therwithal he stank so horribly Line 2617
That noon of al his meynee that hym kepte, Line 2618
Theither so he wook, or ellis slepte, Line 2619
Ne myghte noght the stynk of hym endure. Line 2620
In this meschief he wayled and eek wepte, Line 2621
And knew God lord of every creature. Line 2622
To al his hoost and to hymself also Line 2623
Ful wlatsom was the stynk of his careyne; Line 2624
No man ne myghte hym bere to ne fro. Line 2625
And in this stynk and this horrible peyne, Line 2626
He starf ful wrecchedly in a monteyne. Line 2627
Thus hath this robbour and this homycide, Line 2628
That many a man made to wepe and pleyne, Line 2629
Swich gerdoun as bilongeth unto pryde. Line 2630