[6-text p 267]
The Emperour of Rome Claudius
Ne hym bifore / the Romayn Galien
Ne dorste neuere / been so corageus
Ne noon Ermyn / ne noon Egipcien
Line 3528
Ne Surrien / ne noon Arabyen
With-Inne the feeldes / that dorste with hire fighte
Lest that she wolde / hem with hir handes slen
Or with hir meignee / putten hem to flighte
Line 3532
In kynges habit / wente hir sones two
As heires / of hir fadres regnes alle
And hermanno / and Thymalao
Hir names were / as Persiens hem calle
Line 3536
But ay ffortune / hath in hire hony galle
This myghty queene / may no while endure
ffortune / out of hir regne made hire falle
To wrecchednesse / and to mysauenture
Line 3540
Aurelian / whan that the gouernaunce
Of Rome / cam in-to hise handes tweye
He shoope / vp-on this queene to doon vengeaunce
And with hise legions / he took his weye
Line 3544
Toward Cenobie / and shortly for to seye
He made hire flee / and atte last hire hente
And fettred hire / and eek hire children tweye
And wan the land / and hoom to Rome he wente
Line 3548
Amonges othere thynges / that he wan
Hir Chaar/ þat was with gold wroght and perree
This grete Romayn / this Aurelian
Hath with hym lad / for that men sholde it see
Line 3552
Biforn his triumphe / walketh shee
With gilte cheynes / on hire nekke hangynge
Coroned was she / after hir degree [folio 177b]
And ful of perree / charged hire clothynge
Line 3556
