Here begynnethe the boke calledde Iohn bochas descriuinge the falle of princis princessis [and] other nobles tra[n]slated i[n]to englissh by Iohn ludgate mo[n]ke of the monastery of seint edmu[n]des Bury ...

Howe the emperoure Androuycus slough all that were of the blode royall cherisshed vicio{us} peple and after was hanged.

AS very heire here and true successoure By election and also by lynage Cam andronycus lorde and emperoure Of constantynople crowned kynge of age Next to bochas with trift and pale visage Besechinge him to doo his besy cure To remembre his wofull aventure

Amonge grekys by storye and scripture This andronicus gouernyd nat aright Ageyne lawe and eke ageyne nature Founde with his sustre flesshly on a night Both of assent toke them to the flight Ageyn him his cosyn was so fell Lorde of that cuntre callyd Emanuell

For a tyme stode as a man exiled For his dissencions and many an vncouth stryf By his princes after reconcyled Stondynge in hope he shulde amende his lif But in the tyme that he was fugityf He was made lorde and stode so for a whyle Regnynge in pontus of Asie a greate Ile

In this while Emanuell was dede Fall in great age the storye telleth thus Hauynge a chylde and he who list take hede Whyle he dwellyd in his faders hous Amonge Grekes called Alexius And the tutour he was assygned to I called Alixius was also

The same that was assygned his tutoure To se vpon him all the gouernaunce And full power as lorde and emperoure Had all the empyre vndre the obeysaunce Princys lordes gaue to him attendaunce Where that he were present or absent Ech thynge was done at his commaundement

I mene as thus he had all in honde Constantynople a cyte of great substaunce But for extorcyons which he dyd in the londe On his subgettes and for misgouernaunce Amonge the lordes it fyll in remembraunce All of assent in herte gan desire Call Andronycus ageyn to his empyre

By assent restored and crownyd emperoure Constantynople entrynge the cyte Bysyed him by fraudolent laboure All the blode born of the Imperiall se For to be slayne by vengeable cruelte By Iugement of this Andronycus Exepte a prince called Isacyus

Thus in effect the trouth was well seyn He was vengeable last in his oldeage Right as he was in his yerys grene Felly gouerned full of fals outrage Laste of all malicious of corage Toke to counceile in Grece he was thus named All such as were disclaundryd or diffamed

Homecydes he had in his housholde Tyrauntes that wrought ageyn rightwysnesse Cherisshed all that hardy were and bolde Wydowes wyues maydens to oppresse Ribaudye was called gentylnesse Spared nouther he was so lecherous Wymen sworne chast nor folke religious

Had also no maner conscience To his subgettes falsly by rauyne Toke what him liste by vniuste violence To all vices his youth he dyd enclyne And all that were of the royall lyne Were slayn echon except Isacyus As I tolde erst by andronycus

And as I fynde for him in hast he sent For this purpos to come to his presence To murdre him this was his entente By dyuers toknes and many euydence And fully knewe the fyne of his sentence He lyke a prince lyst come nonere Smet of the hede of the messangere

And after that of manly prouydence Myd the cyte shewyd him lyke a knight Prayde lordes to yeue him audyence Princys iuges for to do him right That he might declare in that sight Great Iniuryes damages outragyous Wrought by the emperoure callyd Andronycus

O citezyns that knowe all the guyse Of your Emperour called andronycus Nat Emperoure so as ye lyst aduertise But a tyraunt cruell and furrous A fals mordrere vengeable dispytous Hath of newe and frowarde fals corage Slayn of the empyre holy the lynage

There is a lyue left none of the blode Saue I alone of the royall lyne For andronycus lyke a tyraunt wode Hath slayn echon brefly to termyne His swerde of vengeaunce they might nat declyne Nowe purposeth of mortall tyrannye Sle me also that am of their alye

Requirynge you in this consistorye O Cytezyns that here present be To remembre and call to memorye Howe this famous Imperiall cite Hath ay ben redy to do equite Besy also of their noblesse Wronge of tyrauntes manly to oppresse

Philosophers and poetys eke deuyse In their sawes prudent and notable Blode of tyrauntes is noble sacrifyse To god aboue whan they be vengeable And sith ye be rightfull iust and stable In youre werkys voyde of varyaunce Weye this matere iustly on balaunce

The peple echon all of one assent For outrages of thys andronycus Put him doun by rightfull Iugement In whoos place set vp Isacius The sayde tyraunte frowarde and vicious Gan maligne and theym silf dresse In his diffence to make a forteresse

It holpe him nat to make resistence So as he stode voyde of all fauoure Syeged he was and by violence Maugre his might rent oute of that toure Spoyled cruelly felt no better socoure Sode all naked quakynge in his peyne And first rent oute one of his iyen tweyne

And ouermore he had this rewarde Without helpe socoure or respyte Rode on an asse his face set bakwarde The assys tayle holdynge for despyte Whom to beholde the people hath delyte To pore and rich thrugh the cite Him to rebuke was grauntyd lyberte

After all this in a carte set And vengeably lad out of toun By dome hanged on an hye gybet The peple on him to his confusion Made clamoure and terryble soun Wolde neuer fro the galowes wende Tyll in mischeef by deth made an ende

Lenuoye.

IN this tragedye ageyn Audronytus Bochas maketh an exclamacion Ageyn all princys vicious While they haue power and domynacion By tyrannye vse extorcion Concludynge thus that their fals lyuynge Of right requyreth to haue an euyll endynge

Indifferently this tyraunt Lecherous Of wyues maydyns made none excepcion Folowynge his luste frowarde and disclaundrous Spared no woman of religion Made wyues breke their profession By violence peyse well all this thinge Of right requireth to haue an euyll endynge

Moost in murdre he was contagious Of Innocent blode to make effusion Vengeable also ageyn all vertuous Ageyns his kinrede sought occasion To sle them fro which that he cam doun Which consydryd all such fals werkynge Of right requyreth to haue an euyll endynge

Bochas manaceth princys outrageous Which by their proude hatefull abusion To god and man of wyll contrarious Hauynge in herte a fals opynyon All tho that been in their subiection They may deuoure their power so serchynge Which shall nat fayle to haue an euyll endynge

Noble princes ye that been desirous To {per}seuere in youre domynacion And in all vertue to be victorious Cherissh trouth put falshede doun Be mercyable mesured by reson Of Andronytus the surfetys shewynge That ye by grace may haue a gode endynge