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 Brounchilde quene of fraunce slough hir kyn / brought the Londe in dyuysyon / and after was hangyd / and hewen in pecys smale

sHe cam arayed nothinge lyke a quene Hir here vntressyd bochas toke gode hede In all his boke he had afore nat sene Amore wofull creature in dede With wepynge iyen to torne was all hir wede Rebukyng bochas he had left behynde Hir wretchidnesse for to put in mynde

Vnto myn auctoure sodeynly she abrayde Lyke a woman that were with wo chekmate First of all thus to him she sayde Sumtyme I was a quene of great estate Crowned in Fraunce but nowe all disolate I stode for soth brounchyld was my name Which to reherce I haue a maner shame

Thou were besy to wryte the wofull cas Within thy boke of arcynoe Dydest seruyce to quene cleopatras Of Rosamunde thou wrote also parde And amonge all thou hast forgoten me Wherby it semeth thou doest at me disdeyne List no parcell to wryte of my peyne

Whan bochas herde this of chere he wex sa•• Knowynge no thinge of that she dyd endure I wisse quod he afore I haue nat rad In no cronycle nor in no scripture Of youre frowarde wofull auenture No quod she I pray you take good hede So as they fyll I wyll reherce in dede

Bochas with brounchylde gan debate anon Sothly quod he this is the condicyon Of you wymen almoost euerychon Ye haue this maner without excepcion Of youre naturall inclynacion Of youre declarynge this obseruaunce to kepe No thinge to say contrarye to youre worship

Nature hath taught you al that is wronge ••excuse Vndre a curtayne al thynge for to hyde With lytyll grayne youre chaf ye can abuse On youre defautys ye list nat for to abyde The gaule touchid all that ye set asyde Shewe ro••ys fressh wedys ye let pas And fayrest chere there ye ••oste trespas

And if ye shall tell youre owne tale Howe ye fall fro fortunes whele Ye wyll vnclose but a lytyll male Shewe of youre vices but a small parcele Bro••le glasse sheweth brighter than stele And though of vertue ye shewe a faire pretence He is a fole that yeueth to you credence

Quod brounchy•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 do right well espye Thou hast of w•• a fals opynyon Howe they can fla•• ••le and lye And ben dyuers of disposycion Thou mightest haue made an excepcion Of hye estatys and theym that gentyll been Namely of me that was so great a quene

¶Your hye estate by kynde hath no power To chaunge in nature nouther colde nor hete But late vs passe and leue this mater Theron to abyde or any more to plete Of your complaynt say to me the grete By way of seruyce to you I shall me quyte As ye declare take my penne and wryte

Take hede quod she and with good auyce Fro the trouth bewar that thou ne varye Whilom in fraunce regnyd kynge Clowyce Had a son that named was Clotarye Clothar an he••••e that name•• was Lotar•• And this lotarie named the seconde Had sonnys foure in storye it is founde

To the cronycle who can take hede As it is put in remembraunce Whan their fadre the mighty kynge was dede Atwene these foure was partyd all fraunce Ech by him silf to haue gouernaunce By one assent as brother vnto brother Weringe their crownes ech quyt theym vnto other

The same tyme I callyd brounchilde Me lyst nat varye from the olde writynge Had a fadre named leuechylde Of all spayne souereyne lorde and kynge My sayd fader to full great hindrynge Of both realmys the fame ranne so ferre Twene spayne and fraunce gan a mortall werre

The brethern foure in fraunce crowned kinges Ageyne my fadre made stronge diffence Of marciall pryde and fortunat chaunges Whan they met by mortall violence Of sodeyne sl••ughter fyll such p••••••••lence On outher partye the felde lyke a great flode With the terryble effusion of blode

To both realmes the werres were importable Causinge of deth passynge greate damage Sought menys wex by assent tretable Of blode shedynge to appese the wofull rage By oon accorde I was youe in mariage To Sigebert regnynge tho in fraunce Twene both realmes to make allyaunce

Nay quod bochas I deme it was nat so Twene you and me there muste begyn a stryf Be aduysed take gode hede therto The first assuraunce of mariage in youre lif Of chylperyk ye w••re the weddyd wyf Cronycles seyn what euer ye expresse In this mater wyll bere with me witnesse

Though sūme bokes reherce and so seyn Lyke as ye haue made here mencion Their rehesayle stande in no certeyn For by the assent of outher region Spayne and fraunce in their conuencion Ordeyned so in my tendre age To sygebert I was yeue in mariage

Imeneus was nat there present Whan we ••••er oure chaumbre toward night For thesyphone hir sustren of assent Infernall goddesses bare the torchys light And as the torches shewyd derke and bright Therby the peple presentyd one and all Dempt of the mariage what shuld befall

This custom vs••d of antyquyte From their temples of goddys and goddesses At mariages of folke of hye degre Torches were borne of whom men toke wytnes As they were derke or shewyd their brightnes The difference seen in ech estate If it were towarde or Infortunate

Of this mariage shorte proces to make The torches brente and yit they were nat bright Shewed oute combrous smokes blake Of consolacion lost was all the light Thus in derknes wasted the first night Their vers their songe of goddys and goddesses Were all togedre of sorowe and heuynesse

These were the toknes the night of maryage Pronostykes of greate aduersite Yit of nature I had this auauntage Of womanhede and excellente beute And lyke a quene in stones and perre I was arayed clad in purple wede With a crowne of golde vpon my hede

Selempnely crownyd quene of fraunce Which for to se folke fast gan repayre Of all welfare I had suffisaunce Clombe vpon fortune full hye vpon the stayre A sonne I had called clotayre By Sygebert by recorde of writynge Third of that name in fraunce crowned kinge

So wolde god that day that he was borne He had be put in his sepulture In saluacion of blode shed here toforne Caused the deth of many creature As dyuers bokes reporte in scrypture Grounde and gynnynge as made is mencion Within this londe of great dyuision

He with his brethern of whom I spake late At him began the first occasion Nat so quod bochas ye fayled of your date Who was cheef cause of dyuysion Sothly quod she in myn opynyon Amonge them silf I dare well specefye Cheef gynnynge was fraternall enuye

Kepe you more cloos in this mater ye do fayle Folowynge the traces of youre condicion Ye hal•• foule in your rehersayle For of your owne ymagynacion Ye ••ewe the sede of this dissencion Amonge these kinges if ye take hede By which in fraunce many man was dede

Than brounchyld gan to chaunge chere To bochas saide with face full cruell Nat longe agon thou knewest nat the manere Of my lyuynge but a small parcell Me semeth nowe thou knowest euerydell So that ye may without lenger stryf Syt as Iuge that knoweth so wyll my lyf

Whan these brethern stode at discorde Ech ageyn other by mortall violence Vndre a coloure to trete of accorde With many a maner feyned diligence Chilperyk there beynge in presence Whilom brother to Sygebert the kynge Was slayn amonge them by fals conspiringe

On whoos deth auengyd for to be As Sigebert dyd him silf auaunce Amonge the prees he slayne was parde Nat so quod bochas but of fals gouernaunce Of your misliuynge fyll this vnhappy chaunce That sygebert was murdryd in sothnes Only by occasion of your doublenes

Folowynge the traces of newe fangylnes Geyn Sygebert he wrought full falsly Whan ye loued of froward doublenes Laudryk the Erle of chaumpayn and of bry For by your outrage and your great foly The kinge was slayne and ye dyd assent In a forest an huntynge whan he went

Which called was the forest of compyne Alas quod she and brake out in compleynynge Bochas bochas thou doest sore vndermyne All the surfetys done in my lyuynge Thou knowest the slaughtre of sygebert the kynge Which that was wrought alas by myn assent Howe knowist thou and were nat there present

Of these debates and of all the werre With rebukes rehercyd here in vayn In rehersayle greatly thou doyst erre For I cast be right wele certeyne In my diffence to replye ageyn It was nat I she that thou doest mene It was Fregundys the lusty yonge quene

This Fregundis thou shalt vnderstond Right womanly and fayre of hir visage Chilperyk was whylon hir husbond For hir beutye toke hir in mariage By hir treynys and hir great outrage He was after the story who list rede At mischeef slayne thou shalte so fynde in dede

Though ye by langage make stronge diffence In these maters which cause me to muse I haue ageyn you loste my pacience That so subtylly wolde your silf excuse Contrariously your treynes ye abuse For Colotayre I haue so rad parde Was nat engendred of Sigebert nor of the

I Remembre full wele that I haue rad That Chilperyk though ye therat disdeyne Recorde of auctours that prudent be and sad He in trouth was gendryd of you tweyne Which in his dyenge me list nat for to seyne Left sonnes two the story ye may rede Theobart and Thederyk to succede

Bochas quod she though thou turne vpsodoun The sayde storyes reherced here in dede Folowynge the malyce of thyn opynyon Maugre thy wyll furth I wyll procede As I began take therto gode hede The first Thederyk thou shalt vnderstande Cosyn Germayn was to my husbonde

Kynge of burgoyn that tyme and another He of hatrede and indignacion Slough Theobart which that was his brother His wyf his children for short conclusion Which in the mighty famous region Of Antrasie regned as lorde and kynge What euer thou sayst this trouth and no lesinge

Nay nay quod bochas it was all otherwyse I may nat suffre howe ye go there amonge All this langage of newe that ye dyuyse Brought to a preef concludeth vpon wronge What shulde we ••eng••e this ma••e•• ••••awe alonge Youre silf were cause where ye be loth or fayne By theodoryk the theobarte was slayne

The grounde herof gan {per}cell of enuye By youre frowarde brennynge couetyse Which had only to occupye To rule the londe after youre owne guyse And if I shall pleynly here deuyse Of these myscheues reherced god do bote Ye were youre silf grounde cheef croppe and rote

Quod brounchylde I conceyue well and se Ye for youre {per}tye haue lost all reuerence Youre silf enarmed to shewe your cruelte Ageyns me touchynge the violence Of two slaughtres rehercyd in sentence First howe thederyk his brother slough in dede Callyd Theobart a pitous thinge to rede

Him silf after stranglyd with poyson His wyf his chyldren hewe in pesys smale As ye quod bochas make here mencion Some parte is true but nat all youre tale For I suppose ye shuld wax pale For shame of thinge which ye can nat excuse Whan Thedoryk begynneth you to accuse

He put on you the cryme of fals treson Ye slough his wyf and children also Him silf also ye murdred by poyson I wolde wete what ye coude say herto Alas quod she what shulde I do Was neuer woman in hye nor lowe estate All thinge consydred more infortunate

Fortune of me set nowe but lytyll prys By hir frowarde furious violence Turnynge hir whele and visage of malyce Causeth to me that noman yeueth credence Had in despite voyde of reuerence And fortunes mutabilite Sool adiect and fall in pouerte

O Bochas Iohn for short conclusion Thou mayst ageyne me thy stile nowe auaunce I haue deserued to haue punycion And all the princes and barons nowe in fraunce Crye out on me and aske auengeaunce Refuge is none nor recure in this thinge Though y^t with Clotaire my soule be crowned kinge

For my diffautes foule and abhomyneble Tofore the iuges of all the perlement I was forniggyd and founde also coupable Of euery cryme conuyct by Iugement Myn accusours there beynge presente Of one and other stondynge a great route Markyd with fingers of folke that stode aboute

For very shame I dyd myn ien close For them that gaured and cast on me theyr sight But as folke may by toknes wele suppose Myn eres were nat stopped half aright Taken by force lad forth by might By the hangman drawe ouer hill and vale Dismembryd after and hewe on pesys small

With my blode the pament all bespreynte Thanked be fortune which was myn auenture The soule partyd the body was so feynt Who rad euer of any creature That moch more torment dyd endure Prayde bochas to haue all thinge in mynde Write hir lyf and leue no thinge behinde

Lenuoye.

THys tragedye of brounchilde the quene Loke hir story who list yeue attendaunce Frowarde to rede contageous to sene And contrarye to all gode gouernaunce Born in spayne crownyd quene of fraunce Double of tonge vp sin der of treson Caused all that londe stande at dyuision

From hir traynes there coude noman fleen Sours and hede springe of sorowe and myschaunce. Shed hony first stange after as do been Hir myrre medlyd with sugred fals plesaunce What she sayde encluded in variaunce Maistresse of murdre and of dissencion Caused all that loude stonde at diuisyon

Pryncys of gaule might nat sustene Great outrages nor the great greuaunce Nor the surfetys done in their yerys grene Brought that kingdom almoost to vttraunce All of assente cryed on hir vengeaunce The same aros howe all that region In hir falsnesse stode at dyuysion

The knif of murdre grounde was so kene By hir malyce of longe contynuaunce Hir corage fret with infernall tene Sparyd nouther 〈◊〉〈◊〉 no•• allyaunce Peys••d hir su••fetys and weyed in balaunce As bochas wryte she was the occasion Which made all fraunce to stonde at dyuision