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 Eraclius the Emperoure susteyned here∣sye / fyll in to dropsye / and sekenesse vncurable / and so dyed.

aFter Phoras with gret honour and glo••ye Crowned emperour of rome the cite In whos tyme as seith the storye The Romayns stode in greate {per}plexite By theym of perce that roos with Cosdr••ye Which toke vpon him to be lorde and syre As a tyraunte to trouble the empyre

Gate many prouynce and many famous reem Thrugh all asye as the cronicle seith Gan approch towarde Ierusaleem Afore the towne proudly a syege he leithe As a tyraunt frowarde to cristys feith But eraclyus maugre all his might Smet of his hede and slough him lyke a knight

And by grace which that is dyuyne This famous prince this Eraclyus In his begynnynge slough many proude sersyn•• Holde in tho dayes notable and glorious And in his conquest passynge famous Dyuers relykes of the crosse he sought And from tho cuntrees many of them he brought

Was none so f•• holde in his dyees As Eraclyus 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Empire for to guye Nor more manly founde at all assayes Of hye prowes ••or in chiualrye But whan he gan susteyne heresye God toke from him within a lytyll space His hap and welfare his fortune and his grace

He gan sustene and folowe certeyn rytes Of wylfulnesse and frowarde fantasye Of a secte callyd Monachelitys Which as a s••••te of frowarde heresye And sith that he drough to that partye The story telleth for all his hygh estate This Eraclyus was neuer fortunate

Where he was first drad on se and londe Namely of sarasyns for all his chiualrys Grace and fortune from him withdroughe hir honde For whan he fyll into heresye He was trauayled with such a dropsye That ••herwithall he had a frowarde luste Euer to drinke and euer he was a thurst

In tho dayes founde was no leche Albe that they were sought on ech partye The sayde prince that coude wyssh or teche Him to releue of his dropsye Made feynt and feble with a greate palesye Thus in sekenes he hath his dayes spent By vengeaunce slayne with infernall torment

Of Eraclyus this was the wofull ende As is rehercyd slayn with sekenesse Oute of this worlde whan he shulde wende All hole the empyre stode in great distresse Fors of sarasyns dyd theym so oppresse And day by day drough to declyne By his son called constantyne