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 ...

Of mighty sampson which tolde his counseill to Dalida wherby he was deceyued.

wHo was more myghty or strong than sāpsō None more deliuer the bible bereth witnesse Without wepen he slough a feers lion And for his ennemyes to him dyd expresse His vn••outh problem anone he gan him dresse Ageyn philistes and slough of theym thretty To pay his promys spoiled theym by and by

••is problem was the text thus rehersynge After the lettre in very sothefastnesse There cam out mete of a thinge etynge And fro the stronge there went out swetnesse But his wife of frowarde doublenesse Which euer wrouht to his disauaile Of worthy sampson tolde the counsayle

What is more stronge than is a lyon Or more sote than hony in tastynge But wymen haue this condicion Of secrete thinges whan they haue knowlegynge ••••••y bolne inwarde their hertys ay fretynge O••••her they must dye or discure So b••••••le of custum is their nature

This was the caas the lion that was dede Agayn the sonne gopynge lay vpryght Aswarme of been entryd in his hede Of whome there cam hony anone right And whan sompson therof had a sight He fantasied in his opinion Full secrely this proposicion

As ye haue herde and gan it forth purpose That philistes to him it shulde expowne Vnder a peyne the trouth to him vnclose But with his wife he pryuely gan rowne And she on sampson gan compleyne and frowne And feynyngly so longe vpon him wepe That he nat coude his counseil from hir kepe

Which whan she knewe she made no taryenge But playn and hole she gan it to declare Such double trust is in their wepynge To kepe their tunges wymen cannat spare Such wepynge wyues euill mot theym fare And all husbondes I pray god yeue theym sorowe That to theym tell their counseyll eue or morowe

She tolde theym hole she tolde it theym nat half And sampson than gan vopn theym smyle If ye nat had herde it in my calf Ye shulde nat a founde it a grete while Who may be sure where wymen list begyle Though bookys sampson of strongth so cōmende Yit durst he nat ayenst his wife offende

This mi••••••y sampson dyd also his peyne Thre hundred foxis ones that he fonde He toke their tailes knyt theym tweyne and tweyne And amyd euery eche he set a fire bronde And as they ran in philistes londe So furiously vp and doun they went That they their frutes and their wynes brent

Eke by treason whan he was ones bounde With newe cordys as he lay and slepe There thre thousande which that sampson founde To haue murdred him or that he toke kepe He brake his bondes and vp anone he lepe Of an asse he caught a chaule bone And a thousand he slough of theym anone

He gan to feynt and had a sodeyn lust For to drinke fadyd face and chere And god sent him to staunch with his thruste From the assys toth water cristall clere Which that sprange ou••e large like a ryuere Kefresshyd his spirite which afore gan dull Tyll that he had of water drunke his full

After he went to Gazam the cyte Amonge all his ennemyes that were of greate might To his plesaunce where he dyd se A full faire woman lay with hir all night And on the morowe longe or it was light Maugre the watch vpon his shulders square The gatys stronge vp to an hill he bare

And in a valey which called was Sore•• Full hote he louyd dalida the faire On whome his hert was full hote set She coude her feyne so meke and debonayre Make him such chere whan that him list repaire But I dare call hir dalida the double Cheef roote and cause of all his mortall trouble

He neuer dranke wynes white ne rede Of Nazarees such is the gouernaunce Rasoure ne shere touchyd neuer his hede For in longe growynge stondith hir plesaunce And this sampson moost myghty of substaunce Had all his force by influence of heuene By heris weringe that were in noumbre seuene

It was full secre in euery mannys sight Amonge people tolde for an vnkouth thinge Wherof sampson had so greate might Outwarde shewyd by force of his werkynge But dalida with hir flaterynge Wolde neuer stynt enquerynge euer amonge Till that she knewe wherby he was so stronge

She like a serpent daringe vndre floures Or like a worme that wrotith in a tre Or like an addre of many folde coloures Right apperinge and faire vpon to se For shrowdyd was hir mutabilite With lowlihede and a faire pretense Of true menynge vnder fals apparence

He ment trouth and she was variable He was feithfull and she was viltrewe He was stedfast and she vnstabele His trust ay one she louyd thinge newe She weryd coloures of many diuers hewe In stede of blewe which stedfast is and clene She louyd chaungys of many diuers grene

But to the purpose for to condescende Whan she of sampson knewe all the priuete Hir falshede shortly for to comprehende She made him slepe full softly on her kne And a sharpe rasoure after that toke she Shoof of his here large and of greate lengyth Wherby alas he lost all his strength

Damage in erth is none so grecious As an ennemy which that is secre Nor pestilence none so {per}ilous As falsnesse where he is preue And specially in femynyte For if wyues be founde variable Where shall husbondes fynde other stable

Thus sampson was by dalida deceyued She coude so wele flatere forge and feyne Which philistes whan they haue conceyued Vnwarly bonde him in a mighty cheyne Cast him in prison put out his iyen tweyne And of despite after as I fynde At their quernes made hym for to grinde

They made a feest statly and solempne Whan they had all this treason wrought And to rebuke him scorne him and condempne Blynde sampson was afore theym brought Which thinge full sore greuyd him in his thought Cast he wolde in his preuy mynde To auenge his blyndnesse sūme maner wey fynde

And whan he had thus bethought him longe He made a childe him pryuely to lede To tweyne postes large square and stronge Enbracyd theym or any man toke hede And gan to shake theym withoute fere or drede So sturdely amonge his fone all That the temple is vpon theym fall

Thus he was auengyd on his fone Which that falsly dyd ageyne him stryue Slough in his dyenge god wote many one More than he dyd euer afore his lyue And he was also the date to descriue In israel the bible is myn auctour Twenty yere there iuge and gouernoure

Lenuoye

THis tragedye yeueth in euidence To whom men shall their coūseil out discure For recheles tunges for lacke of prudence Haue do greate harme to many a creature Whan harme is done full harde it is to recure Beware by sampson your counseyll well to kepe That dalida compleyne crye and wepe

Whilom sampson for manhode and prudence Israell had in gouernaunce and cure Dauntyd lions through his magnificence Made on a thousande a disconfiture

Full in any one haue clene been all their lyue Vndefoulyd kept their virginite And sūme coude ageyn all vices stryue Theym to conserue in {per}fight chastite Deuoyde of chaunge and mutabilite Though sūme other haue therageyn trespacid The laude of theym is nat therwith diffacid

And who euer of malice list accuse Thise sely wymen touchinge variaunce Lette theym remembre and in their wittes muse Men be nat ay stable in their constaunce In this worlde there is no {per}seueraunce Chaunge is ay founde in men and wymen both On outher {per}tye be they neuer so wroth

No man shulde the vertuous atwite In stede of him that dyd the trespace Nor for a theef a trewe man endite Nor for the gylty an Innocent manace Good and wickyd abyde in euery place Their price / their lak / late theym be reseruyd To outher {per}tye as they haue deseruyd

Though Iohn bochas in his opinion Agayn wymen list a processe make They that been good of condion Shulde ayenst no maner quarell take But lightly passe and their sleues shake For ageyn good he no thinge made Who can conceyue theffecte of this balade