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 many yeres was bitwixte Adam and Nembroth and bitwixte Nembroth and Cadmus and of other kynges

THese olde poetis with their sawes swere Full couertly in their verse do feyne How olde saturne was sūmetyme kynge of Crete And of custome dyd his besy peyne And of his goodnesse lyft to ordayne That he shulde as of his nature E••h••on deuoure as by his engendrure

In this mater shortly to soiorne To vnderstonde of poetys the processe They mene playnely at this worde saturne Doth in it self nothynge but tyme expresse And philosophers bere also witnesse That as in tyme furthe euery thynge is brought So tyme ayenwarde brīgyth euery thyng to nought

Clerkys also recorde in their writynge Vndre supporte as I dare reherse Howe that fyre wastyth euery thinge And yron herde doth nesshe thynges perce If ought abydith that they may not transuerce Yit comith tyme and by continuaunce And all consumith with his sherpe launce

His sharpe toth of consumpcion In s••yll wyse doth his besy cure For to auentissh in conclusion All thynge that is brought forthe by nature By longe abydynge ye may them nat asure For olde thyngys deuouryd men may se Ferre out of mynde as they neuir had be

Who can or may remembre in any wyse The glorious prowesse of these prynces olde Or the noblesse of philosophers wyse Or of poetis their feynynge to vnfolde Processe of yerys alas as I you tolde Deuouryd hath their name and their noblesse Derkyd their renoune by foryetfulnesse

Thus of their names is left no memorye Tyme with his rasoure hath done so grete vengeaūce Shauen awaye the honoure and the glorye Of many noble full myghty of puissaunce That there is lefte nowe no remembraunce Of princes / poetys / ne philosopheres For whan that deth nayled theym in their cofres

Cam tyme vpon and by processe of yeres Their memory hath duskyd and their mynde And reuolucion of the heuenly sperys By oft turnynge their glorie hath left behynde Thus euery thynge which subget is to kynde Is in this lyfe withoute more auauntage Wastyd with tyme and processe of langage

In the first tyme from adam to Noe Prudente Listirs which list in bokys to rede Fonde of fortune no mutabilite Neyther of her chaunge they toke tho none hede But from adam there rekened been in dede Vnto Nembroth by turnynge of the heuene A thousand yerys vii hundryd and eleuene

In which space who that considerith well There ben no thinges writen in especiall Digne of memorye ne speken of neuer adell Which that been notable ne historiall But for the tyme Nembroth had a fall Vnto cadmus the yeres to contene They were a thousande / iiii hundryd / and xiiii

Touchynge this Cadmus as bochas list endite It is rehercid by rethoriens Howe one vixoses in bokes as they wryte Was made first a kynge of the egipciens Whan philosophers and nigromanciens Byganne first to abounde their renoune to auaunce Nachor that tyme hauynge the gouernaunce

Of the ebrewes as made is mencion After nembroth by true rehersaile Thre hundryd yere by computacion Foure score and xii which tyme it is no fayle That vixoses beganne werres and greate bateyle Of volunte ayenst straunge nacions And to conquere cites borowes and townes

By force only withoute title of right He wanne all egypte to encrease his nane But for al that who list to haue a sight

There is nowe left no reporte of his fame Saue bochas writith howe he first dyd attaine His mighty conqueste of intencion That the glory and the high renoune

Ascryued were vnto his worthinesse And the residue and surplusage Of golde and tresoure of good and of riches Turne shulde to cōmon auauntage Of all his people that euery maner age Reporte might it was to him more nerre Aboue singularite his comon to preferre

Also thomas of cithi•• first kynge Whan sarnek was duke and souerayne Ouir the iewes by recorde of wrytinge Two hondrithe yere lx also and tweyne After Nembroth this thomas gan ordeyne A mighty power and a stronge batayle Theym of cithie proudly to assayle

Conqueringe from thens vnto the ile Callyd Ponte in ful cruell wyse And thought his lordshyp last nat but a whyle All that he wan was for couetyse And as bochas doth of this folke deuise Proces of yeris for all their great puyssaunce Hath put their namys out of rememberaunce.

zorastres also for all his great might Of bactrians kynge and possessour Lorde of trace and a ful mighty knyght Of all his dedis and his great laboure Of his conquest ne of great honoure Is nothynge lefte of writynge vs biforne Saue that he louhg the houre that he was borne

He began ful sone for to be merye With soden laughter at his natiuite And worthy Ninus that was kynge of Assirie Expownyd his laughter to great felicite The which Ninus wan many a faire cuntre And day by day his power gan encreas For which he wolde nat of his conqueste ceas

For this is the maner of these conquerours Whan they haue had in armys victorie They do their might their payne and their laboures With newe emprisys to be put in memorie For their corage supprisyd with veyne glorye Can not be styll contente in their estate Tyll their paradie say to theim chek mate

Fortune of armys in bokes ye nay rede With a fals laughter on folkes though she shyne She frowerd euir or they can take hede Of nature woll falsly theym begyle Conquest by werre lastyth but a whyle For who by deth doth sturdy violence God woll by deth his vengeaunce recombence

This worthy ninus gan mightely preuayle Ayenst zorastres of whome I spake tofore For he with him faught last in batayel In which ninus hath him so well y bore That zorastres hath the felde y lore And he was auctour as bokes specefy Of fals magik and nigromancy

He fonde the nature of euery element Their kyndly worchynge and their mutacions The cours of sterrys and of the firmament Their influences their disposicions Their aspertes and their coniunctions Wrote in pylers diuised of metall The seuyn sciences callyd liberall

Also in pylers of breke full herd ybake Where were vp set longe large and huge He began also write theym and vnder take To make theim sure as for their refuge That they shulde by flode ne diluge Diffacyd been as of their scripture But in their grauynge perpetuall endure

But though zorastres these craftys out fonde Full lytyll or nought it might to him auayle And though he were a good knyght of his hōde He was of ninus slayne in batayle Lost his realme and riall appareyle And ninus dyed within a lytyll throwe But in what wyse the story is not knowe

Also moydes kynge of sodomee I fynde of him no memory by wrytynge Saue in a story as men may rede and see He and his people were freell in lyuinge But he that was of assiriens kynge Through false fortune that can so oft varie To babilonye made theim tributarie

We haue seen and redde also The vengeaunce and the pestilence Doon in egypt to kynge pharo For that he made a maner resistence

Ayenst god of wilful negligence Therfore his people vpon a day and he Were dreynt echon in myddes of the se

The people of god ledde by moyses Without trouble of any maner wawe Went echon in quyete and in peas And phaaro as he gan after drawe Theym to pursue by a full mortall lawe In his pu••suyte frowarde and ateynt Amonge the wawes with his oft was dreynt

In ••••ody ben the mencions L••••iously put in remembraunce ••he ••nplages and {per}secutions In Egypt done by full greate vengeaunce And of their tresoure and their greate substaunce They were dispoyled / by ebrewys it is tolde Of their vesselles of siluer and of golde

And oute of egypte full greate tresoure they ladde Such as theym thought myght moost theym auayle And pharo I fynde that he hadde Two hundryd charys enarmyd for batayle Theym to pursue and proudly to assayle And fifty thousand in whom was no lacke Of men of armes folowynge on horse backe

Two hund••ryd thousande of fotmen him about And of egipt all his cheualrye And pharo with all his greate route ••egan israel pursue of enuye But for his pride and false surquedye He and his people were drownyd euerychon Of all his noumbre was left nat one

His frowarde herte ayenst god indurate Fulfilled of malice and obstinacye And in his purpos proude and obstynate These foule vices or he coude theym aspye From his glorye and his regaile He was downe though he tofore was crownyd Amydde the se amonge his people drownyd