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 ...

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Title
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 ...
Author
Boccaccio, Giovanni, 1313-1375.
Publication
[London :: Printed by Richard Pynson,
1494 (27 Jan.)]
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Subject terms
Kings and rulers -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16251.0001.001
Cite this Item
"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 ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16251.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 1, 2024.

Pages

¶Of Grysiton that his membres cete for hungre

wHat shall I wryte of caas horryble Of grisiton with hungre so constreyned That his life was to him self odible In Tessalie with indigence peynyd And ptously his fame was disteyned Whan he solde his doughter in seruage Li••••ope which was but yonge of age
y enchaunge of god to puruey theym vytayle Of very nede he was so woo bigon He hadde no thynge that myght his thirst auayle Neyther staūhe his hūgre with gnawyng on a bone Wherfore he ••••te his membres one by one A pri••••e alas was it nat grete pyte To se hym dye in such aduersite
We hadde also radde full many a day to fore The greate banysshynge and {per}secucion Of Arguiois howe kynge Gelaor Was cruelly put from his region And his lieges of indignacion In his place they set one Danaus Sōne and also heire to the god belus
The people of malyce dyd him so encombre To encrese his sorowe and his aduersite And fifty doughters he hadde also in noumbre And edippus his broder also parde Hadde fyfty sonnes the story ye may se Atwene the which in suretye of honde In mariage there was made a bonde
Vndre the which compassyd was treason Couertly though they dyd it hyde But if ye lift haue clere inspection Of this story vpon euery syde Rede the legende of Cupide Which that Chancer in ordre as they stode Compyled of wymen that were called good
Touchinge the story of kynge pandion And of his goodly faire doughters tweyne Howe therens false of condicion Theym to disseyue dyd his besy peyne They both namyd of bewte souereyne Goodly progne and yonge philomene Both innocentys of intent full clene
Their pitous fate in open to expresse It were to me but a presumption Sith that chancer dyde his besynes In his legende as made is mencion Their martirdome and their passion For to reherce theym dyde his besy peyne As cheif poete callyd of bretaigne
Of good wymen a boke he dyd wryte The noumbre vncomplete fully of nyntene And there the story playnly he dyd endyte Of theseus / of prongne and philomene Where ye may se their legende thus I mene Do theym worship and forth their life do shewe For a clere myrrour bycause there be but fewe
I woll passe ouer and speke of theym nomore And vnto cadmus forth my style dresse In my wrytynge yit it greuyth me sore Touchynge of wymen of feith or stablenesse Blessyd be god I fynde none excesse And for there been so fewe as thinkyth me The good shulde be had in more deynte
¶Lenuoye
THis tragedye berith to you witnesse Howe saturnus by disposicion Maliciously of his frowardnesse Causeth in Iuno full greate infection She of nature conueyeth the nature doun The eyre infecte which no man may socoure Cometh deth anone and all thinge doth deuoure

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Tyme from adam myn auctour doth expresse Downe to nembroth by computacion His stile conueyed by greate auysenesse From zorastres to kynge pharaon Of two deluges he makyth mencion In thessalye the vengeaunce gan laboure And in achaia thebes to deuoure
Ye haue of heetis herde the excesse Of princes princesses full greate distruction Of egistus the greate wretchidnesse The furye of therens the wo of pandyon Of the two susters the confusion And howe their fate gan vpon theym loure Their felicite vnwarly to deuour
Princes princesses your iyen do vp dresse I mene the iyen of your discrecion Se of this worlde the chaunge the doublenesse The greate vnsurenesse the variacion And aduertith for all your greate renoun Fortunes dewes whan they moost swetly shoure Than is she falsest your glorie to deuoure
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