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 what thinge kinge Midas touchid was gold yit dyed he in miserye and wretchydnesse

BVt who so euer was therwith loth or fayne Gyges was after crowned kinge of lyde Whan that his lorde was by treason slayne Of him the surplus bochas set asyde And in his study as he dyd abyde There cam of frige mydas the rich kynge Tolde myn auctoure his compleynt with wepinge

For there was neuer by conquest nor laboure No kinge afore that had more richesse Nor more plente of golde nor of tresoure At whoos birth poetes thus expresse Aboute his cradell amptis gan him dresse While he slepte and gan aboute him leyne A full greate noumbre of pured whete greyne

Wherupon moost expert diuynours As they toke hede in their attendaunce Such as were best expositours Saide it was a tokyn of habundaunce To haue of richesse al maner suffisaunce And concludynge playnly gan to tell Howe he all other in tresour shulde excell

Poetys of him wrote that were full olde Bachus gaue him the mighty god of wyne What he toucheth shall tourne into golde As gode as that which cam oute of the myne At al assayes to be as pure and fyne This request as writeth Ouidius Was vnto Midas grauntyd of bachus

He thought gold myght him moost auayle What he handlyd was golde with touchinge But whan hungre his stomake gan assayle His bred his mete was clere golde in shewynge And whan he gan to fayle of his fedynge And fonde of gold no recure to escape Besought Bachus some remedye to shape

Bachus bad him go bath in a ryuer To wassh away the coloure aureat Where it is shewed the goldy grauel clere Which example declareth to eche estate That golde allone maketh men nat fortun••t For what may golde or tresoure there auayle Where men in hungre fynde no vitayle

Or what is worthy golde peerle or stones red Grene Emeroudys or sciphirs ynde Whan men enfamyned haue neither greyne ne brede Nor in such mysche••f vytaile may none fynde For to fosture theire nature and their kinde A barly loof in such a distr••sse More myght auayle than all wordly richesse

This knewe mydas and was experte in dede Though he of golde had so greate plente That with metall he might him silf nat fede Which caused him of necessite To considre and cleerly for to see That brede more vayleth for fosterynge of nature Than all richesse that men may h••re recure

For which this kinge gan hate all richesse Golde and tresoure he had eke in disdeyne Left his crowne and his roial noblesse And chase to kepe shepe vpon a pleyne All wordly worship was to him but veyne Of malencoly and frowarde pouerte Endyd his lif in greate aduersite

For of ire and impacience Fynally thus with him it stode Furiously in his greate indigence As writeth bochas howe he dranke the blode Of a bole sauagyne and wode With loue enchaufed made noo delaies Moost bestyally endyd thus his dayes