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 ...

Lo Cresus and balthasar were venquesshed by cirus and the sonne of cresus slayne at the hūting of a bore

NExt to Iohn bochas within a throwe Writinge of princes many pytous fate he sawe kinge cresus with other on the rowe Lowly besechinge his fallynge to translate And howe fortune ageyne him gan debate And of his micheef doolful for to rede For to descryue anone he gan procede

For as it is remembred in wrytynge As god and kinde list for him ordeyne Of Lyde he was gouernour and kynge And lordship had the story can nat feyne Of many kyngdoms more than one or tweyne Fame in that tyme so dyd him magnyfie That he was called floure of all chyualrye

And he was also in his tyme founde The moost experte in werre and in bateyle And of richesse was the moost habounde And most exallinge in conquest to preuaile Plente of people with roial apparaile And with al this to his greate auauntage Noumbre of childre tenblysshe his lynage

In the moost highest of his royal see And all was well and no thinge stode amys Yit ta••••••use his felicite A dreme he had and truly that was this Howe that his sonne which called was athis Was take from him and by mortall outrage Slayne sodenly in his tendre age

This woful dreme dyd him greate distresse And put his herte in greate dispeyre Stondynge in fere and greate heuynesse Bycause his childe tendre yonge and faire Which that was borne for to be his heire Shulde causeles in such myscheef dye So as his dreme afore dyd specifie

Of this processe to declare more Howe cresus dreme fulfylled was in dede From olimphus there cam a wilde bore Moost furious and sauagyne of drede With fomy tosshes which fast gan him spede Downe descendynge and no where list abyde Tyll that he cam into the londe of lyde

And gan distroye their frutes and their vynes Where euer he cam in any maner place Brake the nettes and the stronge lynes Of the hunters that dyd at him enchace But vnder supporte of the kinges grace His sonne of whome I spake tofore Gate him licence to hunte at this bore

His fader cresus demynge of this cas There was no cause of drede in no manere Though his sonne were present at the chas With other hunters such game for to lere But aye fortune with her double chere Is redy euer by some fatall treyne At such disportes some myscheef to ordeyne

For one there was which had gouernaunce Vpon this childe to wayte and to se Chasynge the bore to saue him fro myschaunce From all damage and aduersite Which many lusty folke of that cuntre With hornes houndes and sharpe speres groūde Sekynge the bore tyll they had him founde

And as they gan feersly the bore enchace He that was charged to be the childes guyde As with his spere he gan the bore manace The hede nat entryd but forth bygan to glyde And on the childe which that stode beside The stroke alight and or hedyd aduerte The speres hede rose him throught the herte

But of this childe whan the deth was couth Tolde and reported hooly the manere Howe he was slayne in his tendre youth Borne to be heire vnto his fader dere Cresus for sorowe chaungyd loke and cher•• And for constreynt of dool in his visage He resembled a very dede ymage

But euery sorowe by longe contynuaunc•• At the last it sumwhat must aswage For there is none so furious greuaunce Nor so mortall Importable rage But longe processe yeueth him auauntage I mene as thus there is none so greate a sorowe But it might cese outher eue or morrowe

Philosophers concluden and discerne And by their reasons recorden by scripture Thinge violent may nat be eterne Nat in one poynt abydeth none auenture Nor a sorowe may nat alwey endure For s••oundmel•• through fortunys variaunce There foloweth ioy after greate greuaunce

The sorowe of Creses though it were intollerable And at his hert the greuaunce sat so sore Sith that his dole was irrecupable And mene was none his harmes to restore Myn auctor Bochas writeth of his wo nomore But of his fall howe he fyll in dede To tell the maner forth he doth {pro}cede

And for a while he set his stile aside And his {pro}ces in {per}tye he forbare To speke of Cressus that was kinge of lyde And gan resort to write of Balthazar Ageyne rehersinge or that he was war Howe mighty Cirus of woful auenture Made on him proudly a disconfiture

And as it is put in remembraunce Of Balthasar to holde vp the partye Cresus with him had made an aliaunce With all his puissaunce and all his chyualrye His lif his tresoure to put in Iu{per}tye Sworne in armes as brother vnto brother By Cirus venquesshed that one after that other

••oth their myscheef no lenger was delaied Albe that Cresus faught longe in his diffence He fynally by Cirus was outrayed And depryued by knightly violence Take in the felde there was no resistence And rigourously to his confusion With mighty feters cast in derke prison

And more to encreace his greate aduersite A sonne of his / tendre and yonge of age That was dumbe from his natiuite And neuer spake worde in no maner langage Cirus cōmaundynge by furious outrage That Cresus shulde by vengeable cruelte By a knight of Perce in pryson hedyd be

And with his swerde as he gan manace Cresus to haue slayne without all reuerence The dombe childe there p̄sent in the place Which neuer had spoken thus saide in audience Withdrawe thy stroke and doo no violence Vnto my lorde thy fame so to confounde To sle a kynge that lyeth in pryson bounde

The knight astonyed hath his stroke forborne Greatly abasshyd in that derke habitacle Which herde a childe that neuer spake toforne Ageyne his swerde to make an obstacle Ran and tolde this meruelous miracle To mighty Cirus with euery circumstaunce Hopinge therby to atempred his greuaunce

But where as tyrauntes been set on cruelte Theyr crokyd malice ful harde is to appese So indurate is their iniquite That all in vengeaunce is set their hertis ese Themsilf reioisinge to se folkes in disease Lyke as they were in their frowarde daunger Clenly fraunchised fro god and his power

This cruel Cirus moost vengeable of des•••••• To execute his fell entent in dede Lete make in hast of fagot a greate fyre And gan them kyndle with many colys rede And made Cresus quakynge in his drede For to be take where as he lay full lowe And bad men shulde into the fire him throwe

But Iubiter which hath his vengeaunce seyne Howe cruel Cirus with malice was atteyne From heuyn sent a tempest and a reyne That sodenly the horrible fire was quaynt Woful Cresus with dredeful fire made faynt Escapyd is his furious mortal peyne God and fortune for him lift so ordeyne

This auenture in maner merueylous The herte of Cirus gan sumwhat to enbrace And causyd him for to be pitous Ageyne gresus and grauntyd him this grace To occupye while he hath lift and space The londe of Lyde except only this thinge He shulde nat after be callyd kinge

And thus of lyde the kinge dyd fyne Which toke his begynnynge of one ardisius And endured the space of kinges nyne Loke whoso wyll the bokys tell thus Herof nomore but forth vnto Cirus I wyll procede with all my besy cure For to translate his wofull auenture