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 mecyus kinge of albanoys beynge fals of his othe and assuraunce / was drawen into pecys

NExt romulus with ••erys albe sprent Vnto Iohn bochas apperyd mecius Of chere and loke and of his port faynt His fall declarynge frowarde and despitous And he was called eke sufficius Lowe of birthe and simple in vpgrowynge Of Albanoys tyll fortune made him kinge

Ageyne whoos pride the romayns gan warreye Full mightely oppressinge his cuntre And for kinge mecius liste theym nat obeye They cast theym fully auenged for to be Bycause his birth was but of lowe degre And was risen vp vnto estate royall They theym purpos to yeue him a sodeyn fall

Hasty clymbynge of pouert set on hight Whan wronge title maketh him to ascende With vnware peys of his owne might A sodeyn fall maketh him to descende Whan he list nat of surquedye entende Fro whens he cam nor him silfe to knowe Tyll god and fortune his pompe hath ouerthrowe

For this mecius of presumpsion Thought ageyne romayns his pride myght auayle Gan werre ageyne theym by rebellion Was nat feerfull their noblesse to assaile Tyll on a day was signed abaytaile Both their ostys within a feelde to mete To take their part whether it be soure or swete

That tyme in rome regned hostilius A manly man and a full worthy knight Tweyne him concludyd and kinge mecius They tweyne to mete in steel armyd bright For both batayls to trye oute the right By iust accorde and therin nat varye The party venquesshed to be tributary

And hooly put him in subieccion Withoute entretynge or any more delay And finally for short conclusion Kinge hostilius the triumphe wanne that day That albanoys coude nat say nay But that romayns as put is memorye By singuler batayle had wonne the victorye

Thus had romayns first possession Of albanoys to obey them and to drede Mecius yelded and sworne to the toun Neuer to rebell for fauour ne for mede But he was double founde in dede Of his assuraunce and fals to their cyte He was chastised anone as ye shall see

Ageyne Fidenates a cuntre of Itayle Kinge hostilius for their rebellion Cast he wolde mete theym in bataile For comon profite and for diffencion Both of his cite and of his roiall toun And for to afforce his party in werkinge Of albanoys he sent vnto the kinge

To come in hast with his hoole chyualrye And tarye nat in no maner wise But make him stronge to susteyne his partye Lyke his behest as ye haue harde deuyse But kinge mecius full falsly gan practyse A sleighty treason and a couert wyle Ageyn his promys the romayns to begyle

¶Yit he outwarde pretendynge to be true Cam to the feelde with a full greate meyne Lyuynge in hope to see some chaungis newe That he on rome might auengyd be And specially that he might se Kinge hostilius of frowarde enuye That day outrayed with all his ch••ualrie

First whan he sawe the romayns enbatailed And fidynates on that other syde Their wardys redy for to haue assayled He couertly dyd on an hyll abyde And to nor fro lyst nat goo nor ride ••or his persone put in Iupartye But who was strengest to holde on that {per}tye

Wherof the romayns fyll in suspeccion Of ••inge meenis whan they toke hede ••ill hostilius of highe discrecion Through his knighthode put theym oute of drede And gan dissinule of meenis the falshede And to conforte his knightes of entent ••••yde what he dyd was done by his assent

〈◊〉〈◊〉 was full loth that his chyualrie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 knowe theffect of me••nis treason Which cause might in all or in partye Full greate hindringe by some occasion ••o deme in him falsnesse or treson Yit of trouth the story bereth witnesse All that he ment was vntrouth and falsnesse

Thus of manhode and of high prudence He to his knightes yaue herte and hardynesse Made theym set on by so greate violence ••••at he the feelde gate of high prowes ••n fydynates brought in so greate distresse And so outrayed on force on euery syde Tofore romayns that they ne durst abyde

And whan mecius sawe theym thus outrayed By a maner of feyned fals gladnesse Like as he had in herte be well payed To hostilius anone he gan him dresse Him silf reioisinge by counterfet likenesse And for his menynge playnly was conceyued So as he cam right so he was receyued

Thus whan mecius stode in his presence With a pretense of feithfull stablenesse And all thapport of trouth in apparence He shadowed hath his expert doublenesse Vnder sote hony couert bitternesse Freendly visage with wordes smoth and playne Though mouth and herte departyd were in twayne

But hostilius hath all his fraude espied And his compassed falsnesse and treson And therupon hath iustly fantasyed A peyne accordinge I peysed of reson Him to punyssh by a double passion This to mene lyke as he was deuyded A double torment for him he hath prouided

This was his dome and his fatall peyne By hostilius contryued of iustice his fete his armys atwene charettys tweyne Naked and bare the story doth deuise To be bounde and knyt in trauers wyse Contrariously the horse to drawe and hale Tyll all his body were rent on pecis smale

And right as he was cause of greate trouble Founde ay in dede moost full of variaunce Therfore his peyne was made in maner double Right as him silf was double in gouernaunce Fals of his othe of hest and assuraunce And double in menynge as he hath {per}seuered So in his ende his membres were disseuered

His fete were drawe from the hede asondre There was no ioynt with other for to abyde Here was a legge / and an arme lay yondre Thus eche membre from other gan deuyde And for he coude holde in outher side By fals pretens to outher party true Him to chastise was founde a peyne newe