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 kinge Roboam for gyuynge feith to yonge counseyle lost the beneuolence of his people and dyed a foole

vNto Iohn bochas in ordre next ther̄ cā With ful grete dole and lamentacion The yonge kinge callyd Roboam Sonne and next heire to Salamon Entringe by tytle of iust succession Besought myn auctour to make of his folye And of his fallynge a pitous tragedie

First whan he entryd into his region Twelue tribus gouernynge in dede Rulyd him silf by will and no reason Kepte his subiettes pleynly as I rede Not vnder loue but vndre frowarde drede Of olde wise to his greate disauaile He despised the doctryne and counsayle

He demenyd as it was well couth His ceptre / his crowne / and his regalie By such folke as floured in their youth Coude of custum their wittes well applie To blende him falsly with their flaterie Which is a stepmoder callyd in substaunce To all vertue and all good gouernaunce

Alas it is greate dole and greate pyte That flaterye shulde haue so greate fauoure Which blindeth princes that they may nat se Misteth the iyen of euery gouernoure That they can nat knowe their owne erroure Fals hony shed ay on their sentence A fole is he that yeueth to theym credence

They may be callyd the deuyls tabourers With frowarde sownys ceris to fulfyll Or of Cures the {per}ilous botelers Which gall and hony doun distill Whoos drinkes ben both amerous and ill And as clerkes well deuise cūne Wors than the drynkes of Cirenes tūne

Erys of princes full well they can enoynt With the softe oyle of adulacion And their termys moost subtilly appoynt Eche thinge concludynge with fals decepcion Ay blandisshinge with amerous poyson And fynally as the poete sayth Their feith of custum concludeth with vnfeith

Flourynge in wordys though there be no frute Double of herte plesaunte of langage Of true menynge voide and destitute In mustrynge outwarde pretende a faire visage Who trustith theym fyndeth smale auauntage By apparence and glorious fressh shewynge Princes deceyuynge and many worthy kynge

Roboam can bere full well witnesse From auoidynge folkes that were true Howe he was hyndryd by flaterye and falnesse By theym that coude forge oute tales newe Whoos counseile after sore dyd him rewe And with their feyned fals suggestion Greatly abridgyd his domynacion

He dempte him selfe of more auctorite Of foly youth and of presumpcion Than was his fader in greate rialtie And this pompous fals opinion Cam into his conceit by adulacion For flaterers bare to him witnesse Howe he excelled his faders high noblesse

He dyd greate rigour and oppression Vpon his people as it was well prouyd And to fynde sum mitigacion They in maters which that haue theym greuyd Of their tributes for to be releuyd Besought he wolde relece theym in their nede But all for nought he toke therof none hede

All olde counseile from him he set aside And refusyd their doctrine and their lore And by fals counseyll of folkes full of pride His pore lieges he oppressyd sore And ten kynredys anone without more For tyrannye and mysgouernaunce From him withdrough the trouth and ligeaunce

This of the kynge conceyued the rigour The people anone of Indignacion Stoned adoram which was collectour Of the tributis in all his region From him de{per}tynge by rebellion Wherof astonyed to auenge his greate vnright In to Ierusalem toke anone his flight

And whan they were {per}tyd from roboam The ten kynredys by diuision Chase theym a kynge callyd Ieroboam And roboam within his roiall toun To be auengyd of their rebellion And for to do on theym cruell iustise An hundred thousand he made anone to arise

With Ieroboam he cast him for to mete And all at onys set in iuperdye But rameus the prophete bad him leete And from the werre withdrawe his {per}tye And more the quarell for to iustifie Of his people frowarde departynge It was goddys wyll done for a punysshynge

Touchynge the surplus of his gouernaunce His roiall byldynge of many faire cite His greate rich famous suffisaunce Of wyne and oyle hauynge greate plentie And howe his empire encreacyd yerys thre Eke howe that tyme he rightfull was in dede In Iosephus his story ye may rede

Of his children borne in right lyne Eightene wyues as made is mencion I fynde he had and many concubyne Sonnes and doughters by procreacion And howe his richesse and greate possession That tyme encreacid as it is well knowe To god aboue while that he bare him lowe

But as this auctour maketh rehersaile In his encres and augmentacion Mekenesse in herte in him gan wast and faile And pride entryd with fals presumpcion Vertue despisynge and all religion After whos vices as seith this same boke Wickyd exaumple of him the people toke

After the maners where they be good or ille Vsyd of princes in diuers regions The people is redy to vse and fulfyll Fully the tracis of their condicions For lordes may in their subiections So as theym list who so can take hede To vice or vertue their subiettis lede

Thus Roboam for his transgressions In Iosephus as it is deuysed And for his frowarde fals opineons Only for he all vertue hath despised Of god he was rightfully chastised In ierusalem his cheef roiall toun Of his enmyes besegyd enuyron

The kynge of egipt a sege aboute him layde With so greate people that socour was there none Albe it so that roboam abrayde And praide god delyuer him from his fone To auoyde of mercy his ennemyes euerychone But god lyst nat graunt his praiere But him chastised like as ye shall here

First his cite and his roiall toun Deliuered was he knewe no better socoure Vnder a feynyd fals composicion For at their entrynge voide of all fauoure Kepynge no couenaunt toke all the tresoure Within the temple hauynge no pite But ladde it home to egypt their cuntre

And to reherce it is a greate dole Howe Roboam as Iosephus doth declare Was inly proude and therwithall a fole And of all wisdom destitute and bare Vnmerciable his people for to spare Hatynge good counseyle and so in his regalye Regnynge a fole and so I lete him dye

Lenuoye

PHilosophers conclude and deuise In their bokes of good experience That counseylours / sad / expert / and wise True of their worde stable of their sentence Hasty nor recheles for no violence Kepe and preserue the trouth I da•••• attaine Noblesse of princes fro mische••••••••d diffame

Hasty youth and rancoure in contrarye wise Which haue to wyll all their aduertence Except them self all other men despise Through their vnbridelyd furious insolence Nothing acqueynted with wisdome nor prudence Bringe ayenwarde wherof they be to blame Puttynge his noblesse in myscheef and diffame

Kynge roboam ageyn right and iustise To yonge foles yaue faith and moost credence Cruelly his subiettis to chastise

which put his people fro his benyuolence Through ten kynredys from his obedience Which was to him by recorde full greate shame Puttynge his noblesse in myscheef and diffame

Noble princes do wysely aduertise In {per}seuerynge of your magnyficence Of olde expert nat blent with couetyse Take youre counseile and do theym reuerence Eyed as argus in their high prouidence Which conserue by report of good name Noblesse of princes from myscheef and diffame