Howe Melciades duke of Athenys with smal noum¦bre venquesshyd ••i C M {per}ciens / and after by his co¦monte that ay of custum desireth a chaunge of pryn∣ces newe he was cheyned in prison and so dyed
AMonge other that put theym silf in prees
For to beweyle their greuous heuynesse
Cam of Athenys duke Melciades
Which through his manhode & famous high prowesse
And through his knightly renomed noblesse
Like as auctours his tryumphes lyst cōmende
Faught many a batayle his cite to defende
And of victories as it is compiled
For comon profite of that notable toun
Fought with a tiraunt that was tofore exiled
C••lled hippias which by fals treson
Had to kinge Darye made a suggestyon
Vpon athenys in all the hast he myght
To ••••ise all perce ageyne that toun to fight
Six hundred thousande acoūted was the noumbre
Of pereus armyd in plate and mayle
T••••ym of Athenes by force to encombre
Echone assembled theym proudly to assayle
••ut this duke for no thinge wolde fayle
Melciades but knightly toke his place
With ten thousande he met him the in face
For both he was right manly and right wys
And of his handys prouyd a right good knight
Set vpon theym with so prudent auys
That they of perce for all their greate might
Were foure tymes put vnto flyght
By thilke duke if I shall nat feyne
And by the noblesse other knightes of tweyne
Themystodes I called was the tone
Whice of his hande as auctours list discriue
Was in a feelde prouyd on his fone
The manly knight in his tyme alyue
Which thylke day so proudly dyd stryue
Ageyne theym of perce and such a slaughter ma••e
That fynally the feeld they haue forsake
Cynegirus a knight eke of that toun
The same day thrugh his chiualrye
With blody swerde as he went vp and doun
Withoute noumbre in his malencolye
Slough {per}ciens bokys specifie
That for the tyme that they no refute cūne
Saue to their shippes for drede of deth the rūne
And there he wrought a straunge greate merueyle
As writeth bochas affermynge in certeyn
The gretest ship that bare largest sayle
With his right hande he gan it so restreyne
Lyke as it had be fastned with a cheyne
Maugre Perciens which dyd theym sore greue
That by no craft they coude nat make it meue
But whan that they none other refute wyst
Freely to escape out of his daungere
Tyll they his right hande hughe of by the wrest
But with his left hande he gan approch nere
And helde it styll an vncouth thinge to here
That he had force so great a ship to let
But than alas his left hande of they smet
¶Yit maugre theym whan he their malice seeth
All were it so that he had lost eche hande
The ship he helde styll with his teeth
That they ne myght departe from the lande
Lyke as their vessell had fall vpon sande
Causer that day myn auctour doth reherce
Two hundred thousande were slayne of them of {per}••e
And whan this singuler mighty champion
Cynegirus moost vncouth of corage
Had done this marueyle as made is mencion
Of very anguyssh he fyll into a rage
Lyke a beest furious and sauage
Ran aboute alas for lak of mynde
In bochas boke nomore of him I fynde
But in this processe after I behelde
Ay howe that fortune can hir frendys faile
For Melciades leder of that feelde
And gouernoure of all that greate batayle
Causynge victorye as made is rehersayle
Yit his people of malice and of yre
Ageyne his noblesse falsly gan conspire