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 ...

Of Duke palantes and Spartenois werred th••m of Myssene for rauysshinge thir maydens

aFter the deth and fatall caas And pitous murdre of artabanus Next in ordre apperyd to bochas A mighty duke callyd palantus Sonne of a knight named arathus Which was exiled though he no treson ment Oute of his cite that called was Tarente

Vpon his exile he sore gan compleyne Besechinge Bachas to gete him a space Within his boke to write his greuous peyne Albe though he whilom stode in grace By glad aspectis of fortunes face For she him reysed by fauoure of hir might To Dukes estate from a pore knight

But ••eriously this mater to conueye Howe he was made duke and gouernoure Whan Sperteyns gan mortally werreye Ageyne Myssenys as sayth myn auctour With greate cos••age and diligent laboure And cause was this for they with mighty honde Rauysshed by force all maydens of that londe

For this people nowe named Spartenoys As the story cleerly can deuyse Were call••d afore Lacedomynois In armys prouyd manly and right wyse And while they dyd a solempne sacrefise Vnto their goddes the people of Messenye Rauysshed their maydens or they it coude espye

On which wronge for to do vengeaunce The Spartenoyse caught indignacion And of assent with all their hole puissaunce They layde a syege rounde aboute the toun And of one wyll and one affeccion They made a vowe the syege whan they begonne Neuer to departe tyll the toun were wonne

Afore the toun fully ten yere they laye And fro the syege as they had made their oth They nat departyed nouther night nor daye But styll abode and nat a sondre goth Therof their wyues beynge at home were wroth To theyr husbondes a messangere they sent Vnder these wordes declarynge their entent

Sayd it was nat accordynge with reson They lyke wydous to lyue disconsolate Withoute confort or consolacion Ferre from their husbondys to stonde desolate Mischeuys considred that fall in eche estate By longe absence which eche man shuld drede Through diuers sekenesse that fall in womanhede

The tyde abide nat for no maner man Nor stynt hir cours for no creature And herde it is as we reherce can Thinge to withstonde that cometh of nature Harme done by kinde is frowarde to recure And there is founde full lytell sekirnesse Where as nature afforceth brotylnesse

This lytell sonde ought Inough suffise To declare damage that may fall By longe absence folkes that been wise Sumtyme departyd ageyne men may nat call That seldom is seen in loue doth appalle And no thinge maketh more wyues erre Than disseueraunce of folke that be in werre

This was the affect pleynly in substaunce Sent to their husbondys which at the syege laye Compleynynge they had had no plesaunce Space of ten yere as in loues playe But desolate in sorowe and greate affray Their lyfe they ladde affermynge in sentence Cause of their constreynt was their longe absence

And whan the letters were at the syege radde Tofore the cite in all there mortall striues They were astonyed and gan to wax sadde And very wery almoost of their lyues For to considre the compleynte of their wyues Tyll their capteyne a remedye oute sought By whoos counseyle euyn thus they wrought

First olde knightes that the syege sworne It for to accomplissh and cast theym to be true His counseyle was as they had hight beforne To holde their promys and therfore no thinge rue But yonge knightes that were come of newe Myght as they lyst freely at their wyll Chose whether they wolde goo or byde styll

And herupon for their moost auayle In hast their capteyne as made is remembraunce Of high prudence yaue theym their counsayle That knightes olde liche their assuraunce Shulde of the siege haue the gouernaunce And yonge knightes moost fressh and welbeseyne Shulde from the syege home be sent ageyne

They made amonge them a ful straunge ordinaūce At their home comynge withoute difference To entirchaunge their wyues for plesaunce And take hir first that cam to hir presence This was the accorde amonge theym in sentence Moost redy way to their opynyon To engendrure and procreacion

There was amonge theym quarell nouther stryfe In this matere nor no variaunce For euery man mysused others wyfe To their desires as was to theym plesaunce And thus children through this ordenaunce That were engendryd the cas is thus befall Parthenoys men dyd theym after call

Which in oure tunge to speke in wordes pleyne After the greek who list considre and se Is nomore pleynly for to seyne Than thilke children which engendred be In auoutrye wherfore in that cuntre Parthenois of custum they were named Borne of wombes which that were diffamed

The fals occasion of this auoutrye Caused after greate myscheef and damage That noman coude as for his partye By succession whan he cam to age By tytle of right cleyme his heritage For where a lyne falsly doth procede Harde is to knowe by right who shall succede

The disturbaunce of fals succession And titles cleymed afforced with greate might Where that auoutrie hath dominacion And is supported of wyll and nat of right And cleyme of trouth hath lost his clere light Though their partyes myghty been and stronge God wilnat suffre they shal endure longe

And Parthenoyse peisynge all these thinges Howe fals assuraunce was in their synage The gyntill blode troubled first of kinges For no man knewe of high nor lowe parage His owne fader by liklynesse of visage Nor fader none by his greate erroure Coude yeue no title to his successoure

Whereupon folowed a greate myschhaunce Hatefull to here through the cuntre Eche man troubled in his countenaunce Who shulde cleyme by any lyberte To entre his londe or to stonde fre Such doubte they had eche man for his partie So importable was their auoutrye

This greate myscheef who so taketh hede By longe processe made theym to knowe and se Howe they were able as by lyklyhede For their outrages for fall in pouerte And of assent they cast theym for to fle Vnder a capiteyne by stronge and mighty honde For that cuntre to wynne sum other londe

And as I rede they chase duke Palantus Of whome I spake to gouerne the passage Takinge no leue the story telleth thus At their departinge begynnynge their viage They were so confus of cheer and of visage For there was none of that greate route To chose his fader but that stode in doute

They helde theym silf very ashamed And for shame oute of that londe they went Lyke people disclaundred and diffamed Through the auoutrye to which they dyd assent And to a cite that called was Tarent Which stant in Poile a mighty stronge cuntre This duke palantus cam with his meyne

And there he put through his greate myght The citezeines oute of that cyte And gate Tarente full like a manly knight And there abode in longe prosperite As gouernoure and duke of that cuntre Tyll that his pople by fals collusion Him to depryue sought oute occasion

They him exiled whan he was fall in age Lo what it is in comons to assure Stormy of herte vnsure of their corage That seelde or nouer their frendship doth endure Men may to day their fauoure well recure And to morowe let set it at a preef They rathest hindre whan men stonde at mischee