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 ...

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Title
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 ...
Author
Boccaccio, Giovanni, 1313-1375.
Publication
[London :: Printed by Richard Pynson,
1494 (27 Jan.)]
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Subject terms
Kings and rulers -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800.
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"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 ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16251.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 3, 2024.

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Howe malleus duke of cartage for oppression and tyrannye was hewen into pecys.

wHan bochas had rehersed of poetys Their straūge studye & soleyne writinges And their desires of solitary seetys In plesaūt places to make ther dwellīges Besyde ryuers and holsum well springes Which accomplisshed he gan his penne auaunce Princes of auffrike to put in remembraunce
And while he dyd this besy diligence Their pitous fallys to put in memorye First there cam tweyne vnto his presence Their olde noblesse appalled & their glorye Which as him sempte within a terytorye Of auffrike boundes longynge to cartage Dyd first appere moost dedly of visage
The tone of theym was named malleus Duke of cartage of auffrike lorde and sire His sonne also called cartalus Whilom cheef prince and busshop eke of Tire But Mallcus which helde the greate empire Of all auffrike for his pompous outrage Exiled was for euer oute of cartage

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Which caused him in herte he was nat merye But ay remembred vpon his fell banysshinge Gadred his people within the londe of surrye And in the felde while he lay hostynge Cast hi fully to make no tarynge But in all hast of knightly fell corage Maugre his ennemyes resort vnto cartage
Gauenge his exil his herte was set afire And his entent more to fortefie He sent in haft his letters doun to Tyre To Tartalus that he shulde him hye And bringe with him al the cheualrye Of his cite in stele armyd clene His faders party to holde vp and sustene
But whan this bysshop knewe hooly the manre Of this purpos which ye haue herde deuise He considred howe that tyme of the yere Ordeyned was to doo socrifise Afetr the rites of their paynym wise To hercules which in that cite Aboue all goddys had the souereynte
Whoos feest was holde space of certeyne dayes Which for to halowe he nedis must entende And by the custum make no delayes But that he must therto condescende And leuer he had his fader toffende As in such caas than thrugh negligence Vnto his goddys for to do offence
Wherof his fader had indignacion The caas arectinge to vnkindnesse And therof caught a greate occasion Ageyne his sonne of frowarde wylfulnes For princys oft of furious hastynes Wyl pike a quarell causeles in sentence Ageyne folke absent though there be none offence
And sūme tunges venemous of nature Whan they {per}ceyue that a prince is meuyd Tagregge his Ire doo their besy cure With fals langage to make him more greuyd But there is no poyson so wel expert nor preuyd As is of tunges the hatefull violence Namely whan princis list yeue theym audience
The feest accomplisshed of mighty hercules Al Innocent of double or fals menynge This seide bisshop of wyll nat recheles Cam to his fader withoute more taryinge Chaungyd nouther habyte nor clothinge With all thensignes and in the same wise As he tofore had done sacrifise
Anone his fader made no delay Without excuse it wolde be no be Of hasty rancoure the silf same daye Made him be hanged vpon an hye gybet Lawe and iustise were both aside set And tyrannye moost furious and wode To do vengeaunce in trouthes place stode
Who can or may tyrauntys well descryue Whoos marciall swerdis been whet ay for vengeaūce Their blody thurst doth through their hertis ryue Ther erys ay opyn to here of him myschaunce Their furious merth their mortal wode plesaunce Their pale smylinge their laughter of fals hatrede Concludeth euer vpon sūme cruell dede
They be mynistres to parcas sustren thre To vntwyne the thredys of folkes here mortall And very cosyns through hasty cruelte Vnto the wode furies infernal Children to pluto of vengeaunce marciall Which for their vices but they bere theym wele Shall turne in helle on Ixions whele
Thus malleus fader moost vnkinde Lyke such a tyraunt shed oute his cruelte As ye haue herde and after as I fynde Of furious herte and of olde enmyte By force is entred cartage the cite And slough all tho in his hatefull yre That him afore had exyled into Tyre
Wrought after wyll and no thinge after right Gan robbe and spoile that noble famous toun Which made him hatyd in the people sight For his outrage and greate extorcion Hauynge no ioye nor consolacion Within his herte pleynly nor gladnesse Saue lyke a tyraunte the people to oppresse
The people of cartage sore gan to compleyne Vpon their missheef and desolacion As bochas writeth rehersinge in certeyne Wyl is a stepmoder of wyt and of reson And where that princis haue domynacion And by fals pillage to riches clymbe vp fast Trust right well their lordship may nat last

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Their greate power of worldly excellence To their accrochinge of temporall richesse Whan they be tirauntes may stonde in no diffence And frowarde wyll ruleth their highnesse For what is lordship playnly to expresse In this worlde here if it be dicerned Loue of the people whan they be wyll gouerned
For tirannye and fals oppressyon Causeth princes to stonde in greate haterede And what is worth their domynacion Withoute loue let preue it at a nede Men for a tyme may suffre theym and drede is whan that drede constreyned is and gone ••••an is a prince a man but alone
See an exaumpte howe malleus of cartage For all his castellys and toures made of stonys For his oppression vengeaunce and outrage ••••e people of affrike rose on him all atonye And ughe asondre his flessh and also his bon Cast theym playnly on him they were so wode Vnto their goddys to offre vp his blode
The people dempt of mortall cruelte There was none offringe so plesaunt nor couenable Vnto their goddys to plee their deite As blode of trauntes which that be vengeable Thus cruell princes make the people vnstable Of necessite which ought be compleyned To wrek their wronges that they be constreyned
o here the ende of malleus the tyraunt Which doth to princes full well exemplefie To god aboue howe it is nat plesaunce Theym to delite in no such robbrye Nor pylle the people by no fals tyrannye Nor for no tales be hasty of vengeaunce For all such thinge to god is displesaunce
Lenuoye.
REd and considred this sayde tragedye Sheweth to princes a myrrour full notable Howe they ther rigour shal tempre & modefie Or they procede for to be vengeable For in a prince it is right comendable Rancoure of herte of chere and of corage For to differre tyll that their yre aswage
Their hasty yre their sadeyne malencolye Their colerike fumys the furye vnrestreynable Their vnqueynt fires with flame of tyrannye Their fretynge etyke of hate incom{per}able Lyke bestyall tygres like lyons vntretable Ne will nat suffre that infernall rage Diffarre their domys tyll their yre asswage
The royall lyon of mortall gentrye Amonge bestes of force incoporable Preueth nat his power nor his regalye Geyne bestys prostrat which be nat defensable And mighty princes shulde in caas semblable For Innocentes take mercy in morgage Respitynge rygour tyll that yre asswage
The sparcle of vengeaunce is quickyd in {per}tye By windes foure fell and abhomynable Blast of detraccion and blast of flaterye Blast of fals rowners that forge many fable And blast of bribours moost vicious and culpable With smoky slaunders and felons fals visage Causeth yre of princes that it may neuer asswage
For which let princes of noble polecye Beware of tunges double and deceyuable Which with their venym infect eche cūpanye Their poynaunt poyson is so penetrable To folke absent it is myscheuable So depe fretith their serpentyne langage Causynge in princes their yre may neuer asswage
Noble princes let vertue magnefie Your high estatys to make you merciable For morall senke doth cleerly specefie The trone of princes by clemence is made stable Vengeaunce delayed to god is agreae And hasty rygoure doth outrageous damage Whan humble requestys youre yre may nat asswage
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