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 Amynta of Mecedoyne kinge had by Eru••i•••• his wife Alisaūdre / {per}dica / & philip y^t were slayne

ANd amonge other their fates compleynynge Trough fortunes dredfull violence There cam amynta of macedoyne kynge And to Iohn bochas shewed his sentence And to declare his magnificence To alisaundre grauntfader in his life Hauynge foure children by Erudice his wife

The first of theym was alisaundre called And perdica named the seconde The thrid philip in Macedoyne stalled Kinge of grece like as it is founde Which in richesse greatly dyd habounde And was eke fader this noble werrour•• To alisaundre the mighty conqueroure

And or myn auctour further doth procede He maketh a maner of digression From his mater like as ye may rede And gynneth in ordre a descripcion Of macedoyne the famous rigion Amonge grekys writeth in especiall Of seuyn prouynces it is the principall

And so procedinge ••e s••ith howe that cuntre S••••a••heth his boundes abou••e him enuyr••n Towarde the see which called is E••ee Forth by a••••••ya towarde Septemtrion And to Messie westwarde it goth doun And who that can by craft the coostys cast To dalmacia the name therof doth last

In macedoyne he doth also vs lere Of olimpus standeth the greate mounteyn And in that kingdome is many greate mynere Of golde and syluer like as bokes seyne And on that hill is nouther wynde ne reyne For thilke mounteyne so hye doth attteyne That it may nouther blowe there nor reyne

The kinge amynta of whom•••• spake toforne Had in grece many greate batayle Olimpiens in macedoyne borne And Illiriens to gedre he dyd assayle Through his wisdome he dyd alweye preuayle But with his enmyes while he stode moost in strife His deth was shapyn by Erudice his wife

Myn auctour bochas of hir doth diffyne She Imagyned his distruction Bycause she had another concubyne On whom she se•• all hir affeccion Day set and tyme to his confusion Fully ordeyned at a mariage He to be slayne of one of his lynage

He had a suster callyd vryone Which prudently espyed the manere Of Erudice and secretly allone Goth to the kinge and tolde him all Ifere And as the story in ordre telleth here Though she failed that daye of hir emprise She thought fulfylle it in another wyse

This to mene of hir iniquite Of hir fraude and fals Imagynynge She was in cause through hir contrariouste Of the distruction of their mighty kynge For the conclusion of hir fals werkinge Was to haue slayne the kinge and all his lyne She to haue regned with hir concubyne

But whan she sawe she might nat acheu••▪ Hir furious p••••••••s by none auenture Hir venymous malice vpon hir lorde to preue On other partyes she dyd hir besy cure Enmy•••••••• and mys•• 〈…〉〈…〉 Ageyne the kinge by mys•• 〈…〉〈…〉 With sorowe and trouble for to short his dayes

Night and day his life stode euer in drede Him to be traisshe she cast oute hoke and lyne And who is he that or may take hede Frely tescape teschewe as declyne Malice of wymen whan they be serpentyne Se an exaumple in this quene Erudice Voide of al vertue and ful of euery vice

Alas no prince can be ware by other To bridle their nobles with renys of reson Such as cōmitte alas both ship and rothir Vnto Sirenes to rowe theym vp and doun Throughout caribdys to their distruction By craft of Circes alas they were made nyce Blinde to remembre vpon this Erudice

Which made Amynta to lyue in sorowe and drede To rest in pees suffred him to haue no space In thought and trouble his lif he gan to lede Tyl by longe processe deth him gan manace Yit or he dyed fortune gaue him grace His eldest sonne by wisdome to ordeyne Called alisaundre his crowne to atteyne

Thus alisaundre was his successoure For Cathinenses gan their rancoure lete Ageyns him for he with greate laboure By their suffraunce cam to his royal sete And for to set this realme in quiete First with athenys the mighty stronge toun Prouidyd a pes of hye discrecioun

And for to auoyde al ambiguite Of olde debatys and of olde outrage First he sent into that stronge cite His sonne philip yonge and tender of age On pees assured to lye there for hostage And in that cite the story bereth witnesse He gan to growe vnto full hye noblesse

He was cōmittyd vnto the disciplyne Of a gr••••te duke called Epamynedon Which to all vertue his youth made enclyne For of this duke Iustyn maketh mencion By a maner recommendacion Tofore nor after as by his auys Was neuer no prince more ex••ellent nor wys

First he cōmendeth his vertuous corage His hye noblesse his vertuous excellence And by discent he borne of high lynage And into thinges concludeth his sentence Seith that he was of moost magnificence Egall to mars by famous chyualrye And sōne to phebus through hye philosophye

And bochas here doth his stile auaunce Full notably with excellent langage And seyth no tresoure atteyneth in substaunce To thilke richesse auoidynge all outrage As whan there is by bonde of mariage ••nyt vp a knot atwene excellence Of famous knighthode and of dame prudence

This knot auayleth more than golde in cofre And is more glorious {per}petually to abyde A mighty prince to be a philosophre Which can by prudence all vertues set aside For whan to manhode prouidence is guyde And vertuous force is capteyne in the werre Let men well trust that party may nat erre

This Epamynoda of knighthode susteynoure Carbun••le of vertue as bokys tell cūne Of gentyll maners called the fomous floure And of high noblesse a very worldly sūne Whoos knightly triumphes be so hye vp rūne To martis paleys with the blessed soūs Of famous trumpettys and golden clariouns

For he was called the bright clere myrrour Of rightfull quarels the party to sustene Of extort wronges moost iust reformatoure Ay egall iuge of entent moost clene Which neuer coude no thinge but trouth mene Wolde of custum for hate nor alliaunce On nouther party declyne the balaunce

And to cōmende his vertuous prowesse His prouyd trumphes his magnanimyte His marcial actys his knightly besynesse In the getinge of many stronge cite As all his laboure was for the comounte Which to augment he wolde neuer cesse Such ioye he had the comons good to encrece

This was also his vsaunce euermore What euer he gate to parte it in largesse Of golde nor coyne he set but lytell store For all his herte was sette on gentylnesse By manly fredom and playnly to expresse He sparyd no gode it shewed well in dede His true seruauntes to helpe theym in their nede

He kept nat in cofres his tresoure Of his nature he was so liberall For to releue eche manly soudeoure Such as were preuyd in actys marciall And for to holde his fest funerall After his deth his story maketh mynde Through fre departynge there left no golde behinde

All his offices and famous dignitees And greate ••mpryses in his tyme wrought Encresed fraunchises through Grece in his citees With lib••••tees by his prudence oute sought For comon profite and for him sylf rightnought With greate augmentinge of straunge teritoryes All this cam in by mene of his victories

And amonge all his knightly excellences By diuers auctours vnto mynde is brought Howe all his lyfe he studyed in sciences And vpon eūnynge set hooly his thought By manly prowesse of deth he rought nought That was shewyd as it is well founde The day whan he receyued his dethys wounde

He was home borne vnto his pauillyon All his armure with blode steyned red And on a couche by his men laide doun And gan abrayde as he lay half ded Sires quod he of one thinge take hede Hath any enmy this day in the feelde Whan I was wounded takyn vp my sheelde

And whan his knightes had tolde him nay By a maner of knightly reioysinge He theym cōmaunded withoute more delay To his presence that they shulde it bringe And therupon full pitously lokinge Full like a knight and with mortall chere He kissed it and seide as ye shall here

Thou were my felowe in armys and my breother That neuer woldest my felawship forsake Sure and abydinge there was nat such another In euery iourney that I dyd vndertake To me welcome an ende I must nowe make After my deth my soule shall haue plesaunce The to be kept yit for a remembraunce

A fore his deth it is put in mynde The same houre it cam to his memorye To enquere he left nat behinde Haue we quod he this day had victorye Or in the feelde who hath the palme of glorye His knightes he prayed that day he shulde deye The playne trouth that they wolde him seye

And they him tolde playnly all the caas Howe his party had wonne the feelde of might And with that worde he so reioysed was That he his sprite yelde anone vpright And so he dyed like a worthy knight In whom is shewed what auayleth in sentence Noblesse of knighthode ioyned with prudence

And by the mene of his wise doctryne Philip that laye with him in hostage Gan encrece in knightly disciplyne Wex in vertue right as he wex in age Whoos fader was by furious outrage Callyd alisaundre as made is mencion Slayne by his moder by couert fals treson

After whoos deth perdyea in dede The yonger brother the story doth deuise To the crowne gan lyneally succede Anone slayne after in full cruel wise Such fals murdre euery man shulde agryse As ye haue herde first of amynta Of alisaundre and of kinge {per}dica