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 ...

The compleynt of Bochas vpon the luxurye of princes as by exaumples of many diuers myschaū¦cys

bOchas in herte brennynge hote as fyre Of very Ire and indignacion Ageyne tho princes which in their desire Haue fully set their delectacion Their felicite and their affeccion To folowe their lustys of fals lecherye Frowarde spousebrech and of auoutrye

He writeth ageyne that seketh occasions Places of lustes to haue their libertees For to fulfyll their delectacions And for to accomplissh their greate dishonestees Deuise oute tauernes in borowes and citees And sittynge there amonge their cumpanye After the dede they boost of their felye

If any man pyntche at their outrage Or theym rebuke for their transgressions They wyll answere with frowarde fals langage And for their party alledge greate resons First howe it longith to their condicions By right of nature as it is well couth Frely to vse lechery in youth

Afferme also howe lawe of kinde is fre And so afforce theym to sustene their partye By exaumple of dauyd which that toke barsabe And for hir sake howe he slough vrye Dede manslaughter and fals auoutrye For theym alledgynge ageyne right and reson For dalida the luxurie of sampson

The storye also they frowardly applye Howe for a woman prudent Salamon The lorde offendynge dyd Idolatrie And in difference of their opinion Reherce these storyes for their exc••sacion Of their errour therby a pryce to wynne As tofore god lecherye were no synne

They nat considre in their entencion Of these storyes of euery circumstaunce First of kinge dauyd the greate contricion Nor vpon sampson howe god toke vengeaunce First howe he loste his force and his puissaunce For his offence they haue nat this in mynde Nor howe both his ••yen were made blynde

Nor their resons they list nat to enclyne For to conceyue in their discrecion The spryte of wisdome heuenly and dy••eyne Was take awey fro prudent Salamon In chastisynge for his trangression And some doctours a••••erme ouermore Howe salamon repentyd him full sore

The play of youth folke called lecherye Sey it is a game of nature And to susteyne and bereup their partye Howe it sit well by recorde of scripture Vnto euery lyuely creature That stant in helth and in coraious Of very kinde to be lecherous

Vicious reporte they haue in remembraunce But vertuous thinge is ferre out of mynde Flesshly lustes and lecherous plesaunce In their desires be nat left behinde Auauntynge lyenge they can of newe oute finde And nowe a dayes they hold it curtesye Othys horrible flateringe and rebaudye

In their auyce they take lityll hede Vnto the doctryne of noble Scipion Which commaundyd in story as I rede To Masmysma full famous of renoun Nat to touch by no condicion Sophonisba fairest of visage But it were by wey of mariage

Though she were borne of the blode royall Hir youth was set to all honeste Doughter and heire to noble hastruball Duke of cartage the story ye may se And for hir vertues of scinenyte She weddyd was of birth as she was lyke To kinge Siphax which regned in affrike

And for to preue the greate liberte Which is in vertue conueyed by reson And the fals thraldom of dishoneste Of both to make a playn comparison After the doctryne of Censoryn Caton Shewed by him to folkes in comune That vertue neuer is subget to fortune

Vertue conserueth mesure and reason Considereth thinges afore or they befall Taketh none emprises but of discrecion And on prudence foundeth hir werkes all Ay to hir counseyle attemperaunce she doth ca•••• Warly prouydinge in hir silf withinne The ende of thinges tofore or she begynne

This was the doctryne taught forth of caton Lecherous lustys to put theym vnder fore Grauntynge to vertue the domynacyon ••luk••p vices braunch crop and rote Frute of goodnesse groweth vp so sote Whan it is plantyd of youthe in corage It neuer app••lleth in helth of his tarage

Caton of vertue was a cheef officer Preferringe ••uer comon commoditees Tofore prophetes that were singuler To enhaunce the comon in kingdoms and citees Their wyttes peysed and their habilitees Persones promotynge in whome it was supposed That they in vertue were naturally disposed

Manly in herte he was ay to sustene Indifferent trouth and all iustise Flesshly delytes of folke that were vnclene He was ay redy by rigoure to chastise And set lawes in full prudent wise For to punyssh flaterers and lechours And such as were open auoutors

He had of wymen none opinyon With theym to dele for lust nor for bewte But if it were for procreacion So stable he was founde in his degre The boke redynge of Immortalite Which plato made the trouth well oute sought Therin concludynge howe soules dye nought

But lyueth euer in ioy or peyne Thus wrote plato in his oryginall Men may the body by deth full well constreyne But the soule ay abideth immortall For which this Caton stedfast as a wall For comon profite to dye was nat aferde Whan he him silfe slewe with a nakyd swerde

But to fortune afore his deth he sayde O thou princesse of worldly godes veyne To thy flaterers I neuer dyd abrayde Thy fauoure is so fals and vncerteyne That neuer I faught no fraunchise to atteyne As for my silf no parciall singulerte But all for profite touchinge the comōte

Ageyne cesat I made resistence To conquere fredom to me and to the toun Freely to eschewe his mortall violence This worlde despisynge in myn opinyon Oure fraunchyse thrallyd vnder subiection Iustly forsakynge the variaunce of this life My soule conueyed to be contemplatife

This philosophre this prudent olde Caton Tendringe in herte comoū comeditees Tofore his deth wrote of compassion To theym that sat in roiall dignitees Which had of vertue lost the lybertees Princes besechinge that were luxurious To take exaumple and folowe kinge Drusus

The which drusus by succession Heire to augustus was next him emperoure Set all in vertue his affeccion And it to cherissh dyd hooly his laboure To lust vnlefull he neuer gaue fauoure And touchinge loue duringe all his lif He neuer had lust but oonly to his wife

And in his paleys amyd of his royall see Of noble princes dwellynge in rome toun He axed was for all his dignite What maner corage of temptacyon Or what feruence or delectacion Within him silf he had of louys play Sool by his wife whan he a bedde lay

And like a prince fulfylled of high noblesse Answered ageyne with sobre countenaunce Touchinge such lust as foloweth flesshlynesse Lyke as nature me put in gouernaunce In one alone is set all my plesaunce For with none other for no concupiscence Saue with my wyfe I neuer dyd offence

Princes echon folowe nat the traas Of noble drusus as ye shall vnderstonde For sūme haue stonde all in a nother caas Such as can holde two or thre in honde Nowe here nowe there as botys come to londe Nat considringe their crees nor disauayle Whan newe fangylnesse bloweth in theyr sayle

Eke bochas writeth sūme princes haue be bounde Which viciously haue done their besy peyne Vertuous wymen by flatery to confounde And tendre maydens to bringe in a trayne Such manacis and tormentys to ordeyne Theym to transfourme from their {per}seueraunce And interrupte their virginall constaunce

But of such folke that yeue no force of shame Nor drede god such treynes to deuise Husbondmen forsoth ar moost to blame With foreyne wymen to trespace in such wyse I trowe their wyues theym may ynough suffise For many be feble their dettys for to quyte Though they in chaunge theym silf falsly delyte

Sūme afferme for theym silf alledgynge To such outrage that they haue licence Frely of nature to vse theyr owne thinge And in such cas to no wight doo offence But frowarde is their errour in sentence Fro bonde of wedlok whan they be so vnstable And tofore god moost hateful and dampnable

For she that is trhough hir highe noblesse Named of clerkes which cleerly can concerne Doughter of god lady and princesse Reson called to guyde folke and gouerne Atwene good and euyll iustly to discerne She hath departyd pleynly to conclude The life of man from life of bestis rude

This lady reson sith go full yore Gaue vnto man wyt and discrecion Taught him also by hir souereyne lore Twene vi••e and vertue a greate diuision And he shulde in his eleccion Vnto a•• vertue naturally obeye And in contrarye all vicious lif werrey

And to enprinte in his memoriall Howe of luxure the greate dishoneste Disfourme a man and make him bestyall And disfigure of what estate he be For whan that reson of high or lowe degre Is fled awey folke may afferme than He is like a best rather than a man

Wherfore lete princes that haue been defectyfe To folowe their lustes of censualite Shape theym by reason for to amende their life And to conserue and kepe their chastite Both of virgyns and wifly honeste And to punyssh all tho that list laboure The honest fame of wymen to deuoure

For whan a lechoure by force or by••maistrye Defouled hath of virgynes the clennesse Widowes opprossed and by auoutrye Assayled wyues that stode in stablenesse Who may than their sclaundrous harme redresse Whan their gode name is hurte by such report For fame lost ones can neuer haue his resort

A theef may robbe a man of his richesse And by some mene make restitucion And sum man may disherite and oppresse A pore man from his possession And after make satysfaccion But no man may restore in no degre Amayden robbyd of hir virginite

A man may also bere a castell doun And bylde it after more fresshly to the sight Exile a man oute of a region And him reuoke where it be wronge or right But no man hath the power nor the myght For to restore the paleys virgynall Of chastite whan broken is the wall

Men may also put oute of seruise And officers remeue from their place And at a day whan fortune list diuise They may ageyne restoryd be to grace But there is nouther tyme set nor space Nor neuir in story nouther redde nor seyne That maydenhede lost recured was ageyne

For which men shulde haue a conscience Rewe in their herte and repente sore And haue remors in their greate offence To rauyssh thinge which they may na restore For it is saide and hath been sayde ful yore The Emeraude grene of {per}fight chastite Stolne onys away may nat recured be

And hard it is to rauysshe a tresoure Which of nature is nat recu{per}able Lordshyp may nat of kinge nor emperoure Refourme a thinge which is nat refourmable Rust of diffame which is nat inse{per}able And maydenhede lost of newe or yore No man alyue may it ageyne ros••ore

Romayns olde through their pacience Suffred tirauntys in their tyrannyes And in their cite to do greate violence The peple to oppresse with their robberies But to punyssh they set streyte espyes On fals ••••••utours as it is well couth Wydowes to rauysshe and maydens in ther youth

Vpon this mater the story bereth wytnesse Touchinge thexil of kinge tarquinius Afore rehercyd by wrytinge full expresse The hatefull deth of apius ••laudius For his trespas done to virgineus The iugementys rehercyd and the peyne And fro the offyce depryued bothe tweyne

Was nat the cite whilom desolat Of Synachites for their ribaudye Of one sichen which gan a greate debate To heue accomplisshed his foule lecherye Whan yonge dyna as bokes specifie Went rechelesly walkynge vp and doun To se the maydens of that royall toun

But whan Sychen this dyna dyd espye Sool by hir silf walke in the cyte ••e began anone assayle hir by maystrye And for to aforce hir virgynyte Bycause she had no leyser for to flee Whoos greate offence and transgression The cyte brought vnto distruccion

Hir fader Iacob and hooly hir kinrede Ageyne this Sichen gan inwardly disdeyne Whan the furye of mars was moost to drede To be venged they dyd their besy peyne And specially hir worthy brethern tweyne Fyll on the cyte Symeon and leuy To auenge their suster and stroy it fynally

So mortally they gan with theym stryue With their swerdys grounde sharpe and kene Of male children they left none alyue They were so vengeable in their furious lene The Sychanytes might nat sustene That day ageyne theym to stonde at diffence So importable was their violence

For where that god list punyssh a man of right By mortall swerde farwele all risistence Whan grace faileth force goth awey and myght Febleth of princes the magnificence Chaunge their power into impotence Reuerseth the kinges their statly regalye Exaumple in Sichen for his fals auoutrye

It was an harde dredfull punycion That one princis trespas in lecherye Caused afore god that all a region Destroyed was withoute remedye This story tolde for to exemplifye Whan noble princes to wymen theym submitte Grace and all fauoure anone doth from theym flye

Of this mater what shulde I write more In genesis the residue ye may rede The deth of Sichen and of kinge Emor And howe their kingdome destroyed was in dede Of Sychanytes lo here the finall mede Of lecherye and of his fals plesaunce Which many a realme hath brought vnto mischa••

What shulde I eft rherce ageyne or write The fals auoutrye of Paris and heleyne Their wofull fall Guido dyd endyte Poetes echon eke dyd theyr besy peyne To declare howe only by these tweyne The worthy blode for short conclusion Of troy and grece cam to distruccion

But oft it falleth that moch habundaunce Of worldly good with greate case and richesse In folke that set all hooly their plesaunce To folowe their lustys and frowarde wilfulnesse Hath caused in londes greate mischeef and distresse Whan vicious life their corages dyd encombre Destroyed kingdoms and peple oute of noumbre

For whan the people through fals obstynacye Is indurate to amende theym and correct And wyll nat tourne theym from theyr lechery But ay be red•• their soulys to enfect And vnto purpos my style I wyll directe To exaumplifye howe Gabaa the toun Was for his synnes brought to confusion

Whilom this people called Gabonytes From beniamyn descendyd in their lyne Were ay disposyd to folowe theyr delites And of custome their wittes dyd enclyne In worldly plente to floure and to shyne And dempt alwey to theym it was moost due Of wylfulnesse their lustys for to sue

In lecherye was set all their plesaunce And in that vice they lad moost their lyf Wherby they were brought vnto myschaunce And many slayne by full mortall strife Whan the leuyte cam forby with his wife Full excellent of fetures and beutye And toke his lodgynge within that greate cyte

He was full olde and she was inly fayre He impotent and she but tendre of age Through Gabaa makinge there repaire The citesynes of importune rage Shewynge the furie of their greate outrage So longe that nyght hir bewtye dyd assayle Tyll life and breth atonys dyd faile

Contagious the sclaundre and the diffame In iudicum the story ye may rede Which to reherce is a maner shame To here the abusion of that foule dede And howe the leuite amorowe gan take hede With pitous chere and sawe his yonge wife Tofore the gate depryued of hir life

He hent hir vp and layde hir on his asse To noyse this cryme vpon euery syde Though in such cas he myght doo no lasse Toke a sharpe swerde and lyste no lengre abide On twelue {per}ties he gan hir to deuide And to eche trybe of iacob he hath sent A certeyne {per}tye to se their iugement

Which thinge to theym was hatefyll and terrible And in their sight full abhomynable And in all haste likely and possible All of one wyll and one corage stable On Gabynates for to be vengeable They gadryd haue shortly to conclude Tassaile that toun a full greate multitude

Whan they first mette atwene theym thus it stode The twelue tribus were twyes put to flight On outher {per}tye greate quantyte of blode Was shed amonge theym in that mortall fight For sixty thousande who that coumpte a right Were slayne there the story wyll nat lye To auenge the sclaundre of fals auoutrye

Loo here the guerdon of the frowarde firis In lecherous folke that wyll nat staunchyd be That brent so hote through bestyall desiris In Gabaa the myghty stronge cyte Which was destroyed for his inequite And almoost brought of beniamyn the lyne Thrugh his offence to eternall ruyne

Eke for his feruent dronkyn lecherye Olophernes by Iudith lost his hede And all his host and all his chyualrye Left the felde and fled away for drede And he lay bathyd in his blode all rede Thus thrugh thir vice if it be wele sought Full many a prince hath be brought to nought

These sayde stories ought Inough suffise If men wolde considre and take hede The greate vengeaunces in many sondry wise Which god hath take for this synne in dede As in their bokes they may beholde and rede Warnynges afore full oft put at preef Howe they theym silf shal saue fro myscheef

Lenuoye.

tHis tragedye yeueth vs a grete warnynge By clere exaumples of many folde reson Howe many a prince for their misleuynge And many rich roiall mighty toun Many a cyte and many a regyon Haue been euer sith full notable and famous For synne of princes that were lecherous

The chose of god dauid the worthy kinge Prophete of prophetes moost souereyn of renoun On Bersabe for a sodeyn lokinge To slee vrye caught occasion For which he suffryd greate punycion Chastised of god he and all his hous For cause only that he was lecherous

Greate repentaunce he had and greate sorowynge And made psalmys of greate contricion With wofull teerys and manyfolde wepinge To make a seth for his transgression y••uynge to princis full clere direccion For to eschwe the flaterye odyous And the fals fraude of woman lecherous

Whe•• was there euer of science or cūnynge So renomed as was kinge Salamon Yit wymen made him through fals flateringe To foreyne goddis done oblacion Which clipsed his honoure and brought his fame doū That was in whilom moost vertuous Tyll he through wymen fyll to be lecherous

Is it nat eke remembryd by wrytinge Of israel howe the cheef champion Which goddis people had in his ledynge I mene the famous mighty stronge Sampson That through his force torent the lyon But dalida with terys plentuous His grace bereft him and made him lecherous

Sichem was slayne eke for the rauysshinge ••f yonge dyna as made is mencion His fader Emor brought to his endynge Lost his riches in that descencion And his kingdom brought to destruccion Loo here the ende of princes vicious Which theym dispose for to be lecherous

It is in erth one the moost {per}ilous thinge A prince to be of his condicion Eff••mynat his wittys e••lynynge By fals desires of flesshly mocion To put him silf vnder subieccion And thrall his reson tresour moost precious To the vnlefull lustys hatefull and lechorous

This is the sentence full pleynly in menynge Where wymen haue the domynacion To holde the reyne their hokys oute tastynge That censualite hath Iurisdiccion To entre on reson by fals intrusion Werre ageyne vertue moost contagious To be venquesshyd of lustys lecherous

It taketh fro men their cleernesse of seynge Causeth greate sekenesse and corrupcion And to all vertue it is gretest hindrynge Maketh men seme olde as by inspeccion Appallith their mynde and disposicion Shortith their daies thinge dredfull and pitous Whan they dispose theym to be lechyrous

Noble princes in your ymagenynge Conceyue of wymen the fals decepcion Namely of theym that loue but for wynnynge And labour ay for your possession Whoos sugred flatrye is fals collusion Lyke to Syrenes with vois melodious Enoynte youre erys to make you lecherous