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 Darie kinge of Perce and mede was out∣rayed by alisaundre kinge of macedoyne

IN Alisaundre called Epirothes Me list as nowe no lenger for to tarye Slayne at mischeef for he was recheles Double of corage for he caude chaunge and varye For turne I wyll my penne to kinge da••ye Which that whilom who so list take hede Moost mighty regnyd in perce and mede

And amonge other notable werrours Lyke as I d••me by heuynly influence Only by title of his predecessours And ••••••ough his prudent royall excellence ••o greate encres of his magnificence He had all As••e as made is mencion Vnder his lordship and dominacion

And as myn auctour bochas doth diffyne He was descendyd from the im{per}iall blode ••f artaxe••ses and borne eke of that lyne P••ssed all princis of tresour and of gode In perce and meede his greate empire stode An hundryd prouyncys teneres of puissaunce And seuene and thretly he had in gouernaunce

Ouer all as••e towarde the orient His lordship last bokys make mynde And had towarde the occident Ouer Egipt power as I finde The rede see was nat left behinde D••mynge him silf of all erthely tresoure Was none but he lord and gouernoure

Towarde Septemptrion vnder the mydday spere ••is power raught and his regalye Ouer ynde in cronicles ye may lere And to the boundes of greate armenie Lorde of the kingdom that called is Parthie Worldly folke dempte him with god egall Maister to fortune and she nat but his thrall

But in his highest exaltacion Of worldly glorye he coude nat preuaile For all his richesse and veyne ambicion But fortune durst him well assayle In his moost rich royall apparayle Cast in hir chaungys to yeue him a sharpe shoure By alisaundre of grece enherytoure

Vnto purpos I wyll my penne dresse For to declare and make mencion Howe proude darye in his moost noblesse Was by fortune from his sete cast doun For anone after the coronacion Of alisaundre in macedoyne kinge This was the processe anone of his werkinge

He nat delayed nor made no longe date In purpos fully of yre to procede Of perce and mede the scepters to translate All their richessys to conquere and possede Perpetually for to abyde in dede Vnder Grekys mighty obeisaunce In macedoyne to haue gouernaunce

And as myn auctour well reherce can He set in grece the mighty stronge cite Of Corynth the metropolitan There to establissh his Imperiall se In regalibus whan he lyst crowned be As man whom god list of his might to marke The world to conquere and be therof monarke

At the gynnynge of his conquest famous Throughout Grece in euery region First he chase oute of his faders hous Knightys that were moost souereyne of renoun Notable in armys and of condicion Feithfull and true which had of hye prudence Forsight in armys of marciall prouidence

To theym he dyd full notably assigne As men expert in knightly apparailis To make his stuffe with many rich signe And forge of stele his plate and his mailis Gaue theym the rule to gouerne in batailis For prouidence of yore it hath be tolde Full moch auaileth of knightys wys and olde

All this accomplisshed he lyst no lenger tarye This worthy kinge but with his ordenaunce Purposyd to begynne on kinge darye And as it is put in remembraunce In moost proude wise he gan him silf auaunce First in his weye to brenne and bete doun Of hasty yre Thebes the mighty toun

After he gate two mighty regions The tone of frige the tother called lyde Set by olde tyme were theyr fundacions Vpon two ryuers rennynge there beside Whos golden grauels their brightnesse may nat hide Pa••eolus and Eryne men them call Richest of stremys though men rekne theym all

And of his conquest ferther to termyne He wan Isauria a prouince wonder stronge In Asia one cheuest of the nyne And pamphile a kingdome large and longe He gate also where it were right or wronge For where that conquest haue any tytle of right My cūnynge it passeth my reson and my might

I toke no {per}tye nor me list n••t tarye In this mater but for I wyll procede Howe alisaundre hastyd towarde darye T••cheue his conquest of perce and eke of meede But first he cam to Frigia I rede Into a cite the name to specefie Thi••ke dayes it named was gordye

After myn auctoure afferme well I dare There was a temple in Frigya thus seith he Of Iupiter in which there stode a chare With ropys bounde of stonys and of perre Amonge which men might beholde and se A fatall knot by craft made so sotyle That no man coude vndo it by no wyle

For who that had science or cūnynge That corious knot to lose or vntwyne Ouer asye he shulde be crowned kinge And alisaundre as bokys determyne ••eynge this chare knyt with many lyne And howe it sempte a maner Imppossyble To seuere it which was Indiuisyble

The chare with cordys was so enterlacyd That richely stode in Iouis tabernacle Which by his wit coude nat be enbracyd Nouther by craft nor no soleyne myracle Tyll Alisaundre by a dyuyne Oracle Drowe oute his swerde wherof men had wondre ••arf the knot and cordys all asondre

Wherby he wist that he was ordeyned Ouer all asye to be lorde and kinge Which to reioyse this story is nat feyned He rode like mars his bataylis cōueynge Thrugh perce ynd m••••de 〈…〉〈…〉 display••••e Towarde his conquest 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I leue him dwell And of this chare and knottys I wyll tell

Prudent Iustynus an olde croniculere In his cronicles reherseth this storye Howe Gordius a pore laborere Beside the cite that callyd is gordye Erynge his londe dyd his oxen guye All maner foule that wynges flyght Hye in the eyre apperyd in his sight

Vn••owe to him the tokne what it ment With dyuynours cast him to counsayle Called augures which hooly their en••ent Knowynge the processe of such dyuynaile Where it shall profite or disauayle And at the gate of Gordye the Cyte He met amayde excellynge of beutye

Which from aboue by heuenly influence Had of hir byrth a maner knowlegynge In such augurye greate practyke and science Which to gordius expownyd euery thinge Seyde of asye he shulde be lorde and kinge And regne there durynge all his lif In hope wherof she becam his wif

After his weddynge he wex fortunat The cronicle can bere me well recorde There fyll in Frige a sodeyne greate debate Amonge the comons and mortall discorde Knowynge no mene to bringe theym at accorde Tyll their goddys by notable prouidence Taught theym aweye tappese their violence

Howe that debate shulde amonge theym last Vnto the tyme they had chosen a kinge And they gan crye and praye their goddys fast By sūme signe or miracle oute shewynge To yeue to theym a maner knowleginge That they might to their notable encres Chese such one that shuld theym set in pes

They had answere to wayte and be wel ware To set spyes by besy attendaunce On whoom they met ridinge in a chare To Iouis temple to do his obseruaunce And him receyue by goddys ordenaunce Vpon his hede withoute more tareynge To set a crowne in frige to regne as kinge

And Gordius in his chare ridinge Towarde the temple they on the wey him met And awaitinge chas him to their kinge And solemply home they dyd him fet Vpon his hede a riche crowne they set And he to theym so egall was and mete That he theym brought in rest and quiete

Thus to the crowne gordius dyd atteyne By tokyns shewyd vnto his greate auayle And their discordys and stryues to restreyne He to his lieges gaue notably counsaile That they shulde with royall apparaile Take his chare as he dyd theym deuise And offre it vp in moost lowly wise

In the temple that was consecrate To Iupiter a full solempne place And more to make their offringe fortunate They shulde it set withoute lenger space Tofore the goddesse that was called grace Which by miracle their hertis to appese Set all the people in quiete and in ese

And whan the kinge alisaundre had ••osyd the knot of which I haue you tolde And of the chare which gordius ladde The s••••••••••es seyne and misteryes many folde Wordly presumpcion gan make his hert bolde Without title of any rightwisnesse The cite gordye to spoyle of his richesse

And all affrigye he robbyd eke also Vp to the mounteyne that callyd was taurus ••he which hyll hath famous names two For it is also named Caucasus Where this prince moost victorious Ordeyned first proudly with spere and sheelde Ageyne kinge darye for to holde a feelde

Vpon a mounteyne they to gedre met The marciall pleyne named horestes And moost proudly their wardis there they set Al•• for the werre and no thinge for the pes Where alisaundre in knighthode peerlles All the Perciens batayled in his sight On daryes {per}ty put vnto flight

Kinge alisaundre shortly to conclude In his moost statly roiall magnificence Set nat his trust in no greate multitude But in his knightes which longe in his presence Had had in armys longe experience Were wele preuyd in marciall disciplyne To enhaunce his conquest by their prudent doctryne

Which in that Iourney haue theym so well borne That in their noblesse founde was no lak For sixty thousande of fotemen theym beforne They slough of perce and men on horsbak Other ten thousand so mortall was the wrak And fourty thousande as made is mencion Were prysoners and put to their raunson

On grekys party the story doth well shewe Macedonoys on alisaundris syde In comparison were slayne but a fewe For of fotemen and men that dyd ryde Through the feeldes that were so large and wyde There were that day in their mortall stryues Nat full thre hundred which that lost their lyues

Darye coude none other rescus make Fled atte mischeef in full greate distresse His wife his doughter ledde awey and take His tentys spoyled his story bereth witnesse Grekys made glad with full greate richesse His cofres spoyled he fonde no better socoure And he enporisshed of all his hole tresoure

Whan Darye sawe his dedly auenture Full pitously in herte he dyd mourne And anone after this disconfiture To babilon in hast he gan retourne And while that he dyd there soiourne Knowynge no recure to him that might auayle With alisaundre to holde more bataile

Than of purpos to set him silf in ese And for taledge his dedly fell greuaunce In his entent kinge alisaundre to plese Cast for to sende him lettres of plesaunce Yeue him giftys in full greate habundaunce But al the sleightes which Darius hath wrought Kinge alisaundre set theym echon at nought

This manly kinge kepte his conceyte cloos Lyst nat shewe what he ment in dede But cast fully after his purpos Vpon his conquest ferther to procede After the getinge of perce and eke of meede To wynne surrye Egipt and Libye londe Demynge fortune redy to his honde

And of his conquest ferther to endyte Whan his glorye gan moost fresshly shyne The temple of Iupiter cast him to visite Which stode in lybye auctours determyne Sayde howe he was descendyd from the lyne Of thilke god borne to be his heire As lorde of heuene fire water erth and eyre

And that the preestys fully shulde assent With heuynly goddys to make him egall Greate richesse and tresoure he theym sent Thus dreed and meede made him celestiall Falsly forgate that he was mortall And of ambicion by marciall apparayle Cast with darye ageyne to haue batayle

And as I finde howe they dyd mete The two princes with people Innumerable In the confronte of the londe of Crete And kinge darye of folkys defensable Brought into feelde a peple incomparable Foure hundryd thousande of fotemen fet fro ferre With alisaundre for to holde werre

An hundred thousand there cam with him also On horsbak in stele armyd bryght And all this people whan they had a do Albe that day full longe last the fight Were slayne and take and I put to flight Where alisaundre to his encres of glorye Had of kinge darye that daye the victorye

And perciens to their fynall myscheef Withoute mercy or paynge of raunson With kinge darye were put to greate repreef Voyde of all hope and consolacion Fled as I finde into the region Called partye where as it is tolde He of that people was take and put in holde

And though his fetirs were of golde riche He had therof god wote no plesaunce Fortunys giftys be nat ay Ilyche In hir fals whele there is such variaunce Dyuers of cheer straunge of hir countenaunce ••lade alisaundre with a lityll noumbre The multitude of darye to encoumbre

Within a toun Tharsa he was take In charyet with cheynes stronge I bounde Of all his frendes pitously forsake Led and through perced with many mortall wounde And this murdre contryued was and founde By one Bessus a frowarde recheles knight Which stode afore moost furthred in his sight

And was assured by feith of his legiaunce To kinge darye to be true in dede But this fals traytoure god sende him a mischaūce Caused his woundys mortally to blede Yit or he dyed he sent in all his drede A percien knight sad and of greate age To alisaundre to tell him his message

To thanke that prince of his hye noblesse Which to his grace and mercy moost habounde Him list to shewe so greate gentilnesse Vnto my wif and children as it is founde For which to him I am so moch bounde That he myn enmy of benygnite In their distresse list haue of theym pyte

And sith I se that nedys I must deye Through blody woūdys which I may nat recure Sey alisaundre of grace that I preye For to haue ruth of myn auenture Next to ordeyne for my sepulture And condescende to graunt myn axynge For to be buryed as longeth to a kinge

Praynge the goddys which been immortall Whan he hath done to quyte him his mede That if his mercy moost imperiall Him lyst of grace for to take hede To burye me kinge of perce and meede For if this fauour be in his herte founde To his noblesse the fame shall ay rebounde

Requeringe him of his imperiall might Of my foule murdre to se eche circumstaunce For murdre alwey calleth to god of right Neuir cesinge but by contynuaunce Vp to the heuene to crye for vengeaunce Namely on murdre compassed and for thought Which by auysement is execute and wrought

And sith I haue leyde on the this bonde To alisaundre to do my message And him coniured here with my right honde To auenge my deth wrought by greate outrage My blode oute shed with pale and dede visage Here bounde in stockys to goddys moost benigne With right hole herte my sprite I resigne

Thus he lay starke there was founde no blode Lyke as another mortall creature Whan alisaundre the murdre vnderstode As ye haue herde remembred by scripture He dyd ordeyne for his sepulture The funerall feest holde in all thinges As by olde tyme longyd vnto kinges

Lenuoye.

THis tragedie pitous for to here Sheweth of fortune the chaūges lamētable Of royall thronys of gold and stonys clere Of wordly princis howe they be euer vnstable Their fatall whele moost dyuers and chaungeable With vnware turne list nat hir cours to tarye To throwe theym doun recorde vpon kinge Darye

Who can or may be full assured here To make fortune to be so tretable To finde oute awey or serch oute the manere By obligacion to finde hir Immutable Hir double face the worlde ay deceyuable Shewe vs eche day howe falsly they can varye By couert fraude recorde vpon kinge Darye

Exaumple howe phebus with hir bemys clere Sheweth sum morowe his light moost agreable But longe or ••ue derkenesse there doth appere Through cloudy reynes and mystes longe durable To vs declaringe by toknes full notable Wordly dignitees nowe fressh and nowe contrarye Can chaunge their tydes recorde of kinge Darye

Through all asye perce and meede I fere His lordship last a thinge incomparable To ethiopie vnder the mydday spere Full of tresoure with golde Innumerable His boundys raught fortune eke seruisable To obeye his lustys tyll she gan falsly varye By expert fraude to preue hir might in Darye

Noble princes with hole herte and entere Lift vp youre corages holde this no fable Though ye syt hye cōceyue with gode chere No wordly lordship in erthe is {per}durable And syth ye be of nature resonable Amonge remembre as thinge moost necessarye All stant vpon chaunge recorde on kinge Darye