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 Eumenydes was twyes outrayed by Antigo∣••us / and at the last dyed in prison

wHan alisaundre in his roya•• estate Had all conqueryd tofore as ye haue herd He lyke a god most pompous and elate As souereyne prince of all this myddelerd To take vpon him was no thinge aferde To ••leyme in cuntrees a thinge that was nat faire Of Iupyter to be both sonne and heyre

One of the principles who so taketh hede That first brought in fals Idolatrye Was th••••ke tyme that preestys for fals drede His name with goddys gan to magnefie And so to call him of feynyd flaterye And myd their temples in libye on a stage Of his liknesse they set vp an ymage

But lityll or nought to him it might auayle Ageyne his deth for to do socoure Whan the fell poyson his herte dyd assayle Which made him fade as doth a somer floure Of whoos empire was none enheritoure Saue in his deth thus stode the wofull cas Twene sixe and thritty his londe deuided was

And in his story full pleynly it is tolde This departicion to make it ferme and stable He was leyde forth vpon a couch of golde To reherce by tokenys full notable Whoom he dempt of very soth moost able Of all his princys pleynly to descerne Whan he were dede his kingdome to gouerne

First there was one amonge all that prees Next alisaundre the knightliest man The worthy knight called Eumenides Whoos hye renoun full well reherce can Prudent Iustynus the greate historyan Ordeyned afore to gouerne realmes two All Capadoce and pafflagonie also

His hye noblesse as made is mencion In especiall more to magnefie Him lackyd nought of commendacion That apperteyned vnto chyualrye To hye prudence or noble policye Except thre thinges myn auctoure seith the same A crowne a sceptre and a kinges name

But for that he all other dyd excelle Both of prudence and famous chyualrye It is remembred as some bokys tell That there were sūme had therat enuye For whan fortune list to set vp hye Any {per}sone aloft vpon hir whele Sūme are besyde that lyke it neueradele

Who holdeth him euer vpon hye mounteyns Fyndeth great experience of blastys and shoures Oft is troubled with storme and winde reynes So of alisaundre the proude successoures Whan they sate hyest shynynge in their floures Wynde of enuye fortune helde so the rothir That eche was besy to destroye othir

On hillys hye it is an impossible A man tabyde withoute wynde or reyne A thinge expert and very vysible Hye clymbynge vp is medlyd with disdeyne Prees hath enuye as it is oft seyne And through preferrynge of fortune in estatys Is euer caused greate werre and greate debatys

This same thinge was wele expert and preuyd Amonge these seyde royall enheritours Of alisaundre for eche of theym was greuyd To se his felowe regne in his floures And thus atwene these mighty successours Of fals enuye there gan so greate a stryf That eche made other for to lose his lyf

And as it is afore made mencion Policarpus and neptolonyus By a maner fals conspiracion Ageyne Eumenides were enly enuious Of whoos falsnesse he was susspecious Tyll on a day there is nomore to seyne Metynge in batayle he slough theym both tweyen

For which slaughter proude antigo••••s Of macedoyne prefecte and gouernoure Wex in his herte so fell and despitous And was withall amoble werroure With his knightes dyd holy his laboure Ageyne Eumenides by marciall apparayle A feelde assigned to holde a greate batayle

Made vpon him a greate disconfiture As they met armyd bright in stele And thus Eumenides of mortall auenture Fled at myscheef into a stronge castell Wherof his knightes lyked neueradele For as the story pleynly maketh mynde That day he fled and left his men behinde

In which castell for he stode destitute Fro thens he cast in all hast to fle In his greate myscheef to fynde sum refute That tyme he drough him to a stronge cuntre Some socoure to gete auengyd for to be Callyd argire by grekys of entent The latyn corrupte of thys worde argent

Of archiraspedes a people that there dwell Their name they toke after that region The which londe as olde bokys tell Hath of syluer plente and foyson For which cause by olde discripcion It toke his name of nature and of right Bycause the soyle lyke siluer shyneth bryght

And of this yle which hath so great a pris As myn auctour maketh rehersayle Howe the people be prouident and wis Prudent in armys and manly in batayle Both to diffende and proudly to assayle Which by their wisdome and circūspect coūsayle To kynge alisaundre stode in great auayle

And Eumenides one of his successours As ye haue herde drewe to that cuntre There to fynde refute and socours In his mischeef and great aduersite And with his wordys of greate auctoryte His noble langage and his faire eloquence The people had him in ful great reuerence

And for they were manly and coraious Able to assemble both in plate and mayle He made theym rise ageyne antigonus By their prowes with him to haue batayle But of fortune his party gan to fayle Where thilke people the story telleth thus Had afore be victorious

Antigonus hath the feelde recured That day his knightys faught lyke wodelyons In furious tene of corage assured Brake their tentes and their pauylions Spoyled their castels robbyd their dungeons Where that cuntre vnwarly thus affrayed Had neuer afore in batayle ben outrayed

And of dispyte this people recheles Caught in their hert great indignacion Ageyne their prince this seyde Eumenides Which had theym brought to theyr destruction And al that people of one opinion Presentyd him it was nat after longe To antigonus bounde in cheynes stronge

In this proces breuely to procede At great mischeef he dyed in prisoun He fonde no mercy playnly as I rede For all his noblesse nor his hye renoun Yet of his manhode it is made mencioun Who that his story list to loke aright With alisaundre there was no better knight

In his conquest euery hour and space He moost cherisshed for his high nobles Aboue all other stode moost in his grace To helpe and releue folke in their distresse Albe that he dyed in wretchydnes To vs declarynge the great variaunces That all day fall in fortunes chaunces

Lenuoye

THis tragedye of Duke Eumenides Sheweth of fortune the froward doublenes Howe wordly princes that been recheles With vnware chaunges fall in distres And there may be no gretter heuynes After pros{per}ite nor gretter peyne Than aduersite which that is sodeyne

Grettest enuye where is grettest pes Grettest awayte where is moast richesse And grettest ese where is rest and pes Where moost discorde moost is heuynesse And of all sorowe sorowfulest excesse Is thilke sorowe that a man constreyne After pros{per}ite aduersite sodeyne

Princis in erth of power peerles Which excelled all other in no blesse Had in this worlde by conquest moost encres As alisaundre the story bereth witnesse Remembre the fyne of all their hye prowesse And the tryumphes to which they dyd atteyne After prosperite aduersite sodeyne

The stronge enheritour which that he oute ches Sixe and thretty the noumbre to expresse Which had possessions of kingdoms doutles Eche thinge obeynge to their worthynesse Tyll fortune thought hir doublenesse Shewed hir might vnwarly to ordeyne After prosperite aduersite sodeyne

Noble princes to auoyde all disencres Amonge your silf discordys do represse Be nat enuyous nor Irous causeles Werke no thinge of hasty wylfulnesse Late discrecion be youre gouerneresse For there must folowe if ye parte on tweyne After prosperite aduersite sodeyne