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 sandrodoctus borne of lowe degre cherisshed robbours and theues

OTer prefectis there were also I finde Which helde the people in full greate seruage In macedoyne and in outher ynde Tyll sandrodoctus a man of lowe lyuage Cast he wolde redresse their outrage Of entent pore people to restore To their fraunchises that playned on them sore

Sandrodoctus auctoure of this werkinge Behight the peple throughoute all cuntrees Whan he by sleyght was crowned kynge Them to restore to their libertees But whan he had receyued these dignitees All his behestis made with him a fayre visage Turned as they fonde to thraldom and seruage

Thus whan a wretche is set in hye estate Or a begger brought vp to dignite There is none so proude pompous nor elate None so vengeable nor full of cruelte Voide of discrecion mercy and pyte For churlisshe blode seelde doth recure To be gentyll by weye of his nature

He may dissimule and for a tyme feyne Caunterfete wyth a fayre visage Out of one hoode shewe facys tweyne Contrarye of herte double of his langage Styll of his porte smothe of his passage Vnder floures lyke a serpent dare Tyll he may stynge and he wyll nat spare

And euer like of his condicions Was Sandrodocius setup in hye estate Vexyd peple troubled Regions Set citees and toūs at greate debate Whoos gouernaunce was infortunate As it was seen and founde at all preuye Cherisshed no man but robbours and the••ys

And to declare howe he caught hardynesse And occasion people to gouerne By a pronostyke which I shall expresse Right meruelous and vncouth to discerne Which was this as I shall tell as yerne Right wonderfull and vncouth for to here And it was this if ye li••t to lere

There was a man called procatales Borne in ynde which of his lyuynge Was wondre pore cam but seelde in prees Bycause he had trespaced in one thinge Ageyne venandrus that was that tyme kinge Cōmaundynge to sle him anone right But he escapyd the story seith by flyght

God had youe him of fete swyftnesse By mene wherof he sauyd him from daungere Through longe trauayle fyll in werynesse And refressh him beside a well clere He laye slepynge that face and al his chere Dropped of sote a lyon cam forby Lyckyd his face as seith the story

With which affray the man anon woke And sodenly lyft vp his visage The lyon rose softly the wey toke Towarde the forest dyd him no damage Forgate his felnes and his cruel rage Of which pronos••yke gan thoccasion Wherof Sandrodoctus toke an opynyon

Cast and thought in his fantasie Sith that the lyon is beest moost royall Which nat dysdeyned him silf to appli•• To lycke the face of a man rurall In his nature to shewe him bestyall He dempt well that it was sittinge To take on him thestate to be a kinge

His oppinion of reson was right nought For where the lyon left his cruelte He in contrarye wex proude in hert and thought Voyde of mercy bareyne of pite For whan that he was set in dignite Brought from a wretche to domynacion Ageyne nature he pleyed the lyon

Sumtyme a lyon forgetteth all felnesse Where as a wulue wyll naturally deuoure So royall blode hath ruth on gentylnesse On pore pleyntifs to helpe theym and socoure Where as a tyraunt of nature doth laboure Whan he hath powere catchynge auauntage To robbe subiettis and spoyle theym by pyllage

Sandrodoctus thus borne of lowe kynrede In hye estate by fortune whan he stode Gan make him stronge and vengeable in dede With noumbre of robbours furious and wode Caste him destroye al the gentyl blode That was in ynde and by his ordynaunce Sle all the prefectys that had gouernaunce

And with the ••ūmons whan he was made stronge And gan the manere of their deth diuyse Lyke a fals tyraunt all though he dyd wronge Ageyne his lordys whan he gan arise An Olifaunt cam in full vncouth wyse Him obeyed which was a great wondre Whan their batailes were nat ferre asondre

Though he was wylde the storye seith the same Sandrodoctus lept vpon his syde And on his backe as on a beest tame Towarde the bateyle anone he gan to ryde Was their capteyne that day and their guyde With his robbours as it is made mynde Sloughe all the prefectys and gentyll blode of ynde