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 Duke Brennyus delitinge to robbe / and stele mischeuously endyd

tHis Brennyus full knightly in werkynge Which by conquest gate many great cyte And as I rede of dens he was kinge Despoiled regions and many greate cūtre Robbed peple of hye and lowe degre Sparyd no goddys but by violence Toke their tresour•• dyd theym no reuerence

There was a temple greate and meruelous Bilt on a roche and on an hyll of stone Sacryd to appollo called Delphius In all grece so greate a god was none And oft sith the people wolde gone Vp to a Theatre which that stode withoute To haue answere of that they stode in doubte

Their trust their hope was to that god applyed Hauinge to him singuler affection As though he might haue holpe and magnefied And done to theym greate consolacion For by a sprite of fals decepcion He gaue answere of sundry questions To folke that cam from diuers regions

Kynge Brennyus had no fantasie In their temples after their paynymguyse Nouther to worship nor to magnefie Their Grekysshe goddys to do theym sacrifyse For in his herte he gan theym to despyse Caught a ioye with all his fals robbours Theym to despoyle and robbe of their tresours

Behight his men and seyde in playne langage That his desyre and his entencion Was to be boty with theym of suche pillage As goddys had in their possession And parte with them for singuler guerdon For their laboure and great traueyles That they had had with him in batayles

He gaue his peple a manere hardynes Made them trust in great multytude Hauynge despite of thynnocent simplenes Of his enmyes bycause they were but rude I mene tho folke shortly to conclude Which had in kepynge the Iuels precious Of greate appollo called delphicus

The peple also which was with brennyus Had all the day drunke mighty wynes To fyll their paunches they were so desyrous That they forgate their marciall doctrynes Tascende the mounteyne feble were their cheynes Their hedys toltyr and their brayne gan fayle The temple aloft to spoyle or to assayly

In their assendynge by weyes that they ches Vpon the roche they were bete doun Preestys of the temple put theym silf in prees One bare a standerd another a great penoun Clad in chesiples for hye deuocion And with their other vncouth apparailes Both on the roch and lowe in their batayles

The people of brennyus was incomparable Spred all the feeld the storye bereth wytnes But it is sayde of olde and is no fable That no diffence is drunkenes And wysdom fayle where is great exces And in a frende playnly to conclude Victorye alway stantdeth nat in multitude

For they were set as bochas doth deuyse Nat to knighthode but to fals outrage To spoyle and robbe by gredy couetise And stuf their somers with outraious pillage Furious ra••yne hath brought them in a rage And farewell knighthode and marciall noblesse Where couetise is lady and maystresse

Two mighty dukes were with brennyus Which that were cheef of his counsayle Emanus that one that other thesalorus Which as they thought to their greate auayle Began apurpos and it was disauayle To robbe the peple the cuntre and eche toun Which turned after to their confusioun

Thus auaryce with stomak vnstauncheable Hath strangled the power of many a worthy knight And couetise hir suster vntretable Hath of hye noblesse fuloft queynt the light Where tantalus regneth a lyon hath no might This to mene hungre and couettousnesse Turneth all noblesse into cowardnesse

For by the counsayle of these dukes tweyne Brennyus set all his opinion To spoyle and robbe dyd his besy peyne To pille the citees of all that region But in this while as made is mencion Myd their batayles bochas doth me lere The god appollo and pallas dyd apere

Appollo first shewyd his presence Fressh yonge and lusty as any sonne shene Armyd all with golde and with greate violence Entred the feeld as it was well seen And Diana cam with hir arowes kene And Mynerua in a bright habirioun Which in their comynge made aterrible soun

The noyse was herde of their bright armure Which made their enmyes for fere almoste to raue That they might afore theym nat endure Fled the felde for drede theym silf to saue And there was herde an hidous erthqua••e And from heuen in this mortall batayle Of colde constreynynge grete stonys gan doun haile

Their aduersaries bete doun and grounded And afore them durst nat abyde And brennyus so mortaly was woundyd Both breest and hede and hurte through outher syde Loo here the ende of couetyse and pryde For Brennyus for constreynt of his smerte ••oue with a dagger him silf to the herte

This was his ende vengeable and merueylous And his dukys sleyne both tweyne Called Emanus and Thesalorus The grekissh Goddys gan at him so disdeyne Of sacrilege se here the greuous peyne For to goddys who lyst do no obseruaunce Shall vnwarly be punysshed with vengeaunce

It is nat holsum with goddys to pleye Nor their puissaunce presumptuously to attaine For where as they by vengeaunce list werrey Who list assay shall finde it no game For his presumpcion Brennyus fonde the same For appollo diana and mynerue For his outrage vnwarely made him sterue

Lenuoye.

THis tragedye declareth who list here Of duke Brennyus many greate batayle His extort conquest and holy the manere Howe by force rode through all Itayle After howe he the romayns dyd assayle His fall in grece by vengeable violence For he to goddys wolde do no reuerence

Toke all the tresours and Iuels moost entere Oute of their temples and richest apparayle Golde and perle and all that I fere To his encrees which that might auaile The rich he robbed oppressed the porayle Of very pompe and frowarde insolence And list to goddys do no reuerence

This mighty tyraunt moste surquedous of chere With couetise brent in his entrayle Whoos gredy fret there might no mesure stere Tyll that fortune at mischeef dyd him faile He lackyd might hir variaunt whele to nayle Ageyn whoos fall ther was no resistence For he to goddys liste do no reuerence

Noble princys conceyue and do lere The fall of Brennyus for misgouernayle And prudently peysynge this matere Vertue is strenger than outher plate or mayle Afore considred whan Brennyus doth counsayle Cheef preseruatyf of your magnificence Is to god to do due reuerence