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 the vicious Denys kinge of Cecile slough his bretherne and kinrede & after exiled died at myschef

AFter this tyraunt with a full heuy chere And countenaunce pitous and lamentable Vnto bochas Denys dyd appere Which in tyrannye moost was importable Through his lande hatefull and repreuable But for all that he gan myn auctoure preye Of his maners sumwhat to write and seye

Bochas lystnat reherce his lynage Nor make no processe of his geneallogye Bycause he was with all his greate outrage Full of al vices pryde and lecherye Of auarice of yre and of enuye In Cecile helde his royall see At Cyracusis a myghty stronge cyte

This denys was cused of nature Moost malicious both of thought and dede For as it is remembryd in scrypture He slough his brethren his cosyns and kinrede That he alone in pees myght possede Withoute trouble or interrupcion Of all cecile the mighty region

Amonge all vices bochas doth specefie He gan drawe into Idelnesse Folowed his lustys of foule lecherye And oft of custum he fyll in drunkenesse And thought it was moost souereyne blissydnesse Lyke as he had be maister of fortune To folowe his lustys and ay therin contune

He wex right fat and right corcious And his iyen gan derke of his sight That vnethe this man moost vicyous Ne might nat wele beholde the dayes light And of malyce this tyraunt ageyne right With helpe of robbours and of fals for••yns Slough of his cyte nye all the Cytezeyns

His vicious life in ordre to reherce Were contagious to the audience His extort pillages wrought in grece and perce For to write or tell theym in sentence Wolde infecte the eyre with pestylence But I wyll breuely remembre and discryue The sacrilegies which he dyd his lyue

In venus temple beside Cytheron A greate noumbre of wymen he dyd call Full wele beseyne and by oppressions He made his meyne vnwarly on theym fall Despoyled theym so that one and all By his outrage and frowarde violence They nakyd stode echon in his presence

And whan he sawe their shap and their fetures And such chas oute as were to his plesaunce Robbinge the remenaunt toke fro them their vestures And lete theym goo withoute ordenaunce And for this vncouth abhominable chaunce Their cite locroys aros with mighty honde For his outrage banysshinge hym their londe

Another tyme also he dyd soiourne Within the temple lyke as it is tolde Of Iupiter sonne vnto Saturne There beholdinge his reliques manyfolde Sawe amange other amantyll large of golde Wherupon whan he cast his loke That riche Iuell vnto his vse he toke

And thus he sayde him silf to excuse It was to heuy and to comerous In somer ceson that mantyll for to vse Bycause it was to large and ponderous And ouermore he allegyd for him thus Sith the garment forgyd was of golde For wynterceson howe it was to colde

And whan he gan awaye the mantyll pull Than right anone this tyraunte deceyuable Gaue him another sengyll made of wull Affermyd sothely it was more couenable To other ceson more mete and agreable Concludinge thus for somer it was to light And warme for wyntyr to were frosty night

Another tyme this tyraunt eke also Which was of herte moost auaricious Entryd onys the temple of appollo And of his sonne Esculapius And this tyraunt fell and contrarious Behelde appollo berdles that was olde And Esculapius with a longe berde of golde

Quod Denys than as semeth vnto me Here is a straunche frowarde conuenience That the fader berdles shuld be The sonne berdyd stondinge in his presence Made anone by sturdy violence To take aweye the berde which in his sight Of moost fyne golde shone so clere and bright

Through Grece and perce where euer he dyd gone In all the temples this was his vsaunce The statly reliques with many riche stone And massy tables of mighty greate substaunce To take them all that were to his plesaunce He spared none thus lyuynge lyke a theef Tyll he by vengeaunce was brought to myscheef

Cyracusanys where he was crownyd kinge All of assent there is nomore to feyne For his outrages and vicious lyuynge They banysshed him neuer to come ageyne And so this tyraunt vacant went in veyne Aboute the worlde lyke a fals fugitif And so at myscheef this denys lost his lif

Lenuoye.

THis tragedye yeueth a warnynge To all tho that haue domynacion Ouer the people prince duke or kinge To eschue rauyne and fals extorcion Byt theym considre howe by thocrasion Of foule pillage and frowarde tyrannye This seyd denys at myscheef must dye

First he compassed falsly ymagenynge To sle the Cetezeyns of his royall toun His brethren his cosyns his kinrede nat sparinge Brought all his blode to destruction In slaughter he had such dilectocion Reioysinge euer in murdre and robbrie Which caused him at missheef for to dye

To spoile temples was his reioysinge Toke all their tresours to his possession Tables of golde with stonys fresshe shynynge Eke fro other goddis the relyques he toke doun Where euer he rode in any region Whoos sacrilege and compassed felonye Caused him vnwarly at myscheef for to dye

In venus temple by recorde of writinge He dyd a foule frowarde abusion All gentyl wymen that cam there to offringe Theym he despoyled as made is mencion Lete theym be nakyd withoute excepcion For which diffame and greate vngentrie He banysshed was and dyd in myscheef dye

Noble princes remembre on this thinge Compassyd malyce and fals collusion Must haue euyl endinge and come to reknynge Fraude aye with fraude receyueth his guerdoun Haue this in mynde concludinge in reson That all tyrauntys pleynly to specefye Had here short lyfe or dyd at myscheef dye