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 Siphax of Munedye kinge was take and dyed in prison

HEre bochas breuely for a remembraunce Writeth werres debates and batayles That were that tyme in Itayle and fraunce In spayne chaūpayne with marciall apparayles And amonge other in his rehersayles He telleth in affrik the great dissencion Atwene hanyball and worthy Scipion

He toucheth their names and abydeth nat longe Vpon their storyes he byde nat but awhile Here nat rehersinge their mighty werrys stronge Nor of their stryues he doth nat here compyle But doun dessendynge dyrecteth furth his style For to reherce and tell by writynge The fall of Siphax in Munedye kinge

This saide Siphax batayles had tweyne One with kinge Gabba he of very might Had eke an other in which he dyd his payne To mete masmissa after anon right And both kinges he put to the flight And of Messulie I fynde by writinge Howe Masmissa was gouernour and kynge

This sayd siphax thrugh his chiualrye Made Masmyssa to fle his region Constreynyd him to lyue by robbrye To walke in forestys with bestys vp and doun And for diffaute as made is mencion To saue his lyf he fonde no better refute But fed him silf on rotys and on frute

Oute of his realme masmyssa was enchasyd And constreyned to fle fro his cuntre Fro mynde of folke his name was out raced For no man wyste where he shulde be His liege men and folke of his cyte Through all affryk knewe no better rede Of his persone but dempt that he was dede

Thus of kynge Siphax encrece gan the glorye Which by force two kinges hath outrayed And vpon them wonne the victorye Put them to flight and the peple affrayed That rome and cartage were of him dismayed And eche of theym dyd their laboure Of their werrys to make him gouernoure

Vnto Siphax out of rome toun As it is wretyn for a memoriall To Numedye was sent scipion For this mater in especiall Out of cartage was sent hastruball And at the castell where Siphax lay Both tweyne arryued at one day

And by pleyne writinge as I haue conceyued And as the story remembreth in sentence At their cūmynge both were receyued Of kinge Shyhax with greate reuerence And through his notable manly diligence As it is wretyn by gode recorde He made these capteyns hertely of acorde

That they to gedre lay the same night They had of Syphax so greate suerte By promyse made as he was true knight That nouther of them shulde deceyuyd be But there was founde greate duplycyte Folowynge after who so can take hede Lyke as this storye shall deuyse in dede

For by the fraude and falsnes moste mortall Compassed beforn it is thus befall That by the sleight of this hastruball As affricans be nye double all Vnder suger can hide well their gall So hastruball by fals decepcion Vnder fayre chere desceyued Scipion

He brought in siphax by fals subtylte And by his sleyght peyntyd fayre langage That he shulde with him allyed be By full assente to haue in mariage Sophanisba a maydyn of cartage Which was doughter yonge and faire withall As seyth bochas to this hastruball

The which thinge by craft was brought aboute And accomplisshed verely in dede And by this mene pleynly out of doute There first began rancoure and hatrede Symulacion feynyd and falshede That atwene siphax and hastruball alas Scipion was diceyued in this cas

And after that done was this mariage Syphax full enmye to this Scipion With hastruball rode in to cartage And gan werraye agayn rome toun And in this while as made is mencion Kynge masmyssa out of wildernesse Towarde Scipion in all haste gan him dresse

With his people gan to make him stronge Through helpe of scipion and of bellius Went ageyne syphax and abode nat longe His herte ageyne him was so enuyous And on a day the story telleth thus With affricans and folkys of Cartage Siphax the romayns met in the visage

Of masmyssa the peple were so wode Vpon Siphax auengyd for to be Through their batayles cam to him there he stode And maugre him and his cruelte Of very manhode space was none to fle They brought him home thrugh their hye renoun In to the hondys of worthy Scipion

Siphax was take thus or he was ware Vnder his baner maugre all his might And into rome led afore the chare Of scipion the noble worthy knight That wan the triumphe graunted him of right And Siphonisba afore to Sophax wif Wed to masmysse at the ende of all this strif

Loo howe fortune chaunge can hir tydes To one this day she can be fauorable Make capteyns and these greate guydes Which wend haue founde hir whele stable But that she is ay frowarde and chaungeable Frendly to day tomorowe at discorde If this be true Siphax can bere recorde

This Shiphax was sent out of the toun In cheynes bounde without more taryinge And at tyburny lay fetred in prison Dyed at mischeef made ther his endynge And for bycause that he was a kinge The romayns made of marciall pyte Him to be buried within their cite