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 greate antiochus vsinge riot and vicious lyuynge by Marchus actilius was outrayed and dyed sodenly

tOuching the storye murdre here folowyng Of Selenchus and great antiochus Of his moder Leodices and the kinge With other toknes and signes merueylous And howe also the same selenchus Had in his thigh as wretin is toforne Prynt of an ankyr the day whan he was borne

And all the children by succession Had by discent borne of his lynage Prynte of an ankyr as made is mencion The fourth boke with all the surplusage Of other toknes there told playne langage And of the seyde fame Selenchus Cam by discente the seyd antiochus

Whoos herte was sette of hye couetyse To folowe his lustys and dilectacion And specially he cast gan and deuise To wynne in grece dyuers regions And of the peple he caught occasions By their fauoure to conquere their cuntre And rebbell ageyne rome the cyte

With multitude and great apparayle He gate in grece castelles and eke touns Longynge to rome conqueryd by batayle Toke vpon him in his presumpcions Falsly to folowe the inclinacions Of his byrth while he dyd abyde In a cyte that callyd was Talcide

For cause of slouth he lefte his chiualrye Forsoke mars and toke him to capide Restynge the wynter he spent in lecherye In wetch and ryot chase venus to hys guyde Sensualite made reson stonde asyde And by these menys for shorte conclusion He was conueyed to his destruction

And whan that wynter with his frostys colde Passyd was and all his stormes kene In riot spent and wastyd as I tolde And veer cam in with his newe grene And fressh flora which is of floures quene Of custom gynneth hir motles out dresse In which ceson as auctours all expresse

Kynges princis with marciall apparayle Tyme whan phebus in the ram doth shyne They them dispose to go out to batayle For excercise of marcyall disciplyne And doun from rome expert in that doctryne Descended is marchus actilius Ageyne this vicious proude antiochus

This noble marke preuyd in armys wele Which in his tyme was so gode a knight With all his oste armed in bright stele Ageyn antiochus cam to the feeld doun right Vpon a morowe whan phebus shone full bright Set his wardeyns by capteyns that he ches Vpon a hyll called termophiles

Antiochus vpon that other syde Whom glotonye and riot dyd oppresse And drunken bachus which with him dyd abyde With morpheus wyf of slombyr cheef goddes Which caused him through slouth and Idelnesse That prouidence oute of his court was gone Causynge that day the slaughter of many one

Whan the Consull marchus the worthy His aduersaries proudly gan assayle They vnpuruayed toke them to the flight Disareyed they might nat auayle Thus antiochus fled oute of batayle For ageyne romayns he might nat endur Therfore on him fyll the disconfiture

Thus rebukyd fled to Ephesie Ferre in Grece and there to dwell he ches Sent to romaynes a great ambassatrye With the seyde marchus for to trete of pe•• But in this ambasset this very doutles Whan they atteyned of Marchus the presence Were refused and had none audience

Of which antiochus greatly was ashamyd Cast ageyne rome of hate and enmyte To reyse a power and hath of newe attamyd To gadre shippes and make a great arme Gynne a werre ageyn them on the see Hauynge an hope vnder a cowarde drede Better on the water than on the londe to spede

Made his shippes be stuffed with vitayle And his capteynes hath the londe forsake But whan the romayns of newe gan him assayle His shippes brent and all his stuf was take And lyke myn auctour compendyously doth make Thyse on the se the romaynes werraynge He was outrayed the story witnessinge

¶Yit eft ageyne to his confusion Vpon the londe he gan make him stronge Met with cornelie called scipion With waynes cartes made for the werre stornge Shod with harde yron sharpe sithes set amonge In trauers wise by greate ordenaunce But for all that he was brought to mischaunce

With Olifauntys and castels on the bak That day was slayne many a wo••thy knight Vpon his oste so cruell was the w••ak That he constreyned toke him to the flight Forsoke the cuntre fled oute of mennys sight To the romayns he coude it nat delaye Eche yere constreyned a tribute for to paye

But he of fraude bycause of his tribute For couetise feyned sore pouerte Gadred robbours and by fals pursute Oppressed marchauntes spoyled the cuntre Robbed temples of hatefull cruelte And fro Iupiter called dodauian Toke all the relykes the story tell can

Dyd sacrilege and entryd in that clos Withoute reuerence or any obseruaunce For which the tempyl ageyn him roos And as it is put in remembraunce By the goddys there fyll a greate vengeaunce Vpon this tyraunt quakinge in his drede All sodenly he fyll to grounde dede

Lenuoye

tHis tragedye of Antiochus Who list in ordre his frowarde story se First to all vertue he was contrarious And rebell euer to rome the cite Iustly accused of vicious thinges thre Of pride slouth and of glotonye And of disordynat superfluite Of night excesse riot and lecherie

On him the romayns were victorious Twyes on the londe onys on the se He was nat hardy but malicious In euery batayle his custom was to fle There vices regne there may no grace be To all surfetys his lust he dyd applye Noysed and disclaundred throughout his cuntre Of night excesse riot and lecherie

Amonge his lyegis wode and despitous And for a cowarde knowe in the feelde was he The pore to oppresse a wulfe moste furious And by disceit a fox for subtylite Noman more frowarde of hye not lowe degre Nor more delitinge in falshede nor flaterye What was his ende a sodeyne deth parde For his outrages of pryde and lecherye

Noble princis of prudence full famous In all youre grettest royall mageste Remembre pleynly if ye be vertuous Ye shall prseuere in longe pros{per}yte Where the contrarie causeth aduersite As this storye afore doth specefye Of antiochus cast from his dignite For his great pride riot and lecherie