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 alisaundre ballas kynge of surrie for extorci¦on pride & vnkyndnesse dyed at mischeef.

THus can this lady pleye hir pagent By a maner of deynous mockerye Hir entermys forth serue them of entent To folke that trust hir only of foly And to purpose whilom of surrie There was a kynge lyke as write bochas Called alisaundre whoos surname was ballas

Of which ballas to tell the processe First of his rysynge and after of his fall Antiochus the story bereth witnesse Called Eupater which in especiall Cleymyd tytle to thestate royall After his fadre named antiochus Epiphanes the story telleth thus

After whoos deth the kyngdom of surrie Shulde longe by succession 〈◊〉〈◊〉 E••pater and eke for his partye Demetrius hostage in rome toun Cleymed a tytle in that region Of surrie by cause epiphanes Was brought to him the story is no les

Demetrius fro rome is come doun In to surrie to clayme his heritage Receyued the croune toke possession Gan we•• proude presumptuous of corage Thus Eupater was but yonge of age Excluded was in surrie to succede Of demetrius ferther thus I rede

Outraious he was aboue mesure Right veng••able and full of cruelte Hatefull also to euery creature And heuy borne of worthy kynges thre First in egipte of worthy Tholome And of actilius in asye tho regnynge And ••••••arches in capedoce kynge

All of assente ageyn him haue conspired Fonde awey demetrius to depryue His vndoynge so sore they haue desired And their entent to execute bly••e T••••y gan a fable of purpose to contryue As ye shall here togydre as they went To which all Surre atonys dyd assent

They toke a galaunt borne of lowe lynage Called Ballas of their aqueyntaunce And affermyd all of one corage Howe he was sonne and iust he••e in substaunce To Epiphanes and next heire in alyaunce To ••uc••ede by toknes aff••rmynge 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in Surrye to be crownyd kinge

Alisaundre of purpos they him call Bycause they thought of persone he was able ••et him vp in his royall stall Maugre Demetrius cruell and vengeable And fortune was to them fauourable Made their purpose fynally to auayle With whom demetrius had a great batayle

This alisaundre which named was ballas By Demetrius as put is in memorye First ouercome and after fyll this cas He of demetrius had the victorye And to encres of his royall glorye Of fortune by sodeyne auenture Ballus the felde dyd of him recure

Thus by promocion of these kynges thre Whan he was crownyd kinge of all Surrye To fals extorcion and hatefull cruelte This alisaundre dyd his wyttes applye To robbynge pillage and eke tyrannye And despised shortly to conclude The seyde kinges of Ingratitude

He had forget his state of pouerte Knewe nat him silf of fals ••mbicion Weddyd the doughter of worthy tholome Called Cleopatra as made is mencion And all his laboure in conclusion Was only this in bochas as I rede All the kyngdom about him to possede

Who all coueteth somtyme all doth lese One ageyne all seelde hath souereynte And for Ballas frowardly gan chese To holde werre with kynge tholome And with the forsayde worthy kynges thre All of assent haue such weyes sought That by their werkynge he was brought to nought

First tholome fro him toke his wyf Cleopatra and toke hir in mariage To one demetrye causing full great strife For he that tyme was but yonge of age But ballas after by full great outrage With all his power gadred nye and ferre Geyne demetrye gan to hold werre

Togedre met proudly in batayle Ballas constreyned cowardly to fle And whan he sawe his power dyd fayle In arabye a mighty stronge cuntre zabydus a prince of greate poustye Toke him by force quakinge in his drede To kynge tholome sent anon his hede

Men may two thinges considre in this cas Pryde punysshyd and vnkyndnesse And presumpcion in this man ballas Without tytle or cleyme of rightwysnesse Made kynge of surry set in great worthynesse What was his ende ye gete nomore of me His hede smet of and sent to tholome

Lenuoye

tHis tragedye doth naturally compleyne Vpon this vice callyd vnkyndnesse Which to punissh is torment none ne peyne Rygour condygne flagell nor duresse Emprisonynge nor none erthely distresse That may suffise breuely to conclude Ageyn the vice of ingratitude

All creatures on this vice compleyne Lawe nature decres rightwisnesse This monstre in kinde doth the light disteyne Of euery vertue dyrketh the brightnesse Alisaundre can bere herof witnesse Which to his furthrers he of his tetchis rude Shewyd ageynwarde greate ingratude

Of herberus thynfernall treble cheyne Nor of tantalus hungre nor thrustnesse Of Ixion or Ticius both tweyne Rekne the turment remembre the sharpnesse All to lytyll to chastyse or redresse The hatefull vice of them that can delude Their frendys olde by fals ingratitude

Noble princes which in your demeyne Haue gouernaunce of all wordly richesse Geyn folke vnkynde loke that ye disdeyne Suffre them nat haue none interesse For taproche to your hye noblesse For there is no vice more hatefull to conclude Than is the vice of ingratitude