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 tyraunt Euergetes weddyd quene Cle¦opatras slough hir eldest sonne / exiled his wyfe weddyd hir doughter

AFetr whos deth pitously to rede and sene Of Epiphones the great tholome Cam the doughter cleopatras the quene Gan compleyne hir greate auersite Hir sorowe furious diffaced hir beute Hir chekys whyte of blode and terys meynt Rent with hir handys were pitously bespreynt

To philomeetir she weddyd was aforne Whilom sonne to tholome the kynge And by hir lorde in true wedlok borne Two sonnys she had as by olde writynge After whoos deth anon vp suynge To Euergetes a prince yonge of age She was ageyne Ioyned in maryage

By title of hir in Egypt lorde and syre Kynge of that londe cruell and dispytous Whoos storye sheweth no kyngedom nor empyre May of them silf make no man vertuous For lyke a tygre this tiraunt furious Hir eldest sonne day of their mariage Born to be heyre he slough of mortall rage

Nat after longe this extort cruelte Albe they had children atwene them tweyne Out of egypt he made hir for to fle And of malyce he gan at hir disdeyne I trowe she had mater for to pleyne He toke hir doughter whan that she was gon Ageyn nature and weddyd hir anon

She callyd was Cleopatras also But euergetes to shewe him more vengeable Ageyne hir modre that was fro Egipt go The cite which was to hir fauorable The people exiled he wode and vntretable In hir despight gaue that notable toun Of hatfull malyce to straunge nacion

But whan he knewe thrugh his cruell dedys And gan conceyue howe he was coupable Sawe ageyne him the manyfolde hatredes And conspiracion of statys honorable He at large to be more vengeable Geyne cleopatras to gynne an vncouth stryf Went into exil with his newe wif

Gadred people his olde wyf to assayle On hir children to shewe more vengeaunce A day assigned helde with hir batayle But which of theym was dryuyn to vt••raunce Myn auctour playnly put nat in remembraunce But suynge after thus of him I rede Howe of malice he wrought a cruel dede

Which to reherce is nouthir gode ne fayre But terryble and abhomynable He dismembred hir sonne and his hayre On pe••ys smale this tyraunt moost vengeable And whan the moder sat at hir royall ••able With body and hede at a solempnyte Lete hir be serued of frowarde cruelte

Wherof all Egipt had indignacion And for to auenge his cruell greate outrage They toke his plates basnet haberion And his cote armure wrought of great costage Fro their templys rent out his ymage In tokne he was a tiraunt moost atteynt Eche thinge diffaced that was of him depeynt

Whoos hatefull story replete of wretchidnesse Full of vengeaunce and froward myscheuys Therfore I deme bochas list nat expresse More of his lyf fulfylled of all repreuys Of cleopatra write nat the fynall greuys In this chaptre what fatall wey she toke Lest the matere shulde difface his boke