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 ...

Hic loquitur Fortuna

SOthly quod she Ise thy besynesse Of mortall men howe coryous that they be Howe they studye by greate auysnesse Of my secretys for to be preue To knowe the conceytys hyd within me And my counseyles ye men do all youre peyne Albe that lightly ye may nat therto atteyne

In thys mater your with doth neuer feynt Imagenynge likenesse in youre mynde Lyke youre conceytis ye forge men and peynt Sumtyme a woman with wynges set behinde And portrayen me with iyen that been blinde Cause of all this breuely to expresse Is youre owne couetous blyndnesse

¶Your appetytis moost straunge and dyuers And full euer of chaunge and doublenesse Frowarde also malicious and {per}uers By hasty climbinge to worship and richesse Alweye voide of trouth and stablenesse Moost presumptuous serche oute in all degrees Falsly tatteyne to wordly dignitees

Bochas bochas I {per}ceyue euery thinge And knowe full wele the greate difference Hyd in thy silf of wordys and thinkynge Atwene theym both the disconuenience Hast thou nat wretyn many greate sentence In thy boke to sclaundre with my name Of hole entent my maners to diffame

Thou callest me step moder moost vnkinde And sumtyme a fals chaunteresse A mermayde with a tayle behinde Of scorne sumwhile me namynge a goddesse Sumtyme a witch sumtyme a sorceresse Fynder of murdre and of deceitys all Thus of malice mortall men me call

All this done in despight of me By accusacion in many sundry wyse Ye oft appech my mutabylite Namely whan I youre requestys do despise For to accomplissh youre gredy couetise Whan ye faile ye lay on me the wyte Of youre aduersitees me falsly to atwite

And thou of purpos for tesclaundre me Hast writen vngoodly a contrarious fable Howe I wrestlyd with glad pouerte To whoos party thou were fauourable Settyst me abak geyne me thou were vengeable Nowe of newe requeryst my fauoure The for to helpe and furthre thy laboure

As skauns I am of maners moost chaungeable Of condicions very femynyne Nowe here nowe there as the wynde vnstable By thy descripcion and by thy doctryne To euery chaunge redy to enclyne As wymen been yonge and tendre of age Which of nature be diuers of corage

But for to furthre in {per}tye thyn entent That of thy boke the processe may procede By my fauoure to the accomplisshment I am well wyllyd to helpe the in thy nede Lyke thy desyre the better thou shalt spede Whan I am towarde with a benygne face To spede thy iourney by supporte of my grace

That thy name and also thy surname With poetys and notable olde auctours May be regest••yd in the hous of fame By supportacion of my sodeyn fauours By assistence also of my socours Thy werke texplete the laurer for to wynne At Saturnynus I wyll that thou begynne