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 kinge metrydate boode vii yere in wyldernesse had greate turmentys both on see and londe / by hys blode brought to vntraunce slough him silfe with a swerde.

i wyll passe ouer these cleopatras thre Furth procede to the hasty fate Sone execute by {per}cas cruelte Vpon the duke called metrydate First reherce the great vnkyndly hate Of them that were his tutours as I rede Him to destroye by assent of his kinrede

Which of purpos dyd his deth prouyde By many vncouth straunge occasion In tendre youth first they made him ride Vpon an horse wylder than a lyon Of purpos only for his destruccion But albe so that he was yonge of age The horse he rulyd in all his moste rage

Nat of doctryne but only of nature He was disposed cūnyngly to ryde Ouer him the maystry to recure Maugre the horse of wyt he was his guyde What way he toke frowarde or asyde He dauntyd him that where so euer he rode Brydlyd him and on his bak he bode

His owne kyn and his next alyes Moste laboured to brynge him to mischeef With venymous drinke set on him espyes At gode leiser as doth a couert theef Of their fell poyson for to make a preef In their entent this is well couth Him to murdre in his tendre youth

But whan that he apperceyued their treson To saue him silf made great ordynaunce Anon as he gan haue suspecion Of their vnkindly hatefull purueaunce For remedyes made cheuysaunce Was prouyded their malice to declyne By many notable prouyd medecyne

And their malice prudently to eschue Is remembred while he was yonge of age With certeyne frendys which that dyd him sue He disposed of custum his corage To hunte and chace beestys moost sauage Vnder that coloure he dyd it for a wyle Ferre fro his cuntre absente him for awhile

Of one corage one herte and one chere Suffred manly toke none heuynesse In desertys space of seuene yere Amonge hye hyllys bode in wyldrenesse Set in asia the storye berith wytnesse Fonde no lodgynge trasynge the cuntrees Saue in kauernys and greate holowe trees

The boke remembreth howe that his dyete Were beestys wylde enchaced with greate might Fled Idelnesse eschued all quiete And yltyll slepe suffised him at night By excercise his body was made light There was nouther whan him list pursue Herte nor hynde that might his honde eschue

He nouther drad tygres nor lyons He was so swyst though they dyd him assayle Lyke of strength to old champions No wylde beste of great nor small entrayle To escape his honde might nat countreuayle If he were ware erly outher late So greate swyftnesse had ••••tridate

Amonge he had in armys excercise Amonge to tournay and ren on horsbacke All delycate fare he dyd also despyse Of gredy excesse in him there was no lak A nightertyme his slepe full oft he brake Stoundemele the houres for to marke In the dawnynge ros vp or the larke

The space accomplisshed fully of seuene yere He is repayred home to his cuntre Shewyd him silf of manhode and of chere Full like a knight his story who list se Wherof hys enmyes astonyed be Caught of his cūmynge in herte a manere drede Supposynge afore that he was dede

In whoos absence his wif leodices Conueyed a childe as made is mencion For the diffame shulde nat cūme in prees Him for to murdre she sought occasion Fully in purpos to sle him by poyson Of which diffautys hir lorde was no thinge fayne Knowynge the trouth made hir to be slayne

Toke on him after many knightly dede First to conquere all Pafflogonye By the helpe of worthy Nychomede That tyme called kynge of bythynye Togydre assured to be of one alye In losse or lucre fortune to be their guyde And therto sworne neuer to deuyde

To metridate legates were doun sente Fro the romayns him lowly requeringe That he wolde lyke to their entent Pafflogonye restore to their kinge Which he had wonne the cite assaylyng But he list nat aduertyse their prayere Nor on no {per}tyes their requestys here

He dred nat their thretys nor manacys Gate proudly after the londe of Galathye In his conquestys wan many other ••lacys Capadoce toke to his partye Slough their kinge of hatrede and enuye Ariarectes a full manly man And in this wyse his conquest he began

Ageyn thassuraunce twene him and nichomede All sodenly he gan fall at debate Thought he wolde warreye him in dede Bycause that he pompous and ••late In capadoce toke on him thestate To regne as kinge ageyns his entent He nouther beynge of counseyle nor assent

¶Yit nichomede or they gan debate Had longe afore to his owne encres The suster weddyd of that Metridate Whan they as brethren lyuyd in rest and pes And she also was called leodyces Hauynge two sonnys borne for to succede After disses of seyde Nychomede

And by processe these seyde chyldren tweyne In capadoce by helpe of metridate Cleymed a tytle iustly for to atteyne Vnto the crowne their fader dyed but late For which they gan felly to debate Tyll metridate falsly gan contriue His two neuewes vngoodly to depriue

All Capadoce he toke into his honde His owne sonne he hath crownyd kinge Capadociens by assente of all the londe Gan disobeye of purpose his werkynge Whan the romayns considred all this thinge A••••obarzenes in hast they sent doun Geyn metridate to kepe that region

The sonne of whom fro them they haue refused Out of their kingdome gan him to enchace For they sempt their fraunchise was abused To se a foreyn occupye that place Metridate gan newely them manace And toke with theym to susteyne his {per}tye Tygranes the kinge of armenye

Arriobarzenes that was fro rome sent To capadoce to help them and counsayle Of metridate knowynge the entent Howe he cam doun proudly him tassayle With digranes set in the first batayle Of capadoce that all the region Was brought that day to their subiection

Thus metridate heuynge his entent In short tyme cuntres conquerynge Was mightyest prince of all the orient And in tho dayes one the grettest kinge And as it is remembryd by writinge He delyted moste in astronomye In sortilege and in sorcerye

And with all these he dyd his besy cure For to lerne vncouth conclusions And secretys sought out by nature Knewe the langages of dyuerse regions Of two and twenty sundry nacions And helde wymen many more than one Loued hipsicrata aboue them euerichone

To the romayns this manly metridate As bokes olde recorde of him and sayne Vpon a day of very cruell hate Thrugh all as••e he bad that ech romayne Shulde of his men mercyles be slayne Twenty thousande he slough eke on a day Of romayn marchauntys durst no man sey nay

To him he drough dyuers nacions To encres his partye by puissaunce Kymbroys Gallois with other regions Bostornois toke to his alliaunce With straunge peple made his acqueintaunce Where that euer he rode nye or ferre With theym of rome for to holde werre

In grece also he gate many an yle All ••••clades to his subiection Conquered so that within a while Of athenys he gate the famous toun But whan romayns knewe his entencion They sente scilla in a furious hete With metridate in grece for to mete

Achelaus which that was cunstable Ledynge the ost of kinge metridate Gan ageyn scilla trustynge he was able Maugre romayns with him to debate As they met in their furious hate Besyde Orthonya of grece a greate toun Of achelaus the partye was brought doun

There gan Scilla to be victorious Geyne metridate and by greate violence Gate all ephese a kyngdom full famous Rode through asie fonde no resistence By his knighthode and manly prouydence Capadoce Bithynye eke also To romayn handes he gate them both two

Whan metridate perceyued hath this thinge Howe the conquest of Scilla toke encres Anone he cast without longe taryinge For a tyme with him to haue a pes Of hye wysdom he was nat recheles To dissymule tyll he fonde tyme and space In fortune to fynde better grace

Abode his tyme kept him silf clos Tyll he fonde leyser lyke his opinyon In this while of auenture aros Within rome a greate discencion Twene two consulers beynge in that toun Which to appesse by his auctoryte Scilla cam vp ageyne to the cyte

Whan Metridate his absence dyd espye To his purpos founde oportunyte Gadred people and with his chiualrye A siege layde vnto Cyzite the cyte Of all asye moost of auctoryte Tyll Lucullus a mighty consulere To breke the syege aproch gan full nere

Metridate had on fyue capteyns Tofore the toun made a disconfiture Of hye despyte he had to romayns But Lucullus the damages to recure Tenclose his ennemyes dyd his besy cure To his mynours gaue anone in charge Aboute the syege to make a dych full large

They within had knowlegynge By certeyne toknes of all their gouernaunce Wherupon they made a tariynge To cast away for their delyueraunce Metridate seynge their ordynaunce Of hye prudence escapyd awey beside And at the sige lyst no lenger abide

Lucullus than the mighty consulere Pursued after slough of his meyne Such multitude that Asopus the ryuere Was made with blode lyke the rede se With wynde and tempest fordryuē also was he And whan he sawe no socoure in the londe To ship he went with strong and mighty honde

He fonde fortune cruell aduersarye On londe and se this worthy metridate And neptunus made the se contrarye Ageyns him his puissaunce tabate What shall men calle it influence or fate So sodenly a prince of hye renoun Fro hye noblesse to be plonged doun

For any myscheef he kept ay one visage This metridate and loth was for to plye Or for to bowe so stronge was his corage But eft ageyn goth with his chiualrye Towarde adastrus an hyll of armenye Where as pompeye beset him enuyron Sent fro rome to his destruction

Metridate makynge his lodgynge place Vnder that hyll whan it drewe to night The troubly heuene with thundringe gan manace The fyry leuyn dyrkyd hath his sight The cloudy mone eclipsyd of hir light Astonyed him by vnware violence That he stode confus of all prouidence

He was by tempest and vnware dyrknesse Almoste made wery of his wofull lyf Yit I finde of very kindnesse Hipsitraca which that was his wif Nouther for werre nor no mortall stryf Left him neuer disgysed of visage Folowed him arayed as a page

¶Yit in his moost mortall heuynesse Whan cloudy fortune gan him moost manace Of his corage the naturall quiknesse Appalled nat nor remeuyd from his place So hye prowesse dyd his herte enbrace Nat dispeyred for no soden fall Of condicion he was so marciall

In tokne wherof he stondinge at myscheef Chaunged nouther chere nor countenaunce An euidence and a full great preef Of manly force and hertly assuraunce Defiynge fortune with all hir variaunce Whan that he fonde to his destruction Of disespeyre grettest occasion

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

With him he had a balyf as I fynde Called Castor which of condicion Was to his lorde fals and eke vnkynde And conspired ageyn him fals treson In tokne wherof vp to rome toun His lordys children yonge and tendre of age Lyke a thef he sent them in hostage

One of his sonnys he murdred by treson Which metridate toke full fore at herte Another sonne as made is mencion Fals to his fadre which whan he dyd aduerte The vnkyndnes made him sore smerte For of all vices shortly to conclude Worst of all is Ingratitude

This same childe of whom I make mynde Called pharnax which ageyn nature To his fader traytour and vnkynde And his purpos ageyne him to recure In all haste dyd his besy cure For to accomplyssh his purpos in partye Drough to him hole his saders chyualrye

By sleight and mede whan he was made stronge H•• besegyd his fadre rounde aboute Vnto nature me semeth he dyd wronge To put his fader in so great adoute Kyndnesse was fer shet without Whan the sonne with hate set afyre Ageyn his fadre list falsly to conspyre

With multitude his fader was constreyned Maugre his might into a toure to fle His sonne vnkynde hath at him disdeyned And yit for all his straunge aduersite Of his corage the magnanymyte In his psone stode hole lyst nat varye Though fortune was to him contrarye

¶Yit myn auctour bochas berith recorde That metridate if it wolde haue be Requeryd his sonne to be at acorde And set asyde all olde contrariouste But he vnkynde indurat was parde Euer frowarde malicious of corage So disposed from his tendre age

So that the kynge metridate alas Was ouercūme by vnkyndnesse That neuer afore in nomaner cas Stode dismayed but of hye prowesse Kept ay one face all passions to represse This vertu force by marciall doctrine For none aduersite suffred him declyne

Ende of his werrys and his mortall stryues Of his debates and discencions His concubynes his doughters and his wyues By mene only of certeyn pocions Slough them all by drynkinge of poysons For he nat wolde the cause to descryue After his deth they shulde byde on lyue

Hys owne deth of mortall fell rigoure Compassed afore thus he gan deuyse Made a french knight that was a soudiour With a sharpe swerde in full cruell wyse To renne him thrugh wherby the fraunchise Conserued was his purpos to fulfyll He wolde nat dye but by his owne wyll

Lo here the ende of kynge metridate Late princys all of his deth take hede Howe rechelesly he passed into fate And by assent made his herte blede And bochas here who list his boke to rede Pleynly rehersinge but in wordys fewe To wordly princys doth his conceite shewe

Lenuoye.

MIghty princys lyft vp youre corages Towarde heuene do your hertys dresse Of your memou•• turne vp the visages Where ioye is euer pes concorde and gladnesse True armonye celestyall swetnesse Counterpeyse in youre remembraunce Worldly chaunges fortunes variaunce

Aduertyse the mortall fell outrages Of blody werrys impossible to represse While fals enuye with his furious ragys In sundry realmes hath so great intresse Slaughtre murdre diuysion falsnesse Which conscience haue brought to vttraūce Through sodeyn chaunge of wordly variaunce

Rekne vp princys that sate hye on stagys What was the fyne of theyr royall noblesse Or of tyrauntes rekne vp the blody wagis Soden slaughter guyrdoned their wodnesse Metrydate can bere herof witnesse By blode vnkinde brought vnto ••ttraunce Thrugh soden chaunge of worldly variauce

Princis remembre vpon the golden ages Whan Saturne ruled the worlde in rightwysnesse Next Iupiter for peplys auauntage The sylueren worlde conserued in clennesse Which mars hath nowe turned to felnesse Made it steelen with swerde dagger and launce Through sodeyn chaunge of wordly variaunce

Of Metridate regestre the viages Conspyred poysons taffray his hye prowesse On londe and se tempestuous passages By constreynt bode seuene yere in wyldernesse Of his wandrynge peyse thunsycrenesse His ende in mischeef knewe non auoydaunce Geyne wordly chaunge nor fortunes variaunce

If negligence haue brought you in rerages Towarde god or he rekne in streightnesse Lat reson medle for you to ley hostages Compassion mercy partynge of all almesse Towarde heuene to support your feblenesse Whan your merytes shall peyse in balaunce Of worldly chaunges and fortunes variaunce

Deth spareth nouther hye blode nor hye lynages Haue mynde heron for any rechelesnesse Transitoire be here your pylgrymages Set with brygauntys vnwarly you to oppresse But of prudence by greate auysenesse With prouydence preserue youre puissaunce Geyn wordly chaunge and fortunes variaunce