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 Herodes kinge of Parthos werred with Ro∣mayns: which after his sonne and heire was slayne: made his bastarde sonne kinge: That anone after slough his fader

tO Arthanabus whilom of parthos kynge I purpos my style to transporte A full olde prince had in his lyuynge Sonnes tweyne bokes so reporte Which in his age dyd him moost confort Metridate was the eldest brother And Herodes called was that other

Metridate by reson of his age His fader dede dyd after him succede Which banysshed was for tyrannye and outrage Afterwarde for mischef and for nede In to babylon he toke his flight for drede The peple anone after his partynge Of Indignacion made his brother kinge

Thus cam herodes to estate royall Pursued his brodre in to babylon Leyde a siege rounde aboute the wall They to him yeldyd vp the toun Thus was his brother brought to confusion Afore the castell without lengre date Made smyte of the hede of metrydate

In parthos after he toke possession Thus yonge herodes of volunte and pride Gan a werre ageyn them of rome toun Whom to withstande they list nat longe abyde The consull Crassus cam doun to their syde Cōmaunded was shorte processe for to make Towarde parthois his viage for to ta••e

Crassus list nat tentre in that reame Left parthos the story doth deuyse Toke his way towarde Ierusalem To take there a solempne empryse In the temple only of couetise Toke ther ageyne the title of rightwisnesse Vp all their tresour and their great richesse

By which he gate in dyuerse regions Greate multytude to holde vp his {per}tye Led with him eleuene legions Towarde parthoys faste gan him hye By his lettres proudly gan diffye The seide Herodes and with greate apparayle Myd his cuntre profryd him batayle

The next morowe whan crassus toke the felde To him was brought of blacke a cote a••mure Which whan his knightis auisely behelde Dempt it a tokne of disconfiture For in contraire romayns do their cure Whan their capteyn shall feight or the hede His cote armure is outher white or rede

A Nother tokne frowarde to beholde The first Egle bete in his banere Also sone as men dyd it vnfolde Contrariously he turnyd loke and chere The bak to Cras••us folke sawe that stode nere A pronostyk to romayns full certeyne Howe fortune to them was that day ageyne

By the flode passynge of Eustrates With vnware tempestes his standardis euerichone In to the ryuere were caste amonge the prees To rekne them all vpright stode nat one Wherof astonyed they wolde no ferther gone These pronostikes made theym so afrayed Lyke men in herte dispeyred and dismayed

Of these toknes crassus was recheles The pronostikes also he dyd despise Toke vpon him to passe Eufrates To entre parthoys only for couetyse To whom herodes sendeth in this ••ase That his comynge was more for pillage Than for knighthode manhode or corage

All the power of parthoys tho cam doun With many prefect and many greate cunstable Ageyne crassus and them of rome toun Which as I tolde abode on their pillage That turned after to their great damage The sonne of Crassus slayne in that fray His fader take and all vpon a day

His hedesmyt of in whom was no diffence And disconfyted with many legion The hede of crassus brought to the presence Of herodes within his royall toun Which hath commaunded golde to be brought doun To be molte there as he lay dede And to poure therof full his hede

This thinge was done for a mockerye In sygne only the storye doth deuyse That golde nor tresour vpon no partye Staunche might his thurst of couetise Such gredynesse eche man shulde despise For auaryce of custum in eche place Of hye prowesse doth the pris difface

Herodes after dyd serch all the wardys Thrugh all the feeld vpon Crassus side Toke the penouns baners and standardys And in his temples large longe and wyde Lete hang•• theym vp of surquedye and pryde In signe only and eke for a memorye He of romayns hath gete the victorye

With which he lyst nat only be content Wenynge his fortune shuld abyde stable In to surrye he hath his sonne sent Called pachorus made him a cōstable Of that region with him to be {per}table Of all tresours and meobles that he fonde Whereuer that he rode throughout all the londe

This parchorus by his chiualrye Encres gan in his tendre age Wherof herodes his fader had enuye Feerfull it shulde turne to his damage Lest he wolde by tytle of heritage Maugre him at his ageyn comynge Take vpon him of parthos to be kinge

Than pachorus was called home ageyn And of surrye where in conclusion All that he had wrought was in veyn Bycause one Cassus fro rome was come doun Slough all the peple in that region Which apperteyned to pachorus as I fynde Without capteyn for they were left behinde

To witstande this romayn Cassius Herodes hath his sonne sent ageyn Which anon after the story telleth thus Amyd the feeld vnhappyly was slayne To trust fortune it is a thinge but veyne Which of custum to day is fauorable And to morowe gerysshly chaungeable

Of pachorus deth whan the noyse aros And the distrussynge of his chyualrye And to herodes abydynge in parthos Tydynge was brought ferde as he wolde dye Of hertely sorowe fyll into frensye Heire was none left of the royall lynes Saue thrytty basterdes borne of concubynes

Thus herodes was cast in gret sekenesse His sonnes deth was to him Importable His wordly Ioye was gone and his gladnesse Fortune contrarye which neuer can be stable Age fyll on his lyf was nat durable And of one thinge moost he dyd him drede Cause he had none heire to succede

Which wolde nat suffre him lyue in pes Tyll at the laste he caught a fantasye Chase a bastard called pharactes Bycause he was famous in chyualrye Gaue him the crowne and the regalye Which anon after bruely to conclude Slough herodes of Ingratitud••