The tragedies, gathered by Ihon Bochas, of all such princes as fell from theyr estates throughe the mutability of fortune since the creacion of Adam, vntil his time wherin may be seen what vices bring menne to destruccion, wyth notable warninges howe the like may be auoyded. Translated into Englysh by Iohn Lidgate, monke of Burye.

The .xxxv. Chapter.

¶ Of Philipot Cathenoise borne of lowe birth, which came vnto great estate, and after she, her sonne & her doughter were brent.

BEspraynt with teares and wofull noyse Tofore Bochas quaking in sorow and drede, Next in order came Philipot Cathenoyse, Poore of degree borne of lowe kynrede, Which rose after to great estate in dede: And gan with sorow & complaint ful mortal Seriously to tell her woful fall.

Touching her byrth derke was her linage, Of poore bed borne on outher syde, Bochas was lothe to spende great langage On her history longe theron to abyde, Purposed him nothing for to hide Of the substaunce, but tell all the great And superfluite of the remenaunt to leat:

Whiche was reherced by him in his youth Whan he was toward Robert of Cecyle Kyng of Ierusalem the storye is nat couth, Yet in his boke he list it compyle, And it reherce by full soueraine stile Lyke in that courte as it was to him tolde By one Bulgare called in slauaine olde.

The sayd Bulgare was a marynere With him also was a Calabrien Called Constantine, which full many a yere Trauailed had and sondry thinges sene In diuers countreis there he had bene, Monge other thinges sene in dayes olde This was a storie which Bulgare tolde.

Duke of Calabre Robert by his name By his father Charles the mighty kyng Had in cōmaūdement, y^• storye saith the same Gayne Frederike to make a stronge ryding: Which by force proudly vsurping Toke vpon him to be lorde of that yle Which called was the kingdome of Cicyle.

Depranne in sothe called was the towne Where duke Robert his pauyllions pight, Rode armed through his hie renowne Gaine Frederike for the lande to fight, And to withstande him plainly if he might, And so be fyll the morowe before prime, The dukes wife of childing bode her tyme.

Violaunt men did that lady call In her time a famous great duchesse, Destitute of other women al Whan her childe was borne in that distresse, To yeue it souke the story doth expresse: Saue for mischefe Philipot was fet nere Of Cathenoyse the dukes chefe laundere.

By a fysher which was her husbande

A childe she had lyuing by theyr trauaile, Which fro the sea vnto the courte by lande Day by day caried vitaile, And in this case be cause it might auayle Philipot was brought in this greate strayt∣nesse To be norice vnto the duchesse.

Where she was cherished after her desyres, Eche thing redy whan that euer she sent, With the duchesse amonge other chambrers In to Naples I fynde that she went, Tyll Atropose frowarde of entent Made of this childe there is no more to say, The lyues threde for to breke in tway.

With king Charles of whō I spake toforne As mine au••tour remembreth in his boke, Was one Raymond of Champayne borne, Whiche w^t the king was called mayster coke And on a day his iourney he toke Towarde the sea, a pyrate as I finde, Solde him a child which was borneī Inde.

Lyke Ethiopiens was his colour, For whō this coke Raymonde hath deuysed For in his notable diligent labour Made him christen and so he was baptised, Gaue him the name and also practysed Him to promote, that he vpon him toke By his doctrine to be mayster coke.

For he sone after toke the order of a knight, The Ethiopien wext a good officere Gate suche grace in the kinges sight To be about him more nere By processe he was made wardyopere, And though he was blacke of his visage To Cathenoyse he was ioyned in maryage.

Wexte malyperte and of presumpcion To be made knight y^• king he gan requere, Which of fredom and great affection Is condiscended to graunt his prayere, But to declare plainly the manere In this time Violaunt the duchesse, Afore remembred dyed of sicknesse.

After whose death bokes dothe certifye Howe duke Robert of Naples the cite Wedded a Lady that called was Sausye, To whom Philipot as fyll to her degre With diligence and great humilite To please her dyd so her deuer, That of counsayle there was none so nere.

Euer redy at her commaundement Wrought atyres plesaunt of delite, With holsom waters that were redolent To make her skyn by washing sote & white: Made confections to serue her appetyte: By her husbande, the story who lyst se, The same Philipot had chyldren three.

She was connyng & of her porte prudent, Chosen by fauour for to be maystresse To fayre Iane yonge and innocent Which doughter was to the great duchesse Of Calabre, and furthermore to expresse Her husbande the Ethyopyen withall Of Charles houshold was made seneschall.

O lorde (quod Bochas) spake of hie disdain What meneth this fortune for to make chere With her fauour to rayse vp a forayne Vpon her whele with bright fethers clere, But of custome it is aye her manere Fayrest to appere with chere & countenaūce Whan she wyll bryng a mā vnto mischaūce.

For he that was a boy the last day, An Ethiopien borne, & horrible of sight And afore time in the kechyn lay Amonge the pottes, with baudy cote anight, Nowe of newe hath take the ordre of knight With king Charles is now seneschall, Such sodayne climbing asketh a sodain fal.

He and Philipot his wyfe fro pouerte Be enhaunced and rissen to great richesse, Two of their sonnes stately maryed be, And he for fauour more than worthynesse To order of knight, & in his most highnesse Their father died whose feast funerall Was solempnysed and holde full royall.

Thus can fortune chaunge as the mone, Her bright face derked with a skye: His eldest sonne dyed after sone The seconde left vp his clergie. To be made knightlgan him selfe apply, Stode of his father plainly as I rede In his office, by fauour to succede.

Thus by processe fro Philipot anonright Deathe of her husbande & her sonnes twaine Fortune in party eclypsed hath the light, Of her welfare, and gan at her disdayne: Yet euen like as whan it doth rayne Phebus after sheweth more clerenesse,

So she fro trouble, rose to more nobles.

I meane as thus, rehersyng no vertue In her person that men coude espye, But onely this by tytle of this issue Whan Charles doughter on that partye Was to the king wedded of Hungrye Called Andree, a man of great corage He sayed his wyfe but right tendre of age.

The same Iane nat without vice As is rehersed somwhat by myne auctour, To whome Phylipot whylom was norice As ye haue herde and by full great labour Of the said Iane Robert made gouernour Sonne of Phylipot for a great rewarde, Made of Cecyle and of that lande stewarde.

This fauour done to Philipot Cathenoyse Caused in that lande great indignacion, Whose doughters weddīg caused gret noyse Maryed to charles the gret erle of Marchon whiche gaue to folke greate occasion To deme amysse aboute in eche countre That all y^• lande was gouerned by tho thre

By quene Iane and Phylipot Cathenoyes And the said Robert stewarde of Cecyle Son to Philipot, this was the common vois, The Quene and Robert by their subtil wyle Had of assent vsed a longe while The hateful synne of aduoutry, Rose in Cecyle and went vp to Hungry.

For Quene Iane began no maner thing But Cathenoyse assented were therto, The execucion and fully the working Brought to conclucion by Robert al was do: And in this time rose a great stryfe also Disclaunderous and a froward discorde, Atwene the quene & him that was her lorde.

Harde to procede vpon suspection, Sclaunder is swift lightly taketh his flight, For which men shoulde eschue the occasion Of fame and noyse of euery maner wight, By prouidence, remembred in his sight Whan the report is through a lande ronne Harde it is to stint it whan it is begonne.

Withstand principles occasions to decline, Lest vnwarely ther folow great domage, To late commeth the salue of medicine To festred sores whan they be vncurable▪ And in case very resemblable To eschew sclaūder who list nat for to spare, Maye nat fayle to fal into the snare.

Thus for a time the slaunder was kept close Albeit so it did for a while abyde, Another mischiefe ful pitously arose Which afterward spred abrode ful wyde, Aduoutry to murder is a very gyde: Set at a priefe mine auctour doth recorde The king Andre was strangled with a corde.

Out of his chambre raysed a great heyght By a coniected false conspiracion, He was entreated, brought downe by sleyght After strangled as made is mencion, Whose death to punish by commission Hugh erle of Anelyne by a patent large To be iudge toke vpon him the charge.

Of this murder rose vp a great noyse By euidence full abhominable, Philipot called Cathenoyse Her sonne & doughter that they were culpa∣ble: Dome was yeue by Iudges ful notable, And to conclude shortly their iudgement, With chaines boūd at stakes they wer brent.

¶ Lenuoy▪

THys Tragedy afore rehersed here Telleth the domage of presumption, By experience rehersyng the manere Whan beggers rise to dominacion Is none so dredeful execucion Of cruelte, yf it be wel out sought, Than of such one as came vp of nought.

Recorde on Philipot that with hūble chere By sodayne fauour and supportacion, Which was to fore a simple smal landere Of no value nor reputacion, By fortunes gery trāsmutacion Shed out her malyce testate whan she was brought, List not consider how she came vp of nought.

Where is more disdayne or more daungere Or more frowarde communicacion, More vengeable venim doth appere, Nor more sleyghty false supplantacion Nor more conspired vnware collusion,

Nor vndermining done couertly & wrought, Than of such folke as come vp of nought.

Fortunes chaunges & meuinges circulere With her most stormy transmutacion, Now one set vp ful hie in the sphere, Enhaunceth vices and vertues put down: Record on Philipot whose venemous treasō Compassed aforne in her secret thought The dede sheweth y^t she came vp of nought.

Noble princes with your bright eyen clere Aduertise in your discretion That no flaterer come in your court so nere, By no fraude of false disception, Alway remembring afore in your reason On this tragedy & on this treason wrought, By a false flatter that came vp of nought.