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☞ The .ix. Chapiter.
¶ Howe Melciades Duke of Athens with small nombre vanquished .vi. C .M. Perciēs and after by his comonte that aye of custome desyreth a chaung of princes new, he was chayned in pryson, and so dyed.
AMonge other that putte theym selfe in prees.
For too bewayle their greuous heauy∣nesse,
Came of Athens Duke Melciades,
which thrugh his manhod & hygh prowesse,
And thrugh his knightly renomed noblesse,
Like as auctours his triumphes lyst cōmēd,
Faught many a batayle his city to defend.
And of victories, as it is compyled,
For comon profyt of that noble toune,
Faught wyth a tyraunt yt was tofore exiled
Called Hippias, which by false treason
Had to kyng Dary made a suggestion
Vpon Athens in al the hast he might,
To rayse al Perce agayn the town to fyght,
Sixe hundred .M. accounted was the nōbre
Of Perciens armed in plate and maile.
Them of Athenes by force to encombre,
Echone assembled them proudly to assayle:
But this Duke for nothyng wold fayle
Melciades, but knightly toke his place,
With ten thousande he met him in the face.
For both he was manly and ryght wyse,
And of his handes proued a ful good knight,
Set vpon them with so prudent auyse,
That they of Perce for all their great might,
Were four tymes put vnto the flyght
By thylke Duke, if I shall not fayne,
And by the noblesse of other knyghts twain.
Themystocles ycalled was the tone,
Which of his hand as auctours list discryue
Was in a felde proued on hys fone,
The manlyest knight in his time alyue.
Whych thylke day so proudly dyd stryue,
Agayn thē of Perce, & such a slaughter make
That fynally the field they haue forsake.
Cynegirus a knyght eke of that towne
The same day through his chyualry,
With blody swerde, as he went vp and doun,
without nombre in his melancoly
Slough Perciens, bokes specify:
That for the tyme they no refute can,
Saue to their shyppes for drede of dethe they ran.
And there he wrought a straunge marueyle
As writeth Bochas, affyrmyng it certayne:
The greatest shyp that bare largest sayle
with his righthand he gan it so restrayne,
Lyke as it had be fastned wyth a chayne,
Maugre Perciens whiche did thē sore greue
That by no craft they could it not meue.
But whan that they none other refute wyst,
Frely to escape out of his daungere,
Tyl they his right hand cut of by the wrist:
But wt his left hand he gan approche neare,
And helde it styll, an vncouth thing to heare,
That he had force so great a ship to let,
But than alas his left hand of they smet.
Yet maugre thē whan he their malice seeth,
All were it so that he had lost eche hande,
The ship he styll helde with his teeth
That they ne myght departe from the lande,
Lyke as their vessell had fal vpon sand:
Caused that day, mine auctour doth reherce,
Two hundred .M. were slain of thē of perce.
And whan this singuler mighty champion
Cinegirus most vncouth of corage
Had done this maruaile, as made is mēcion,
Of very anguish he fill into a rage,
Lyke a beest furious and sauage
Ran about, alas for lacke of mynde,
In Bochas boke no more of him I finde.
But in this proces after I beheld
Aye howe that fortune can her frends fayle,
For Melciades leder of that fielde
And gouernour of al that great batayle,
Causing victory as made is rehersayl,
yet his people of malice and of yre
Again his nobles, falsly gan conspire.
They of Athenes set him in prison,
And in chaynes mightily him bounde:
Vnkindly they yaue him this guerdon
For al the knighthod they in him found,
Yet had he suffred many a mortal wound
In their diffence, and for their libertees,
To saue their liues, their toun, & countrees.