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 .x. Chapiter.

☞ Howe Xerxses kyng of Perce for his ra∣uyne and couetyse was dismem∣bred in to small pieces.

ANd tofore Bochas pitously wepynge For to declare his deedly heuynesse, Came Xerxses nexte of Perce kynge, And gan cōplayne his dole and his distresse: Which in thre thinges, y^• story bereth witnes And as the cronycle clerly can vs tell, All other princes in erthe he dyd excell.

In high estate was none so greate as he, Neyther in ryches, nor worldly habundaūce, Nor none that tyme of so great dygnite, For as it is put in remembraunce He had all Perce vnder his obeysaunce: Nor neuer prince as auctours do conclude, Hosteyed attones with suche a multitude.

Space of fyue yere he had his ordynaunce, Seuē hundred thousāde people he dyd rayse: Dempt of pride agayn his gret puissaunce None erthly power myght counterpayse: But some auctors alowe him nat nor prayse, Bycause that he people to encombre, Set all his trust to cōquere w^t gret nombre.

But manly princes haue this opynion, In multytude standeth nat victory, For knightly prowesse of euery champion Which manly cast thē in armes to haue victo∣ry, Enprynted hath fixe in his memory, Marciall tryumphes god ne doth nat shewe, In nombre great, no rather than in fewe.

This sayd Xerxses by recorde of auctours, Had also, in cronycles as I rede, Thre hūdred thousande straunge soudeours, Without other that were of Perce & Mede: Whiche gan the erthe for to cure and sprede, Dried ryuers that they dyd attayne, Karfe downe hylles, & made valeys playne.

This was chefe conceyte of his fantasies, To haue all erthe vnder subieccion: Thought his power raught aboue the skyes, Of surquedy and false presumpcion:

For as he demeth in his opynion Howe in his power playnly that it lay, Fro god of heuin the heuyn to take away.

But thylke lorde y^t can the meke enhaunce, And from their sees the proude put doune, And namely them y^t haue no remembraunce To aduertyse of wysdome and of reason, To knowe the lorde most mighty of renoune, The lorde of lords which plainly to compyle, Wyll suffre tyrauntes to reigne but a whyle.

And one the maruayle that euer I dyd rede Greatest, and vncouth playnly vnto me Is howe Xerxses kynge of Perce & Mecde For to shewe a specyall syngulerte, Out of Asie ouer the great se As sayth myn autour, whō I dare alledge, In to Europe made a myghty bridge.

Some men perauēture will ther at disdayne, And say it is a maruayle nat credyble, Yet craft in case to suche thing may attayne, Whych by nature semeth an impossyble: And as to me, it is a thing odyble Thynges to inpugne autentyke and olde, Whiche notable clerkes in their dayes tolde.

These newe men that haue but lytell seyne Nouther expert in crafte nor in nature, For lacke of reason holde all such thing veyne Though that it be remembred in scripture: For euery maruayle and euery auenture Is straunge to hym, as I reherce can That lacketh y^e cause wherof y^e groūd began.

This sayd Xerxses had eke possession By the tytle of his father Darye Of all Egypt, as made is mencyon: But they of Grece were to hym contrary, Wherfore he cast no lenger for to tarye This proude prince, but mightely werrey Lacedemonoys, which wolde him nat obey.

But one that was called Demaratus Whych of that country had afore be kyng, And was exyled the story telleth vs, That tyme w^t Xerxses in housholde abyding, Whyche loued that land for all his exyling, Gaue thē warning to saue thē fro mischaūce, Of Xerxses power and all his ordynaunce.

He wrote them letters grauen in a table, All themprises of Xerxses out of doute, Of all his stuffe, and people incomperable, And of his nombre and his great rout: The whiche table couered was without, Full subtelly withe wexe yplaned playne, That of his sonde there was no letter seyne.

Thus was thentent of Xerxses first discured Vnto the grekes, and all his false workyng: But in one thinge they greatly were assured, Of trust they had by expert knowlegyng In Leonidas their noble famous kyng, Whych amōg grekes of prowes & foresight, Was in tho dayes holde for the best knyght.

Of chyualry called the lode sterre, The sonne of knighthod y^t shone so bryghte & shene, The bearer vp both in peace and warre And strongest pyller, his party to mayntene: The grekes ryght hande their noblesse to su∣stene, Carboncle of armes, myrror of policie, And surest capitayne a felde to rule and gye.

And as myne auctour remēbreth in his boke Howe in this case he was nat recheles, But in all haste four thousand men he toke To let the wayes and comyng of Xerxses: And by an hyll called Thermophiles, Where Perciens began first their voyage, He knyghtly cast to stoppe their passage.

And secretly espyeng the comyng Of kyng Xerxses with stronge apparayle, He lyke a knyght made no tarying Chase out .vi. hūdred armed in plate & maile, Whiche in suche case might moste auayle, And in defence and helpe of their countre, Wolde rather dye, than from the felde to fle.

And couertly they toke their lodgyng, And kept them close tyll it drough to nyght, And at their dyner them selfe refresshyng So as they sate in steele armed bright, The kyng abrayde lyke a manly knyght, In to the felde afore they shulde gone, Ryght thus he sayd amonge them euerychon:

Syrs (quod he) nowe dyne merely, And with good wyne afforce your corage: Lyke good knyghtes in porpose fynally, For lyfe nor dethe nat turning your vysage, But of assent caste in your passage, As ye here dyne nowe in especiall, To suppe at night with goddes infernall.

This to meane ye shal your selfe ieoparte As hardy knightes proudly to prouide, Within the felde asondre nat departe, But kepe close and for no drede deuide, Desyre of worshyp make to be your gyde, Your expert noblesse eternally to auaunce, By quicke reporte of newe remembraunce.

And haue thys day nothyng in memory Nother your ryches, blode, ne your kinrede, Saue only hope and good trust of victory, And hardi prowesse you to conducte and lede: And thinke knightli what shalbe your mede With marcial palmes your renome & name, In the highest place set in the house of fame.

And though ye be but a fewe in nombre Let in your hertes one thyng be fantasyed, While diuision do the you nat encombre Victory in armes may you nat be denied: For nothyng is to conquest more applied, Than true accord amōg your self to shew, Though you in nombre be but verey few.

But by this counsayle syngulerly notable, And by this knightes kingly good langage, They recomforted held them selfe able Agayne their fomen to hold their passage: And fyrst of al of hertelye proude corage, The Perciens more mortally to greue, Within their tentes, they fyll on them at eue.

They of Perce ydrowned were with wyne, This to say, through their great excesse, They lay and slept lyke as dronkenswyne, Their watche nat kept: lo how y^• drōkēnesse Causeth oft of very rechelesnesse, Ful many a man that wyl nat take kepe, For to be murdred a nightes whan thei slepe

And as this kyng dyd his knyghtes lede, The Perciens tentes assayling sodaynlye, Or they were ware or toke any hede Them for to affray they made an hidous cri: Defence was none vpon their party, For men may knowe by olde experyence, In folkes dronke may be no resistence.

Out of nombre they slough of their fone, And ceased nat of all the longe nyght, Tyll on the morowe that the sonne shone, That to beholde it was an vgly syght: And proude Xerxses put anone to flyght, Euer the last that wold his fone assayle, And aye the first that fledde in batayle.

In his flight so fast away he ran, For therin was holy all his trust, And of great trauayle anon this Xerxes gan Of coward drede, to haue so great a thurste, So dry he was of salte, sond, and dust, And by the way serching ferre and nere, He nother founde wel ne riuere.

Of auenture amyery ground he fand, The water troubled, and blody of colour, And Xerxses there drāke water w^t his hande Him to refresh in his deedly labour: And as he thought he neuer dranke lycour To him more holsom, so strayt stode the case, Confecte with spices, pyment, nor ypocras.

This was the first mischefe and the drede In which Xerxes the mighti prince stode, Here men may se such as lyst take hede Howe gery fortune furyous and wode, Wil not spare for riches nor for goode, Mighty princes which lyst not God to know, From their estates to bring them ful lowe,

O hatefull serpent of hygh presumpcion, Aye vnstable with gredy vsurpyng, By newe trouble of false sedicion, Which lyst of pryde receiue no warnyng, For nowe Xerxses of Perce & Mede kyng, Purposed hath with odyous apparaile, The temple of gods contagiously tassayle.

For as him thought it myght nat suffise To great example of his contrarious pryde, Howe here toforne god did him chastyse By mannes hande, to set his pompe asyde: But nowe of newe he gan agayne prouyde By sacrylege his mighty hand to dresse, To spoyle Appollo, & reue hym his richesse.

There was in Delos a temple thylke day, Moste stately builded and set vp by masons Great ymages, relyques, and ryche aray, Of golde and stones in sondry mansyons: And there Appollo to sondry questyous Yaue redy answere, the story telleth thus, And he was called Appollo Delphicus.

Four thousand men Xerxses thyder sent By his auice chose out for the nones, Ful clenly armed, and as they thether went To spoyle the temple of gold and rich stones,

with sodain leuin thei wer brēt flesh & bones, With tempest, thundre, hayl, & hydous rein, Consumpt echone, and neuer after seyne.

The great Apollo whiche shineth bryghte in heuin Had of this Xerxes great indignaciō, Which made his people be consūpt w^t leuin In cruel punishing of his presumpcion: Yet he purposed to his confusion, Syth on the land he nothyng myght wyn, Vpon the see a new werre to begin.

Gan to make so great an ordynaunce, That his nauy couered all the see: Yet Neptunus thought him not to enhaunce Within her boundes to haue no lyberte. For Themystocles with a small meyny Besyde a cytie called Salamine, Him and his shyppes brought vnto ruyne.

Yet as I fynde this proud kyng Xerxses Had on his party Themydora, the quene Of Halcarnois which put her self in prees Armed in plates that shone ful bright & shene, And thenarme of Xerxses to sustene, This woman faught lyke a fell woluesse, And many a greke that day she did oppresse.

It was a straunge meruayle for to here: To se a woman so sturdy of vysage, Yet men expert all day may se and lere, They be by nature ful cruell of corage, And no cowardes found of their langage: Set at assay and than it shall be sene Wher they be ferfull their quarell to sustene.

They mai of mekenes shew a fayre pretence, Some serpent is of colour syluer shene: And some floures ful fresh of apparence Growe on thystels rough, sharp, and kene. And some that ben angelyke to sene, And very heuenly with their golden tresses, Ben at a prefe verye lyonesses.

To say the sothe a poore man may be shent, I dare no more speke of this matere, But kyng Xerxses for all his proud entent, All his nauy and his people yfere Were put to flight, & outraied of their chere: Their shyppes drowned amonge the waues rude That none abode of al that multitude.

Kyng Xerxses hurt and wounded mortally, Vnnethes he might the great payne endure. His quakyng hert quit him so cowardly: On see and lande suche was his auenture. And yet agayne his damages to recure, Thre hundred .M. of feyghters hee gan call, Vpon grekes of newe for to fall.

A mighty Duke called Mardonyus, Was captayne made his people for to lede, But Themistocles (min auctor telleth thus) Knowing of Xerxses the cowardnes & drede, A lettre made for to be sent in dede: Enfourming him by grekes greate outrage, How of his bridge was broken the passage.

Of which maruayle when ther came tidinge To king Xerxses, he after anon ryght As he that was aferde of ech thynge, Full lyke a cowarde tooke him to the flyght: Fled in a bote lyke a coward knyght, Of al his people there were no more yseyne, To awayte vpon him saue a chamberleyne.

All his people departed here and yonder Standyng in mischefe & great indygence, To many a coast they wēt and rode asonder, Pyned with hunger, lacked their dispence: Punished also wyth vnware pestylence, Feble of trauayle, myght not endure For impotence to carye their armure.

Alas eche way lay ful of caraynes, The soyle with blode stayned, and the grene, The ayre terrible of pathes and of plaines, That no man might it endure nor sustene, The sauour was so odyous and vnclene: Rauenous foules ful homely in their sight, Them selfe to fede vpon the corse alyght.

Thre hundred .M. of Perciens were slayne, Which Mardonyus afore full proudly lad, Of which tiding king Xerxses was not fayn, But for distresse and sorow gan to mad: And one the last mischefe that he had Was whan Thimon, a noble grekish knight, Xerxes discomfited, and put his men to flight

This Thymon was sonne to Melciades, His father whilom of Athenes kyng, Which last of all outrayed hath Xerxses, Saue of his ende there fyll another thyng: Artabanus full sleyghty of werkyng Which to Xerxses was not suspect in dede, Compassed his dethe, in Bochas as I rede.

This Artaban was prouest of hys house, And an officer most especyall: With his seuen sonnes, strong, and dispitous, Vpon a nyght furyous and fatall, Fyll vpon Xerxses in his palayes royal: And in his story as it is remembred, On pieces small they haue him dismembred.

This was of Xerxses the last fynal mede, Of his high pride the funerall guerdon: Frō his two kingdomes of Perce and Mede Froward fortune hath hym plucked doun: What may auayle the dominacion Of such princes as hold them selfe euyn For to be egall with goddes hyghe in heuyn?

Men list not know such chaūges for no prefe, And namely princes in their puissaunces, Against erthly parels & all worldlye mischefe They can prouyde them, & set ordynaunces, As they that drede fortunes varyaunces: But to God ward they take ful lytel hede, For the great riches which they do possede.

If they may heare of an erthe quaue Tofore it fall, or any token se, Than wyl they go anon them self to saue Out of their houses, & from the townes fle To put their life the more in suerte, Lest their building made of so great costage, Fyll vpon them in that mortall rage.

Or if an horse ronne oute of his stable, Breke his colere, thicke, double, and longe, Men wyl ordayne a locke of yron able To kepe hym in, be he neuer so stronge: And thus men can redresse euery wronge Touching the body by great auysenesse, Saue for the soule they wyl nothing redres.

Whan a ryuer passeth ferre his boundes, Boyleth vpward, fyndeth no resistence, Wynneth land, and ouerfloweth groundes, Drowneth townes with his vyolence, Yet men wyl trauayle to fynde a defence: To turne her cours som way shal be sought, But toward god mē thīke lytell or nought.

Agaynst sickenes men seke medicines, Letwaries, and dyuers pocions, Serche in physike sondry disciplynes, Them to dyete in their transgressions, Restoratyues, and eke confeccions, But vnto Godward in this present lyfe, Men not trauayle for no confortatyfe.

Men their bodies wyl put in distresse Of false desyre, and couetous feruence, Only cacroche and wyn great ryches, Suffre colde, labour, and vyolence, And nother spare for gold, nor for dyspence, To vnderfonge perylles, of vaynglory Only for thynges that ben transitory.

They passe mountains, & many hidous roch, In hope it shuld to their entent auayle, To many mortal monstre they approche, And many vncouth sea they sayle, Jeopart their lyfe in warre and in batayle, By many a daunger, & mani streyt they ride, For worldly treasor which wyl not abide.

But toward goodes that ben perdurable, Full lytle or nought their hertes they encline: Nor to the heuenly company most notable, They wyl not lyft vp nother heed ne eyne, Toward the spheres of Phebus and Lucine, Castyng their stremes to vs from ferre, Which to considre all worldly men done erre.

What myght auayle the great couetyse Of kyng Xerxses, in his estate royal? Of the gret people which ye haue herd deuise Ten hundred .M. the people was nat small, But for all that he had an hydous fal, Whan that he was (as tofore is remembred) On pieces smale piteously dismembred.

☞ Lenuoye.

THis tragedi put vs in remembraūce Of y^• vnsiker flateryng & blyndnesse Both of fortune, and of her vatiaūce, And of her vgly froward doublenes, In Xerxses shewed for all his ryches: To vs declaring plainly in figure, A rauynous prince may no whyle endure.

Kyng Xerxses had vnder his obeysaunce Al Perce and Mede (the stori bereth witnes) Thought all erthe to lytell in substaunce To staunche the etyke of his gredynesse: A fret of hauing put him in such distresse, Whose fyne declared by recorde of scripture, A rauinous prince may no whyle endure.

He made also an odious ordynaunce, Of surquedy his power for to dresse,

To robbe the gods, maugre their puisaunce, And spoyle the temples, of their frowardnes Take their treasors agayn all rightwisnes: But they him shewed, of sodayne auenture, A rauinous prince may no whyle endure.

Great Appollo toke on his men vengeaunce, With vnware tempest for al their sturdines, Leuin & thunder brought them to mischaūce: Guerdon most able agayn the falsnes In princes hertes, aye playnly to expres Who by rauyne riches wyl recure, God wyl nat suffre him longe to endure.

Noble princes stable in your constaunce, Ye that desyre to stand in sykernes, Remembre oft vpon the fatal chaunce Of proud Xerxses, and his cursednes, Your life disposing in your hygh nobles: If that ye lyst your states to assure, Eschue rauyne, and ye shal long endure.