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.

¶ Bochas agaynst the vntruth of iudges.

SVyng vpon the death of ••pius, And hys rebukes for hys greate ou∣trage, Bochas by writyng wext som▪what yrous, Againe iudges false, & thought in his corage, They should be sad and demure of age, And their lyfe by vertue shoulde drawe To kepe the preceptes & statutes of the lawe.

They ought of reason them selfe to habyle To haue science of phylosophy, And know theyr textes of canon and ciuyle, And therupon their wittes whole to apply: For cunnyng iudges by prudent policy Cause ordinaunces in lawe comprehended, Through rightful doom gretly to be cōmēded

Justice of lawe dothe realmes enlumine, Susteineth trouth, supporteth innocence, Of rauynours boweth down the chyne, Punysheth robbers for their great offence: Sluggy truauntes for theyr negligence, And fayned beggers that greatly disauayle, Constrayneth them to labour and trauayle.

Founders of lawe by antiquitie, Caused in landes was suffred none erroute, And made of prynces the royall magestie To shyne in worshyp, by diligent labour: Wrested courages of many conquerour, That their tryūphes no further shuld attaine Than lawe of god and nature dyd ordaine.

Wyll was that tyme vnder subiection Of ryght wisnes, by trouth full wel cōceiued: Sensualitye was seruaunt to reason, And froward lust was vnder locke ykeyed, Sentence of statutes was not disobeyed: The ryche did ryght through euery lande, Pore folke lyued by labour of their hande.

Lordshyp y^• tyme anoyded mayntenaunce, Holy churche lyued in perfitnesse, Knighthode tho dayes for trouth whette his laūce And false extorcion had none entresse, Marchaūtes winning came al of rightwisnes Artificers the worke day were not ydell, And busines of labour helde the brydell.

Women that age farced were nor horned, Nor theyr tayles were not serpentyne, Wise men of foly, nor clarkes wer not scorned Whyche in scyence most freshely dyd shyne, Lawe disherited none heyres from theyr lyne:

Lesyngmongers found y^• time no socours, And flaterers were made thā no cōfessours.

This golden world flouryng in vertue, Borne vp by loue, grounded on stablenes, Of auoutry sprange out none issue: Prices w^t doctrine established their nobles, Preesthod in praier, knighthod in worthines Ech thing by law stode vnder gouernaunce, Marchaūts by mesure & iust peis of balaūce.

First Phoroneus by dyligent laboure Fonde out lawes, y^• kyng was of Argyues, The grekes study he giit w^t great honoure, This politick prīce auoided thē from striues, His statutes kept duryng all their lyues, Found first the maner (Bochas doth deuyse) Howe to Jupyter was made sacrifyse.

Eke mighty Minos whilom kinge of Crete, Ordayned lawes agayne transgressions, To feare by rygour foles that were vnmete, And staunche of surfetes all occasyons, Made for robbers mightye stronge prisons: And Dedalus his chefe artificere, Made laborinthes by diligence entere.

And Mercurie borne by the stode of Nyle As writeth Lactance, was of Egipt kynge, Vnto marchauntes dyd lawe firste compyle Of weight and mesure, to vse in chaffaryng: And for his wisdome and excellent connyng, Of olde poetes that whilom were so wyse, He called was God of marchaundyse.

Solon also the best lawes made As Valery writeth, him self to magnify: Athenienses therof were full glad His great wysdome whan they did espy, They fonde therin so muche policy, And euer he was redy for to debate Agayne tyrauntes, so sore he dyd them hate.

Kyng Lygurgus yet whilom dyd his cure To make lawes to comon auauntage, And that they shuld perpetually endure He made his people be sworne of euery age, While that he went out on pilgrimage Fro point to point to kepe them in certaine, Vnto time that he came home agayne.

And for his lawes wer of great substaunce, And profitable to euery comonte, He chase to liue in exile and penaunce, Neuer to resort againe to his cite: That his statutes by eternite Shuld nat be broke, as ye haue herd toforne, By the cōuencion to which they were sworn.

To comon profite had he such tendernesse, That he forsoke his kingdome and kinrede To liue in exile, his story beareth witnes: But or he dyed, as he lay bedrede, He bad his bones shuld be cast in lede Amid the see, fer out from the strande, That his statutes might in their strēgth stād.

He eschued eueryche occasyon As a thyng hatefull, which was not fayre, That his forsayd royall mighty toun Shuld breke their oth, because of his repair: But touching that he put them in dispayre, Cast him neuer resort in their dayes Lest they wold breke the sētēce of his lawes.