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 .xxvi. Chapter.

☞ How quene Arcinoe for the aduoutry done with Demetrius husbande of her daughter Beronices, ended in sorowe.

AFter this story Bochas gan apply To turne his pen, like as ye shall here, To write and tell the frowarde lechery Of Arcynoe, pleasaunt of loke and chere: Whiche of her port and eke of her manere Was in her dayes, like as it is founde, For craft & beauty called Venus the seconde.

For her fayrenes yeuen in mariage To noble Agas of Cyrenes kyng, Atwene them while they were yonge of age They had a daughter by recorde of wrytyng, Called Beronices, the kyng at his endyng In his testament bad that she should be Wedded to the sonne of kyng Tholome.

And this was done of entencion To cease the warres y^• had endured longe, Atwene Egipt, as made is mencion, And the Cyrenes, bothe realmes stronge: By this mariage y^t he myght vnderfonge In his diyng to set a fynall peace Twene these .ii. realmes, for their both ēcrece

After whose death thus the matter stode, Quene Arcynoe most subtyll in workyng, Agayne this matter so cruell was and wode, Maryed her daughter w^t out more lettyng Called Beronices, agaynst the biddyng Of her father that called was Agas, As heretofore, rehearsed is the caas.

She maried her to one Demetrius, That brother was, by Bochas rehearsynge, Vnto the mighty great Antygonus, Beyng in Grece of Macedoyne kyng: But infortunate was she after her weddyng, As in this story suyng ye shall se, By the false workyng of quene Arcynoe.

And to conclude shortly this mattere, Whan thys quene this double Arcynoe Sawe of Demetrius the vysage & the there His loke, his coloure, his langage, & beautie, His manly port, and his liberalitie, She was enamored of fleshly pleasaunce,

Lyke her desyre, to haue his acquayntaūce.

Of her nature she was most lecherous, And of her frowarde inclination She brought about that Demetrius Assented was, by her suggestion, For to accomplish lyke her opinion, All her desyres of fleashly appetite, Thus of accorde there folowed their delite.

Lefte his wyfe called Beronices The quenes doughter, & agayne all ryght In a place secret out of prees They lay together almost euery nyght, Takyng no hede of god nor of no wyght: Tyll of fortune the case is so befall, That he was hated of hys knyghtes all.

Dispyte they had of Arcynoe, The dede horrible whan they dede espy, Hys wyfe Beronices eke whan she dyd se Holy the maner of theyr ribaudry, In heart she caught a great melancoly, Ordayned knightes in stele armed bryght In their aduoutry to take them on a nyght.

Lying a bedde slept and toke no kepe, After false lustes whiche they had vsed, They fel vp on them whyle they dyd slepe, The dede open myght nat be excused, To all the worlde thus they were accused: With swordes draw y^• knyghtes thilke night To slee thē both were purposed anone right.

Out on Beronices (cryeth John Bochas) Because she badde spare Arcynoe Grounde & gynnyng of this horrible caas, Sayth her mercy was very cruelte, To saue suche one it was a false pite: As sayth myne auctour, a thyng cōtrarious Her to preserue and slee Demetrius.

O Beronices small is thy discretion To saue the quene y^• hath the treason founde, First to Demetrius she gaue occasion For which she shuld haue had the first woūde Take for them bothe and in cheynes bounde, And after that thys false Arcynoe, To example of other shuld haue punished be.

And whyle they were taken thus in close, The sayd Arcynoe made no delay But fro her bedde anone she vp rose, Without clothes, naked as she lay, Ran to their swordes in all theyr gret affray, Went atwene them, dyd her busy payne To beare of strokes with her armes twayne.

To saue Demetrius naked as she stode Voyde of all drede dyd her busy cure Her whyte body all bespreynt with blode Gan to cry out on euery creature: Alas (quod she) let me alone endure Deth by my selfe, ye be to dispitous To saue my lyfe and slee Demetrius.

To the erthe anone she fyll adowne To stande vpryght she might nat sustene, Deed, pale, & wan, with many pitous sowne Dethe of Demetrius gan wofullye bemene: Embrasyng him with all his woūdes grene, And in her armes albe that he laye deed, She kyssed his mouth, blew & nothyng reed.

In sorow & cōplaynt thus she made an ende, I write no more of thys Arcynoe But to Beronices agayne I wyl now wēde, For Bochas sayeth in the story ye maye se She after wedded was to worthy Tholome Like as it was her fathers first entent, When y^• he dyed, and made his testament.