Page cxxiii
☞ The .xiii. Chap.
❧ Howe kynge Perseus was by Romaynes outrayed and af∣ter take.
IN Lacedemoyne remembrynge on a kynge
Called Perseus, a full proude wer∣ryrour
Claymyng a tytle vpon hym vsurpyng
For to succede as trewe enherytour
To gret Alisaūdre most myghty conquerour,
Fully affirmyng agayne a certayne day
He wyll be crowned maugre who sayth nay.
And his name to put in memory,
Cast in his persō to renewe the prowesse
Of kinge Alisaundre, & to encrease his glory,
To folowe his traces in knighthode & nobles
And fyrst of all of hasty wilfulnes
That his conquest might sprede ferre,
Gan of purpose wt Romaines to haue werre.
But after this he was better auysed
Whan he perceyued the Marcial apparayle
Of the Romayns, whereof he was agrised,
Wext aferde their noblesse to assayle,
Which aye were found victorious in battaile:
And where afore he had ben recheles,
Sent ambassatours wt them to treat of pees.
They had perceyued his presumpcion
And howe he was proude and surquedous,
Sent a Consul with a great power doune
The name of whome was Sulpicius,
Whych deedly hated the sayde Perseus,
Through rancour agayne him wext solayne
Of his ambassade hauyng but disdayne.
And their partie for to fortify,
With their saide Consul Sulpicius
They sent another experte in chiualry,
A Consul also Paulus Emylius
Amonge Romains notable and famous:
And folowyng after the selfe same nyght
The mone eclypsed fully of hir myght.
A clere token as made is mencion
That kynge Perseus shoulde haue a sharpe shoure
And that his lordship & his region
Shoulde be oppressed voide of al socour,
And that Macedons shuld haue no fauour
Agayne the Romains, togider whā they met
With rounde speares & swordes sherpe whet▪
The day of battaile to his encrease of glorye
For the party of them of Rome toune,
There was a knyght that caused the victory,
Yonge freshe & lusty that called was Caton,
Which brought their enemies to confusion:
For Macedonoys through his great might
Outraied were, & Perseus put to flyght.
But Emplius the noble Consulere
Sent a capitaine called Octauius,
To pursue after in costes ferre and nere
The proude kyng the sayde Perseus,
And he was take for there was no rescus
With his sōnes, that were in numbre twaine,
Philip & Alisaundre the story is certaine.
Myne auctour telleth here of kinges many
Thurty in numbre, the first Gramaus,
Which haue reigned within Macedony,
And last of all was this Perseus:
The numbre of yeres, Bochas wryteth thus
Was nyne hundred as I remembre here,
Space of their reigning with .xxiiii. yere.
After translated was the region
With al their yles vnto the obeysaunce
Of them of Rome without excepcion:
To great lords that were of most pu••saunce
Abode there long vnder gouernaunce.
And Perseus discōlate of chere
Durynge his lyfe abode there prisoner.