The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

162 THE CANTERBURY TALES.
Till that his paines were importable; That ever should thee falle such a case!
And certainly the wreche 2 was reasonable, Empoison'd of thine owen folk thou were;
For many a manne's guttes did he pain; Thy six'5 FortAne hath turn'd into an ace,
But from his purpose, curs'd 3 and damnable, And yet for thee she wepte never a tear.
For all his smart he would him not restrain; Who shall me give teares to complain
But bade anon apparaile 4 his host. The death of gentiless, and of franchise,1
And suddenly, ere he was of it ware, That all this worlde had in his demaine,l7
God daunted all his pride, and all his boast; And yet he thought it mighte not suffice,
For he so sore fell out of his chare, So full was his coragels of high emprise?
That it his limbes and his skin to-tare, Alas! who shall me helpe to indite
So that he neither mighte go nor ride; False Fortfine, and poison to despise?
But in a chairi men about him bare, The whiche two of all this woe I wite.19
Alle forbruised bothe back and side.
Ain forbr uise bo th.i ~ 11 ads e.By wisdom, manhood, and by great laboufr,
The wreche 2 of God him smote so cruelly, B om nhood, and by eat
From humbleness to royal majesty
That through his body wicked wormis crept, ro humble to royal maj
t-t,-,. I,.,1Up rose he, JULIUS the Conquerofir,
And therewithal he stank so horribly r, J t C r
And therewithal hie stank so6 horribly That won all th' Occident,20 by land and sea,
That none of all his meinie 6 that him kept,
By strength of hand or ellis by treaty,
Whether so that he woke or ellis slept,
And unto Rom6 made them tributary;
Ne mighte not of him the stink endure.
Ne might6 not of him the stink endure. And since 21 of Rome the emperor was he,
In this mischief he wailed and eke wept, Till that Fortune wax'd his adversary.
And knew God Lord of every creature. iht sar that sa
~,~.,~ i i~. i, ~O mighty Caesar, that in Thessaly
To all his host, and to himself also, Against POMPEIUS, father thine in law,22
Full wlatsom 7 was the stink of his carrain 8 That of th' Ori;nt had all the chivalry,
No manni might him beari to and fro. As far as that the day begins to daw,
And in this stink, and this horrible pain, That through thy knighthood hast them take
He starf 9 full wretchedly in a mount&in. a 23
Thus hath this robber, and this homicide, Save flk ta s
That many a manne made to weep and plain, Through which thou put all th' Orient in awe;
Such guerdon'o as belongeth unto pride. Thankl Fortfnd that so well thee sped.
The story of ALEXANDER is so commune, But now a little while I will bewail
That ev'ry wight that hath discretiofin This Pompeius, this noble governor
Hath heard somewhat or all of his fortune. Of RomIe, which that fled at this battaile;
This wide world, as in conclusioin, " I say, one of his men, a false trait6r,
He won by strength; or, for his high renown, His head off smote, to winne him favor
They were glad for peace to him to send. Of Julius, and him the head he brought;
The pride and boast of man he laid adown, Alas! Pompey, of th' Orient conquer6r,
Whereso he came, unto the worldj's end. That Fortune unto such a fine24 thee brought!
Comparison yet'2 never might be maked To Rome again repaired Julius,
Between him and another conquerour; With his triumphe laureate full high;
For all this world for dread of him had qhaked; But on a time Brutus and Cassius,
He was of knighthood and of freedom flow'r: That ever had of his estate envy,
Fortune him made the heir of her honour. Full privily have made conspiracy
Save wine and women, nothing might assuage Against this Julius in subtle wise;
His high intent in armes and labour, And cast 2 the place in which he shoulde die,
So was he full of leonine courdge. i With bodekins,26 as I shall you devise.27
What praise were it to him, though I you told This Julius to the Capit6le went
Of Darius, and a hundred thousand mo', Upon a day, as he was wont to gon;
Of kinges, princes, dukes, and earlis bold, And in the Capitol anon him hent 28
Which he conquer'd, and brought them into This false Brutus, and his other fone,
woe? And sticked him with bodikins anon
I say, as far as man may ride or go, With many a wound, and thus they let him lie.
The world was his, why should I more devise?13 But never groan'd he at no stroke but one,
For, though I wrote or told you evermo', Or else at two, but if 29 the story lie.
Of his knighthood it mighte not suffice. So manly was this Julius of heart,
Twelve years he reigned, as saith Maccabee; And so well lov'd estately honesty,30
Philippe's son of Macedon he was, That, though his deadly woundis sore smert,3
That first was king in Greeci the country. His mantle o'er his hippes caste he,
O worthy gentle 14 Alexander, alas That no man shoulde see his privity
1 Unendurable. 2 Vengeance. 3 Impious. 17 Government, dominion. 1s Spirit.
4 Prepare. 5 Chariot. 6 Servants. 19 Blame. 20 West. 21 Afterwards.
7 Loathsome; from Anglo-Saxon, "wlretan," to 122 He had married his daughter Julia to Caesar; but
loathe. 8 Body. 9 Died. she died six years before Pompey's final overthrow.
10 Recompense. 11 To sum up his career. 23 Slain; at the battle of Pharsalia, B.a. 48.
12 Moreover. 13 Tell. 14 Noble. 24 End. 25 Arranged. 26 Daggers.
15 The highest cast on a dicing-cube; here represent- 27 Relate. 28 Assailed. 29 Unless.
ing the highest favour of fortune. 16 Generosity. s0 Dignified propriety. 31 Pained him.