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Heere bigynneth the Monkes Tale De Casibus Virorum Illustrium.

Lucifer

	At Lucifer, though he an aungel were,
	And nat a man, at hym wol I biginne,
	For though Fortune may noon aungel dere,
	From heigh degree yet fel he for his synne
115	Doun into helle, where he yet is inne.
	O Lucifer, brightest of angels alle,
	Now artow Sathanas, that mayst nat twynne
	Out of miserie, in which that thou art falle.

Adam

	Loo Adam, in the feeld of Damyssene,
120	With Goddes owene fynger wroght was he,
	And nat bigeten of mannes sperme unclene,
	And welte all Paradys, savynge o tree.
	Hadde nevere worldly man so heigh degree
	As Adam, til he, for mysgovernaunce,
125	Was dryven out of hys hye prosperitee
	To labour, and to helle, and to meschaunce.

Sampson

	Loo Sampson, which that was annunciat
	By th' angel, longe er his nativitee,
	And was to God almyghty consecrat,
130	And stood in noblesse whil he myghte see,
	Was nevere swich another as was hee,
	To speke of strengthe and therwith hardynesse;
	But to hise wyves toolde he his secree,
	Thurgh which he slow hymself for wrecchednesse.

135	Sampsoun, this noble almyghty champioun,
	Withouten wepene, save his handes tweye,
	He slow and al torente the leoun
	Toward his weddyng walkynge by the weye.
	His false wyf koude hym so plese and preye
140	Til she his conseil knew, and she untrewe
	Unto hise foos his conseil gan biwreye,
	And hym forsook, and took another newe.

	Thre hundred foxes took Sampson for ire,
	And alle hir tayles he togydre bond,
145	And sette the foxes tayles alle on fire;
	For he on every tayl had knyt a brond,
	And they brende alle the cornes in that lond,
	And alle hir olyveres, and vynes eke.
	A thousand men he slow eek with his hond,
150	And hadde no wepene but an asses cheke.

	Whan they were slayn, so thursted hym, that he
	Was wel ny lorn, for which he gan to preye
	That God wolde on his peyne han som pitee,
	And sende hym drynke, or elles moste he deye;
155	And of this asses cheke, that was dreye,
	Out of a wang-tooth sprang anon a welle
	Of which he drank anon, shortly to seye,
	Thus heelp hym God, as Judicum can telle.

	By verray force at Gazan, on a nyght,
160	Maugree Philistiens of that citee,
	The gates of the toun he hath up plyght,
	And on his bak ycaryed hem hath he
	Hye on an hille, that men myghte hem see.
	O noble almyghty Sampson, lief and deere,
165	Had thou nat toold to wommen thy secree,
	In all this world ne hadde been thy peere.

	This Sampson nevere ciser drank, ne wyn,
	Ne on his heed cam rasour noon, ne sheere,
	By precept of the messager divyn,
170	For alle hise strengthes in hise heeres weere.
	And fully twenty wynter, yeer by yeere,
	He hadde of Israel the governaunce.
	But soone shal he wepen many a teere,
	For wommen shal hym bryngen to meschaunce!

175	Unto his lemman Dalida he tolde
	That in hise heeres al his strengthe lay,
	And falsly to hise fooman she hym solde;
	And slepynge in hir barme upon a day
	She made to clippe or shere hise heres away,
180	And made hise foomen al this craft espyn.
	And whan that they hym foond in this array,
	They bounde hym faste, and putten out hise eyen.

	But er his heer were clipped or yshave,
	Ther was no boond with which men myght him bynde;
185	But now is he in prison in a cave,
	Where as they made hym at the queerne grynde.
	O noble Sampson, strongest of mankynde,
	O whilom juge in glorie and in richesse,
	Now maystow wepen with thyne eyen blynde,
190	Sith thou fro wele art falle in wrecchednesse!

	The ende of this caytyf was as I shal seye;
	Hise foomen made a feeste upon a day,
	And made hym as hir fool biforn hem pleye.
	And this was in a temple of greet array;
195	But atte laste he made a foul affray,
	For he two pilers shook, and made hem falle,
	And doun fil temple and al, and ther it lay, -
	And slow hymself, and eek his foomen alle.

	This is to seyn, the prynces everichoon,
200	And eek thre thousand bodyes, were ther slayn
	With fallynge of the grete temple of stoon.
	Of Sampson now wol I namoore sayn:
	Beth war by this ensample oold and playn
	That no men telle hir conseil til hir wyves
205	Of swich thyng as they solde han secree fayn,
	If that it touche hir lymmes or hir lyves.

Hercules

	Of Hercules the sovereyn conquerour
	Syngen hise werkes laude and heigh renoun;
	For in his tyme of strengthe he was the flour.
210	He slow and rafte the skyn of the leoun,
	He of Centauros leyde the boost adoun,
	He Arpies slow, the crueel bryddes felle,
	He golden apples refte of the dragoun,
	He drow out Cerberus, the hound of helle.

215	He slow the crueel tyrant Busirus,
	And made his hors to frete hym, flessh and boon;
	He slow the firy serpent venymus,
	Of Acheloys two hornes, he brak oon.
	And he slow Cacus in a Cave of stoon;
220	He slow the geaunt Antheus the stronge,
	He slow the grisly boor, and that anon,
	And bar the hevene on his nekke longe.

	Was nevere wight, sith that this world bigan,
	That slow so manye monstres as dide he.
225	Thurghout this wyde world his name ran,
	What for his strengthe, and for his heigh bountee,
	And every reawme wente he for to see.
	He was so stroong that no man myghte hym lette;
	At bothe the worldes endes, seith Trophee,
230	In stide of boundes he a pileer sette.

	A lemman hadde this noble champioun,
	That highte Dianira, fressh as May,
	And as thise clerkes maken mencioun,
	She hath hym sent a sherte fressh and gay.
235	Allas, this sherte, allas, and weylaway!
	Envenymed was so subtilly withalle,
	That er that he had wered it half a day
	It made his flessh al from hise bones falle.

	But nathelees somme clerkes hire excusen
240	By oon that highte Nessus, that it maked.
	Be as be may, I wol hir noght accusen;
	But on his bak this sherte he wered al naked,
	Til that his flessh was for the venym blaked;
	And whan he saugh noon oother remedye,
245	In hoote coles he hath hym-selven raked,
	For with no venym deigned hym to dye.

	Thus starf this worthy myghty Hercules.
	Lo, who may truste on Fortune any throwe?
	For hym that folweth al this world of prees,
250	Er he be war, is ofte yleyd ful lowe.
	Ful wys is he that kan hymselven knowe.
	Beth war, for whan that Fortune list to glose,
	Thanne wayteth she her man to overthrowe,
	By swich a wey, as he wolde leest suppose.

Nabugodonosor

255	The myghty trone, the precious tresor
	The glorious ceptre and roial magestee
	That hadde the kyng Nabugodonosor,
	With tonge unnethe may discryved bee.
	He twyes wan Jerusalem the citee;
260	The vessel of the temple he with hym ladde.
	At Babiloigne was his sovereyn see,
	In which his glorie and his delit he hadde.

	The faireste children of the blood roial
	Of Israel he leet do gelde anoon,
265	And maked ech of hem to been his thral.
	Amonges othere, Daniel was oon,
	That was the wiseste child of everychon;
	For he the dremes of the kyng expowned
	Wheras in Chaldeye clerk ne was ther noon
270	That wiste to what fyn hise dremes sowned.

	This proude kyng leet maken a statue of gold
	Sixty cubites long, and sevene in brede,
	To which ymage bothe yonge and oold
	Comanded he to loute and have in drede,
275	Or in a fourneys ful of flambes rede
	He shal be brent, that wolde noght obeye.
	But nevere wolde assente to that dede
	Daniel, ne hise yonge felawes tweye.

	This kyng of kynges proud was and elaat;
280	He wende, that God that sit in magestee
	Ne myghte hym nat bireve of his estaat;
	But sodeynly he loste his dignytee,
	And lyk a beest hym semed for to bee,
	And eet hey as an oxe and lay theroute;
285	In reyn; with wilde beestes walked hee
	Til certein tyme was ycome aboute.

	And lik an egles fetheres wex his heres,
	Hise nayles lyk a briddes clawes weere,
	Til God relessed hym a certeyn yeres,
290	And yaf hym wit, and thanne, with many a teere,
	He thanked God; and evere his lyf in feere
	Was he to doon amys, or moore trespace,
	And til that tyme he leyd was on his beere,
	He knew that God was ful of myght and grace.

Balthasar

295	His sone which that highte Balthasar,
	That heeld the regne after his fader day,
	He by his fader koude noght be war,
	For proud he was of herte and of array;
	And eek an ydolastre he was ay.
300	His hye estaat assured hym in pryde;
	But Fortune caste hym doun and ther he lay,
	And sodeynly his regne gan divide.

	A feeste he made unto hise lordes alle
	Upon a tyme, and bad hem blithe bee,
305	And thanne hise officeres gan he calle,
	"Gooth, bryngeth forth the vesseles," quod he,
	"Whiche that my fader, in his prosperitee,
	Out of the temple of Jerusalem birafte,
	And to oure hye goddes thanke we
310	Of honour, that oure eldres with us lafte."

	Hys wyf, hise lordes, and hise concubynes
	Ay dronken, whil hire appetites laste,
	Out of thise noble vessels sondry wynes.
	And on a wal this kyng hise eyen caste,
315	And saugh an hand armlees that wroot ful faste,
	For feere of which he quook and siked soore.
	This hand, that Balthasar so soore agaste,
	Wroot Mane, techel, phares, and na moore.

	In al that land magicien was noon
320	That koude expounde what this lettre mente.
	But Daniel expowned it anon,
	And seyde, "Kyng, God to thy fader lente
	Glorie and honour, regne, tresour, rente;
	And he was proud, and nothyng God ne dradde,
325	And therfore God greet wreche upon hym sente,
	And hym birafte the regne that he hadde.

	He was out-cast of mannes compaignye,
	With asses was his habitacioun,
	And eet hey as a beest in weet and drye,
330	Til that he knew by grace and by resoun
	That God of hevene hath domynacioun
	Over every regne and every creature,
	And thanne hadde God of hym compassioun
	And hym restored his regne and his figure.

335	Eek thou that art his sone art proud also,
	And knowest alle thise thynges verraily,
	And art rebel to God and art his foo.
	Thou drank eek of hise vessels boldely,
	Thy wyf eek, and thy wenches, synfully
340	Dronke of the same vessels sondry wynys,
	And heryest false goddes cursedly;
	Therfore to thee yshapen ful greet pyne ys.

	This hand was sent from God, that on the wal
	Wroot Mane, techel, phares, truste me!
345	Thy regne is doon, thou weyest noght at al,
	Dyvyded is thy regne, and it shal be
	To Medes and to Perses yeve," quod he.
	And thilke same nyght this kyng was slawe
	And Darius occupieth his degree,
350	Thogh he therto hadde neither right ne lawe.

	Lordynges, ensample heerby may ye take
	How that in lordshipe is no sikernesse;
	For whan Fortune wole a man forsake,
	She bereth awey his regne and his richesse,
355	And eek hise freendes, bothe moore and lesse,
	For what man that hath freendes thurgh Fortune
	Mishap wol maken hem enemys, as I gesse;
	This proverbe is ful sooth and ful commune.

Cenobia

	Cenobia, of Palymerie queene,
360	As writen Persiens of hir noblesse,
	So worthy was in armes, and so keene,
	That no wight passed hir in hardynesse,
	Ne in lynage, ne in oother gentillesse.
	Of kynges blood of Perce is she descended.
365	I seye nat that she hadde moost fairnesse,
	But of hire shap she myghte nat been amended.

	From hir childhede I fynde that she fledde
	Office of wommen, and to wode she wente,
	And many a wilde hertes blood she shedde
370	With arwes brode, that she to hem sente.
	She was so swift that she anon hem hente,
	And whan that she was elder, she wolde kille
	Leouns, leopardes, and beres al torente,
	And in hir armes weelde hem at hir wille.

375	She dorste wilde beestes dennes seke,
	And rennen in the montaignes al the nyght
	And slepen under the bussh, and she koude eke
	Wrastlen by verray force and verray myght
	With any yong man, were he never so wight;
380	Ther myghte nothyng in hir armes stonde.
	She kepte hir maydenhod from every wight,
	To no man deigned hir for to be bonde.

	But atte laste hir freendes han hir maried
	To Odenake, a prynce of that contree,
385	Al were it so that she hem longe taried.
	And ye shul understonde how that he
	Hadde swiche fantasies as hadde she.
	But nathelees, whan they were knyt infeere,
	They lyved in joye and in felicitee,
390	For ech of hem hadde oother lief and deere;

	Save o thyng, that she wolde nevere assente
	By no wey that he sholde by hir lye
	But ones, for it was hir pleyn entente
	To have a child the world to multiplye;
395	And also soone as that she myghte espye
	That she was nat with childe with that dede,
	Thanne wolde she suffre hym doon his fantasye
	Eft-soone and nat but oones, out of drede.

	And if she were with childe at thilke cast,
400	Namoore sholde he pleyen thilke game
	Til fully fourty dayes weren past;
	Thanne wolde she ones suffre hym do the same.
	Al were this Odenake wilde or tame,
	He gat namoore of hir, for thus she seyde,
405	It was to wyves lecheie and shame
	In oother caas, it that men with hem pleyde.

	Two sones by this Odenake hadde she,
	The whiche she kepte in vertu and lettrure,
	But now unto oure tale turne we;
410	I seye, so worshipful a creature,
	And wys therwith, and large with mesure,
	So penyble in the werre, and curteis eke,
	Ne moore labour myghte in werre endure,
	Was noon, though al this world men wolde seke.

415	Hir riche array ne myghte nat be told
	As wel in vessel as in hir clothyng;
	She was al clad in perree and in gold,
	And eek she lafte noght for noon huntyng
	To have of sondry tonges ful knowyng,
420	Whan that she leyser hadde; and for to entende
	To lerne bookes was al hire likyng,
	How she in vertu myghte hir lyf dispende.

	And shortly of this proces for to trete,
	So doghty was hir housbonde and eek she,
425	That they conquered manye regnes grete
	In the orient, with many a faire citee,
	Apertenaunt unto the magestee
	Of Rome, and with strong hond held hem ful faste,
	Ne nevere myghte hir foomen doon hem flee,
430	Ay whil that Odenakes dayes laste.

	Hir batailles, whoso list hem for to rede,
	Agayn Sapor the kyng and othere mo,
	And how that al this proces fil in dede,
	Why she conquered, and what title had therto,
435	And after of hir meschief and hire wo,
	How that she was biseged and ytake,
	Lat hym unto my maister Petrak go,
	That writ ynough of this, I undertake.

	Whan Odenake was deed, she myghtily
440	The regnes heeld; and with hir propre hond
	Agayn hir foos she faught so cruelly
	That ther nas kyng ne prynce in al that lond
	That he nas glad, if he that grace fond
	That she ne wolde upon his lond werreye.
445	With hir they makded alliance by bond
	To been in pees, and let hire ride and pleye.

	The Emperour of Rome, Claudius
	Ne hym bifore, the Romayn Galien,
	Ne dorste nevere been so corageus,
450	Ne noon Ermyn, ne noon Egipcien,
	Ne Surrien, ne noon arabyen,
	With-inne the feeldes that dorste with hir fighte,
	Lest that she wolde hem with hir handes slen,
	Or with hir meignee putten hem to flighte.

455	In kynges habit wente hir sones two
	As heires of hir fadres regnes alle,
	And Hermanno, and Thymalao
	Hir names were, as Persiens hem calle.
	But ay Fortune hath in hir hony galle;
460	This myghty queene may no while endure.
	Fortune out of hir regne made hir falle
	To wrecchednesse and to mysaventure.

	Aurelian, whan that the governaunce
	Of Rome cam into hise handes tweye,
465	He shoope upon this queene to doon vengeaunce,
	And with hise legions he took his weye
	Toward Cenobie, and shortly for to seye,
	He made hir flee and atte last hir hente,
	And fettred hir, and eek hir children tweye,
470	And wan the land, and hoom to Rome he wente.

	Amonges othere thynges that he wan,
	Hir chaar, that was with gold wroght and perree,
	This grete Romayn, this Aurelian,
	Hath with hym lad for that men sholde it see.
475	Biforen his triumphe walketh shee,
	With gilte cheynes on hir nekke hangynge;
	Coroned was she, after hir degree,
	And ful of perree charged hir clothynge.

	Allas, Fortune! she that whilom was
480	Dredful to kynges and to emperoures,
	Now gaureth al the peple on hir, allas!
	And she that helmed was in starke shoures
	And wan by force townes stronge and toures
	Shal on hir heed now were a vitremyte,
485	And she that bar the ceptre ful of floures
	Shal bere a distaf, hir costes for to quyte.

De Petro Rege Ispannie

	O noble, O worthy Petro, glorie of Spayne!
	Whom Fortune heeld so hye in magestee,
	Wel oghten men thy pitous deeth complayne;
490	Out of thy land thy brother made thee flee,
	And after at a seege by subtiltee
	Thou were bitraysed, and lad unto his tente
	Where as he with his owene hand slow thee,
	Succedynge in thy regne and in thy rente.

495	The feeld of snow, with th'egle of blak therinne
	Caught with the lymerod, coloured as the gleede,
	He brew this cursednesse and al this synne
	The wikked nest was werker of this nede,
	Noght Charles Olyvver, that took ay heede
500	Of trouthe and honour, but of Armorike
	Genyloun Olyver, corrupt for meede,
	Broghte this worthy kyng in swich a brike.

De Petro Rege de Cipro

	O worthy Petro, kyng of Cipre, also,
	That Alisandre wan by heigh maistrie,
505	Ful many an hethen wroghtestow ful wo,
	Of which thyne owene liges hadde envye,
	And for no thyng but for thy chivalrie
	They in thy bed han slayn thee by the morwe.
	Thus kan Fortune hir wheel governe and gye,
510	And out of joye brynge men to sorwe.

De Barnabo de Lumbardia

	Off Melan grete Barnabo Viscounte,
	God of delit and scourge of Lumbardye,
	Why sholde I nat thyn infortune acounte,
	Sith in estaat thow cloumbe were so hye?
515	Thy brother sone, that was thy double allye
	For he thy nevew was, and sone-in-lawe,
	Withinne his prisoun made thee to dye,
	But why, ne how, noot I that thou were slawe.

De Hugelino Comite de Pize

	Off the Erl Hugelyn of Pyze the langour
520	Ther may no tonge telle for pitee.
	But litel out of Pize stant a tour,
	In whiche tour in prisoun put was he,
	And with hym been his litel children thre,
	The eldeste scarsly fyf yeer was of age.
525	Allas, Fortune, it was greet crueltee
	Swiche briddes for to putte in swiche a cage!

	Dampned was he to dyen in that prisoun,
	For Roger, which that Bisshop was of Pize,
	Hadde on hym maad a fals suggestioun,
530	Thurgh which the peple gan upon hym rise,
	And putten hym to prisoun in swich wise
	As ye han herd, and mete and drynke he hadde
	So smal that wel unnethe it may suffise,
	And therwithal it was ful povre and badde.

535	And on a day bifil, that in that hour
	Whan that his mete wont was to be broght,
	The gayler shette the dores of the tour;
	He herde it wel, but he spak right noght-
	And in his herte anon ther fil a thoght,
540	That they for hunger wolde doon hym dyen.
	"Allas," quod he, "allas, that I was wroght!"
	Therwith the teeris fillen from hise eyen.

	His yonge sone, that thre yeer was of age,
	Unto hym seyde, "Fader, why do ye wepe?
545	Whanne wol the gayler bryngen our potage?
	Is ther no morsel breed that ye do kepe?
	I am so hungry that I may nat slepe.
	Now wolde God that I myghte slepen evere!
	Thanne sholde nat hunger in my wombe crepe,
550	Ther is nothyng but breed that me were levere."

	Thus day by day this child bigan to crye,
	Til in his fadres barm adoun it lay,
	And seyde, "Farewel, fader, I moot dye!"
	And kiste his fader, and dyde the same day.
555	And whan the woful fader deed it say,
	For wo hise armes two he gan to byte,
	And seyde, "Allas, Fortune and weylaway!
	Thy false wheel my wo al may I wyte!"

	His children wende that it for hunger was
560	That he his armes gnow, and nat for wo,
	And seyde, "Fader, do nat so, allas!
	But rather ete the flessh upon us two.
	Oure flessh thou yaf us, take our flessh us fro,
	And ete ynogh," right thus they to hym seyde;
565	And after that withinne a day or two
	They leyde hem in his lappe adoun, and deyde.

	Hymself, despeired, eek for hunger starf,
	Thus ended is this myghty Erl of Pize.
	From heigh estaat Fortune awey hym carf,
570	Of this tragedie it oghte ynough suffise.
	Whoso wol here it in a lenger wise,
	Redeth the grete poete of Ytaille
	That highte Dant, for he kan al devyse
	Fro point to point, nat o word wol he faille.

Nero

575	Al though that Nero were vicius
	As any feend that lith in helle adoun,
	Yet he, as telleth us Swetonius,
	This wyde world hadde in subjeccioun,
	Bothe Est and West, South and Septemtrioun;
580	Of rubies, saphires, and of peerles white
	Were alle hise clothes brouded up and doun,
	For he in gemmes greetly gan delite.

	Moore delicaat, moore pompous of array,
	Moore proud was nevere emperour than he.
585	That ilke clooth that he hadde wered o day,
	After that tyme he nolde it nevere see.
	Nettes of gold-threed hadde he greet plentee,
	To fisshe in Tybre, whan hym liste pleye.
	His lustes were al lawe in his decree,
590	For Fortune as his freend hym wolde obeye.

	He Rome brende for his delicasie;
	The senatours he slow upon a day,
	To heere how men wolde wepe and crie;
	And slow his brother, and by his suster lay.
595	His mooder made he in pitous array,
	For he hir wombe slitte, to biholde
	Wher he conceyved was, so weilaway
	That he so litel of his mooder tolde!

	No teere out of hise eyen for that sighte
600	Ne cam; but seyde, "A fair womman was she."
	Greet wonder is how that he koude or myghte
	Be domesman of hir dede beautee.
	The wyn to bryngen hym comanded he,
	And drank anon; noon oother wo he made,
605	Whan myght is joyned unto crueltee,
	Allas, to depe wol the venym wade!

	In yowthe a maister hadde this emperour
	To techen hym lettrure and curteisye,
	For of moralitee he was the flour,
610	As in his tyme, but if bookes lye.
	And whil this maister hadde of hym maistrye,
	He maked hym so konnyng and so sowple,
	That longe tyme it was, er tirannye
	Or any vice dorste on hym uncowple.

615	This Seneca, of which that I devyse
	By cause Nero hadde of hym swich drede,
	For he fro vices wolde hym chastise
	Discreetly as by word, and nat by dede -
	"Sire," wolde he seyn, "an emperour moot nede
620	Be vertuous and hate tirannye."-
	For which he in a bath made hym to blede
	On bothe hise armes, til he moste dye.

	This Nero hadde eek of acustumaunce
	In youthe agayns his maister for to ryse,
625	Which afterward hym thoughte greet grevaunce;
	Therefore he made hym dyen in this wise,
	But nathelees, this Seneca the wise
	Chees in a bath to dye in this manere,
	Rather than han anoother tormentise,
630	And thus hath Nero slayn his maister deere.

	Now fil it so, that Fortune liste no lenger
	The hye pryde of Nero to cherice;
	For though that he was strong, yet was she strenger;
	She thoughte thus, "By God, I am to nyce
635	To sette a man that is fulfild of vice
	In heigh degree, and emperour hym calle.
	By God, out of his sete I wol hym trice,
	Whan he leest weneth, sonnest shal he falle."

	The peple roos upon hym on a nyght
640	For his defaute, and whan he it espied
	Out of hise dores anoon he hath hym dight
	Allone, and ther he wende han been allied
	He knokked faste, and ay the moore he cried,
	The fastere shette they the dores alle.
645	For drede of this hym thoughte that he dyed,
	And wente his wey; no lenger dorste he calle.

	The peple cride, and rombled up and doun,
	That with his erys herde he how they seyde,
	"Where is this false tiraunt, this Neroun?"
650	For fere almoost out of his wit he breyde,
	And to his goddes pitously he preyde
	For socour, but it myghte nat bityde.
	For drede of this hym thoughte that he deyde,
	And ran into a gardyn hym to hyde.

655	And in this gardyn foond he cherles tweye,
	That seten by a fyr greet and reed,
	And to thise cherles two he gan to preye
	To sleen hym and to girden of his heed,
	That to his body whan that he were deed
660	Were no despit ydoon, for his defame.
	Hymself he slow, he koude no bettre reed,
	Of which Fortune lough and hadde a game.

De Oloferno

	Was nevere capitayn under a kyng
	That regnes mo putte in subjeccioun,
665	Ne strenger was in feeld of alle thyng
	As in his tyme, ne gretter of renoun,
	Ne moore pompous in heigh presumpcioun,
	Than Oloferne, which Fortune ay kiste
	So likerously, and ladde hym up and doun
670	Til that his heed was of er that he wiste.

	Nat oonly that this world hadde hym in awe
	For lesynge of richesse or libertee,
	But he made every man reneyen his lawe.
	"Nabugodonosor was god," seyde hee,
675	"Noon oother god sholde adoure bee."
	Agayns his heeste no wight dorste trespace,
	Save in Bethulia, a strong citee,
	Where Eliachim a preest was of that place.

	But taak kepe of the deeth of Oloferne;
680	Amydde his hoost he dronke lay a-nyght,
	Withinne his tente, large as is a berne;
	And yet, for al his pompe and al his myght
	Judith, a womman, as he lay upright
	Slepynge, his heed of smoot, and from his tente
685	Ful prively she stal from every wight,
	And with his heed unto hir toun she wente.

De Rege Anthiocho illustri

	What nedeth it of kyng Anthiochus
	To telle his hye roial magestee,
	His hye pride, hise werkes venymous?
690	For swich another was ther noon as he,
	Rede which that he was in Machabee,
	And rede the proude wordes that he seyde,
	And why he fil fro heigh prosperitee,
	And in an hill how wrecchedly he deyde.

695	Fortune hym hadde enhaunced so in pride
	That verraily he wende he myghte attayne
	Unto the sterres upon every syde,
	And in balance weyen ech montayne,
	And alle the floodes of the see restrayne.
700	And Goddes peple hadde he moost in hate;
	Hem wolde he sleen in torment and in payne,
	Wenynge that God ne myghte his pride abate.

	And for that Nichanore and Thymothee
	Of Jewes weren venquysshed myghtily,
705	Unto the Jewes swich an hate hadde he
	That he bad greithen his chaar ful hastily,
	And swoor, and seyde, ful despitously,
	Unto Jerusalem he wolde eft-soone,
	To wreken his ire on it ful cruelly;
710	But of his purpos he was let ful soone.

	God for his manace hym so soore smoot
	With invisible wounde, ay incurable,
	That in hise guttes carf it so and boot
	That hise peynes weren importable.
715	And certeinly, the wreche was resonable,
	For many a mannes guttes dide he peyne,
	But from his purpos cursed and dampnable
	For al his smert he wolde hym nat restreyne;

	But bad anon apparaillen his hoost,
720	And sodeynly, er he was of it war,
	God daunted al his pride and al his boost,
	For he so soore fil out of his char,
	That it hise lemes and his skyn totar,
	So that he neyther myghte go ne ryde,
725	But in a chayer men aboute hym bar
	Al forbrused, bothe bak and syde.

	The wreche of God hym smoot so cruelly
	That thurgh his body wikked wormes crepte;
	And therwithal he stank so horribly
730	That noon of al his meynee that hym kepte
	Wheither so he wook or ellis slepte,
	Ne myghte noght for stynk of hym endure.
	In this meschief he wayled and eek wepte,
	And knew God lord of every creature.

735	To all his hoost and to hymself also
	Ful wlatsom was the stynk of his careyne,
	No man ne myghte hym bere to ne fro,
	And in this stynk and this horrible peyne
	He starf ful wrecchedly in a monteyne.
740	Thus hath this robbour and this homycide,
	That many a man made to wepe and pleyne,
	Swich gerdoun as bilongeth unto pryde.

De Alexandro

	The storie of Alisaundre is so commune
	That every wight that hath discrecioun
745	Hath herd somwhat or al of his fortune.
	This wyde world, as in conclusioun,
	He wan by strengthe, or for his hye renoun
	They weren glad for pees unto hym sende.
	The pride of man and beest he leyde adoun
750	Wherso he cam, unto the worldes ende.

	Comparison myghte nevere yet been maked
	Bitwixe hym and another conquerour,
	For al this world for drede of hym hath quaked.
	He was of knyghthod and of fredom flour,
755	Fortune hym made the heir of hir honour.
	Save wyn and wommen nothyng myghte aswage
	His hye entente in armes and labour,
	So was he ful of leonyn corage.

	What pris were it to hym, though I yow tolde
760	Of Darius, and an hundred thousand mo,
	Of kynges, princes, erles, dukes bolde,
	Whiche he conquered and broghte hem into wo?
	I seye, as fer as man may ryde or go,
	The world was his, what sholde I moore devyse?
765	For though I write or tolde yow everemo,
	Of his knyghthod it myghte nat suffise.

	Twelf yeer he regned, as seith Machabee,
	Philippes sone of Macidoyne he was,
	That first was kyng in Grece the contree.
770	O worthy gentil Alisandre, allas,
	That evere sholde fallen swich a cas!
	Empoysoned of thyn owene folk thou weere;
	Thy sys Fortune hath turned into aas
	And yet for thee ne weep she never a teere.

775	Who shal me yeven teeris to compleyne
	The deeth of gentillesse and of franchise,
	That al the world weelded in his demeyne?
	And yet hym thoughte it myghte nat suffise,
	So ful was his corage of heigh emprise.
780	Allas, who shal me helpe to endite
	False Fortune, and poyson to despise,
	The whiche two of al this wo I wyte?

De Julio Cesare

	By wisedom, manhede, and by gret labour
	From humble bed to roial magestee
785	Up roos he, Julius the conquerour,
	That wan al th'occident by land and see
	By strengthe of hand, or elles by tretee,
	And unto Rome made hem tributarie;
	And sitthe of Rome the emperour was he,
790	Til that Fortune weex his adversarie.

	O myghty Cesar, that in Thessalie
	Agayn Pompeus, fader thyn in lawe,
	That of the Orient hadde al the chivalrie
	As fer as that the day bigynneth dawe,
795	Thou thurgh thy knyghthod hast hem take and slawe,
	Save fewe folk that with Pompeus fledde,
	Thurgh which thou puttest al th'orient in awe,
	Thanke Fortune, that so wel thee spedde!

	But now a litel while I wol biwaille
800	This Pompeus, this noble governour
	Of Rome, which that fleigh at this bataille,
	I seye, oon on hise men, a fals traitour,
	His heed of-smoot to wynnen hym favour
	Of Julius, and hym the heed he broghte;
805	Allas, Pompeye, of th'orient conquerour,
	That Fortune unto swich a fyn thee broghte!

	To Rome agayn repaireth Julius,
	With his triumphe lauriat ful hye;
	But on a tyme Brutus Cassius
810	That evere hadde of his hye estaat envye,
	Ful prively hath maad conspiracye
	Agayns this Julius in subtil wise,
	And caste the place in which he sholde dye
	With boydekyns, as I shal yow devyse.

815	This Julius to the Capitolie wente
	Upon a day, as he was wont to goon;
	And in the Capitolie anon hym hente
	This false Brutus and his othere foor,
	And stiked hym with boydekyns anoon
820	With many a wounde; and thus they lete hym lye.
	But nevere gronte he at no strook but oon,
	Or elles at two, but if his storie lye.

	So manly was this Julius of herte
	And so wel lovede estaatly honestee,
825	That though hise deedly woundes soore smerte,
	His mantel over hise hypes caste he,
	For no man sholde seen his privetee.
	And as he lay of diyng in a traunce,
	And wiste verraily that deed was hee,
830	Of honestee yet hadde he remembraunce.

	Lucan, to thee this storie I recomende,
	And to Sweton, and to Valerius also,
	That of this storie writen word and ende,
	How that to thise grete conqueroures two
835	Fortune was first freend, and sitthe foo.
	No man ne truste upon hire favour longe
	But have hir in awayt for evere moo!
	Witnesse on alle thise conqueroures stronge.

Cresus

	This riche Cresus whilom kyng of Lyde,
840	Of whiche Cresus Cirus soore hym dradde,
	Yet was he caught amyddes al his pryde,
	And to be brent men to the fyr hym ladde.
	But swich a reyn doun fro the welkne shadde
	That slow the fyr, and made hym to escape;
845	But to be war no grace yet he hadde,
	Til Fortune on the galwes made hym gape.

	Whanne he escaped was, he kan nat stente
	For to bigynne a newe werre agayn;
	He wende wel, for that Fortune hym sente
850	Swich hap that he escaped thurgh the rayn,
	That of hise foos he myghte nat be slayn;
	And eek a sweven upon a nyght he mette,
	Of which he was so proud and eek so fayn
	That in vengeance he al his herte sette.

855	Upon a tree he was, as that hym thoughte,
	Ther Jupiter hym wessh bothe bak and syde,
	And Phebus eek a fair towaille hym broughte,
	To dryen hym with; and therfore wax his pryde,
	And to his doghter that stood hym bisyde,
860	Which that he knew in heigh science habounde,
	He bad hir telle hym what it signyfyde,
	And she his dreem bigan right thus expounde.

	"The tree," quod she, "the galwes is to meene,
	And Juppiter bitokneth snow and reyn,
865	And Phebus with his towaille so clene,
	Tho been the sonne stremes for to seyn.
	Thou shalt anhanged be, fader, certeyn;
	Reyn shal thee wasshe, and sonne shal thee drye."
	Thus warned hym ful plat and ful pleyn,
870	His doghter, which that called was Phanye.

	Anhanged was Cresus, the proude kyng,
	His roial trone myghte hym nat availle.
	Tragedies is noon oother maner thyng,
	Ne kan in syngyng crye ne biwaille,
875	But for that Fortune alwey wole assaille
	With unwar strook the regnes that been proude;
	For whan me trusteth hire, thanne wol she faille,
	And covere hir brighte face with a clowde.

Explicit Tragedia. Heere stynteth the Knyght the Monk of his tale. Next: The Nun's Priest's Prologue (ll. 1-54)

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