From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Monk's Tale, lines 783-838

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De Alexandro

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Monk's Tale
lines 783-838: De Julio Cesare

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.

By wisdom, manhood, and by great labour,

From humble bed to royal majesty

785 Up rose he, Julius the conqueror,

Who won the Occident by land and sea,

By force of arms, or else by clear treaty,

And unto Rome made all this tributary;

And then of Rome the emperor was he,

790 Till Fortune came to be his adversary.

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!

O mighty Caesar, who in Thessaly

Against great Pompey, father of yours in law,

That of the East had all the chivalry

From farthest places that the sun e'er saw,

795 You, by your knighthood broke them for death's maw,

Except those few men who thence with Pompey fled,

Whereby you put the Orient in awe.

Thank Fortune now that you so well have sped.

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!

But now a little while I will bewail

800 This Pompey, this so noble governor

Of Rome, who fled when battle's chance did fail;

I say, one of his men, a false traitor,

Smote off his head to win himself favour

With Julius, and there the head he brought.

805 Alas, Pompey! Of Orient conqueror,

That Fortune such an end for thee hath wrought!

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.

To Rome again repaired great Julius,

To have his triumph, laureate full high;

But on a time Brutus and Cassius,

810 Who ever had of great estate envy,

Full secretly did lay conspiracy

Against this Julius, in subtle wise,

And fixed the place at which he soon should die

By dagger thrusts, as I shall you apprise.

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.

815 This Julius, to the Capitol he went

Upon a day, as he'd been wont to go,

And there they seized on him, as well they meant,

This treacherous Brutus and each other foe,

And struck him with their daggers, high and low,

820 And gave him many a wound and let him die;

But never groaned he, save at one stroke, no

Or two perchance, unless his legend lie.

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.

So manly was this Julius in his heart,

And so well loved he stately decency,

825 That, though his deadly wounds did burn and smart,

His mantle yet about his hips cast he,

That no man there should see his privity.

And as he lay there, dying, in a trance,

And knew that he was dying, verily,

830 Of decency yet had he remembrance.

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.

Lucan to tell this story I commend,

Suetonius too, Valerius also,

Who of the tale have written to the end

And told how, of these mighty conquerors two,

835 Fortune was first the friend and then the foe.

No man may trust in Fortune's favour long,

But as one fearing ambush must he go.

Witness the end of all these conquerors strong.

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From The Monk's Tale, lines 839-878:
Cresus