The Monk's Tale
Folio 236v
20 of 21 folios
Alas pomp of þe orient conquerour
That fortune to such a fyn þe brougħt
To Rome agayn repaireþ IuliĆ«
610
Wiþ his triumphe laurial ful hye
But on a tyme brutus Cassius
That euer had to his estat enuye /
Ful priuely haþ made conspiracie /
Agains þis Iulius in subtil wise /
615
Cast þe place in which he schulde dye
With boydekyns as I schal ȝow deuyse /
This Iulius to þe Capitoile went
Vpon a day as he was wont to goon
And in þe Capitoil anoon him hent
620
This false brutus and his oþer foon
And stiked him wiþ boydekyns anoon
With many a wounde and þus þay let him lye
But neuer gront he at no strook but oon
Or elles at tuo but if þe storie lye
625
So manly was þis Iulius of hert
And so wel loued estatly honeste
That þough his deedly woundes sore smert
His mantil ouer his hipes caste he
For no man schulde seen his priuete
630
And as he lay deyinge in a traunce
And wiste wel þat verrayly deed was he
Of honeste ȝet had he remembraūce /
Lucan to þe þis story I recomende
And to Swetoū and to Valirien also
635
That al þe story writen word and ende /
How to þese grete conqueroures tuo
Fortune was first frend and siþþen fo
No man trust vpon hir fauour longe /
But haue hir in awayt for euermo
640
Witnesse on aƚƚ þise conqueroures stronge
OF riche gresus whilom king of lyde
Of which gresus . Cirus him sore dradde /
Ȝet was he caught amyddes al his pride
And to þe fuyr to brenne him men him ladde / But such a rayn