The Monk's Tale
Folio 96v
16 of 20 folios
Xwelf yeer he regned / as seith Machabee
570
Philippes sone of Macidoyne / he was
That first was kyng in Grece the contree
O worthy / gentil Alisandre allas
That euere / sholde fallen swich a cas
Empoysoned / of thyn owene folk thow weere
575
Thy sys / Fortune hath turned in to Aas
And for thee / ne weep she neuer a teere
¶ Who shal me yeue teeris / to compleyne
The deeth / of gentilesse / and of franchise
That al this world / weldid in his demeyne
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And yet hym thoughte / it myghte nat suffise
So ful was his corage / of heigh emprise
Allas / who shal me helpe to endite
False Fortune / and poyson to despise
The whiche two / of al this wo I wyte
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By wisdom / manhede / and by greet labour
From humble bed / to Roial magestee
Vp roos / he Iulius the Conquerour
That wan al the Occident by land and see
By strengthe of hond / or ellis by tretee
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And vn to Rome / made hem tributarie
And sith of Rome / the Emperour was he
Til that Fortune / weex his aduersarie
¶ O myghty Cesar / that in Thessalie
Agayn Pompeus / fader thyn in lawe
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That of thorient hadde al the chiualrie
As fer / as þt the day bigynneth dawe
Thow / thurgh thy knyghthod / hast hem take & slawe
Saue fewe folk þt with Pompeus fledde
Thurgh which / thow puttest al Thorient in awe
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Thanke Fortune / that so wel thee spedde
¶ But now a litel while / I wol biwaille
This Pompeus / this noble gouernour
Of Rome / which þt fleigh at this bataille
I seye / oon of hise men / a fals traitour
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His heed of smoot / to wynnen hym fauour
Of Iulius / and hym the heed he broghte
Allas Pompeie / of Thorient conquerour
That Fortune / vn to swich a fyn thee broghte