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Whan the tirant Leoncius
Was to thempire of Rome arrived；
Fro which he hath with strengthe prived 3270
The pietous Justinian；
As he which was a cruel man；
His nase of and his lippes bothe
He kutte； for he wolde him lothe
Unto the poeple and make unable。
Bot he which is al merciable；
The hihe god； ordeigneth so；
That he withinne a time also；
Whan he was strengest in his ire；
Was schoven out of his empire。 3280
Tiberius the pouer hadde；
And Rome after his will he ladde；
And for Leonce in such a wise
Ordeigneth； that he tok juise
Of nase and lippes bothe tuo；
For that he dede an other so；
Which more worthi was than he。
Lo； which a fall hath crualte；
And Pite was set up ayein：
For after that the bokes sein； 3290
Therbellis king of Bulgarie
With helpe of his chivalerie
Justinian hath unprisoned
And to thempire ayein coroned。
In a Cronique I finde also
Of Siculus； which was ek so
A cruel king lich the tempeste；
The whom no Pite myhte areste；…
He was the ferste； as bokes seie；
Upon the See which fond Galeie 3300
And let hem make for the werre；…
As he which al was out of herre
Fro Pite and misericorde；
For therto couthe he noght acorde；
Bot whom he myhte slen； he slouh；
And therof was he glad ynouh。
He hadde of conseil manyon；
Among the whiche ther was on；
Be name which Berillus hihte；
And he bethoghte him hou he myhte 3310
Unto the tirant do likinge；
And of his oghne ymaginynge
Let forge and make a Bole of bras；
And on the side cast ther was
A Dore； wher a man mai inne；
Whan he his peine schal beginne
Thurgh fyr； which that men putten under。
And al this dede he for a wonder；
That whanne a man for peine cride；
The Bole of bras； which gapeth wyde； 3320
It scholde seme as thogh it were
A belwinge in a mannes Ere；
And noght the criinge of a man。
Bot he which alle sleihtes can；
The devel； that lith in helle fast；
Him that this caste hath overcast；
That for a trespas which he dede
He was putt in the same stede；
And was himself the ferste of alle
Which was into that peine falle 3330
That he for othre men ordeigneth；
Ther was noman which him compleigneth。
Of tirannie and crualte
Be this ensample a king mai se；
Himself and ek his conseil bothe；
Hou thei ben to mankinde lothe
And to the god abhominable。
Ensamples that ben concordable
I finde of othre Princes mo；
As thou schalt hiere； of time go。 3340
The grete tirant Dionys；
Which mannes lif sette of no pris；
Unto his hors fulofte he yaf
The men in stede of corn and chaf；
So that the hors of thilke stod
Devoureden the mennes blod；
Til fortune ate laste cam；
That Hercules him overcam；
And he riht in the same wise
Of this tirant tok the juise： 3350
As he til othre men hath do；
The same deth he deide also；
That no Pite him hath socoured；
Til he was of hise hors devoured。
Of Lichaon also I finde
Hou he ayein the lawe of kinde
Hise hostes slouh； and into mete
He made her bodies to ben ete
With othre men withinne his hous。
Bot Jupiter the glorious； 3360
Which was commoeved of this thing；
Vengance upon this cruel king
So tok； that he fro mannes forme
Into a wolf him let transforme：
And thus the crualte was kidd；
Which of long time he hadde hidd；
A wolf he was thanne openly；
The whos nature prively
He hadde in his condicion。
And unto this conclusioun； 3370
That tirannie is to despise；
I finde ensample in sondri wise；
And nameliche of hem fulofte；
The whom fortune hath set alofte
Upon the werres forto winne。
Bot hou so that the wrong beginne
Of tirannie； it mai noght laste；
Bot such as thei don ate laste
To othre men； such on hem falleth；
For ayein suche Pite calleth 3380
Vengance to the god above。
For who that hath no tender love
In savinge of a mannes lif；
He schal be founde so gultif；
That whanne he wolde mercy crave
In time of nede； he schal non have。
Of the natures this I finde；
The fierce Leon in his kinde；
Which goth rampende after his preie；
If he a man finde in his weie； 3390
He wole him slen； if he withstonde。
Bot if the man coude understonde
To falle anon before his face
In signe of mercy and of grace；
The Leon schal of his nature
Restreigne his ire in such mesure；
As thogh it were a beste tamed；
And torne awey halfvinge aschamed；
That he the man schal nothing grieve。
Hou scholde than a Prince achieve 3400
The worldes grace； if that he wolde
Destruie a man whanne he is yolde
And stant upon his mercy al？
Bot forto speke in special；
Ther have be suche and yit ther be
Tirantz； whos hertes no pite
Mai to no point of mercy plie；
That thei upon her tirannie
Ne gladen hem the men to sle；
And as the rages of the See 3410
Ben unpitous in the tempeste；
Riht so mai no Pite areste
Of crualte the gret oultrage；
Which the tirant in his corage
Engendred hath： wherof I finde
A tale； which comth nou to mynde。
I rede in olde bokes thus：
Ther was a Duk； which Spertachus
Men clepe； and was a werreiour；
A cruel man； a conquerour 3420
With strong pouer the which he ladde。
For this condicion he hadde；
That where him hapneth the victoire；
His lust and al his moste gloire
Was forto sle and noght to save：
Of rancoun wolde he no good have
For savinge of a mannes lif；
Bot al goth to the swerd and knyf；
So lief him was the mannes blod。
And natheles yit thus it stod； 3430
So as fortune aboute wente；
He fell riht heir as be descente
To Perse； and was coroned king。
And whan the worschipe of this thing
Was falle； and he was king of Perse；
If that thei weren ferst diverse；
The tirannies whiche he wroghte；
A thousendfold welmore he soghte
Thanne afterward to do malice。
The god vengance ayein the vice 3440
Hath schape： for upon a tyde；
Whan he was heihest in his Pride；
In his rancour and in his hete
Ayein the queene of Marsagete；
Which Thameris that time hihte；
He made werre al that he myhte：
And sche； which wolde hir lond defende；
Hir oghne Sone ayein him sende；
Which the defence hath undertake。
Bot he desconfit was and take； 3450
And whan this king him hadde in honde；
He wol no mercy understonde；
Bot dede him slen in his presence。
The tidinge of this violence
Whan it cam to the moder Ere；
Sche sende anon ay wydewhere
To suche frendes as sche hadde；
A gret pouer til that sche ladde。
In sondri wise and tho sche caste
Hou sche this king mai overcaste； 3460
And ate laste acorded was；
That in the danger of a pass；
Thurgh which this tirant scholde passe；
Sche schop his pouer to compasse
With strengthe of men be such a weie
That he schal noght eschape aweie。
And whan sche hadde thus ordeigned；
Sche hath hir oghne bodi feigned；
For feere as thogh sche wolde flee
Out of hir lond： and whan that he 3470
Hath herd hou that this ladi fledde；
So faste after the chace he spedde；
That he was founde out of array。
For it betidde upon a day；
Into the pas whanne he was falle；
Thembuisschementz tobrieken alle
And him beclipte on every side；
That fle ne myhte he noght aside：
So that ther weren dede and take
Tuo hundred thousend for his sake； 3480
That weren with him of his host。
And thus was leid the grete bost
Of him and of his tirannie：
It halp no mercy forto crie
To him which whilom dede non；
For he unto the queene anon
Was broght； and whan that sche him sih；
This word sche spak and seide on hih：
〃O man； which out of mannes kinde
Reson of man hast left behinde 3490
And lived worse than a beste；
Whom Pite myhte noght areste；
The mannes blod to schede and spille
Thou haddest nevere yit thi fille。
Bot nou the laste time is come；
That thi malice is overcome：
As thou til othre men hast do；
Nou schal be do to thee riht so。〃
Tho bad this ladi that men scholde
A vessel bringe； in which sche wolde 3500
Se the vengance of his juise；
Which sche began anon devise；
And tok the Princes whiche he ladde；
Be whom his chief conseil he hadde；
And whil hem lasteth eny breth；
Sche made hem blede to the deth
Into the vessel wher it stod：
And whan it was fulfild of blod；
Sche caste this tirant therinne；
And seide him； 〃Lo； thus myht thou wynne 3510
The lustes of thin appetit。
In blod was whilom thi delit；
Nou schalt thou drinken al thi fille。〃
And thus onliche of goddes wille；
He which that w