Page:The Canterbury Tales and Faerie Queene.djvu/175

{{ppoem|start=follow|end=follow|When might is joined unto cruelty, Alas! too deepë will the venom wade.

In youth a master had this emperoúr. To teachë him lettrure<r1> and courtesy; For of morality he was the flow'r, As in his timë, but if<r2> bookes lie. And while this master had of him mast'rý, He madë him so conning and so souple,<r2> That longë time it was ere tyranný, Or any vicë, durst in him uncouple<r4>

This Seneca, of which that I devise,<r5> Because Nero had of him suchë dread, For he from vices would him aye chàstise Discreetly, as by word, and not by deed; "Sir," he would say, "an emperor must need Be virtuous, and hatë tyranny." For which he made him in a bath to bleed On both his armes, till he muste die.

This Nero had eke of a custumance<r6> In youth against his master for to rise ;' Which afterward he thought a great grievance ; Therefore he made him dien in this wise. But natheless this Seneca the wise Chose in a bath to die in this manngre. Rather than have another tormentise ; ? And thus hath Nero slain his master dear.

Now fell it so, that Fortune list no longer The highe pride of Nero to cherice ;' For though he were strong, yet was she stronger. She thoughts thus ; " By God, I am too nice i" To set a man, that is full fiU'd of vice, In high degree, and emperor him caU! By God, out of his seat I will him trice ! " When he least weeneth,!^ soonest shall he fall."

The people rose upon him on a night, For his default ; and when he it espied, Out of his doors anon he hath him dight i' Alone, and where he ween'd t' have been allied,^* He knocked fast, and aye the more he cried The faster shutte they their doores all ; Then wist he well he had himself misgied,^' And went his way, no longer durst he call.

The people cried and rumbled up and down. That with his eares heard he how they said ; " Where is this false tyrant, this Neroun ?" For fear almost out of his wit he braid,^" And to his goddSs piteously he pra,y'd For succour, but it mights not betide ; For dread of this he thoughts that he died, And ran into a garden him to hide.

And in this garden found he chnrles tway, That sattS by a firS great and red ; And to these churlSs two he gan to pray To slay him, and to girden" oft his head. That to his body, when that he were dead,

I learning, letters. » Unless. B So intelligent and pliable.

• Let itself loose, like a hound released from the leash,

a jelL 8 Habit.

7 To rise up in his master's presence, out of respect.

8 Torture. ' Cherish. " Foolish.

II Thrust ; from Anglo-Saxon, " thriocan." H Expecteth. ' " Betaken himself. M Begarded with friendship, w Misguided, misled. " went. 17 g(^]io i** Infamy. 19 He knew no better counsel ; there was no other

resource.

Were no despltS done for his defame. i' Himself he slew, he coud no better rede <r19> Of which Fort<ine laugh'd and hadde game.<r20>

Was never capitain under a king. That regnes more put in subjectiofin. Nor stronger was in field of allS tiling As in his time, nor greater of renown, Nor more pompous in high presumptiofin. Than Holofernes, whom Fortune aye kiss'd So lik'rously, and led him up and down, Till that his head was off ere that he wist.

Not only that this world had of him awe, For losing of lichess and liberty ; But he made every man reny his law.'i Nabuohod6nos&r was God, said he ; None other Godde should honofired be. Against his hest ^ there dare no wight trespace, Save in Bethulia, a strong cit^. Where EMchim priest was of that place.

But take keep ^^ of the death of Holof em ; Amid his host he drunken lay at night Within his tente, large as is a hem ;^ And yet, for all his pomp and all his might, Judith, a woman, as he lay upright Sleeping, his head off smote, and from his tent Full privily she stole from every wight, And with his head unto her town she went.

What needeth it of king Antiochus ^ To tell his high and royal majesty, His great pride, and his workes venomous ? For such another was there none as he ; Reads what that he was in Macoabee. And read the proudS wordSs that he said, And why he fell from his prosperity, And in an hill how wretchedly he died.

Fortflne him had enhanced so Ss. pride, That verily he ween'd he might attain Unto the starrSs upon every side. And in a balance weighen each mountain. And all the floodSs of the sea restrain. And GoddS's- people had he most in hate ; Them would he slay in torment and in pain, Weening that God might not his pride abate.

And for that Nicanor and Timothee With JewSs werS vanquish'd mightily, ^^ Unto the Jewes such an hate had Vi, That he bade graith his oar<r27> full hastily, And swore and saidS full dispiteously. Unto Jerusalem he would eftaoon,^ To wreak his ire on it f uU cruelly ; But of his purpose was he lef full soon. God for his menace him so sore smote. With invisible wound incurable. That in his guttes carf it so and bote,<r30>

ao Made merry, was amused by the sport.

SI Renounce his religion ; so, in the Man of Law's Tale the Sultaness promises her son that she will "reny her lay;" seepage64. "2 Commandment.

S3 Notice. ^ Barn.

55 As the " tragedy" of Holofernes is founded on the Book of Judith, so is that of Antiochus on the Seoona Book of the Maccabees, chap. ix. . , t j .

56 By the insurgents under tlie leadership of Juaas Maccabeus ; 2,Maco. chap. viii. j. , i„

2? Prepare his chariot. ^ Immediately.

I 39 Prevented . 30 It SO cut and gnuwed in his entrails.