But aye Fortúne hath in her honey gall;
This mighty queenë may no while endure;
Fortune out of her regnë made her fall
To wretchedness and to misádventúre.
Aurelian, when that the governánce
Of Romë came into his handës tway,4122
He shope4123 upon this queen to do vengeánce;
And with his legións he took his way
Toward Zenobie, and, shortly for to say,
He made her flee, and at the last her hent,4124
And fetter’d her, and eke her children tway,
And won the land, and home to Rome he went.
Amongës other thingës that he wan,
Her car, that was with gold wrought and pierrie,
This greatë Roman, this Aurelian
Hath with him led, for that men should it see.
Before in his triumphë walked she
With giltë chains upon her neck hangíng;
Crowned she was, as after4125 her degree,
And full of pierrie charged4126 her clothíng.
Alas, Fortúnë! she that whilom was
Dreadful to kingës and to emperoúrs,
Now galeth4127 all the people on her, alas!
And she that helmed was in starkë stowres,4128
And won by forcë townës strong and tow’rs,
Shall on her head now wear a vitremite;4129
And she that bare the sceptre full of flow’rs
Shall bear a distaff, her cost for to quite.4130
Although that Nero were so vicious
As any fiend that lies full low adown,
Yet he, as telleth us Suetonius,4131
This widë world had in subjectioún,
Both East and West, South and Septentrioún.
Of rubies, sapphires, and of pearlës white
Were all his clothes embroider’d up and down,
For he in gemmës greatly gan delight.
More delicate, more pompous of array,
More proud, was never emperor than he;
That ilkë cloth4132 that he had worn one day,
After that time he would it never see;
Nettës of gold thread had he great plentý,
To fish in Tiber, when him list to play;
His lustës were as law, in his degree,
For Fortune as his friend would him obey.
He Romë burnt for his délicacý;4133
The senators he slew upon a day,
To hearë how that men would weep and cry;
And slew his brother, and by his sister lay.
His mother made he in piteous array;
For he her wombë slittë, to behold
Where he conceived was; so well-away!
That he so little of his mother told.4134
No tear out of his eyen for that sight
Came; but he said, a fair woman was she.
Great wonder is, how that he could or might
Be doomësman4135 of her deadë beautý:
The wine to bringë him commanded he,
And drank anon; none other woe he made,
When might is joined unto cruelty,
Alas! too deepë will the venom wade.
In youth a master had this emperoúr,
To teachë him lettrure4136 and courtesy;
For of morality he was the flow’r,
As in his timë, but if4137 bookës lie.
And while this master had of him mast’rý,
He made him so conning and so souple,4138
That longë time it was ere tyranný,
Or any vicë, durst in him uncouple.4139
This Seneca, of which that I devise,4140
Because Nero had of him suchë dread,
For he from vices would him aye chastise
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 armës, till he mustë die.
This Nero had eke of a custumance4141
In youth against his master for to rise;4142
Which afterward he thought a great grievánce;
Therefore he made him dien in this wise.
But natheless this Seneca the wise
Chose in a bath to die in this mannére,
Rather than have another tormentise;4143
And thus hath Nero slain his master dear.
Now fell it so, that Fortune list no longer
The highë pride of Nero to cherice;4144
For though he werë strong, yet was she stronger.
She thoughtë thus; “By God, I am too nice4145
To set a man, that is full fill’d of vice,
In high degree, and emperor him call!
By God, out of his seat I will him trice!4146
When he least weeneth,4147 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 dight4148
Alone, and where he ween’d t’ have been allied,4149
He knocked fast, and aye the more he cried
The faster shuttë they their doorës all;
Then wist he well he had himself misgied,4150
And went his way, no longer durst he call.
The people cried and rumbled up and down,
That with his earës heard he how they said;
“Where is this falsë tyrant, this Neroún?”
For fear almost out of his wit he braid,4151
And to his goddës piteously he pray’d
For succour, but it mightë not betide;
For dread of this he thoughtë that died,
And ran into a garden him to hide.
And in this garden found he churlës tway,
That sattë by a firë great and red;
And to these churlës two he gan to pray
To slay him, and to girden4152 off his head,
That to his body, when that he were dead,
Were no despitë done for his defame.4153
Himself he slew, he coud no better rede;4154
Of which Fortúnë laugh’d and haddë game.4155
Was never capitain under a king,
That regnës more put in subjectioún,
Nor stronger was in field of allë thing
As in his time, nor greater of renown,
Nor more pompous in high presumptioún,
Than Holofernes, whom Fortúne 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 richéss and liberty;
But he made every man reny his law.4156
Nabuchodónosór was God, said he;
None other Goddë should honoúred be.
Against his hest4157 there dare no wight trespace,
Save in Bethulia, a strong citý,
Where Eliáchim priest was of that place.
But take keep4158 of the death of Holofern;
Amid his host he drunken lay at night
Within
