Here begynneth Octauyan the Emperoure of Rome Octavyan the Emperoure of Rome. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A08454 of text S110240 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 18779). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 30 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 13 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A08454 STC 18779 ESTC S110240 99845830 99845830 10756 2240929034

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 Early English books online text creation partnership. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A08454) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 10756) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 347:04) Here begynneth Octauyan the Emperoure of Rome Octavyan the Emperoure of Rome. [24+] p. Printed by Wynkyn de Worde, [London : 1505?] In verse. With a title-page woodcut. Imprint from STC. Signatures: A B⁴+. The only known copy is incomplete, lacking all after B4. Reproduction of a photostat of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. eng Augustus, -- Emperor of Rome, 63 B.C.-14 A.D. -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800. eebo Here begynneth Octauyan the Emperoure of Rome. [no entry] 1505 26 4557 6 0 0 0 0 0 13.17 C The rate of 13.17 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2013-07 Assigned for keying and markup 2013-08 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2013-10 Sampled and proofread 2013-10 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2014-03 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

Here begynneth Octauyan the Emperoure of Rome .

woodcut of emperor Octavian on a horse

Here begynneth the hystory of Octauyan Emperour of Rome . Lysten lordynges both olde & yinge And hecken to my swete talkynge Of whome I wyll you lythe Ihesu that is our heuen kynge Gyue vs all his dere blessynge And make vs gladde & blythe Trewe tales I wyll you saye How it befell vpon a daye And ye wyll lysten and lythe In bokes of Rome as it is tolde How it befell amonge our elders olde Ofte and fell sythe Somtyme there was an emperour In rome of grete honoure In romayns as men can rede That man was of grete honour He lyued in Ioye and fauoure As a doughty man of dede In tournement and in fyght In the worlde was none so wyght As he was vnder wede Octauyan the emperour hyght Of all the worlde he was the noblest knyght And a noble man of dede An empresse he hadde to his wyfe One of the fayrest that euer bare lyfe Thus say clerkes vs vnto Seuen yere they hadde togyder ben With Ioye and myrthe them betwene As hyt befell tho The emperour vpon a daye In his chumbre gan sporte and playe With his empresse bryght He behelpe her fayre chere That was as whyte as blossome on brer● And semely was on syght A sorowe to his herte come That he myght haue chyldren none Theyr londes to welde by ryght By his lady he hym sette For vpon her his mynde was knette He was so kynde a knyght Whan the lady gan it se She chaunged all her fayreble And syghed wonder sore She fell on knees her lorde agayne And of his sorowe gan hym frayne And of his grete care Good lorde yf it were youre wyll Your counseyll that you wolde brynge me tyll And of your lyues fare Your counseyll to me that ye dyscouer And for me hit shall neuer forther I shall it kepe whyles I maye dure And in his armes he gan her folde And all his counseyll to her tolde How his hert was ybounde We haue seuen yere togyder bene And haue no chyldren vs betwene We shall lyue bothe but a stounde I ne wote how my sone shall fare But lyue in sorowe and in care Whan I am to bedde brought I slepe full yll / vnsunde on nyght Thenne answered that lady bryght Syr I can tell you I haue bethought A ryche abbaye we wyll make For our dere ladyes sake And londes gyue there tyll We wyll praye her sonne so fayre That we may gette a good ayre Our londe to welde at wyll They lete make an abbaye tho The lady wexte with chyldren two As hyt was goddes wyll fre At the last hit befell tho The lady was delyuered of of chyldren two That semely was to se Tythynges came to the emperoure There he laye in his toure A gladde man was he Two ladyes brought hym worde They had gyftes that were good The had bothe golde and fe The emperoure rose with mylde mode To his chapell there he you de He thanked god of his sonde Erly or ony daye dyde sprynge He made a prest masse to synge His moder ther he founde Sone she sayd I am full blythe That the empresse shall haue her lyue And lyue with vs in londe But moche sorowe dredeth me That Rome shall wronge arayed be And in straugne mennes honde Moder he sayde why saye ye so Nowe I haue men chyldren two I thanke god of his sonde Naye she sayd sone myne Well I wote they are not thyne It lyketh me full yll in londe For thou myghtest no chyldren haue Thy wyfe hath taken a cokes knaue I wyll hyt proue by skyll A sorowe to the emperours herte came That worde myght he speke none She yede away full styll To her chambre forthe she yode The emperour styll at masse stode As a man that was in care The emperours moder called a knaue And hyght hym gyftes for to haue A.C. pounde and more To th empeoours cambre the knaue take the waye There the empres in chyldebed laye Aslepe was she there For why she had waked so longe In payne and in care stronge Or she delyuered were Hast the with all thy myght Preuely that thou were vndyght And that thou be vncladde Softely by her thou in crepe That she wake not of her slepe Full seke she is bestadde Hastely was the knaue vncladde And in he wente as she hym badde In to the ryche bede But euer the knaue drewe hym awaye Of the ryches that on hym laye He was full sore adradde To the emperour sowne she wente And bad hym come in good entent At the masse there he stode Sone yf thou beleue not me The sothe mayste thou now se To the chambre with her he yode Whan he sawe the syght than A sorowe to his herte ranne That well nere he wexed wode The grome he sawe in the bedde The ryche clothes were ouer hym spredde Of that gylte he thought not good The lady laye fast on slepe A dolefull dreme gan she mete That was so lyght a wyght She thought that she was in a wyldernesse In sorowe and in grete heuynesse That she myght haue no syght She thought there came fleynge A dragon with the fyre brennynge That all the worlde was lyght And in his paues brunnynge blowe Vp he toke her chyldren two And awaye toke his flyght Therwith the lady began to wake A doulefull gronynge gan she make And she syghed full sore The emperour sterte to the grome The here in honde he hent anone The heed he smete of there In he keste it to the bedde The ryche clothes were all to bledde Of ryche golde thoughe it were The grete treason that there was wrought The lady slepte and knewe it nought Her dyscomfort was the more Worde of this they spake no mo Tyll the empresse to chyrche sholde go As the lawe was in that lede The emperoure made a feest I vnderstande To kynges that were in dyuers londe Of many alonde of far stede The kynge of Calebre without las That the empresse father was Theder gan hym bede All they sembled vpon a daye With Ioye and game and moche playe To the chyrche the lady yode The kynges dwellyde there in same There was bothe Ioye and game At that ryche dynere with good metes and drynkes amonge Of harpe lute and good songe Lute and good sautre Tyll the seuen dayes weee all gone with all welthes in that wone And myr●h of mynstre●sy There was neuer so ryche a gaderynge That had so sory a departynge I shall tell you why Grete dole it was to tell Vpon a daye howe it befell Herken and ye maye here The emperour to his chambre yode And his knyghtes aboute hym stode With a full gladde chere The emperour sayd I vnderstonde Suche auenture was in that londe By a lady as ye shall here All that treason he tolde them sone And asked what Iugement shoulde be done And what she worthy were Whan the emperour had his tale tolde The kynge of calebre answered bolde He wyst not what it ment Syr he sayde for her sake A grete fyre I shall do make This is my Iugement Whan the fyre is brounynge fast She and her chyldren to be cast To deth for to be brente The emperoure answered full sone Thy owne doughter hath this done I holde to myne assente There was dole and grete pyte A fyre they made without the cyte With brondes brennynge bryght To the fyre they layde the lady there Two squyers her chyldren dyde bere That semely were to syght In a kyrtell of scarlet reed To the fyre they led her to be deed All redy she is dyght The kynge of calebre made euyll chere For sorowe myght not stande his doughter nere There wepte bothe kynge and knyght The lady sawe no better reed But she must nedes be deed That daye in the felde With sory herte the sothe to tell Before the emperour on knees she fell And bothe her handes vp helde Graunt me lorde for Ihesus sake That I myght a prayer make To hym that all shall welde And than to do with me your wyll What deth that ye wyll put me tyll Therto I wyll me yelde The lady on her knees her sette And Ihesu cryst ofte she grete No wonder thoughe she was wo She sayd lorde and kynge of blysse This daye thou wylte me rede and wysshe And heuen quene also Mayde mary moder fre My prayer wyll I make to the For my chyldren two As thou lete them be borne of me Graunt that they may crystened be Or they to deth sholde go Kynges and quenes that aboute were And ladyes fell in sownynge there And knyghtes stode wepynge The emperoure stode her full nere The teres fell downe on his lere Full sory he dyde there stonde The emperour spake a worde of pyte Dame he sayd thy deth I wyll not se With herte ne with hande The emperour gaue her leue to go And toke her her chyldren two And badde her go out of the londe The emperoure gaue her forty pounde Of florences that were rede and rounde In geste as we nowe rede He commauded her knyghtes two Out of the londe her for to lede tho The two knyghtes her chyldren bare To what londe that she leuest were She was full sore aferde there The kynge frome the parlyament Euery lorde to his owne londe went And there dwelled with good entente For sorowe theyr hertes gan blede there That lady came in to a wyldernesse That full of wylde beestes was The woode was stronge and thycke The knyghtes toke the lady her chyldren two And toke her golde and bade her go As the waye laye full ryght They bade her holde the hye strete For drede with wylde beestes for to mete That moche were of myght Agayne the knyghtes wente with sory mode Alone the empresse forth yode As a wofull wyght She had so wepte here beforne That her ryght waye she had forlorne So moche she was in thought In a woode that was full thycke What for hylles and leues eke Her waye founde she nought In a sloughe vnder an hyll Sowne she founde a fayre well And an arbere redy wrought With olyue trees the arbere was sette The lady set her downe and wepte Ferther go she ne myght The lady by the well her sette With dolefull chere and heuy herte She myght no ferther gone Lorde she sayd of heuen blysse This daye thou me rede and wysshe God sende me some socoure sowne Mayde mary moder fre My prayer wyll I make to the To amende my sorefull mone I am full of sorowe and care And thre dayes I haue gone and more That mete had I none By that she had her chyldren dyhgt Forsothe it was full nere the nyght As she satte by the well In the arbere downe she laye Tyll it was lyght of the daye That foules gan synge and yell THere came an ape to seke his praye One of her chyldren he bare awaye Vp ●●●o one hye hyll No w●nder yf she were wo The ape bare her chylde her fro In swonynge downe she fell In all the sorowe that the lady in was There came rennynge a wylde lyonas That was in dede there In a sownynge as the lady laye Her other chylde she bare awaye Her dyscomforte was the more The lady was full heuy there For the wylde beestes awaye her chyldren bere For sorowe her herte gan blede To Ihesu cryste . she made her mone And syghynge forth she yode There came a foule fayre of flyght A gryffon he was called by ryght Ouer the hylles hore The foule was so moche of myght That he wolde well bere a knyght All armed yf he were The lyonesse and the chylde vp toke he And flewe in to an yle of the se Bothe with hym he bare The chylde slepte in the lyonesse mouth Of wele or wo it ne cowth But god kepe it frome care Whan the lyonesse had fote on londe Stowtely she can vp stonde As beest that was stronge and wylde Thoroughe goddes grace the gryffon she slewe And of his flesshe ete ynoughe And layde her by the chylde The chylde souked the lyones As it goddes wyll was And the pappes gan to welde The lyones gan of the chylde moche make And all for her whelpes sake She was therwith full mylde With her fote she scraped a den And brought the yonge chylde therin And kepte it daye and nyght Whan the lyones hongred sore She ete of the gryffon euermore That was so stronge and wyght And as it was goddes wyll The lyones loued the chylde full well That was so sayre and bryght The lady set her on a stone To Ihefu cryste she made her mone As a wofull wyght Ihesu cryste kynge of blysse This daye thou me rede and wysshe Of all kynges thou arte floure As I was kynges doughter and quene And empresse of Rome hath bene And of many a ryche toure Through this treason that on me is wrought To moche sorowe I am brought And out of my honoure This wordes lyfe I haue forlorne And my two chyldren frome me borne This lyfe I maye endure A lorde the sorowe that I am in well I wote it is for my synne welcome be all thy sonde To the worlde I wyll me neuer gyue But serue the lorde whyles I lyue Receyue me with thy honde Downe by a hyll the waye she founde And to the greke see she came And wente by the stronde Before her an hauen she sawe And a cyte with toures gaye The redy waye she founde whiche brought her to the towne A shyppe she founde redy bowne with pylgrymes for to fare She bad the shypmen golde and fe with that she myght therin be If that thery wyll were A bote the set vpon the flode And rowed to the londe there the lady stode A wyght man in he bare By the mast they bade her sytte Of her wo no man myght wyte But euer she wepte full sore The shypmen fayled by an yle syde The mayster badde them they sholde abyde For fresshe water had they none Besyde them there was a roche on hye And a well streme rennynge by Come rennynge ouer a stone Than two men to londe they sende And sowne to the well streme they wende The well they founde as I you sayne The lyonesse laye in her den And was full gladde of these two men Full sowne she had them slayne So longe at an anker gan the ryde These two men for to abyde Tyll noune was of the daye Twelue men gan them dyght With helme and with halbarde bryght To the londe wente they They founde the lyonesse in her den And a man chylde they sawe therin With the lyonesse gan playe Somwhyle he souked the lyonesse pap And other whyle gan kysse and clap For drede they flede awaye They went agayne and tolde what they sawe And how they founde a roche on hye And in the yle a lyonesse den And there the lyonesse began to playe With a chylde that there in laye And dyde slee bothe theyr men The lady sayd that was so mylde Mercy lordes that is my chylde And on londe lette me ryue Abote they sette vpon the flode Alone the lady forth you de Full sore wepte all they thenne Whan she came to the roche on hye She ranne as faste as she myght hye With full sory mode The lyonesse thoroughe goddes grace Whan she sawe the ladyes face Full fayre and styll she stode Thoroughe the myght of mary mylde She suffred the lady to take her chylde And to the see with the lady she yode whan the shypmen the lyonesse se They durst not come the londe nye For fere they were nere wode Some hente an ore / and some hente a spete This wylde lyonesse for to mete Out of the bote for to were The lady in to the shyp they hente Therty fo●e after che lyonesse sprente Therc durst no man cum hym nere There durste no man cum hym nere There myght men se game and gle Foure men lepe into to the see So aferde they were of the lyonesse there By the lady the lyonesse laye And with the chylde gan playe And no man wolde she dere The shypmen drewe vp sayle of ryche hewe The wynde frome londe theym blewe Ouer that wanne streme The fyrst londe that they myght se was a cyte with toures hye That hyght Iherusalem Full blythe they were of that syght As is the foule whan it is lyght Of that daye leme Whan hyt was ebbe and no flode The shypmen and the lady to londe yode In that ryche realme Ouer all the cyte wyde and longe Of that lady the worde spronge That there to londe was lente And how she hadde a lyonesse Brought with her out of wyldernesse The kynge after her sent The kynge bade lette for no thynge But the lyonesse with the lady to brynge To a castell there nere hande Whan she to the kynge come For the empresse of ryche rome The kynge full well her knewe The kynge her frayned of her fare And she tolde hym of her care As a wofull wyght Thenne with the quene she dwelled styll And had maydens at her wyll To serue her daye and nyght The chylde that was fayre and fre The kynge made hym crystened be And sayd that Octauyan shall hyght Whan the chylde was of elde That he coude ryde and armes welde The kynge dubbed hym a knyght The lyonesse that was so wylde Dwelleth with the lady mylde Her comforte was the more The lady dwelled styll with the quene With Ioye and game them betwene To couer her of her care Euery daye he serued that lady bryght To make her gladde with all his myght Tyll she better mended were In Iherusalem that lady dwelled styll Of that other chylde tell you I wyll That the ape frome her bare THere came an ape that was so wylde Thorough the forest with the chylde The holtes was bothe hye and hore As the ape came ouer the strete With a knyght gan she mete The chylde as she bare Tho fanght the kynght full longe Agaynest the ape that was so stronge His swerde he brake there The ape lefte the chylde and awaye wente The knyght frome her the chylde hente And with hym gan he fare Forthe with the chylde he rode then And in a forest he mette outlawes ten That moche were of myght The knyght was neuer so wo That his swerde was broke in two That he myght not fyght If the knyght were neuer so wo The outlawes wane the chylde hym fro That was so stoute and wyght The knyght was wounded that daye Vnethys his horse bare hym awaye So dolefully he was dyght The outlawes set them on the grene And layde the chylde them betwene The chylde was fayre and on them loughe The mayster outlawe sayd then It were grete shame for hardy men The chylde yf we it slewe I rede we bere it with moche pryde To Iherusalem here besyde And do hyt no harme It is so fayre and gentyll bore That we maye haue tresoure therfore Golde and syluer full yarne The two outlawes made them yare To Iherusalem for to fare It was so swete awyght There was no man that the chylde se For dole they wepte with theyr eye So fayre he was to syght A burgeys of parys came full nere That palmer had ben seuen yere Clement lunlayne he hyght He sayd lordynges wyll ye the chylde sell Ye for monaye yf ye wyll to vs it tell Florences brode and bryght For fyfty pounde sell hym they wolde Clement sayd longe ye maye hym holde Or ye hym so sell maye I swere by myne hode I wene can but lytell good Suche wordes for to saye Golde ond syluer is to me nede But . xx.li . I wyll you bede And make you redy paye The chylde they hym solde And . xx.li . he them tolde And wente forthe his waye Whan clement had the chylde bought He made a panyer to be be wrought The chylde therin to lede He toke hym the waye ryght And asked hym with all his myght What was his best reed A norse he gate hym also In to fraunce with hym to go The chylde for to fede The burgeys of parys were full fayne Full , many wente clement agayne All rente was his wede THey clepte hym and kyst hym all And brought hym home in to the hall His wyfe was full blythe She frayned hym the ryght dome How that he by the chylde come He tolde her full swythe Dame in Iherusalem I hyt gete And there I wolde hym not lete The sothe I wyll you lythe His wyfe answered with herte mylde Syr it shall be my owne chylde She kyste it many a sythe Dame sayd clement whyle I palmer was I gate this chylde with my flesshe In the hethen londe In to this londe I haue hym brought Wherfore dame greue the nought For ryche shall be thy wede She answered hym with wordes fre He is welcome to me so mote I the For fayre I shall hym fede And kepe hym with our owne chylde Tyll he become of elde And clothe them in one wede Clement was therof full blythe He dyd crysten the chylde swythe It dwelled but a nyght Anone after they hym calde Florent the chylde hyght Whan the chylde was seuen yere olde He was fayre wyse and bolde The man that redeth ryght In all the realne wyde and longe Of the chylde the worde spronge So fayre he was by syght Euer the burgeys and his wyfe Loued the chylde as theyr lyfe With hym he was full dere Whan he was seuen yere and more Clement set the chylde to lore To be a chauncelere Than clement betoke to Florent oxen two And badde hym ouer the byrdge to go To a bocher as ye shall here To lerne the crafte to do As his kynde was neuer to do so Suche games for to lere Florent ouer the byrdge gan go Faste dryuynge his oxen two He sawe a semely syght A squyer ther was as I you tell A gerfaucon he bare to sell With fethers folde full ryght Florent to the squyer you de And bothe his oxen to hym bode For that faucon bryght The squyer was wonder blythe And gaue to hym the faucon swythe With herte good and lyght The squyer hasted hym full swythe His oxen awaye for to dryue That he were out of syght And florent to fle was full fayne He wende he wolde haue his faucon agayne He ranne with all his myght He wente hym home the nexte waye To clementes house as it laye And he in went full ryght He fede the faucon whyles he wolde And sythe his fayre fethers folde As the sqyer had hym taught by syght Clement the burgeys came en full sowne Traytour where hast thou the oxen downe That I toke the full ryght Grete dole men myght se there Clement bete the chylde full sore That was so swete a wyght With other mete thou shalt not lyue But that this kyte wyll the gyue Both by daye and by nyght As sore beten as the chylde stode yet to his faucon he you de His fethers for to ryght Clementes wyfe thought wonder thore That clement bete hym so sore He asked his fader why Father sayd the chylde for crystes ore Be in peas and bete me no more But you wote why Wolde ye now a whyle beholde How ᵗ fayre he dothe his fethers folde And how louely they lye Ye wolde praye to god with mylde mode That you hadde soulde halfe your good Suche one for to bye The burgeys wyfe besyde stode Full sore she rued in her mode And sayd for thyne ore For marys loue that mayde mylde Haue mercy on your fayre chylde And bete hym no more Let hym be at home and serue vs two And lete our other sone out go Eche daye for to lere Suche grace for hym maye be wrought To a better man he maye be brought Than he a bocher were After all this hyt befell Clement began forty pounde to tell In his chambre there Clement toke it to chylde florent And to the brydge he hym sent The monaye his brother to bere As the chylde thorough the cyte yede He sawe where stode afayre stede That was stronge in euery stoute The stede was whyte as ony mylke The brydell raynes were of sylke The molens were all gylde Of wordes the chylde was wonder bolde He asked how the stede sholde be solde The monaye wolde he tell The man badde hym for thyrty pounde Of florences rede and rounde No lesse he wolde hym sell Florent sayde to lytell it wore Ten pounde I shall gyue the more And ten pounde he than tolde in faye The squyer was wonder blythe And toke the syluer to hym full swythe And hasted hym awaye Florent lepte lepte vp for to tyde To clementes hous with moche pryde And toke the hye waye He thought to ryde in at the hall He sought none other stall He sette hym vp there in faye Florent was gladde as I you saye And gaue his stede corne and haye He kneled downe and fayre hym dyght