And as a light of clear and steady ray.
When fails the souirce from which its brightness flows,
She to the last held on her wonted way.
Pale, was she? No, but white as shrouding snows,
That, when the winds are lull’d, fall silently,
She seem’d as one o’erewearied to repose.
E’en as in balmy slumbers lapt to lie
170 (The spirit parted from the form below),
In her appear’d what th’ unwise term to die:
And Death sate beauteous on her beauteous brow.
The Triumph of Fame
HENRY PARKER, LORD MORLEY (1476–1556)
Lord Morley was an inveterate translator, who gave his efforts as New Year’s gifts. In addition to the Trionfi, he translated Boccaccio’s De claris mulieribus. Text from The Triumphes of Petrarch Translated by Henry Parker Lord Morley (1554); reprinted by Stafford Henry Earl of Iddesleigh (1877) [Roxburghe Club].
The Excellent Tryumphe of Fame
After that deathe had triumphed in that face
Which often of me had tryumphed in lyke case
And that the sonne of our world was dead and past
This ougly and dispytefull beaste at the last
Pale and horrible and proud for to se
With hyr blacke baner awaye goeth she
When that she had extincte out quyte
Of perfyt beutye the very clere lyght
Then as I dyd loke about on euery part
10 Commyng towardes me there I dyd aduert
Hyr that mans lyfe for euer doth saue
And pulleth hym out alyue from his graue
This gloryous fayre Lady muche lyke was she
Vnto that bryght starre that goeth trust me
In the orient of the cleare day appeare
Euen in lyke maner was this Ladyes chere
So that there is no mayster in no Scole
Can take vpon them to descrybe that Sole
That I go aboute with symple wordes to tell
20 So muche great in glory this Lady dyd excell
That all the element about her dyd shyne
Not as a mortall but lyke a thyng deuyne
Grauen in theyr foreheades were the names
Of the honorable people whose hyghe fames
By valure and vertue can neuer dye
Folowynge this noble fame there sawe I
Many of those of whiche I tofore haue rehersed
That by loue (as sayd is) were sore oppressed
On her ryght hand there fyrst in my syght
30 Was Cesar and Scipion that honorable knyghte
But which of them twayne next [to] fame was
I do not remember but there they both dyd pas
The tone in vertue the tother in loue
Was taken though he semed somewhat aboue
And then forthwith was shewed vnto me
After these twayne captaynes that so excellent be
Men of hyghe valure armed full bright
As vnto the Capitall they went full ryghte
By that selfe waye that sacra called was
40 Or by via lata wherevnto they dyd passe
They came in suche an honest ordre as I saye
And had wrytten and graued this is no nay
Theyr excellent names in theyr foreheads on hie
And euen as I behelde them thus attentyfely
Their maner, their port, their chere & euerithing
To these twayne most hyest in ordre folowyng
Ensued the tone his neuew to hym dere
The tother his sonne that neuer yet had pere
And those that thou seest with the swerde in [the hand]
50 The twayn fathers and the sonnes that by him [stand]
Agaynst these enemies that Italy dyd inuade
Armed in bryght stele they no dreade hadde
Two there folowed fyrst, and twayne after past
But he that in ordre was semyng to be laste
In dede of the thre was worthyest of fame
And after these of excellent and renoumed name
Euen as the Ruby most oriently doth shyne
Went he with his hand and with his councel fyne
It was Claudius that with his wyse foresyght
60 As a swyfte byrde that taketh hys flyght
So dyd he go to the fielde at Metaurus
And pulled vp the wede, this knyght gloryouse
He had eyes and tymes convenient for to spy
And wynges as a byrde to execute it by and by
There folowed then after in that worthy race
The great old captayne that let not byd bace
Vnto the fierce captayne Hannibal and thervnto
Adioyned vnto hym was annother Fabio
Twayne named Catones with these also went
70 And two noble Paulus wyse to all intent
Two Brutus and also twayne Marcellus
And one renowmed worthy captayne Regulus
That more truly layed Rome then I saye that he
Loued his owne selfe excedyng in degree
There was there also Curio and Fabricius
That with theyr wyse pouertie maruelouse
Were more prayse worthy then [M]yde was
Or Crassus with all the great golde that he has
For golde made them vertue to expell
80 And pouertye these twayne in glory to excell
There folowed these twayne euen syde by syde
Cincinato to whom the Romaynes cryed
For helpe in theyr extreme daunger and nede
He was equall to the tother twayne in dede
Camillus ensued the noble valyaunt knyght
That had liuer dye for the maintenaunce of ryght
Then otherwise to do but as a vertuouse man
The fauour of heauen brought him to Rome [than]
Where enuy had banyshed hym from the towne
90 Home to his countrye this knyght of high renoun
There was also the vallyaunt & fresh Torquatus
That slewe his owne welbeloued son Cheualerus
Rather then he would knyghtly ordre breake
He would be childles thus the olde stories speake
Both the twayne Decius were also in the place
That theyr cruell enemies cleane for to deface
Vowed them selfes alas and that willingly
O cruell vowe them selfes forthwith to dye
No lesse dyd he the vallyaunt hardy Curio
100 That entred vnto the great large hole so
That horrybly was opened in Rome [that] riall tow[n]e
Wyllyngly hymselfe therein he entred downe
Mummio Leuio went also in ordre there
And the good noble [Attilio] with a manly chere
Titus Flami[ni]us that the grekes dyd subdue
Most with gentle pytie there dyd he ensue
There was also there in the presse he that made
A large great circle in Syria with hys rode
And with his hardy and ferse loke & cou[n]tenaunce
110 To his wylle & intent so was this romaines chau[n]ce
He the great & pussaunt kyng so constrayned
That all his hole request thereby he obteyned
And by hym in good ordre there was also he
That kept as he was armed most valliauntly
The hyll from his cruell enymies all
And after in that same place hym selfe had a fall
And with this company was [that] most valiaunt man
That kept the brydge from all Toscan
And next in ordre vnto this hardy knyght
120 Stode that ferse warrear that in great dispyte
Burnte hys ryght hand because he fayled
To sley the king his enemie which he the[n] assayled
Euen in the mides of all his noble men.
Thys was a merueylouse hardy dede there & the[n]
And I sawe also there in the hugh prese<
br />
He that fyrst vanquished on the great Seese
The Carthagines and scatred all abroade
By Cycell and Sardinia by euyll chanse al [the] rode
I sawe among the others him with [the] graue sight
130 Called Appius that wyth his forse and myght
Kept the men vulgar people in great dread & awe
So strayt & hard he bound pore men to a lawe
And after as all about I dyd cast myne eye
I dyd that person among other rest espye
That with his swete facyons vsyd hym soo
That next the fyrst in fame he myght goo
But that the ende turnyd vnto blame
Wherefore I may ryght well affirme the same
That often it is sene a long prolonged lyfe
140 Turneth good renowne into payne and stryfe
And certenly he was no lesse in fame and myght
But as Bacus and great Alcides by ryght
Or as to Thebus the good Impaminunda was
Among the other nobly he dyd there pas
And after this great and worthy myghty man
I sawe folowing among the other than
Hym that in his yonge flowryng age
Had great lawde and prayse for his vassalage
And euen asmuch as thys ferse champion
150 Was terrible and cruell in his naturall regyon
He that folowed hym was as merciable
I know noo Duke to be more commendable
There went in ordre after by and by
He that wyth hys wysdome sapiently
The noble [V]olumines he was there in the prese
Hys lawde is praysed and shall neuer sease
Cosso was there Philon and Rutilio
And the hardy captayne Lucio Dentato
With Marco, Sergio and Sceua the bolde
160 In armys as lyghtnyng one myght them behold
Their harnes broke[n] their shelde in twenty places
Persyde thorowe with swordes dartes & mases
The last of them that there was in dede
With no lytle fame the rest dyd succede
And after these noble men afore rehearsed
Dyd folowe ferse Marius which reuersyd
Iugurta of Numedy the myghty kyng
And the Cymbers that with them dyd brynge
The Almaynes in fury and in rage
170 Thys Marius dyd their great myght asswage
There went by the Marius by and by
Fuluius [Flaccus], that with witty polecy
Destroyed those that at Rome dyd rebell
But he that folowed dyd farre passyng exell
It was Fuluio so was his very name
Well worthy among other to folowe fame
There was also one Romayne named Graccus
[That] had among [that] people much matter contrariouse
To his ruyne at the last in Rome towne
180 There was he thys knyght of high renowne
And he also that much fortunate semyde
Though by me he cannot so be demyde
Was there and after hym there came
The two worthy Marcelles in ordre than
That kept all close in theyr hartes I say
Theyr secretes they went aboute alway
These two had great prayse in Numyddia
In Macedon also and in the Yle of Creta
And in lyke maner in the Realme of Spayne
190 Three vallyaunt famouse Knyghtes for certayne
And I sawe also euen at that tyde
The good Vespacian and by his famouse syde
His eldest sonne but not his cruell brother
He was not worthy to be amonge the other
And so folowed after in good ordre than
Narva the auncient and gentle Traian
Helio and Adrian and the mercifull Antonius
With fayre succession vnto Macronius
That were no more couetouse of croune imperial
200 Then desirous for to lyue in vertuous naturall
And whiles that I thus loked all aboute
I sawe fyue Kynges amonges that rowte
The syxte an euyll happe dyd hym take
As one that foloweth vice & vertue doth forsake.
The Seconde Chapiter of Fame
Full of greate and infynyte maruayle
I stode beholding these noble Romaynes well
Whiche of al other hadde neuer no peere
And as I reuolued their famous actes cleere
Which I haue sene in bookes wrytten and tolde
More was there of them dyuers and manyfolde
Then I haue here in this place set in by name.
Therfore I now for this tyme passe the same
To loke vpon straungers vertuous and excelle[n]t
10 The fyrst was Hannybal that in ordre went
The next was he that syngyng made his men
To haue the vyctory, and there folowed then
Achylles the Greke, that in his hauynge dayes
Gate by his prowes a great laude and prayse
Twayne noble worthy Troyans were there also
And twayne hardy Persiens in ordre ther did go
Philip of Macedon, and his sonne Alexander
That dyd bryng downe [the] Persiens great power
Vnto subiection, as in olde bookes we fynde
20 And conquered thervnto al the regyon of Inde
After noble fame they passed in that place
And another named Alexander folowed apace
Not farre from the tother that went before
But O fortune howe doest thou euermore
Dyuyde those that in the put theyr truste
From true honoure thou arte so vnivste
There ensued in ordre there by and by
The gloryouse captayne valyaunt and worthy
Of Thebes that ryall Citie of hygh renowne
30 There was also he that had the famous crowne
And twayne Achilles, and the wyse Vlixes
And the hardy valiaunt greke Dyomedes
Nestor the sage that lyued so many yeares
There was the olde kynge amonge his peeres
Agamenon the great and the kynge Menelaus
That both their two wyues to v[n] gracious
Muche hurt vnto the hole worlde dyd they
Folowed hardy Leonydes that purposed I saye
To his men a harde Dyner, but hardyest of all
40 Was the supper whereto he dyd them call
With a fewe men he dyd a meruelouse dede
Amonge the other there this captayne yede
There was also the fayre knyght Alcibiades
That dyd straunge & great wonders in Athenes
With his fayre eloquent speche and fayre face
Amonge the rest he was there in that place
Melciedes was next that made all Grece free
His sonne folowed the example of pytye
That alyue and dead his father dyd ensue
50 That among the other in preace there I knewe
The[mistocles] and the valyaunt Theseus
Arystides and the good faythfull Fabricius
Whiche theyr vnkynde countrey I do saye
Woulde not suffre theyr bodyes to lye in claye
Alas this was a foule and an vnkynde dede
So to reward them for theyr well doynge mede
The good Phocion folowed whom I did regard
For his good dedes they gaue hym lyke rewarde
And as I turned here and there my syght
60 I sawe Pyrrus that noble warlyke knyght
And the good gentle kynge Masinises
That semed angry because that doubtles
Amonge the Romaynes that he was not set
With hym I knewe Iero of Syracuse the greate
And cruell Amylcar deuyded from these twayne
It was he that yssued from the fyre and rayne
A manyfest token that nether helme nor shi
elde
Agaynst false fortune can neuer wynne the fyelde
There was Sciphas much after that rate and sorte
70 and Brennius for all his great pryde and porte
That was cast downe by Apollos temple syde
after the other in ordre there he hyde
In dyuers straunge garmentes and araye
Went this tryumphe onwarde on theyr waye
And I that chaunced to cast my loke asyde
I sawe a great huge number go and ryde
amonge them one that would Gods temple make
and he fyrst began it for his loue and sake
This was the fyrst I saye in all that rowte
80 But he that fynyshed that worke out of doubte
That holy buyldyng of whiche that I do meane
Was not inwarde so vertuouse nor so cleane
as the fyrst good kynge wheron I do saye
Nowe he that folowed him in that greate arraye
Was he that spake to God face to face
There was few or none that euer had such grace
And after hym in lyke order by and by
Came he that stayde the Sonne so wonderly
Tyll he his enemies had taken and slayne
90 O gentle trust most sure and certayne
In servynge God as dyd this noble knyght
With symple worde to stay the heauenly lyght,
I sawe after hym where that there went
Our olde father whiche for good entent
God badde he shoulde his lande forsake
And he for that shoulde possesse and take
The place that was helthfull to all mankynde
Electe of God there dyd he that countre fynde
Folowed after this father his sonne moost dere
100 And his welbeloued neuew also he was there
Whiche had the yoke in hauynge wyues two
There was with hym the chast Joseph also
That from his father went full many a daye
Thus here and there castynge myne eyes alwaye
I sawe the iuste and good kynge Ezechias
And Sampson that so stronge and myghtye was
And not farre distaunt from hym there went he
That made the great wonderfull shyppe of Noe
And he also that the great hygh towre began
110 Charged with synne and with errour than
The good valyaunt Iudas that noble knyght
He there folowed after in ordre ryght
That would not his holy godly lawe forsake
Alas he for Justice the death dyd take
My desyre with seyng all these noble men
Was well nere fully satisfyed there and then
When that sodenly I dyd there espye
Of worthy ladyes a more gorgeous company
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