translate GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO’s De casibus virorum illus-
trium from Laurent de Premierfait’s French rendition.
The FALL OF PRINCES, completed in 1438, is Lydgate’s
lengthiest work at 36,365 lines and expands Boccac-
cio’s compilation of historical fi gures oppressed by
misfortune into a universal history and encyclopedia of
mythology. During this period, Lydgate also com-
posed, among other works, the Lives of St. Edmund and
St. Fremund (1434) and the Debate of the Horse, Goose
and Sheep (ca. 1436). Among Lydgate’s last signifi cant
compositions are Lives of St. Albon and St. Amphabell
(1439), Testament of Dan John Lydgate (ca. 1440–49),
and Secrees of old Philisoffres (ca. 1449), unfi nished at
the time of his death.
Aside from his prolifi c poetic output, Lydgate is
also well known for his aureate poetic language (see
AUREATION) as well as his contributions to the devel-
opment of the English vocabulary through the intro-
duction of new words and repeated use of rare ones.
Finally, Lydgate’s deference to Chaucer (his poetic
“master”) and his persistent eulogizing helped cement
Chaucer’s poetic reputation in the 15th century and
beyond.
FURTHER READING
Pearsall, Derek. John Lydgate (1371–1449): A Bio-bibliogra-
phy. Victoria, B.C.: English Literary Studies, 1997.
———. John Lydgate. Charlottesville: University Press of
Virginia, 1970.
Schirmer, Walter F. John Lydgate: A Study in the Culture
of the 15th Century. Translated by Anne Keep. London:
Methuen and Company, 1961.
Brandon Alakas258 LYDGATE, JOHN