infamye is it to you that the people and folke of euery other citie haue reigning ouer them kings noble men and vertuous and they be crowned by election for their vertuous déedes ye be different from them and all of another nature A Tyrant is your king a murtherer an vniust man a sinner worthy of infamous death and vnworthy for to be left aliue vppon the earth Consider yea consider vnder whose hand ye be and how nighe ye finde your selfe in maladye and perill of death When the head aketh all the other members suffer payne then ye may not be whole and sound What shall we now doo thinke ye and councell ye vs we come to you for refuge and to demaunde you how we ought to do and behaue vs against one that is so foule a king as is Lycaon Tell vs the very truth If ye confesse the truthe and that ye be louers of reason iustice and of equitie ye shall iudge and condemne him ye shall lay your handes and puissances in correction of him and so ye shal be râ—â— of his malice Anon as the Pelagiens vnderstoode of Iupiter that Lycaon their king had committed this vilanous crime also that he had presented to the Epiriens the body of their fréend so dead they being at table they condemned his sinne and murmured against him saying that they would no more be gouerned and norished vnder the rodde of so peruerse and infamous a tirant and said to the Epiriens that they would abide by them and stand theyr fréendes With these wordes Iupiter put himselfe among the Epiriens and by his hardinesse admonished them to conspire against their king With which conspiracion accorded all they of the Citie And the wordes of Iupiter were so agréeable to them and his maners that they put in his hande the death and destruction of their king Licaon And to the ende that he should trust and haue affiance in them they sent for their armes and habillementes of warre and armed them After they assembled aboute Iupiter and said to him that he should be their captaine and their conducter to achieue this sayde worke Iupiter being ioyous of so great an honour and woorship excused himselfe But his excusations had no place the Epiriens and the Pelagiens ordeyned and constituted him head ouer them And he being constituted in his dignitie set his people in order and after did them to marche toward the pallace They had not long gone on the way when they sawe King Lacaon issue out of his pallace with great company of his fréendes all armed as they that had bin aduertised of the sayd conspiratioÌ„ made against Lycaon and féeling that his enemies came for to assaile him for to shewe himselfe a man of fierce courage came against them wéening presumtuouslie for to haue ouercome them And anon as they began to approche they challenged ech other to the death without other councel And strongly moued they assembled to a battayle that was right meruailous sharpe Lycaon did set and lead his people in order against Iupiter They medled them hastely togither with little strife of wordes and with great strife of armour and strokes The strife cost much but in especiall to Lycaon for his people were lesse in puissance and myght then the men of Iupiter which were stronge and of greate enterprise so they fought and smote vpon the Pelagiens and caste them downe nowe héere nowe there so fiercelye and so vnmeasurablye that none might abyde that was there before them Amonge all other Iupiter did woonders and meruailes by his well doing he put Lychaon in a passing great distresse and noyance And in this great anoye he pursued passing fast for to haue come runne vpon him But when the false tyrant sawe him come and he sawe that Iupiter set his strokes so mightely that all them that he raught were smitten down to the earth and coÌ„founded then all his heart began to fayle him and went on the other side and he had not long abidden there when that Iupiter had vanquished and ouerthrowen the Pelagiens and made them to flée from the place before him like as it had bin the thunder of tempest In this maner when Lichaon sawe his complices and fellowship in such extremitie he fled himself not as a king but as a poore man out of comfort and hope so desolate as he durst take none of his complices with him to helpe him away nor to comfort him He doubted Iupiter as the death he so flying away as is said durst not enter his pallace but issued out of the citie and went vnto a great Forrest that was nighe by and from thence foorth he was a brygand and a théefe and for this cause the poets fayne that he was turned into a wolfe that is to saye he liued as a wolfe of praies and roberies Albeit to confirme this mutacion Leoncius rehearseth that Lichaon so flying as saide is fearing to be sued after of Iupiter to be put to death put himself in a riuer or a great lake and there saued himselfe where féeling that the water of that riuer had a singular propertie that is to wit that the men that putte themselues in that water should be turned into wolues for the terme of nine yeares and the nine yeares expired if they would put themselues in the water after that againe they should recouer againe their first likenesse And so it might well be doone for Lichaon put himselfe into the water and was transformed to a wolfe by space aboue saide and liued of theft and pillage in the woods and forrests wayting oft times how the Pelagiens gouerned themselues and in the end when he had accomplished his penaunce he returned into the riuer and tooke againe his mans forme and knowing that the citie of Pelage might neuer be recouered he returned poore and wretched vnto his father Titan of whom I will say a little and shall tell how Iupiter began to be amorous on Calisto daughter of the sayd Lycaon c. CHAP. VII ¶ How Iupiter after the discomsiture of King Lycaon transformed himselfe into shape of a religious woman waiting on the goddesse Diana for the loue of Calisto daughter of the said Lycaon and did with her his will AFter the discomfiture of King Lycaon which was transformed into shape of a wolfe and began to be a rauishour of the substance of men of the countrey eater of their children and murderer of wilde beastes that he oft times assayled by rage of hunger which constrained him to cherish and kéepe his miserable life when the Epiriens saw that Iupiter had vanquished their enimies and that he abode mayster in the place they brought him with great ioye and glorye to the Pallace and sought long Lycaon first in the place where the battayle had bin and after that in the chambers of the Pallace but they founde him not quicke nor dead nor coulde heare no tidings of him And it happened that as Iupiter sought him thus
the cittie Theseus that abode and taryed at this gate as is sayd greatly reioyced when he sawe Hercules come againe with Proserpina he arose and went against them and saluted the ladye and presented to Hercules a chayne of a diamond yron that he had founde at the gate and many prysoners bounde that Cerberus had bound withall Hercules vnbounde the prysoners and tooke the Chayne and bound Cerberus with all And when hee had buryed Pyrothus he departed from this hell and tooke his waye with Proserpina Theseus and Cerberus and without great adoo for to speake of made so his iourney that hee arriued there in Thessalonica and deliuered Proserpina to the quéene Ceres and to Hypodamia he presented Cerberus rehearsing to her and the Ladyes how he had slain Pyrothus Hypodamia had so great sorow for the death of Pyrothus that for to recount and tell it is not possible All they of Thessalie likewise made great mourning and sorrowe and sore bewayled their lord What shall I say for to reuenge his death Hypodamia did cause to binde Cerberus to a stake in the theater of the Cittie and there young and olde tormented and vexed him thrée dayes long continually drawing him by the bearde and spitting at him in the vysage and after slew him inhumainly and horriblye And then when Hercules and Theseus Ceres and Proserpina had taryed there a certayne space of time in comforting Hypodamia they tooke leaue togither and Hercules went accompanyed with Theseus towarde the cittie of Thebes But of him I wil now leaue talke and wil come to speake of the aduentures of Lyncus CHAP. VII ¶ How Andromeda deliuered Lycaon from his enimies and how he slew in battaile the king Creon and tooke the citie of Thebes c. WHen Philotes hadde receyued into his guard and kéeping Lyncus and Hercules was gone to the succours of Theseus and Pyrothus as before is sayd the mariners tooke theyr ship and went to the sea and sayled all that day with-out finding of any aduēture But on the morrow betime in the morning fortune that alwaye turneth without anye resting brought to them a great shippe that drewe his course vnto the same place that they came from Of this shippe or galley was Captayne and chéefe Andromedas King of Calcide This Andromedas was Cousen vnto Lyncus When he hadde espyed the shippe where Lyncus was in he made to rowe his gallie abroade and said that he would know what people were therein In approching the ship of Thebes Lincus beheld the gallie of Andromeda and knew it by the signes and flags that it bare In this knowledge Andromeda spake and demanded of the marriners to whom the shippe belonged Anon as Lincus saw and heard Andromeda hée brake the answere of the marriners and cryed to him all on high Andromeda lo héere thy friend Lincus If thou giue me no succour and helpe thou maist loose a great friend in me for I am a prisoner and Hercules hath sent me into Thebes Andromeda hearing Lincus had great anger for he loued well Lincus and called to them that brought him and said to them that they were all come vnto their death And also that they were vnder his ward Philotes and his folke were furnished with their armes and harnesse and made them all readie for to defend themselues and with little talke they of Calcide assayled Philotes and Philotes and his folke employed them at their defence The battaile was great and hard but the ill fortune and mishappe turned in such wise vppon the fellowes of Philotes that they were all slaine and dead Andromeda had two hundred men in his companie all robbers and théeues on the sea These théeues and robbers smote hard and fiercely vppon Philotes and all to hewed his armes striking and giuing to him many wounds and hée buried manie of them in the sea But their strong resistance profited them but little for in the ende he was taken and bound and Lincus was deliuered and vnbound from the bonds of Hercules Lincus had great ioy of his deliuerance he then thanked his good friend Andromeda After this he tolde him how he was taken and how Hercules had dissipated and destroyed the Centaures And among other he named many of his friends that were dead whereof Andromeda had so great ire and such displeasure that he sware incontinently that he would auenge it And that as Hercules had slaine his friend in like wise he would destroy his cousins and kinsmen Lincus tooke great pleasure to vnderstand the oath of Andromeda which would auenge the death of his kinsmen He said to him that Hercules was gone into hell And after demanded him how he would auenge him vpon the friends of Hercules and thereupon they were long thinking In the end when they had long taken aduice Andromeda concluded that hée would go assaile the Cittie of Thebes and if hée might gette it by assault hee would slea the king Creon and all them of his bloud With this conclusion came thither all the gallies of Andromeda which followed in whom he had eight thousand fighting men Andromeda made them to returne toward Thebes and as hastily as hee might hee entred into the Realme wasting and destroying the countrey by fire and by sword so terribly that the tidings came vnto the king Creon When the king Creon knewe the comming of the King Andromeda and that without defiance he made him warre he sounded to armes and assembled a great companie and knowing that Andromeda was come into a certaine place hee issued out of Thebes all armed and brought his people vpon his enemies that had great ioy of of their comming And then they sette them in order against them in such wise that they came to smiting of strokes The crie and noyse was great on both sides speares swords darts guisarmes arrowes and polaxes were put forth and sette a worke Many Nobles were were beaten downe and dead Lincus and Andromeda fought mortally the King Creon and Amphitrion fayled not there was bloud aboundance shed on the one side and on the other And the battaile was so cruell and sharpe then that in little while after Andromeda and his people gatte and wanne vppon them of Thebes and constrained them to retire and for to go backe whereof the king Creon had right great sorrow and wéening for to haue put his men againe in aray put himselfe in the greatest prease of the battaile where he fought mortally and made so great a slaughter and beating downe of his enemies that Lincus and Andromeda heard of the skirmish and then they came togither And as Lincus sawe the king Creon do maruailes of armes hee gaue him thrée strokes one after another and with the fourth stroke he all to brake his helme from his head and slew him whereof they of Thebes were sore afraide and disparred so that they were put to discomfiture and fled which flying Amphitrion might not remedie albeit that he was strong and of great courage
seekest in this forrest Hercules answered what art thou Diomedes saide I am the king of Thrace thou art entered into my Dominion without my leaue it displeaseth me and thou must be my prisoner wherefore yeeld thée to mée Hercules said then king since thou art Diomedes the king of Thrace thou art vndoubtedly the tyrant that I séeke And therefore I am not of purpose to yeeld mée without stroke smiting and especially to an euill théefe Know thou that I will defend me with this club with which I haue béen accustomed to destroy monsters and am in hope this day to make thy horses eate and deuour thy body like as thou hast taught and vsed them to eate thy prisoners When Diomedes heard the answere of Hercules hee tooke a great axe that one of his theeues bare after him and he lifted it vp threatning Hercules vnto the death and discharged so hard that if Hercules had not turned the stroke with his club he had béen in great perill Diomedes was of the greatnesse and stature of Hercules and had aboundance of strength and puissance When Hercules had receiued the stroke he lifted vp his club failed not to smite Diomedes for he gaue him such a stroke vpon the stomacke and so heauy that hee turned him vpside down from his horse and laid him all astonied in the field Then his hundred theeues bestirred them and assailed Hercules on all sides Some of them there were that recouered Diomedes set him on his horse the other shot at Hercules some brake their swordes on him All this impaired nothing the armes of Hercules His halberd and his helme were of fine stéele forged tempered hard He stood there among them like a mountaine When hée had suffered the first skirmishe and assault of the théeues for to shew to them with whom they fought he set vppon them and smote down right on all sides with such valor that sodainly he made the péeces of them flie into the wood and smote them down from their horses Diomedes was at that time risen and with great furie and discontentednesse with many of his complices came vnto the reskewe of his théeues whom Hercules vsed as he would And whiles that some assailed him before he came behind and smote him with his axe vpon his helme the stroke wherof was so great that the fire sprang out Diomedes had well thought to haue murdered Hercules yet Hercules mooued not for the stroke but a little bowed his head After this then he lift vp his clubbe and smote among the theeues and maugre them all in lesse then an houre he had so belaboured the yron about their backs that of the hundred hee slew sixty and the other hee al to brused and frushed and put to flight with Diomedes But Hercules running more swiftly then an horse among all other pursued Diomedes so nigh that hee raught him by the legge and pulled him downe from his horse and cast him downe against a tree vnto the earth After hee tooke him by the body and by maine force bare him vnto the place where the battaile had béen There he dishelmed him and vnarmed him with little resistance For Diomedes was then all to bruised and might not helpe himselfe and when he hadde him thus at his will hee bound him by the feete and by the handes After this hee assembled togither twentie horses of the théeues that ran dispersed in the wood and came to Diomedes and saide to him O thou cursed enemy that hast emploied all thy time in tyrannie and diddest neuer one good déed but all thy daies hast liued in multiplying of sinnes and vices and hast trobled the people by thefts praies irreparable and that hast nourished thy horses with mans flesh by this crueltie hadst supposed to haue made me to die Certes I will doe iustice vpon thée and will doe to thine euill person like as thou wouldest haue done to mine Then Hercules laid the tyrant in the middest of the horses which had great hunger and they anon deuoured him for they loued mans flesh And thus when Hercules had put the tyrant to death hee tooke his armes in signe of victory and returned vnto Phylotes that abode him Philotes hadde great ioy when hee sawe Hercules returne he enquired of him how he had done and howe hee had borne him And Hercules hid nor concealed nothing from him What shall I say with great ioy and gladnesse they returned vnto the Greekes and did cause to disancre their shippes and sailed for to arriue at the port or hauen of Thrace Then would Hercules make to bee known published in Thrace the death of king Diomedes Whereat was a great vproare This notwithstanding Hercules tooke to Philotes the armes of Diomedes and sent him into the citie for to summon them that gouerned it and for to yeeld it into his handes Philotes went into the pallace of Thrace and made to bee assembled them that then were principall in the Citie When they were assembled Phylotes did then open to them his charge and message and summoned the Thraciens that they shoulde deliuer their citie into the handes of Hercules Saying that Hercules was he that had put to death Diomedes for his euill liuing and for the loue of the common weale and that the citie could do no better but to receiue him at his comming for hée woulde not pill it but hee would only bring it to good pollicie When he had done this summons to the end that they should beleeue him he discouered and shewed vnto them the armes of Diomedes When the Thraciens heard Phylotes and sawe the armes of Diomedes some of the complices and companions of Diomedes and theeues were full of great rage and would haue taken the armes from Phylotes The other that were wise and notable men that many yeres had desired the end of their king seeing his armes knew assuredly that Diomedes was dead and full of ioy aunswered to Philotes Forasmuch as Hercules was a king of great renowne and wisedome and that he had done a worke of great merite in the death of Diomedes they would receiue him with good hart into the citie Without long discourses the Thraciens went vnto the gate and opened it Phylotes returned then vnto Hercules and tolde vnto him these tidinges Hercules and the Gréekes went out of their Gallies and entered into Thrace in space of time The Thraciens brought them vnto the pallace where were yet many theeues Hercules put all the theeues to death not in the same night but during the space of ten daies that he soiourned there He set the citie in good nature of pollicie He deliuered it from the euill théeues hee made iudges by election at the pleasure of the people And then when hee hadde done all these thinges hee departed from Thrace with great thanks as well of the old as of the yong Hée mounted vppon the Sea and after by succession of time without any aduenture to
the aire that was before verie cleere and faire beganne to waxe troublous and thicke and there beganne a right great tempest in the sea of winde of raine and of thunder insomuch that there was none so hardie but he had feare and we end to haue died for their shippes were cast by the sea the one here and the other there and they supposed none other for certaine but to haue béen drowned Then said Calcas to them that were with him that the cause of the tempest was forasmuch as Diana their Goddesse was wroth and angry against them because they departed from Athens and made to her no sacrifice and for to appease this wrath it behooued that the king Agamemnon sacrifice to her with his owne hand Iphiginie his daughter a young virgine and tender of age and that otherwise the tempest shoulde neuer ceasse And for to speed this sacrifice hée counselled to turne the nauy and to apply it to the I le of Andill where the temple of the Goddesse Diana was c. When the king Agamemnon vnderstoode this thing hée was all greeued and passing sorrowfull in his minde for he loued his daughter Iphigenie with great loue and on the other side hée was praied and required of all the other kinges and princes of Greece that hee woulde make no delay to this that was so great a matter or to withstand the sacrifice wherefore hee was vanquished by the saide Princes and for the loue of his countrey hee tooke his saide daughter Iphigenie and in the presence of great kinges and princes sacrificed her vnto the goddesse Diana and anon the tempest ceassed and the aire became neate and cléere and the sea well quieted and in tranquilitie and peace And then hee went againe into his ship and all the other in like maner drewe vppe their sailes and sailed before the winde so farre that they arriued at a port of the realme of Troy nigh vnto a Castell called Sarrabana Dares putteth not downe determinately what was the cause wherfore King the Agamemnon made his Sacrifice vnto Diana But Ouid in the twelfth booke of Methamorphose saith that it was Iphigenie his daughter as aboue is said And when they of the castle sawe the great Nauie at their porte they armed them and came vnto the porte weening to defend their land against the Gréekes and assailed them that then were come a land that were yet weary of the trauaile of the Sea But the Greekes issued anon out of their shippes in great plenty all armed and slew them and chased them vnto their Castle and killed them with flying and entered into the Castle with them and there put them all to death and tooke the booties and after beate downe the castle vnto the earth and then reentered into their ships againe and sailed so farre that they arriued at the port of Tenedon and there then they ancred their ships c. At this port was a passing strong Castle well peopled and full of great riches and was three mile from Troy When they of the castle saw the Greekes they ranne to armes and furnished their castle with good fighters and the other issued out and came vnto the porte where they found the Greeks that were then issued out of their ships all armed and great plentie and took all that they could finde Thus beganne the battaile betweene them right fierce and mortall and there were enough slain dead of both partes and manie mo of the Greekes then of the Troians But as soone as the great strength of the Greekes were landed the Troyans might no longer suffer nor abide but put them to flight some to the castle and the other fled vnto Troy Then the Greekes bestirred them and belaid the castle round about and assailed it on both sides and they within defended it passing well vpon the walles and slewe many by shotte and by Engines but the Greekes dressed their engines all about the castle and set their ladders vnto the walles and went vpon all sides and they within defended them valiauntly and made them fall down in their ditches some dead and some hurt But the Greekes that were so great in number sent alway new folke to the assault whereof they within were so wearie that they retired and went backe from their defence and then the Greekes entered by force into the castle and there slewe all them that they found without sparing of man or woman and tooke and pilled al that they found that was good and after beate downe the castle and the houses vnto the earth and put in the fire and burnt all vp And after they reentred into their shippes ioyous of their gaine that they had gotten in the Castle CHAP. VIII ¶ Howe the Greekes did send Diomedes and Vlisses vnto the king Priamus for to haue againe Helene and the prisoners and the aunswere that they hadde WHen the Greekes had destroied and beaten downe thus the Castle and edifices of Tenedon and of Sarrabana and that they refreshed them in the medow of Tenedon then Agamemnon that hadde the charge of all the hoste and to conduct it well as a good captaine ought to doe commaunded that al the bootie and gain of these two castles should be brought forth And so it was done anon as he had commaunded and he as a wise king distributed the gaine to each man after his desert and qualitie And after did cause to cry in all the hoste that all the noble men of the hoste should assemble them on the plaine of Tenedon before the king Agamemnon and when they were all come the king Agamemnon spake and said in this maner My friends and fellowes that be here now assembled for so iust a cause as each of you knoweth and in so great puissance that there is and shall be tidinges thereof in all the worlde yet how strong that the puissance bée that it please the Gods that it be without pride and felonie for it is so that of the sinne of pride grow all other vices and that the gods resist and withstand the insolent and proud people And therefore we ought to put away pride from our workes and in especiall in this worke here now and vse the right way of iustice to the end that no man may reprehend vs nor blame Ye know well that we be come thus farre for to take vengeance of the iniuries and the wronges that the king Priamus hath done to vs and we haue done to him now great hurt and damage Ye may well know for trueth that they haue assembled in the city of Troy great power for to defend them against vs and also the Citie is passing great and strong and ye know well that they be vpon their proper heritage that is a thing that doubleth their force and strength For ye may take example of the Crowe that otherwhile defendeth well her nest against the fawcon I say not these thinges for any doubt that I haue but that we shall
the Greekes Then they tooke her by force and lead her into an I le and there they stoned her to death And thus 〈◊〉 queene Hector ended and finished her life and the Gréekes made for her a noble sepulture and put her body therein and hiâ— Sepulture appeareth yet in the same I le vnto this day c. CHAP. XXVII ¶ Of the dissention that was mooued because of the Palladium betweene Thelamon and Vlisses and howe Eneas and Anthenor were exiled out of Troy and how the Greekes returned and of their aduentures WHiles that the Greekes soiourned yet at Troy and might not depart for the great tempest after that they had destroied all the Citie and taken all that they found that was good the king Thelamon made his quarrell before the king Agamemnon for the Palladium that Vlisses had saying that hee had not so well deserued it as he had done that had so many times succoured the hoste with vittaile and also had defended it by his great prowesse whereas the Host of the Greekes had beene in daunger to haue beene lost had not he béene and saide that hee had slaine the king Polimnestor to whome the king Priamus had put Polidorus his sonne and after had slaine the same Polidorus and had brought a great treasour hee found vnto the hoste of the Greekes And also he had slaine the king of Frigie and brought his goodes into the hoste and alledged then that hee had gotten many realmes to the seignorie of Greece and other many valiances that hee had done to the honour of the Greekes and said moreouer that Vlisses had in him no prowesse nor valiance but only subtiltie and faire speaking for to deceiue men and by him haue we gotten to vs great shame that where wee might haue vanquished the Troyans by armes nowe wee haue vanquished them by deceipte and falshood To these wordes answered Vlisses and saide that by his valiance and by his wit the Troyans were vanquished and if he had not bin the Troyans had béen yet in state and in glory in the Cittie And after said to Thelamon certes the Palladium was neuer conquered by your prowesse but by my wit and the Greekes wist not what it was nor of what vertue it is vntill I did them to knowe thereof first by the diligence that I did vse thereto and when I knew that the Citie of Troy might not be taken as long as it was in the same I went secretly into the citie and did so much that it was deliuered vnto me and after we tooke the citie To this answered Thelamon iniuriously and Vlisses to him in like manner insomuch that they became mortall ennemies each to other and Thelamon menaâ—ed Vlisses to the death openly And yet after that this matter was well discussed Agamemnon and Menelaus iudged that the Palladium shoulde abide and tarry with Vlisses and some sayde that they did likewise make this iudgement forasmuch as Vlisses by his faire speaking had saued from death Helene that Thelamon and other would haue had dead And with this iudgement they might not be content for the most greatest part of the hoste said that Thelamon ought better to haue the Palladium then Vlisses and therefore Thelamon spake to Agamemnon and Menelaus in many iniurious wordes and sayd vnto them that he would be their mortall enemy from thenceforth on For this cause Agamemnon Menelaus and Vlisses helde themselues all three neere together and had alway after with them a very great number and marueilous multitude of most valiant knightes Then it came to passe that on the morrow after earely in the morning that Thelamon was founde slaine in his bedde and had wounds in many places of his body whereof rose a verie great crie in the hoste and they made great sorrowe and gaue all the blame vnto three kings before rehearsed Pirrus that loued excéedingly the king Thelamon sayde many iniurious words to Vlisses and to the other Then Vlisses doubted and the next night following he and his men entered into their shippes secretly and went to the sea for to returne homewarde and left with Diomedes his friend the Palladium Pirrus did cause to burne the body of Thelamon and put the ashes in a rich vessell of golde for to beare with him into his countrey to burie it honourably The hate was great betwéene Pirrus and the king Agamemnon and his brother but Anthenor made the peace and after on a day gaue a dinner vnto all the nobles of Gréece did serue them with many meats and gaue to them faire gifts c. Among these things the Gréekes reproched Eneas that he had falsified his othe in that that he had hid Polixene and for this cause they banished him out of Troy for euer And when Eneas saw that he might not abide there hee prayed them earnestly that they would accord and agree that hee might haue the two and twentie shippes that Paris had with him into Gréece and they graunted to him his request and gaue vnto him foure monethes space for to repaire them and furnish them of all such necessaries that they lacked Anthenor departed after from Troy with his good will and led with him a great number of Troyans but the history telleth not whither he would go Eneas greately hated Anthenor forsomuch as by him hee was banished out of Troy and was in great sorrow because Anthenor was not as well banished as he And for this cause Eneas assembled all the Troyans and saide to them my friendes and my brethren since that Fortune hath put vs in the state wherein we be we may not liue without a head and gouernour and if ye will doe by counsell ye shall choose Anthenor and make him your king for he is wise enough to gouerne you This counsell séemed good to the Troyans and they sent after Anthenor that returned anone vnto them and as soone as he was come Eneas assembled a great number of people for to runne vpon him as he that was most mighty in Troy Then the Troyans prayed him that he would cease since that the warre was finished and that he would not beginne it againe How saide Eneas shoulde wee spare one so hainous a traitour that by his great villany hath caused Polixene the faire daughter of king Priamus to die and by him I am banished out of Troy that should haue counselled and holpen you and now I must néedes leaue you Eneas saide so much to the Troyans that they bannished Anthenor for euer out of Troy and constrained him anone to goe his way out of the towne c. Anthenor entred into the sea with a great company of Troyans and sailed so farre that he fell among men of war and pirates of the sea who ranne vpon him and slew many of his men and hurt and robbed and pilled of his ships and in the end Anthenor escaped from them and sailed so farre that he arriued in a Prouince named Gerbandy wherof the king
from chamber to chamber he found in the highest tower the daughter of the king Lycaon named Calisto which was passing fayre yong and fresh of colour The damosel bewept right sorowfully the lesse of her father which she had al newlye vnderstood When Iupiter saw her so desolate and discomforted he set him downe by her and said Damosel comfort your selfe and speake to mee and cease your wéeping Alas sir sayde the Damosell howe should I recomfort my life The Epiriens haue slaine the king my father Ought I to take consolation in his ruine Ought I not to be angrie ought mine heart to be without sorrow my stomake without sighs and mine eyes without wéeping An hundred thousand infortunes trauerse my bodie and trouble me And I sée me so poore a gentle Damosell daughter of a king that I desire more death then life and am more in wanhope then in hope When Iupiter knewe by the wordes of this Damomosell that shée was Daughter of King Licaon hée had more great pittie of her then hee had before for as much as she was Daughter to the king and saide to her Damosel appease your heart I wote well that it is of force that nature acquite himselfe but yée ought to consider the inordinate workes of your Father which yée are bound to bewaile Hee was a lesse reasonable man then a king ought to be Hee is not dead he hath put himselfe in some place secret to saue himselfe his sinnes were too infamous and who shall bewaile and sorrow him The Gods and Fortune haue suffered the ouerthrowe and casting downe of his pride and of his tyrannie It is a right other wise thing that ye take it haue patience in his righteous aduersitie For his demerites giue you cause to take patience where as nature enclineth you to vnpatience and yet ye ought not to bee vnpatient for his reprehension and casting downe For it is so that the losse of a tyrant turneth all a Countrey to ioy O then comfort your selfe Damosell The outragious sinnes nor the vnmanly furours of your Father nor his shamefull deedes shall nothing be hurtfull vnto you nor turne to your preiudice no man shall mislay nor do to you nor touch you in any maner of wise I assure you certainly Syr answered the maide I thanke you of your courtesies and of the faire wordes which ye proâ—er and say vnto mee I wote well that my pouertie hath made mee indigne and vnworthie but since I sée that the infortune of my father is irreuocable and that his infelicitie is past remedie I renounce the world and pray you that it please you to intreate for mee vnto the Epiriens that I might go yéeld my selfe into the religion of dame Diana the noble Virgin Daughter of the wise Iupiter sometime king of Attique and borne in this land Wherevppon ought to bee remembred that right anciently issued out of Pelage a wise noble man named Iupiter of whome Boccace maketh mention in the first booke of the genealogie of Goddes which Iupiter was King of Attique who for as muche as hee induced the people to honest lawes and did first ordaine and halowe marriage For before that time the Atticiens married them not but vsed women in common and of this Iupiter came a Daughter named Diana the which willing to abide in the state of virginitie made a cloyster in the Woods of Archadie where shee assembled many Virgins that passed their time with hunting and chasing the wilde beastes For to turne to our purpose this noble Virgin Diana liued the same time of the subuersion of the reigne of Lichaon When Iupiter vnderstoode of Calisto that she would yéeld her selfe with the Virgins he behelde her and saide vnto her and howe Damosell be yee so despayred for a little tribulation that toucheth not your person ye bée young and faire among none oâ— you that so go into Religion may growe no fruite of children Aduise you well It were better that yee abode among the worldly people that replenish the world Many women and also men enter into Religion in their youth and repent them in their age Syr sayde Calisto tempt me no more If there be any gentlenes in you receiue the praier and request of one so desolate and infortunate gentlewoman more desirous of the health of my soule then of temporall pleasures During these deuises Iupiter behelde without ceasing this damosel and could not enough complayne her beautie for as much as she would into religion with great paine when he had heard her answers and had séene how swéetely she had taken it and woulde not be turned from her will he said to her that her request shoulde bée accomplished Then he called the Epiriens and required them that they would be content to suffer this virgin to enter into religion What shall I say The Epiriens put the request in the will of Iupiter and Iupiter did so much that shée was conducted and led into the religion of virgins After he searched all the Pallace of King Lycaon and made the Epiriens to seise his richesse And there Iupiter abode a certayne time with so great worship that the Pelagiens and the Epiriens would haue crowned him to be their king But he would neuer consent thereto as he that considered ouer his young age and the variations of fortune and sayd that it auayleth more to a man and is to him more sure to be made king in his old age then in his youth for the diuers perils that may fall Alway he accorded that he would be Captayne of the realme and was a man of great iustice swéete and curteous vnto al maner of people c. This was the first comming vp of this noble Childe When he had brought in subiection to his pleasance the Pelagiens he buried the Epirien that Lycaon had murthered as it is sayde before and did his obsequye solemnlye and after he did burne into ashes the Pelagiens that had béene slaine in the helpe of Lycaon And after that he sent word and did all these things to be knowne and shewed to the Epiriens that were left at home in Epire as to the King Meliseus whereof all the Epiriens and the king Melliseus gaue thankes vnto their goddes But for as much as I muste tell all after this he gaue not his heart and courage so much to accomplishe these thinges but that otherwhile hée gaue himselfe to remember and to thinke on the beautie that hée had séene in the religious Calisto whereby the sparkles of loue enuironed strongly his heart in such wise that day and night hée wished her in his armes and repented him that he had consented that she went into religion And so laboured in this maner that his rest in the night was taken from him and he was not nowe his owne man so encreased he to loue and desire this virgin and for to sée her he made hir pastime to haunt the wooddes and continually to hunt the wilde beastes
warre and in haste he went and besieged the Citie of Paphos and tooke it with assault and put to sword and destruction all the fugitiues that he could finde and more ouer he spoyled Apollo of al hiâ— richeâ— and of his Lordshâ—â— leauing him so nakedly that he departed from Paphos not as a king but as a poore beggar and fortune was to him so contrarie that he was constrained to kéepe the shéepe of king Admetus of Thessaly In this place some men say that in the time that Iupiter beganne to mount in his reigne and to embrace honour Esculapius sonne of Apollo which was right expert in medicine and searching one day his aduentures as he went by a wood side hée sawe from farre where an hearde man with his little horne fought against the basilisque that of his nature slewe the people onely with his sight When Esculapius sawe this hee greatly meruailed and tarried and he had not long abiden but that the heardman had ouercome the basilisque and constrained him to withdraw him vpon a Rocke that was there nigh by Esculapius was all amazed with this thing so that he wist not what to say for he thought it was impossible for a man to ouercome one so mortall a beast Then when that the basilisque was withdrawne vpon the rocke Esculapius went hastily vnto the heardman and finding that he had on his head a chapellet or garland made of many diuerse hearbs and flowers he iudged incontinently that in this foresaide garland was an hearbe of such vertue that kept him from the death and also from the subtile venime of the basilisque Then he intreated so that the heardman or shepheard gaue him his chapellet or garland as ignorant of the vertue thereof and then the saide heardman went againe for to assaile the basilisque and sodainely with one proper sight of his eyes the poore shepheard fell dead vnto the earth Esculapius was then well assured that hee had well thought that in the chapellet was an hearbe that suffised to withstand against the malicious interication of the venemous eyes of beasts and with the saide chapellet he went to the Rocke and fought so against the basilisque that hee slew him Whereof hee had so great say that a heart aspiring to worship might haue no more When he had thus doone he went vnto the heardman and hauing pitie on him tooke all the heaths one after another wherof the chapellet was made and put them seuerally each by himselfe in his mouth And at last he touched onely the leaues of the vertuous hearbe and brused it in his mouth so putting it in the dead mans mouth sodainely he rose from death to life O maruailous vertue of an hearbe men reade that by the same hearbe Hippolitus which came vnto his death by the meanes of his stepmother who accused him falsely afterward was raised to life againe and after hee had beene long dead and drawne through bushes hedges mountaines thornes when his bodie was found and they that found him laide him in a meddow vpon a plat of hearbs like vnto the hearbe wherof is spoken before by vertue of the same his wounds were healed and his life was giuen and yeelded vnto him againe For to holde on the matter when Esculapius had raised the heardman or sheapheard hee tooke the hearbe and the basilisque and bare them vnto the Citie of Paphos telling his aduenture and from thenceforth he raised men from death to life by vertue of the hearbe and fought and ouercame basilisques And for this cause hee gat him so high a name that Iupiter was displeased at his glorie and vndertooke warre against him and slew him whereof his father Apollo tooke so great sorrow in himselfe that he enterprised the warre against Iupiter but Iupiter ouercame him and constrained him to such an extremitie that for to hiâ—e his name hee went and serued the king Admetus of Thessaly as is sayde before And thus when Iupiter had vanquished Apollo by one meane or by other he returned into Crete with great glory and found there Neptune and Pluto his brethren and Iuno his sister that made him good cheare This Iuno was the most beautifull woman and fairest maide in all the countrey After the returne of Iupiter she conuersed with him certaine space of time albeit they discouered not their mindes at this time And in processe of sinne Iuno returned into Partheny with the other virgins which she had bin nourishe with there abode in many thoughts and desires and made neuer other prayers vnto the gods but that they onely would giue here grace for to be wife vnto her brother And it is not to had forgotten that as she was strongly set in loue with her brother Iupiter as much or more was Iupiter firmely in loue with her For to see her onely after that he had sent home all his men of warre into their owne countreyes and that he had established his father Saturne in his seignorie and Lordship vnder the colour of deuotion he went often times into the Citie of Parthenie and tooke pleasure to be with her c. CHAP. XIII ¶ How Iupiter with great ioy spoused his sister Iuno And how the king Saturne beganne warre against Iupiter his sonne c. ANd as Iupiter was thus busie to solicite the virgin Iuno in the City Partheny for to haue the better occasion to abide there he builded a Temple and didst to be dedicated vnto his mother Cibel and at last did make an image or statue of a woman in royall attyre that gaue meate vnto many small images of little children in remembrance that she had saued the life to her children And when this temple was perfected made vnto the dedication Saturn Cibel togither came thither with all the nobles of the countrey and there made a great solemnitie that dured 15. daies in great gladnes And at this great feast and gladnes failed not Iupiter nor Iuno for about the ende of this solemnitie the nobles of the countrey treated their marriage and the priest of the temple of Cibell assured and betrothed them together And anon after in the same temple their spousals were made and celebrated with so great glorie ioy and triumph that it is not possible to be rehearsed And Iupiter and Iuno lay together and engendred a daughter that they named Phebe The Partheniens for memorie of this marriage founded there a temple wherein they set the image of Iuno in habite of a maide that married her And alway after that same day that Iupiter wedded Iuno they made in that temple an annyuersarie and a great feast which was helde in manner of a wedding After all these things Saturn returned into Crete and Pluto returned into a part of Thessaly where he founded the city of Helle wherof shall be spoken in the second booke and Neptune returned into Athens where the Atheniens made him king as well for his vertues as for that he was sonne of Saturne at that
time the most renowmed king of the world In those daies when Saturne saw him quit of Titan and of his generations and that he saw his children mount from lowe places into reignes of high Chaires all his sorrowes vanished away and then beganne the clearenesse of his reigne to bee peaceable all doubtes all dreades all suspitions were put away Hée had of the goods of Fortune as much as hee woulde None was then so hardie that durst conspire against his dominion hée founde himselfe in peace generall And it is to bee supposed and gathered by the Reignes of his time that hee was in so great peace and tranquilitie that hee might haue finished and ended his dayes in the same if he himselfe had not sought to beginne warre for hee had Iupiter his sonne vnto his helpe at that time the most valiliant in armes that was in all the worlde And when Saturne sawe him thus in peace a long time it happened on a day when it came vnto his minde that his God Apollo had prognosticated that this Iupiter shoulde put him out of his Realme sodenly there began to engendre in him a mortall hate against Iupiter that had doone vnto him so manye good déedes And séeing that euerye man helde him in loue and was busie to please him he was the more incensed and gaue credence vnto his cursed prognostication and so he suffred himselfe to bee intangled with so great a follye that he coulde neuer drawe it out after and thus he returned vnto his auncient sorrowes and fantasies in such wise that he made them appeare outward c. When they of Crete sawe Saturne so troubled the most priuie of his secrete councell endeuoured to comfort him but it helped nought nor they coulde not gette from his mouthe the cause of such melancholye vnto the tyme that hée hadde determined in his hearte that he woulde persecute vnto the death his sonne Iupiter And then he did cause to assemble his Princes and his councellours and said to them I charge and adiure you all by the names of all our glorious goddes that ye saye to mée the trouth and aduise mée what thing shall or ought a king to do with a man that he doubteth by a diuine aunswere that hath béene sayde to him that this man shall put him out of his reygne and Kingdome When they of Crete hadde vnderstoode the charge and adiuration of the King they assembled themselues at a councell and there they ordeyned and appointed one that for all the other should haue charge to giue this aunswere Syr the councell knoweth that long since ye hadde an aunswer of your God conteyning that ye had engendred a sonne that should put you out of your reygne and that dame Cibell that time was deliuered of Iupiter the counsel prayeth you that ye will consider howe what time ye were depryued of your crowne and hadde lost it hée deliuered you and made you quit of all your enemies If the cause of your charge and adiuracion touch not this matter the councell is of opinion that if the king haue puissance and might ouer him that he doubteth and that he haue cause euident a king then ought to make him sure from that man and frée from daungers Certes sayd Saturne the aduice of the counsell is reasonable enough and for asmuch as I must declare to you and say to you what I meane I am the King that I speake of and the man that I doubte is Iupiter my sonne him I feare and dread much more then the death in so much that I maye not endure nor take rest for him For sléeping I dreame that he riseth against me and assayleth me in armes with a great multitude of Arcadiens and of Epyriens and resteth conqueror and victorious ouer me and waking I haue alwaye mine eares open for to hearken and espie if he be aboute to come on me with men of armes and thus I can haue no solace pleasure nor reast and am a man lost This considered I will that he be dead and I take the culp and sinne vpon me And I wil that ye know that I am your king and that ye to me owe obeysaunce and for that I commaund you vpon payne of death that there be not one man that is so hardy to withsaye any thing contrary to my will and that each of you be to morrow found readie in armes before this Pallace for to succour and serue me in this worke which is the greatest thing that euer shall come to me CHAP. XIIII ¶ How they of Crete when they had heard the commaundement of Saturne were sore troubled and greeued and how he gathered his forces against Iupiter his sonne WHen they of Crete had hearde the resolution of Saturne they were greatly abashed for they knewe well that Saturne tooke this matter greatly to his heart and that he was a terrible man to offend And so they knew that wrongfully he willed the death of his sonne Iupiter that had restored him to his Lordship by prowesse and valiance Many there were that went into an other kingdome because they would not be with the father against the sonne nor with the sonne against the Father But there was no man that durst be so hardy to replye against Saturne nor say that he did euill for they dreaded more his ire then to offend iustice What shall I say After the commaundement of Saturne each man withdrewe him vnto his house full of gréefe and bitter sorrowe in heart And there was not one man but he had his face charged with great gréefe and heauy annoyaunce c. The daye then drewe past and on the morne Saturne armed himselfe and sounded Trumpettes vnto armes They of Crete arose this morning and manye there were of them that knewe the intention of Saturne And also there were manye that maruayled of that that the King woulde do and could finde no reason wherefore he made this armie For all Crete was in peace and all the Tytanoys were disparkled and put vnto destruction for euer Among all other Cibell wist not what to thinke Séeing that Saturne sent not for Iupiter she demaunded him oftentimes whither hée woulde go and for what reason he tooke not Iupiter with him in his company Iupiter was at that time in Parthenie with his wife Iuno When Saturne hadde heard the demaunde of his wife Cibell all his bloud beganne to chaunge and he sayd to her that all in time shée shoulde knowe the place that hée woulde go to Cibell was wise and subtill when shée heard the aunswere of the King and sawe the facion of his countenance her heart gaue her that he had some euill will and she had suspicion that he woulde do harme to Iupiter Wherefore she went into her chamber righte pensife and at all aduenture shée sent hastelye into Partheny and signified to Iupiter that he shoulde departe hastely thēce that she imagined the Saturn his father would to him displeasure for he made
they iudged him to be but dead alowing his hardines that to them séemed was too great One and other spake of this matter Perseus armed him ioyously When he was armed he came to Andromeda and kiss her taking leaue of her and sayd fayre mayde praye ye vnto the goddes for your champion that for your loue submitteth himselfe vnto the perill of death to the ende that by your onely meane I maye come vnto the enioying of loue and that we togither maye be ioyned in maryage which I buye at the price of my life Noble Knight aunswered the mayde I am more beholding to you then to all my kinsmen and fréendes Knowe ye that if my prayers may obtayne of the goddes ye shall returne safe from this enterpryse Then Perseus wente before the stone and Andromeda knéeled with great humilitie with both her knées vpon the earth in calling on her gods to help her champion and there were many matrones vpon the banke of the Sea that for compassion put them in contemplation and by this example of them all the Siriens beganne to pray for the prosperitie of the Knight excepting onely the king Phineus which prayed for his death And that for this cause for as much as before the iudgement giuen on Andromeda hée had fianced and betrothed him to her So had he wished that the monster had deuoured Perseus to the ende that the mariage of him and of her might haue béene ended What shall I say more When Perseus had so put himselfe foorth by the stone he looked towarde the sea and helde in his hande a good and passing strong sworde and he had not long behelde the situation and taken leasure to sée the place when there sprang out of a swalow or depth of the sea a monster so great and so horrible and so dreadfull that it séemed that he had béene made for to destroy all the worlde hee was rough and went on foure féete like a beast and his forme was so disfigured that none wist whereto he might be likened When then the Syriens sawe him put his head out of the déepe there was none so well assured but he trembled for feare And many were so afrayed that they fled into their houses and reentred into their Citie This notwithstanding Perseus as soone as he sawe him rise vp he came to him as hardie and right well assured and smote him with the poynt of his sworde so full vpon the right eye that on that side he made him blinde whereof the monster felt so great paine that he came out of the Sea with open mouth and thought to haue swallowed Perseus And Perseus went backe a little and put his sworde betwéene his iawes into his throate so farre foorth that he could not draw it out againe and so of force it abode in his throate more then foure foote At the second stroke the monster made a maruaslous crie lifting vp his head and wéening to haue cast out the péece of the sworde which abode in his throate but it would not bée Alwaye the monster assayled Perseus and wéend to haue swalowed him into his throate and Perseus alwaye stroke at him with his sword and put him at defence and smote alway at his throte and about nigh his other eye and so well intended the worke that after he had giuen him many woundes he made him blynde on the left eye like as hée did on the right eye And then as the monster went héere and there and made many walkes without séeing or knowing where he went pursuing his enemy Perseus gaue him manye woundes searching his heart and at the last he founde it And finallye he bestirred him so that he pearsed the heart with which stroke he made him to fall downe dead CHAP. XXXVI ¶ How Phineus would haue had Andromeda and how Perseus answered him that she should be his wife PAssing ioyous and astonied were the Syryens when they sawe the good fortun of Perseus and sayd one to an other that such a knight ought to be praysed aboue al other men The king Amon tooke great pleasure to sée his dealing séeing the monster labouring in his death hée went downe to him embracing him and said Sir the gods gouerne thy fortune and since they haue receyued thée in their fauour and grace there is none that may anoy thée in a good houre were thou héere arriued demaunde what thou wilt and I will cause thée to haue it Syr aunswered Perseus I haue preserued from death the Damosel I desire none other thing but her O valiant Knight sayde Phineus that was there awaighting thou doost much gloryfye thy selfe for thou hast gotten in a halfe day more honor then an other knight shal get in an hundred yeare And greatly thou oughtest to be commended But beware that the beautie of this mayd deceiue thée not know thou that I haue betrothed her and by right she ought to be my wife Many dayes bee gon and expyred since that in the presence of our bishop we promised to take each other in mariage This misfortune is after come to her thou haste reléeued her and wouldst therefore haue her The beginning is fayre but the ende is foule And if it so happe that thou do me wrong I let thée know that I will not suffer it for in this coūtrey I am a King haue great puissance al the glory that thou hast gotten shal be héere quenched Wherefore I praye thée that thou forbeare in this case and that thou suffer me to take that is mine and take thou that that belongeth to thée During these wordes Perseus looked towardes the Sea and saw from farre his galyes comming the one after the other directing them towarde this porte Whereof he hadde right great ioy and sayde vnto Phyneus King I make no doubt that thy power is great in this countrey but knowe thou right well that I knowe no man liuing that shall cause me to leaue that belongeth to me When I came hither I found this mayde condemned vnto death At that time shée was all abandoned to the death I haue saued her and I saye to thée that shée is mine and thou oughtest to haue no regard to any promise that she hath made to thée or to any other And so I haue intention that she shal be my wife And if thou wilt Combate and fight for her assemble thy power and make thée ready in thy battaile Lo héere come my galies readye for to receiue thée and although I haue not people ynough yet I haue in my cofers the most parte of the treasors of Medusa for to send for men of armes in al places where I may get them When Phineus considered this answer and knew that hée was the Knight that hadde vanquished Medusa whereof the renoume was greate and ran through out the whole worlde hée coulde none otherwise aunswere to Perseus but that hee might do his pleasure All the kinsmen of Andromeda were angrie with Phineus for his
gentle women with a great traine of Troyans citizens and marchants all which made sorrow for her What shall I say at the instant that she was thus brought thither Hercules at aduenture arriued at the port of Troy with his muttons and hée willing to refresh him there made to cast his ancres out and going out and taking land he beheld on the one side and saw the Troians wéeping and bewailing Exiona in casting abroad their armes and wringing their hands that he had pitie to see it And he desiring to know what them ailed put himselfe into the prease and sawe there where they bound the faire Exiona in the rout attired with royall attire all discoloured and ful of teares as shée that expected nothing but the death Hercules mooued with compassion to the damosell adressed his language vnto king Laomedon for as much as it séemed that aboue all them that were in the place hee was a man of authoritie and demanded him wherefore that the damosel was there bound Laomedon cast his eies al be wept on him and was all abashed to sée his greatnesse and his beautie neuerthelesse he answered him what art thou that art so hardie to demand me of my misfortune which is to all common in Troy Sir said Hercules I am a stranger and I loue the worship and honour of Ladies and there is no thing that I might do for them but I would do it vnto my power and for as much as I sée this Gentlewoman thus intreated in the fauour of all Ladies I haue asked of you the cause and I will know it or put my selfe in aduenture for to die with her And therefore I demand yet again what trespasse or sinne hath shee done that these men thus binde her My sonne answered Laomedon I sée well that ye hée ignorant and know not the reasons and the cause wherefore my daughter is here abandoned there is no man but he may wel know it for she shall die for the safetie and health of Troy and I will tell you how we be come thereto The gods of the sea and of the sunne haue plagued and greeued Troy with a right great pestilence that tooke his beginning with a superaboundance of the sea whereby the stréetes of Troy were full in euerie place of water After this deluge and flood the time was maruailously and outragiously hote by the great heate of the sunne whereby this sea was dried vp Of this drinesse or drouth engendred a vapor infected and of this vapour insued a pestilence And for to resist this pestilence I haue béen at the oracle of the god Apollo where I haue had answer for to appease the gods and to cease the pestilence the goddes of the sunne and of the sea will that from moneth to moneth be taken in Troy one of the virgins by sorte or lottte for to be exposed and offred in this place vnto a monster of the sea The Troyans were content to fulfil the will of the goddes and I with them We haue cast our lottes vpon our virgins whereof many be swalowed and deuoured by the monster and now the sort or lotte is fallen on my daughter will she or not she must needes obey and appease the goodes After her shall come an other there is no remedy and this shal endure vpon the virgins of Troy perpetually for it is the desteny that Troye shall neuer be quite of this right hard seruitude and thraldom vntill the time that they haue found a man that alone shall vanquish and ouercome the foresaide monster by his puissance and prowesse which will be impossible for because that it is true that all the men of the greatest cittie of the world can not finde any way to vanquish him he is so great and dreadfull And these things considered demaund me no more my daughter shall dye for the common weale of the place of her natiuitie She was borne in a good houre when the goddes will that by lotte and this fortune she be to them offred Syr answered Hercules trulye I thinke vnder heauen is no citie so bond and thrall as yours is howbeit it ought to be vnderstoode that the goddes will not suffer that this malediction shal holde and endure continually Ye must liue in hope If fortune and the goddes will do me that grace that I might vanquishe and ouercome the monster and make Troye frée from this seruitude what reward would ye giue me Trulye sayde Laomedon I thinke not that it be possible that ye should vanquishe the monster Who is he that will expose him to so great a follye Hercules answered vnto a valiant hearte is nothing impossible If I tryumphe vpon the monster and saue thy daughter what reward shall I haue Laomedon answered If thou mayst do that thou sayest I haue two horses the best that be in all the world which I loue as well as halfe my realme I will giue them to thée as to the best knight of knightes and as to the most hardiest of hardye Sir sayde Hercules it is enough to me and it suffiseth mée to haue the two horses Let me alone with your daughter I haue a trust and hope that this daye I shall labour for the weale of Troy and that I shall fraunchise and make free the virgins and maidens of this citie But I pray you if there be in your citie any great barre of yron or of metal that ye wil send for to fetch it to me for to defend me with all The King Laomedon and the Troyans were all abashed when they sawe the enterprise that Hercules had made and at the wordes of Hercules the King remembred him of a great club of yron that laye at the entrie of his pallace of Ilion that was so heauie that the strongest man of Troye had enough to doo to lay it on his shoulder He sente for it and presented it to Hercules and Hercules lifted it vp as it had béene a little glayue Philotes and Theseus were present at all these things Hercules tooke leaue of them and at the prease and recommended him vnto theyr prayers and foorth with all the Sea began to rore terribly Laomedon and the Ladyes and they that were there tooke leaue of Exione and of Hercules and recommended them vnto the mercye of the goddes and went vpon the downes for to sée the ende Thus abode Exione alone and all dispayred vpon the grauell with Hercules who knéeled downe on his knées vpon the grauell turning his face vnto the East and made his prayers vnto the God that made the monsters and terrible beastes requyring him that he would giue him force strength and vertue of power for to deliuer Exione from her misfortune of the monster This oryson accomplished Hercules entred into a little boate that Exione was in and anon after the Sea roring more and more grewe and arose in such wise that the boate floted and was lifted vp and borne by diuers waues After this in great troubling of
then anon rent off In bickering he receiued many a stroke and alway he defended himselfe without displaying of his power and of his strength as he that awaited for the tidings of the assault that was nigh The affray was great in the hall and in the citie on al partes the Calidoniens ranne to the pallace for to assaile Hercules King Pricus made him ready came with other vnto this fray Then was Hercules assailed fiercely but this assault was déere to the king for to his welcome Hercules came to the tabernacle that stoode vppon foure great barres of yron whereof hee tooke the one and beat downe the tabernacle After he lifted vp his arme with the bar and smote the king Pricus so vnmeasurably vpon the â—oâ— of his helmet that notwithstanding his strong harnesse and armours he all to beat him downe to the earth and smote him so sore broken and bruised that he fell downe dead betwéene his two porters At this time the crie arose great among the Calidonians Not alonely there but also in the citie for hee that kept the watch sounded to armes forasmuch as the Greeks assailed hastily the walles Calidony was then terribly troubled and the Calidonians wist not where to turne them whether to Hercules or to the assault All was full of heades armed aswell in the pallace as vppon the walles After this that Hercules had slaine the king Pricus he beganne to smite vppon his enemies and his strokes were great at ech stroke he slew two or three so as shortly he bare himselfe there a knightly that in little while hee couered all the pauement of the pallace with dead bodies of the Calidonians lying one vpon another without that any man might dammage his armor The Calidonians were of great courage and had great shame for that they might not ouercome Hercules that alone had done vpon them so great an exploit They assailed him with great courage and cast vpon him darts sharpe iauelines His armes and his shoulders bare all and he did so great things with his barre and gaue so great strokes that none of them might resist his strength The poore Calidonians came thither with great courage and desire for to reuenge the death of their king Hercules put so many to death that hee wist not where to set his foote but it must be vpon Calidonians Before the gate of the pallace was a pitifull noise of wéepings of cries that women and children made In the end when the Calidonians knew and perceiued the vertue the strength of Hercules and that they laboured in vaine they ceassed to assaile him and fled Then Hercules issued out of the pallace with his barre all couered with bloud Assoone as the Calidonians saw him they set vpon him passing furiously and assailed him anew they cast stones and darts vpon him they shotte arrowes on him aboundantly as they that were purueyed and awaited for his passage In this assault Hercules had much to suffer yet after receiuing moe strokes then canne be numbred he passed the watch that awaited to haue staine him and rested neuer till he came vnto the gate The Calidonians ranne then after him as men without dread of death and mightily swollen with pride and ire beganne on anew to smite vppon his shoulders and vpon his backe When Hercules saw that he turned his face vppon his euill willers and smote vppon them with his barre on the right side and on the left side so lustily that he died his barre with newe bloud and maugre his enemies he beat them downe and all to bruised them before him He made them then to recule and go backe more then fourtie pases and after came to the gate And the Calidonians pursued him againe but ere they came vpon him he all to brake bruised and to frushed the lockes and the wickets and doores of the gate and the Greekes assailed him with all their power and beate downe the draw bridge After he called the assailants and they came vnto him and with little resistance they entred the citie which was at that time with great slaughter of the Calidonians that would not yéeld themselues nor put themselues to mercy vntill the time that they saw their stréets and houses full of dead bodies c. CHAP. XXVIII ¶ How Hercules was enamoured on Yo le the daughter of king Pricus and how he required her of loue and how she accorded vnto him BY this maner was king Pricus slaine and his city taken by Hercules After the slaughter when the Calidoniens had huÌ„bled themselues Hercules and Theseus went to the pallace they came thither so fitly that they found the daughters of king Pricus with their ladies and gentlewomeÌ„ séeking the king among the dead bodies There were so manie dead bodies that they could not finde nor know him that they sought Hercules at his comming beganne to behold one and other and especially among al other hee cast his eie vppon Yo le the daughter of the king forasmuch as she was excellently glistering in beautie that in all the world was none like vnto her When hee had a little beheld her by a secret commaundement of loue hee drewe him vnto her wéening for to haue comforted her Anon as the right desolate gentlewoman saw Hercules approching vnto her she trembled for dread and fled vnto her chamber the ladies and the gentlewomen followed her and among them so did Hercules What shall I say hee entered into the chamber where she was and sate downe by her She thought to haue risen for to haue gone out of the way but he held her by her clothes and said vnto her Lady ye may not flie my companie Yo le spake then and said O miserable tyraunt what séekest thou me nowe for to trouble mee more Thou hast slaine my father let that suffice thee Madame answered Hercules if the king Pricus be dead it is reason that he be not much bewailed nor wept for he thinking for to auenge the death of the tyraunt Cacus came not long since for to assaile me in Italy saying that I had vnrightfully and without cause slaine him In maintaining the contrary I fought with him vppon this quarrell the battaile was not ended nor put to vtterance at that time for he withdrew himselfe with his people and came into this citie and I haue pursued him hastily albeit I coulde not ouertake him When I saw that I laide my siege about this citie he would not come to fight the battaile during my siege wherefore I haue this day willed to haue an end Fortune hath béen on my side and hath put you in my power Certes it must néedes be that without remedie ye be my lady and my loue for in séeing your singular beauty loue hath constrained me to be yours Then I pray you as affectuously as I may or can that yee cease your sorrow and that ye receiue mee as your friend and loue The more ye weep
sorrowfull wordes accomplished Hercules tooke his clubbe and cast it in the fire that was made readie for to make his sacrifice After hee gaue to Philotes his bowe and his arrowes and then hee praied him that he would recommend him to Yo le and to his friendes and then feeling that his life had no longer for to soiourne hee tooke leaue of Phylotes and then as all burnt and sodden hee laide him downe in the fire lifting his handes his eies vnto the heauen and there consummated the course of his glorious life WheÌ„ Phylotes saw the end of his maister Hercules hee burnt his body to ashes and kept those ashes in intention to beare them to the temple that the king Euander had caused to make After he departed from thence and returned into Licia greatly discomforted and with a great fountain of teares he recounted to Yo le and to his friends the pitious death of Hercules No man could recount the great sorow that Yo le made and they of Licia as well the studentes as rurall people All the world fell in teares in sighes and in bewailinges for his deathe So muche abounded Yo le in teares and weepinges that her heart was as drowned and forthwith departed her soule from the body by the bitter water of her wéeping Eche body cursed and spake shame of Deianira Finally Deianira aduertised by the fellow of Lycas of the mischiefe that was come by the shirt she fell in despaire and made many bewailinges and among all other she saide What haue I done Alas what haue I done The most notable man of men shining among the clerkes hee that trauersed the straunge coastes of the earth and hell hee that bodily conuersed among men and spiritually among the sun the moone and the starres and that sustained the circumference of the heauens is dead by my cause by my fault and without my fault He is dead by my fault for I haue sent to him the shirt that hath giuen to him the taste of death But this is without my fault for I knew nothing of the poison O mortall poison By me is he depriued of his life of whom I loued the life asmuch as I did mine owne Hee that bodily dwelled among the men heere on earth and spiritually aboue with the sunne the moone and celestiall bodies He that was the fountaine of Science by whom the Atheniens arrowsed and bedewed their wits and skils hee that made the monsters of the sea to tremble in their abismes and swallowes and destroied the monsters of hell He confounded the monsters of the earth the tyrantes hee corrected the insolent and proud he humbled and meeked The humble and meeke he enhaunsed and exalted He that made no treasour but of vertue he that subdued al the nations of the world and conquered theÌ„ with his club and he that if he had would by ambition of seignorie might haue attained to be king of the East of the West of the South and of the North of the seas and of the mountaines of all these hee might haue named him king and Lord by good right if hee had would Alas alas what am I owne â—â— all vnhappy time when so high and so mighty a prince is dead by my simplenesse he was the glorie of men There was neuer to him none like nor neuer shal be Ought I to liue after him Nay certes that shall I neuer doe For to the end that among the Ladies I be not shewed nor pointed with the finger and that I fall not into strangers handes for to bee punished forasmuch as I haue deserued shame and blame by this death I wil doe the vengeance on my selfe And with that she tooke a knife and saying I feele my selfe and knowe that I am innocent of the death of my Lord Hercules with the point of the knife she ended her desperate life Whereat Phylotes was all abashed and so were all they of Gréece that long wept and bewailed Hercules and his death And they of Athens bewailed him excéedingly some for his science and other for his vertues whereof I will now cease speaking beseeching her that is cause of this translation out of French into this simple and rude English that is to wit my right redoubted lady Margaret by the grace of God Duchesse of Burgoine and of Brabant Sister to my soueraigne Lord the king of England and of Fraunce c. that she wil receiue my rude labour acceptably and in good liking Thus endeth the second booke of the Collection of histories of Troy Which bookes were late translated into French out of Latine by the labour of the venerable person Raoulle Feure priest as afore is said and by me vnfit and vnworthy translated into this rude English by the commandement of my saide redoubted Lady Duchesse of Burgoine And forasmuch as I suppose the saide two books haue not been had before this time in our English language therfore I had the better wil to accomplish this said worke which worke was begunne in Bruges and continued in Gaunt and finished in Colein in the time of the troublous world and of the great diuisions béeing and reigning aswell in the realmes of England and Fraunce as in all other places vniuersally through the worlde that is to wit the yeare of our Lord a thousand foure hundred seuentie and one And as for the third booke which treateth of the generall and last destruction of Troy It needeth not to translate it into English forasmuch as that worshipfull and religious man Iohn Lidgate moonk of Burie did translate it but late after whose worke I feare to take vpon me that am not worthy to beare this penner and inke-horne after him to meddle at all in that worke But yet forasmuche as I am bound to obey and please my said ladies good grace and also that his worke is in rime and as farre as I knowe it is not had in prose in our tongue and also peraduenture hee translated it after some other authour then this is and forasmuch as diuers men bee of diuers desires some to reade in rime meeter and some in prose and also because that I haue now good leisure being in Coleine and hauing none other thing to doe at this time to eschew idlenesse mother of all vices I haue deliberated in my selfe for the contemplation of my said redoubted Lady to take this labour in hand by the sufferance and helpe of almightie God whom I meekly beseeche to giue me grace to accomplish it to the pleasure of her that that is causer thereof and that she receiue it in gree of me her faithfull true and most humble seruant c. The end of the second Booke ⧠The table for the second bookâ— of the Collection of the historoyes of Troy HOwe Hercules fought against threâ— Lyons in the forrest of Nemee and how he slew them and tooke their skin 〈◊〉 Chap. 1. pag. â—45 How Iuno sent Hercules into Egypt 〈◊〉 to bee slaine of the
and helde his peace and spake not of a great while and so did all the other Then arose vppe on his féete Troylus the yoongest sonne of king Priamus and beganne to speake in this manner O noble men and hardy how be ye abashed for the wordes of this coward priest here Is it not the custome of Priestes for to dread the battailes by pusillanimitie and for to loue good chéere and pleasures to fill their bellies with good wines and with good meats who is he that beléeueth that any man may know the things to come vnlesse the gods do shew it him by reuelation It is but follie for to tarie vpon this or to beléeue such things If Helenus be afrayd let him go into the Temple and sing the diuine Seruice and let the other take reuenge of their iniuries by strength and force of armes O right deare father and lord wherefore art thou so troubled for these wordes send thy shippes into Gréece and thy knights wise and hardie that may make requitall to the Gréekes for their iniuries that they haue done vnto vs. All they that heard Troylus thus speake allowed him saying that hee had very well spoken And thus they finished their parlement and went to dinner After dinner the king Priamus called Paris and Deiphebus and commaunded them expresly that they should goe into the parties of Pannonie hastily to fetch and assemble knightes wise and hardie for to take with them to Gréece And then that same day Paris and Deiphebus departed from the citie of Troy for to performe and accomplish the will of their father The day following the king assembled to counsel al the citizens of the citie of Troy and sayd vnto them after this maner O my louing friendes and true citizens ye all doe know notoriously howe the Gréeks by their pride and insolencie haue done to vs great wrongs and innumerable dammages as it is very well knowen in the al whole world And ye know also how they holde Exione my sister in seruitude wherefore I liue in great sorrow and also ye be remembred howe I sent Anthenor into Gréece that hath nothing done wherefore my sorrowe is doubled And forasmuch as by yron hee cured the woundes insanable I haue purposed to sende Paris my sonne with men of armes and puissance into Gréece for to inuade and assaile our enemies by strength and for to do them great damages and for to assay if they might take any noble ladie of Gréece and to send her into the city and that by the commutation of her I might get againe my sister Exione And forsomuch as I will not begin this thing but that it may come to your knowledge first I pray you that you say to mee your aduise for without you I will not procéed further therein forasmuch as it toucheth you all as well as me When the king had thus finished his spéeches and that ech man held himselfe silent a great while then stood vp a knight named Pantheus that was the sonne of Deuphrobe the Phylosopher and sayde O right noble king as I am your true seruant and vassaile I will declare to you my aduice in this matter also truely as a vassaile and subiect is bound to counsell his lord Ye haue had wel in knowledge Deuphrobe the great Phylosopher my father that liued whole and sounde more then nine score and tenne yeres and was so wise in Phylosophy that he knew the science of things to come hereafter he sayd vnto me many times and affirmed for trueth that if Paris your sonne went into Gréece for to take any noble ladie by violence that this noble citie should be destroyed and burnt vnto ashes by the Gréeks and that ye and all yours should be slaine cruelly And therfore right sage and wise king pleaseth if your noblenesse to heare my wordes and beléeue that the wise men haue sayd and be perswaded in that thing that ye may not loose by if ye leaue it whereof great sorrowes may ensue if ye perseuere in opinion Wherefore wil ye séeke to intrap the good estates of your rest and put your tranquillitie vnder the dangerous aduentures of fortune Leaue this and disswade your selfe if it please you from this folly and finish and end your life in rest happily and suffer not Paris to goe into Gréece in Armes And if ye will algase send ye another then Paris At these wordes of Pantheus grewe and arose great murmuring of the hearers Some reprooued the prophesies of Deuphrobe the Philosopher and some helde it for mockerie and a fable and they were of the greatest number insomuch that by the consent of the more part Paris was appointed for to go into Gréece with men of armes and the parliament finished each man went home into his house and to his place When this conclusion was known of Cassandra daughter of king Priamus she began to make so great sorrow as if she had been foolish or out of her right mind began to cry on high saying Ha ha right noble Citie of Troy what Faierie hath mooued thee to bee brought to such perils for which thou shalt in short times be beaten downe and thy high Towers be ouerthrown destroied vnto the ground Ha ha queene Hecuba for what sinne hast thou deserued the death of thy children which shal be cruell and horrible wherefore with holdest not thou Paris from going into Gréece which shal be cause of this euill aduenture And when she had so cried she went vnto her father the king and with weeping drowned in teares praied him that he woulde be perswaded for to leaue off his enterprise saying that she wist by her science the great euils and harmes that were comming by this meane But neither for the disswasions of Hector neither admonition nor warning of Cassandra the king woulde not change his purpose nor for Helenus his son nor Pantheus c. CHAP. III. ¶ Howe Paris and Deyphebus Eneas Anthenor and Polidamus were sent into Greece and howe they rauished Helene out of the temple of Venus with manie prisoners and richesse and brought them to Troy where Paris espoused the said Helene AT the entry of the moneth of May when the earth is attyred and adorned with diuers sloures Paris and Deiphebus returned from Panonie and brought with them thrée thousand knightes right hardy and wise Then they made readie two and twentie great shippes and charged and laide in them all that was conuenient for them Then the king Priamus called Eneas Anthenor and Polidamas that was the sonne of Anthenor and praied them and commaunded that they shoulde go into Greece with Paris and Deyphebus and they offered themselues to go with a good will And when they were all ready and assembled for to go into their shippes the king Priamus spake to them in this maner It needeth not to vse many wordes for yee knowe well enough for what cause I send you into Greece and howe well that I haue
the ground twice and after slew the king Prothenor and smote him with one stroke in two partes WHen it was come to the morrow betimes the Troyans armed them for to go and assaile the Greekes but the Greeks sent betimes to king Priamus and demanded truce for two monethes and he agreed to them the saide truce And then were the dead bodies gathered as well of the one part as of the other and some were buried and some burnt Achilles was then so sorrowfull for the death of Patroclus that hée could in no wise be comforted hee made his bodie to bée buried in a faire rich Sepulture and so did they of the other as of the king Prothesilaus and other kinges and princes that were slaine and they that were hurt and wounded they did cause to bée healed during the truce Priamus the king did bury his bastard sonne Cassibelanus right honourably in the temple of Venus and shewed great sorrowe for his death and so did all the other c. When Cassandra heard the greefe and sorrow that the Troyans made for the death of their friendes shee cried and said O vngracious Troyans make sorrow for your selues for in likewise shall it happē and come to you as it is to your friendes that is the death alas why seeke yée not peace of the Gréekes before these euils come to you and ere this noble citie bee destroied alas why yeelde you not againe Helene that the king my father did cause to rauish by force wherefore yee shall all be destroied Among all these thinges Palamedes murmured greatly at the seignory of Agamemnon saying that hee was not worthy to haue so great domination aboue all the other and that he himselfe was more worthy to haue the seignory of the hoste then Agamemnon and that hee had not the good will and consent of the princes but only of three or foure and then at that time there was nothing further proceeded When the truce failed the king Agamemnon that had the charge of all the hoste ordered right early his battailes and gaue the first to Achilles and the second to Diomedes the third to Menelaus the fourth to Menesteus the duke of Athens and ouer all the other he ordained good captaines and conductors Hector ordered his battailes in like wise and set in the first Troylus and in all the other he set good captaines and hardy and made all the battailes to issue out and hee set himselfe in the front before And when Achilles sawe him hee ranne against him so that they smote each other to the earth right sore Hector remounted first and left Achilles lying on the earth and smote in among the other in the greatest prease and he raught no knight but he slew him or beate him downe and went throughout the battaile all made red with the bloud of them that he had slaine When Achilles was remounted he thrusted in among the Troyans in the great prease and slew many and hee went so farre that he encountered Hector againe and he ranne to him and Hector to him but Achilles was borne downe to the ground and Hector woulde haue taken his horse but he might not for the great succors that Achilles had When hee was remounted hée assailed Hector with his sword and gaue so great strokes to Hector that nigh hée had beaten him but Hector gaue to him so great a stroke vppon the helme that he ouerthrew him and made the bloud spring out of his head Thus was the battell mortall of the two knightes and if they had not béen parted the one from other they had béene slaine but their people put asunder them Then came Diomedes to the battaile and Troylus on the other side which smote each other to the earth But Dyomedes remounted first and assailed Troylus that was on foote and defended himself valiantly and slew the horse of Dyomedes but their men remounted them both two by force and then they began againe to skirmish And Dyomedes had taken and lead away Troylus if the Troyans had not put them in perill of death for to reskew him and many of them were slain Then came to the battaile Menelaus of the Gréeks side and Paris on the other side and thus going and comming Hector ceassed not to slea and to beate downe knightes Then there was a new knight named Brietes that assailed him fiersly but Hector by right great ire smote him vpon the Helme so great a stroke that he cleft his head vnto the nauell and hee fell downe dead but Archilogus his coosin séeing that Hector woulde haue taken his horse Archilogus defended him asmuch as hée might and then Hector ranne vpon him and smote him so hard that hee smote his body in two peeces notwithstanding his harneis The king Prothenor addressed him to Hector that then tooke no regard nor heede and smote him downe to the earth And Hector remounted anon vpon his horse and gaue to king Prothenor so great a stroke with all his might that hée cleft body in two halues Achilles that was his parent or coosin seeing that had so great sorrow that hee and the king Archelaus contended to reuenge his death But the Troyans did come vppon him with such courage and warlike strength that the Greekes fainted and must néedes flee and the Troyans followed them vnto their tentes and then the night came on that made them to depart and the Troyans returned backe into their Citie CHAP. XIII ¶ How the Greekes held parliament how they might slea the worthy Hector and how they returned to the fourth battaile in the which Paris and Menelaus encountered and the king Thoas was brought prisoner to Troy AFter this battaile when the night was come all the kings princes and barons of the Greekes assembled at the Tent of king Agamemnon and there held they their parliament howe they might slea Hector And they said that as long as hée were aliue and came to battaile against them they might neuer vanquish the Troyans but he should to them doe great damage And for to bring this thing to the end they requested Achilles that hee woulde take it vppon him as well for his strength as for his wisedome And Achilles enterprised it gladly as hee that wist that Hector desired more his death then the death of any other and also Hector was hee by whom he might soonest loose his life After this counsell they went to rest till on the morrowe betime they armed them And Hector was then issued out of the Citie with his battailes well and diligently ordered and was himselfe before all other in the first battaile And after him came Eneas and then Paris and then Deyphebus and after him Troylus and after him the other following each in his order Then ioyned all the Troyans togither and were more then an hundred thousand fighting men Then began the battaile horrible and mortall Paris with them of Perse that were good knightes slew with shot many Gréeks and hurted them