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
THE AVNCIENT Historie of the destruction of Troy Conteining the founders and foundation of the said Citie with the causes and maner of the first and second spoiles and sackings thereof by Hercules and his followers and the third and last vtter desolation and ruine effected by Menelaus and all the notable worthies of Greece Here also are mentioned the rising and flourishing of sundrie Kings with their Realmes as also the decaie and ouerthrow of diuers others Besides many admirable and most rare exployts of Chualrie and martiall prowesse tested by valorous Knightes with incredible euents as compassed for and through the loue of Ladies Translated out of French into English by W. Caxton Newly corrected and the English much amended by William Fiston LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede 〈…〉 THE PRINTERS to the curteous Reader health and happinesse WHereas it is and euer hath bene a custome that among all maner studies the reading of Annales and Histories most delighteth men of all ages but especially yoong men whose affections are quickly incensed and their heares set on fire with an emulation of whatsoeuer notable and valorous enterprises they shall heare or reade of but most principally yoong Gentlemen and Noble men are by the viewing of memorable deeds and martiall prowesse so inflamed with an approbation of good famous exployts and with a detestation of ignomious or cowardly persons and deedes that the reading and hearing hereof do as it were kindle in their minds an ardent burning desire of imitating if not matching or ouergoing the most glorious attempts of the greatest most excellent In regard whereof the memorable sayings deedes and indeuours of the wisest most learned and most valiant of all ages haue bene still committed to writing and left to posteritie in all ciuil Countries to be as whetstones for the wittes of other to come and as spurres to pricke forward vnto fortitude and magnanimitie And to this purpose not only true Histories haue alwayes beene published but many fictions of admirable and most straunge yea of incredible things atchieued by industrious valour and constancy in Louers If then faigned stories of martiall men and louing Ladies may be necessary and delightfull how much more profitable and pleasaunt may this History bee deemed which compriseth both rare and worthie feates of Chiualry great store and also diuers wonderfull euents brought to passe by the stedfast faithfulnesse of true Louers and this story in respect of the subiect is verie true howsoeuer in the circumstances some poeticall paintings hyperbolical praises may be found And whereas before time the Translator William Caxton being as it seemeth no English man had left very many words mere French and sundry sentences so improperly Englished that it was hard to vnderstand we haue caused them to bee made plainer English and if leiure had serued wee would haue had the same in better refined phrases and certaine names that bee amisse conferred with Authours and made right But if wee finde your fauourable accepting heereof to be such as wee may shortly haue a second impression we will haue all amended Fare ye well The first Booke of the destruction of Troy CHAP. 1. Of the linage and ofspring of Saturne and how for his inuenting of sowing corne planting c. hee was honoured in Crete as a God WHat time all the Children of Noe were spread by the Climates raignes and strange habitations of the world by the generall diuision of tongues made at the foundation of the tower of Babylon in those dayes that the worlde was of golde and that the men were stedfast and poysing as mountaines and rude as stones and beasts enhaunsing their great courages fowling and shewing their great conceits that the enemie of man induced maliciously to practise to make Townes Cities and Castles to make Scepters and Diadems and to forge and make the cursed sect of gods among the possessors of the Isle of Crete There was a rich man inhaâ—ansed full of couetise happie of aventurous enterprise and right rich of the grace of fortune some men called this man Celion and some Vranus he was lawfull sonne of Ether sonne of Demor Gorgon the old dweller in the caues of Archadiâ—e and first beginner of the false Paynim gods This Vranus had to his wife his owne sister called Vesca he liued gloriously with her and had possession of the most part of the Isle of Crete and abounded prosperously in worldly goodes in increasing his naturall appetites first in increasing and ampliation of wordly Lordship and seigniorie and secondly in lynage and was marueilous rich He had two sonnes that is to wit Titan and Saturne and two daughters that one was called Cibell the other Ceres of whom shall be made mention hereafter and hée had many other sonnes and daughters of whom I make no mention for as much as they bee out of my purpose What shall I rehearse more of the glorie of this Vranus He had all thing as he would and was fortunat and nothing went against him his goods multiplied his children grew and increased but Titan the oldest sonne was foule euil fauoured and counterfeyte and Saturne was marueylously fayre and amiable for which cause Vesca the mother loued much better Saturn than Titan and that by nature for naturally the mothers loue better their fayre children than their foule wherfore Saturne was nourished most in the lappe of his mother and Titan was put out and in maner banished And when Saturn was great what for his beautie and for his cunning and science and other vertues hee gate the whole loue of all the people In this time it was so that whatsoeuer man practised or found any things profitable for the common wealth was recommended solemnly and called and named a God after their foolish and darke custome Saturne was named a god for in his youth by his cumming he was the the first finder to giue instruction of eaâ—ing and laboring the earth and of sowing and reaping the corne And this inuention was applied to Saturne with diuine reuerence with loue vpon loue not onely anenst Vesca and Vranus and his kinsmen but aboue measure all the people of Crete and of the Marches Countryes lying by and there about And thus his name arose and was renowmed that from all places men and children Nobles and villaines came to his schoole for to learne In these daies that Saturn began thus to flourish and was twentie yeares of age and his brother fortie Vranus their father by a sicknes that he had dyed and departed out of this world leauing his wife Vesca endowed largely of possessions His death was noyous and sorrowfull to Vesca his wife which caused her to weepe out of measure and his sons and daughters also they did his obsequie reuerently in abounding of great and bitter sorrow The obsequie done their wéeping and sorrow yet during Vesca saw that Titan her eldest son pretended to haue and inioy the succession of his father
he had promised and sworne The children of Titan the one was Lycaon that at this time was no loÌ„ger wolf nor king of Arcadia another had to name Tiphon and was king of Sycilie and of Cipres the thyrd was called Briarius and was king of Nericos the fourth was named Ceon and was king of the I le of Cea the fifth was named Egeon king of the Sea Egee and of the I le desart and the sixt was named Eperion king of Plipheros When they had heard the will of their father that had purueyed them all these Realmes that hee had conquered after his departing out of Crete they desiring to please him and coueting the recoueraunce of their auncient heritages that were then of great renowme sayde to him as by one voyce that they were readie to accomplish his good pleasure and to go into Crete with armed hande and sware that they should constraine Saturne to séeke and fetch his sonnes and persecute them with his hand vnto death The olde Titan had in his heart great ioy when he behelde the frée and great courages of his sonnes And there they promised and sware togither that they all should imploy them to the recoueraunce of their heritages After which communication they ordayned in such wise that they gathered them togither at the port of Sicill and sent vnto their Lordships to assemble men of Armes and of warre They went and made such diligence and so exployted that there were assembled great armour and harnesse and much people at the sayd port And when the day was come they so desired to labour this matter that they departed from Sicill with a great host and tooke the Sea and so made their iourneys with good spéede that in fewe dayes they sayled vnto Crete at the port arriued and tooke land And then entring fiercely into the land they destroyed and wasted all afore them so cruelly and continued in their warre so mortally that they came vnto the Citie of Crete where King Saturne dwelled and was resident and then Saturne was aduertised of their comming and discent And Titan that might no further passe without battaile or assault sent to Saturne a letter whereof the tenour followeth O Saturne glutted with worldly he â—our and couetous of glorie for as much as thou art occupter of the seignorie that by right belongeth to me Titan thy Lord and elder brother furthermore because thou art falsâ—ie periured for thy wife hath diuerse men children that thou hast not put to death in like wise as thou wert bound knowe that I am come to take possession of thy kingdome not appertaining to thee but to me Wherefore come to mercie and méeke thy selfe to grace Or else make thée sure of thy person for if it be possible for me I will come and haue reason of thée When Saturne had read this letter as a man all amazed sent for his wife Cibell and tooke her apart and adiured and charged her to say the truth and tell him what shee had done with his children With this charge the poore Ladie chaunged colour and séeing that she was constrayned to say the truth shée saide Sir thou knowest that I am a woman the heart of a woman naturally doth workes of pitie Had not I béene in nature an abhominable monster if I should haue deuoured with my hande the children of my wombe where is that mother that will murther her children Certes my hand was neuer man-slear nor neuer shall be I haue erred against thy commaundement in the fauour of nature and since it must néedes be so I had leuer to bee murthered then a murtherer and to be named pitious then cruell for murther is crueltie appertaining to vnreasonable beastes and to tyrants and pitie is naturally appertaining to a woman And therefore I confesse to haue borne thrée sonnes conceyued of thy séede which I haue caused to bee nourished secretly but demaund me no further for where they bée they shall liue as long as it pleaseth fortune will Titan or not and there is no death whereof any woman may bée tormented with that shall make the places to bée discouered where they be Saturne hearing these wordes of his wife was so astonished that hée wist not what to aunswere Notwithstanding for the better he assembled all the wise men of his Citie and to them said My brethren and friends what is best to be done Titan my brother hath begunne warre in this Realme my wife hath confessed that shee hath receiued of mee three Sonnes which shee hath nourished in a straunge lande vnder the colour that I shoulde not flea them Titan assayleth mee What shall wee do Syr aunswered the wise men where force is enhaunced by ouer great presumption there must bee policie to conduct wiselie and to put the hande to withstande it Thou hast a strong Citie and fulfilled with great people thou art wise for to gouerne them put thy selfe in armes and take no regarde to the quarell of Titan. A man is not woorthie to bee a King but if it be in his vertue and gentle manners Crete was neuer Realme but nowe Titan hath béene all his lyfe inclined to vyces and is all wrapped in sinne in which purpose hee séeketh to come to thy Crowne If hee extoll himselfe thou must debase and put him downe This is the remedie helpe thy selfe and we shall helpe thee He that flyeth causeth his enemies to chase him Thus nowe it may not be eschewed but wee must withstande and assault our enemie and that couragiouslie For what a man may do this day let him not put it ouer till to morrow Arme thée then well and surely and assayle from thy Citie thine enemies If thou so do thou shewest thy courage to bée aduaunced greatly and not lightly to bée ouercome by any and so thou mayest abate somewhat their pride and presumption If thou behaue otherwise thy selfe and let them take their rest that shall bee matter and cause for to encourage them vpon which they will waxe proud hoping to come to their purpose which shall bee to thée more harming then auaylable For courage and hope oft tymes men say make men to attaine to become conquerours great and hie Notwithstanding thou art king thy will be accomplished and fulfilled Saturne aunswered and sayd Brethren and friends it were great shame to vs and our Citie if we suffered it to bée dissipate and destroyed It is of force that the warre be begunne and open and euerie man dispose him to saue his worship Titan assayleth mine honour and requireth my dishonour Since it must bée that of this matter the armes and warre bée iudges wee shall arme vs this houre and pursue the intertainment of the right good aduenture of Fortune that shall come to vs. And my heart telleth mee that as sodainlie as our enemies bee entered into this lande as sodainlie wee shall make them to go and issue out agayne With this answere all the wise and noble men of Crete tooke great
and of the Epiriens all the worlde prayseth him and holdeth him one of the valiauntest men of the world he is my sonne I shall send to him and let him haue knowledge of the miserie that I am in by the Damosell that bare him vnto the Mountaine of Oson and shall require him of succour and I hope that he is a man of so hie courage and so fortunate that he shall succour her that hath done him that merite that is worthie to haue his succour and that saued him in his tender dayes and my heart telleth me that hee shall receyue by this tyding a right great ioy in knowledging the place of his natiuitte For more greater ioy hée may not haue come to him then to knowe that hee is the first sonne of the auncient house of Crete And this shal turne to him a soueraigne gladnesse when he shall see thal he is required to come and make the recouerance of his father and mother and of his countrey CHAP. X ¶ Howe Iupiter with the ayde of King Meliseus of Epire deliuered Saturne his father and Cibell his mother out of the prison of Titan and howe hee slue Titan in battaile WHen Saturne and Vesca had heard Cibel so speake Vesca sayd that her aduise was right good and Saturn was al astonied for he thought that Iupiter that he had séene at diuerse times with King Meiâ—seus should in no wise be his son so hardly hee could beléeue it and giue faith vnto the words of Cibell and said if Iupiter would succour him he were the man to do it and that he was content that Cibel shuld send to fetch him as she had sayde Then Cibell sent for the Damosell that knewe all the guiding of Iupiter and gaue her the charge to go vnto him and to dispatch this businesse This Damosell ioyous of this Ambassade departed secretlie and taryed not till shee came vnto the house of Meliseus and finding there Iupiter with the King after the reuerence made she addressed her spéech to Iupiter and saide to him Iupiter reioyce and bee glad I bring to thée tydings of gladnesse For among other sorrowes fortune that hath holde â—â—ee long time ignoraunt and not knowing the place of thy right noble natiuitie hath now certainly layde open the discouerture and knowledge of the same ignorance and will that thou knowe that thou art the first sonne and heyre of the King Saturne and of Dame Cibell The King Saturne thy father as euery man knoweth long since made an oath vnto his brother Titan that hee wouldâ— slea all his children males that should come of his séede for which cause the day of thy natiuitie he commaunded that thou shouldest be put to death but thy mother had pitie of thée and for to saue thy life she sent thée secretly vnto this house giuing thy father Saturne to vnderstand that she had done execution on thée And so for to eschue the furors of thy father thou hast béene here nourished all thy dayes and knowest not thy selfe what thou wert and nowe thou art certaine What ioy is this to thée certainly great And thou oughtest to go ioyously vnto thy father and mother presenting thy selfe vnto their grace if it were not that after these tydings of ioy I must néedes shewe vnto thée Iupiter other tydings and that is this Thy mother that hath saued thée thy vncle Titan holdeth her in pryson with Saturne for that that she hath nourished thée and hée hath ouercome and vanquished thy father in battaile latelie and taken from him his Realme and yet more hee will put them to death Wherefore they pray and require thée that thou haue pittie of them and that thou wilt employ thée to go and deliuer them out of the daunger that they be in at this day The King Meliseus and Iupiter hearing these tydings of the Damosell maruayled them right greatly and Iupiter was right ioyous when he had vnderstoode that he was sonne of King Saturne and on that other side he was sore vexed of the troubling of Crete and thanked the Damosell And after that he turned him vnto the king and said to him Sira yee may nowe knowe and vnderstande what I am and of what house as this Damosell witnesseth My father and my mother be in the hands of their enimies I pray you in their fauour that ye will helpe me to succor them and that we go hastily oppressing him that hath oppressed them I haue a singular hope and trust in fortune that she will helpe vs. Faire sonne aunswered Meliseus knowe that I haue more ioy in the recoueraunce of thy lynage then I can shew or make semblant of and in signe of this I promise to helpe thée asmuch as in me is possible And then Iupiter assured the Damosel and swore vnto her that he would put him in armes against Titan and had her returne vnto Saturne and Cibel and to comfort them in hope of right short succour The damosel departed from thence with the words of Iupiter and returned in to Crete and told vnto Saturne and Cibell all that she had doone Anon after the Damosell was departed Iupiter sent for Archas his sonne hastily with the Arcadiens and also sent for the Epiriens and the Parthenyens with them of the Citie of Analcre All these people loued Iupiter with great loue and came at his commaundement in great number of men of warre Iupiter welcomed them as wel as he could and told them the cause why he had sent for them and tolde them that he was Sonne vnto king Saturne After these things he did cause to be made ready all things that were necessarie vnto his Host and so they departed from the Citie of Oson with a right fayre companye of men of armes vnto the number of six thousand fighting men and so well sped that in short time he brought them within a mile nigh the Citie of Crete And there Iupiter would tary vpon the toppe of a Mountayne and called to him his sâ—â—â—e Archas that then had but thirtéene yeare of age but he was right wise and well bespoken and gaue him in charge that he should go into Crete to giue summons vnto the king Titan that he shuld go out of the Citie and deliuer to him his father Saturne with his mother Cibell The young Archas that was hardye and hadde his heart highe enhaunsed with the word of his father went vnto Crete to the King Titan to whome he gat him to be presented and sayd vnto him these wordes that folow Titan I come vnto thée in the obeysance of my father Iupiter first sonne of King Saturne that thou holdest in captiuitie He hath béene aduertised of oppression that thou hast doone in the personne of his Father and of his mother and the death of their sonnes he signifieth to thée by me that he is sonne of Saturne and that he is as much thine enemy as thou to hiâ— souiâ—â—â—art enemie Vpon which I thée â—â—â—non as
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
a right great assemblie of men of armes and there was no man that could tell the cause wherefore CHAP. XV. ¶ How King Saturne with all his great host came before the Citie of Arcadia against Iupiter his sonne IT is to be thought that Iupiter had his heart right displeasant when he had receyued these tydings from his mother Cibel and although that she warned him by supposing as she that wist not verilye the will of the king yet when he considered that he was not sent for vnto his armie he doubted him and departed thence and sayd to his wife Iuno that he would go vnto Arcadia concluding in himselfe that by this meane he should sée the behauiour of his father and to what place he imployed his armie But he was not farre on his waye when he rested vpon a mountayne and looked behinde him that he sawe the Cittie of Partheny that anon was euyroned and full of the men of armes of king Saturne that gaue to him a great proofe of the aduertisement of his mother And for to sée what waye he bent his course he taryed still on the mountayne hauing his eyes alwayes vnto the Cittie And anon he sawe his father Saturne mounte into his Chayre and all his armye issue out at the same gate where he came from and tooke the same waye that he had taken And that gaue him verilye to vnderstand and knowe that his father sought him And so he departed from this mountaine and went to Arcadia and told vnto his sonne and to the Arcadiens the cause wherefore he was come and prayed them that they would furnish him with good armours to the ende he might defend their Citie if néede were c. The Arcadiens at the request of Iupiter made ready their armes and their citie and sent out espies vpon the way And anon after they were come from the Pallaice the espies affirmed to Iupiter and Archas that they had séene the champaine countrey and the wayes of Arcadia all full of men of armes Anon there was proclaimed in the Citie in the name of theyr soueraigne Lord Iupiter that euerie man should make good watch and kéepe his ward With this crye the Arcadiens armed them with helmets and armes of leather and went vpon the the walles and towers hauing in theyr handes Axes Swordes Guyfarmes Glayues and Maces And they had not long taried there when they sawe come from farre two men of Crete which came to the gate and asked of the porters if Iupiter were within The porter when he vnderstood what they asked answered them that Iupiter was in the Cittie and if they hadde to doo with him they should finde him in the Pallace where he passed the time with his sonne Archas and that hée was newly come vnto the towne to visit him When they of Crete heard this they were sore troubled for they sought him that they would not finde Notwithstanding they went in and passed foorth vp to the Pallace and there finding Iupiter with the nobles of Arcadia after the reuerence made one of them spake and sayde Syr we séeke thée and we haue no will to finde thée for wée come against our will to execute a commission by the which maye sooner come ruine trouble then peace to Crete and vs. Saturne thy father commaundeth thée that thou alone come speake with him he hath sought thée in all the places of Partheny His daughter Iuno thy wife not thinking euill hath ascertayned him that thou art come hither Hée is come after thée in armes and we knowe not what he thinketh to doo for was neuer so angry nor sorrowfull nor so fierce as he is now We be his seruauntes force hath constrayned vs in his obeysance and for this cause wil we thée to appeare in person before him this same houre all excusations set a part When Iupiter had considered and well pondered in his minde the adiournement or summons with his eyes full of teares hée made â—â—s aunswere and sayde thus I maruell of the right straunge demeanour of my father and peraduenture it is not without great cause His Realme is in peace I haue put and set him againe in his Realme he putteth himselfe in armes without my knowledge and nowe he sendeth for me that I shoulde alone come speake with him that is too straunge a thing vnto mee And hée behaueth himselfe not as hee ought to do for men ought to prayse them that haue deserued it and be of value I haue auayled him as much as his Realme is woorth and hee hath other tymes sent for mee to make warre I wote not nowe what euill will he hath or may haue to mee But here he is come with his armie where he hath nothing to do And being come he demaundeth nothing but me alonely All things considered and weighed I haue no reason for to obey his commaundement notwithstanding that hee is my Father forasmuch as the suspition is too much apparaunt But I am content if hee haue to do with mee to serue him and to come to him vppon condition that I shall bee accompanyed with all my friends that I can get and none otherwise The two Commissaryes with this worde returned vnto Saturne and tolde him the intention of Iupiter Saturne tooke right impaciently the aunswere of Iupiter and approached vnto Archadie and besieged it with great oathes making his auowe vnto his goddes that if hee may haue Iupiter hee with his handes would make sacrifice of him And then hee sent for his moste wise men and willed them that in fell menaces they should go summon the King Archas and the Archadiens to yéelde and deliuer him Iupiter declaring openlie and plainly that hee was more his enemie than his sonne The wise men departed from the Hoste at the commaundement of Saturne and did well theyr deuoier to summon the Archadians and sayde to the King and people of Archadie we bee come vnto you forasmuch as yee sustayne Iupiter whome the King Saturne holdeth for his enemy telling you if ye deliuer him vnto Saturne ye shall bee his friendes and if not hee doeth you to wit that ye doe kéepe you with good watch and warde for hee hath not in the worlde whom hee reputeth greater enemies than you c. By this commaundement knewe Iupiter that it was hée himselfe for whom Saturne made his armie The Archadiens assembled to councell without Iupiter and spake of this matter and made aunswere to the wise men of Crete howe they were bounden to serue Iupiter and howe they woulde kéepe him and liue and die with him agaynst all men aboue all other When the wise men had their aunswere they returned vnto Saturne and tolde him the aunswere of the Archadiens Anon hastilie sore chafed and enflaming with great yre hee commaunded that the Citie shoulde bée assayled Anon went to Armes they of Crete in such wise that they approched the walles and fortes And when the Archadiens sawe their enemies approch anon they sounded
is compared and likened vnto Venus CHAP. XVIII ¶ How Achisius had a daughter named Danae the which he did cause to be shut in a tower for asmuch as he had an answere that she should haue a sonne the which should turne him into a stone IN those daies when Iupiter of Crete flourished in honor strength prowesse and valiance in the Citie of Argos reigned the right mightie king Acrisius that caused his daughter Danaes to be be shut and kept in a tower For to know the genealogie of this king Acrisius in this part it is to be noted that of Iupiter borne of Archade and of a damosel named Isis came a son named Epaphus this Epaphus engendred a son and a daughter the son was named Belus and reigned in a part of Egypt and the daughter had to name Libia diuelled in Affricque where she conceiued a son named Busiris that was an vnhumane tirant as shal be said hereafter in the déeds of Hercules Belus then engendred two sons Danaus and Egyptus Danaus had fiftie daughters and Egyptus had as many sons And these sons and daughters were conioyned together by marriage wéening Egyptus right well to haue married his sons but hee was deceiued of his weening for Danaus for enuie couetousnes to haue the succession made that by his daughters traiterously shuld be murthered all the fiftie sons of the said Egyptus the first night of their espousals as they slept And all they consented in this foule horrible crime of sin except one alone named Hypermnestra which had a stedfast heart of pittie for when shee should haue persecuted her husband Linceus shée saued his life mercifully and also conceiued of his seed a son that was named Abas that after was king of Argos and he engendred the king Acrisyus whereof is made mention in the beginning of this chapter These were the parents and progenitours of king Acrysius he was right puissant in riches but he named himselfe poore for he had no children but one daughter onely which he named Danaes and for to haue a sonne hee went day by day into the temples and oracles of the gods and there made prayers and sacrifices inough fastings almesses and other suffrages All these things might not helpe to bring to passe the accomplishment of his desire His wife came vnto her barraine yeares and hee was out of all hope to haue any childe male and then he comforted him in Danaes his daughter and set his loue so greatly on her that he had no pleasance but onely to be hold her and hee purposed that neuer man shoulde haue her but if it were the most noble and valliant man of the world But for as much as in this world is nothing perdurable this loue was of little enduring and that by the procuring of the king Acrysius for that the loue hee had in Danaes grew in ampliation of naturall ielousie hee went into the oracle of God Belus his olde Grand-father and searching what should be the destinie of his daughter he did cause him to be answered that of her should come a sonne that should turne him into a stone By this answere Acrysius beganne to fall from the great loue that he had to his daughter he returned sorrrowfull and pensiue into his house and became all melancolike without taking ioy or pleasure in any thing that he sawe His daughter was then yong hee sawe her often times otherwhile in crueltie and sometime in pittie The remorse of that that he looked to be transformed into a stone by him that by destinie should be borne of his daughter moued him to cruelty in such wise that often times he determined that he would put her to death and so to spoyle his bloud to the ende for to remedie his infortune But when hée had taken in his hand the sword wherewith he wéened to flea her nature beganne to meddle and put in her selfe betwéene them and from this crueltie made him to condiscend to pitie and put awaye his sword and let the sheading of her blood that was come of his owne bloud the which shoulde come vnto the succession of his crowne which his auncient progenitours had ordayned before c. For to saye the veritie this king Acrisius from thence foorth tooke his rest crossed with many sighes and could not be assured of himselfe His daughter grewe and became a woman shée was passing fayre and right comely Many kings and great earthly Lordes desired to haue her in mariage and would haue endowed her with noble Crownes But the king Acrisius refused all them that required her and imagined that his daughter for her great beautie might be taken awaye and rauished by which she might by aduenture haue a sonne that should turne him vnto a stone And to the ende to eschewe this perill and daunger he thought that hée would make a Tower the strongest in the world and that in the same Tower shoulde his daughter Danaes be closed and shut during her life without coming of any man to her for he was so ielous of her that he beléeued her not well when he sawe her In the ende 〈◊〉 sent for workemen and forgers of steele and of copper from all parties and brought them vnto a strong place 〈◊〉 enuyroned with waters where was no entrie but in one place When hée hadde brought thither all his workemen hée sayd to them that hée woulde haue a Tower made all of copper with a gate seuerall from the Tower to put in foure and twentie men of armes for to kéepe the Tower if it were néede The workemen bargayned with the king Acrisius to make the Tower and the gate and sette on hand to the worke the Tower was made in processe of time and then when all was achieued Acrisius brought thither his daughter without letting her knowe his intencion And as soone as she was in the Tower he sayd to her My only daughter it is come vnto my knowledge that in searching thy prosperitie to my god Belus I haue bin aduertised that of thée shall come a sonne which shall conuert and turne me into a stone Thou knowest that euery man naturally coueteth and desireth safely to liue in his life I loue thée passing well and nothing in the worlde so much excepting my life But certaine my life toucheth mee more néere to my heart then thy loue wherefore I séeking and requiring the remedies agaynst my predestinate infortune would neuer giue thée in marriage to any man that hath requyred or desired thée Also to the ende that generation discend not of thy bodie and that thou shouldest haue no knowledge of man during my life I haue made to bée framed this tower of copper and will that thou be closed and shut therein and that no man sée thée I pray thée my daughter accord thée vnto my will and desire and take patience in this place for to passe thy time I will prouide to accompanie thée with manie noble virgins that shall giue
vnto thée all that thou canst or mayst thinke néedfull c. When the noble damosell Danae vnderstoode the will of her father she behelde the Tower of Copper made for to kéepe her shut fast there in And further when she considered that she should neuer marry during the life of her father the king she was sore troubled about these things and by great bitternesse with sorrowfull heart began to wéepe and said Alas my father am I borne vnder so vnhappie a constellation for to be a martyresse and prisoner not in the end of my yeares but in my young time not in a prison of stone or of cement but in a tower of Copper and Latton in such wise as I should dwell therein perpetually Thou interpretest euill the sentence of the God Belus saying that of me shall be borne a sonne that shall turne thée into a stone For by this sentence ought none other thing to be vnderstoode but that I shall haue a sonne that shall raigne after thée and shall turne thée into a stone That is to say that hee shall put thée into thy Sepulchre Beholde then what simplenesse shall it be to thée to beholde me thus enclosed and shut in this Tower My daughter answered Acrisius thou interpretest the Prognostication of our god Belus after that thée lyketh to thy ioy and profite It lyeth me sore on my heart that if thou haue a sonne he shall put me to death and that is my iudgement and feare Gainsay no more me I am thy father Lord and maister ouer thée thou shalt abide here either by loue or otherwise At this conclusion when Danae saw that she might not content her fearefull father as wise and sage as she was she agréed and accorded to do his pleasure yéelding to it with the mouth and not with the heart And then the king sent for virgins and also olde matrones in all the Realme about and deliuered his daughter vnto them for to accompanie serue and kéepe her and made them all to be shut and closed in with her After he tooke his leaue of them commaunding them vpō pain of death that they shuld not suffer any man to come and speake with his daughter without his witting and knowledge When he had thus done he returned into the Citie of Argos and assembled fortie strong women which he gaue wages and pay to and sent them to kéepe the gate and the entrie of the Tower And then spread the renowme of these things in so great a sound and noyse that all Grece was full of the tydings and there was no King ne Prince but that complained the losse of the youth of faire Danae then holden and named the most faire of al the Greekish maidens daughter of the king c. CHAP. XIX ¶ Howe Iupiter in guise of a messenger brought vnto the Tower of Dardan to the Damosels and to Danae many Iewels faigning that he came from Iupiter BY this Tower and by this meane Acrisius thought to ouercome his predestinate misfortune and was well eased that his Daughter was in so sure and safe a place All the world spake of her and of her Tower by compassion they complained her state and it was so much spoken of this cause that Iupiter had his eares full thereof and not onely his eares but also his heart for in hearing the recommendation of the excessiue perfection of this virgine Danae he was amorous of her greatly and desirously assoone as the mariage of him and Iuno had bin consummated And then he began with all his heart to thinke how and when or in what maner he might come to sée this Damosell Danae And so much he thought and studied in this matter that there was none other thing that hée woulde heare of nor no conferences of his men saue only of them that spake of the pryson of Danae And hée spake chéerefullye and talked with all diligence couetting instantly to be with her and that as well in the presence of Iuno as otherwise saying many times that he would that the Gods would giue him grace and power to bring this Damosell Danae out of the Tower c. By this meane and these spéeches Iuno was in doubte and began to feele the first sparkle of ielowsie casting infinite curses and maledictions vpon Danae and vpon all them that had sowen those tidings before her husband This shée shewed not only in couert and in her stomacke but more openly in the presence of her husbande shewing euidently that she had the attaint of ielously This notwithstanding Iupiter was neuerthelesse desirous for to sée Danae more then hée was before The maleditions ne curses might not let ne withdrawe his affections which grewe more and more In the end he found himself so rauished with her loue that there was no more continence found in him To conclude hée deuised intencions and conclusions and purposed to go vnto the guardiens and kéepers of the Damosell Danae and that he would beare vnto them so largely and so many owches of golde and Iewels with money of golde that hée would turne them with his giftes to accorde to him and let him enter into the tower of Danaes Then hée sente for the Iewellers that were woont to serue his father Saturne and made them make the most rich Iewels and Owches that were euer séene or thought When the workmen had made a part Iupiter tooke them and laded him therewith and euill cloathed like as he had béene a seruant he alone departed from Crete and drewe him to Argos the most secretlie that he might and so went and came séeking the Tower of Dardan Which he found in an euening and saw the wals shining and came vnto the gate where he found many of the matrones sitting at the doore for recreation c. When Iupiter was comen he saluted the Matrones and said vnto them Noble dames the good night come to you What Tower is this of so noble and so strong fashion Fayre sonne said the eldest of them ye be not of this Countrey forasmuch as ye knowe not the name of this Tower Know ye certainly that it is named the Tower of Dardain and this is the proper place that the king Acrisius hath caused to make for to keepe his daughter the virgin Danae in which is a Damosell so furnished with all vertues and honourable maners that her like is not in all this world But the poore maid is so much infortunate that her father Acrisius holdeth her in this Tower shut for that he hath an answere of his goddes that of his daughter Danae should bee borne a childe that should turne him into a stone This is cause wherefore we be and kéepe her that no man may conuerse with her in no fashiō And her father is the king Acrisius which is so sore smitten to the heart with iealousie that if he knew of your being here he would sende to destroy you And therefore withdrawe you and go foorth on your way
profit of another This is against your prosperity and utility from which ye be shut here within How may you have love unto him which is cause of two evils The lesse evil is to be chosen since that you féel your self condemned here unto the end of the daies of your Father doubt you not but his end is oft desired for your sake and his death may not be effected without great charge of conscience Mée thinketh that better it were for you to find way to issue out of this place and to take to husband some noble and puissant man that would enterprize to carry you away secretly for his wife into his Countrey By this means you shall be delivered from the pain that you be in you may eschew the death of your Father and lesse evil you shall do in breaking his foolish commandment then to abide in the point where he hath put you I have said unto you I am your servant and if it please you to depart from this plaâ—e you shâ—ll find no man readier then I am for to save you I give my self unto your noble commandments to nourish your will to my power as he that beareth alway in remembrance of you in the most déepest place of my mind in sléeping I sée you and waking I think on you I have had no rest in my self nor never shall have but if it please you My fortune my destiny comes of you If you take mée unto your mercy and that I find grace with you I shall be the most happiest of all happy And if ye do otherwise it may be said that among all unhappie none shall go before mée But if such Fortune shall come to mée by your rigour I will take it in patience for the noblenesse that I sée in you alway I require you that my heart bee not deprived nor put from your heart forasmuch as it toucheth mée nearly All the tongues of men cannot expresse the quantity of the love that I have in you no more then they can pronounce by proper name all the Stars of Heaven By this love I am alway in thoughts labours in sighs anguishes and oftentimes in great fear At this hour I know not whether I live or not because mée thinketh I am here to receive absolution or a mortal sentence These things considered alas will not yee have him in your grace that for to deserve your love and mercy hath abandoned and adventured his life as yee may sée leaving his Royal estate the better to kéep his cause secret Vnto an heart well understanding few words suffice For conclusion I pray you to give your heart to him that hath given his heart unto you and that ye consider from henceforth for the ill conceit yée now be in after the common judgement With this Jupiter held his peace and lent his ears for to hear what should be the answer of Danae The right noble Damosel When she saw that he had given her space to speak shée was resolved and changed colour and said to him Sir King â—las know ye well what would be the Renown that would abide with mée if I 〈◊〉 beléeve your counsel What would the people say Madam answered Jupiter the worst that they may say shall be that men will name you disobedient unto the foolish commandment of your Father which as all men knoweth holdeth you fondly in this Prison And if yee will thus help your self and convey your self away men would but laugh for your youth would excuse your doing and yee should bee reported to have done this déed by great wisdome Ah Sir said Danae ye go about to deceive mée by your fair words I know the speeches of the Argiens and also know that I am bound to obey my Father Furthermore I am not so ignorant but that I would well have some noble-man to my Husband so as mine honour were saved and also I confesse that I am greatly beholden to him that hath sent so liberally and so largely of his treasures and Iewels and in likewise unto you if it be truth that ye bée him that ye say that ye are But when I have considered and understood and séen visibly that the Argiens would defame mée to perpetuity and that my Father would send mée where mine honour should strongly be abased and put underfoot by your proper declaration I will in no wise deal hardly with you neither shall you have any disturbance for my cause But I pray you to think on the other side of mine honour and that ye suffer mée alone with my company and friends Dame answered Jupiter be ye in doubt of mée that I am not Jupiter King of Creet If I be any other all the Gods confound mée and the Thunder fall on mée the swallow of the Sea receive mée and that I be given to be meat unto the most venemous beasts of the world O Madam put no suspition in my doing as I have said to you I am come to you not in Royal estate but in simple array for to order my matters more secretly then accord ye this request Take yee day of advise and grant to morrow I may speak once to you and counsel you well this night The noble Maid Danae had then her blood so moved that she durst not behold Jupiter for shame smote her in the eyes This notwithstanding her heart commanded her to try what man he was and whether he had the state of a Noble-man or a King At last she took day of advise and accorded to him that she would speak again to him on the morrow After this she commanded the Tables to be covered by the Damosels and said that shée would feast the messenger of the King Jupiter The Damosels hearing that answered they were all much bound to feast him and shewed to her the riches that they had all along in the Chamber whereof the walls shone and were bright The Damosels arrayed with the Iewels of Jupiter garnished the Tables with meat Danae and Jupiter were set the one against the other the seruice was great and rich and they had enough to eat yet Jupiter nor Danae gave little force of eating Jupiter eat lesse bodily then spiritually he was in trances in doubts and fears He had an answer by which he could not gather any thing to his profit save onely that he hoped that Danae would discover it unto the Damosels as the young maidens bee of custome to discover the one to the other and as when any requireth them of love that they should shew favour to him the more for his gifts In this estate was King Jupiter for his part The Damosels beheld him enough and said that he had not the behaviour of a yeoman or servant but of a man of very noble and great estate and above all other Danae to whom Jupiter had given cause to be pensive cast her eyes upon Jupiter upon his countenance his gesture and beauty and then it séemed that he had said truth
that his enemies because of the succours that came to them were stronger then he was he found not in the resolution of his enterprise but dispaire and shamefull end and all discomforted he called his sonne and his principal friendes and demaunded them what was best to do They counselled him that hee should labour to saue himselfe and saide to him if he abode and attended the Troyans that would be cause of his destruction and of all them that were left of his people When Tantalus vnderstood this and knew that hee was desperate and nigh his shamefull ende and flight and aboue that that he might not extinguish and put downe the name of Troy hee tooke himselfe by the beard that was long and impatiently said smiting himselfe with his fist O cursed enuie thou didst promise mee of late to put Troy vnder my féete and hast made me to rise presumptuously against her Nowe sée I well the contrarie and that by mee Troy shall flourish and that more is by my cause her name shall growe and shall be enchaunsed and that all kings shall tremble before her in my sight and beholding O false traiterours fortune accursed be thou that I euer beléeued on thée These words finished hee saide to his son and to other of his councell that they should cause his people to withdraw a little and a little At last he commaunded that each man should saue himselfe and then they put them all to flight Ilion and Ganimedes tooke héede and ranne after and chased them out of the territories of Troy with great occison and slaughter of the people of the Frigiens And after that they had chased them they said that they had doone them shame inough and left worke and returned and came anon and met the king Troos their father that followed them which had great ioy when hée saw that they had quit them so well vpon his enemies by the good conduct of his two sonnes The ioy then that Troos made Ilion and Ganimedes after the battaile was great and of good loue Troos brought them again vnto Troy with great worship The Troyans men and women receiued them worshipfully blessed the womb that had borne them and the breasts that gaue them sucke These were two noble sons of the King of whom the names were borne into all the Marches there aboutes with so great a bruit and noyse that not onelie the neighbours of Troos came to make alliaunce with King Troos and the Troyans but there came also Kings of many far Countreys of the East which could not magnifie inough the puissance of the king and of the citie of Troy c. In these dayes when Troy shewed the rayes of her puissance and noblenesse through the vniuersall world Saturne late king of Crete sayled by the seas with little companie not as king and possessor of the realme but as banished and dispurueyed of all land and countrey so poore that he had no place to withdraw him to nor wist not whither to go but onely by desarts and by the depth of the sea When he had béene in this poynt a great while thinking without end how he might persecute his son Iupiter fortune brought him into the sea of Hellespont and then beholding about him he espyed and sawe Troy which was a Citie passing fayre and rich and of marueylous greatnesse And then what for to take him a little rest as for to put away his melancholie and for to reuittaile his shippe and people hee sayled and rowed into the Citie and landed at the port When the Troyans had seene the shippe of Saturne that was better and more of value then all the shippes that they had euer séene the maisters of the ships of Troy went hastily vnto the King Troos and said Sir bee of good cheare and make readie your house I assure you that there is come right now vnto your port the most rich ship that euer was séene on the sea and me séemeth this considered that in so noble a ship must be some noble or great earthly Lord that commeth vnto you c. Anon as king Troos heard these tidings of the maister mariner he desired to sée so fayre a shippe and accompanied with his two sonnes went for to sée at the port and to feast them of the straunge shippe This king Troos was courteous and honourable When he came vnto the port he found that Saturne made readie his shippe and disposed him for to go vnto the citie And séeing the ship he maruailed much for the vtensils that were within were richly made furthermore Saturne his companions were armed and had no mariners He beheld their behauiour at his comming and knew that they were men of warre right well in point so he thought in himselfe at the beginning for to arme himselfe and to send for the Troyans But afterward when hee had séene their little number and that no ship followed nor came after these strangers from the coast he changed his purpose viewed and approched vnto the ship and called Saturne that most best was arayed aboue the other and asked him what he sought both he and his fellows and from what nation they were and whence they came from And Saturne answered to him and saide Sir albeit I know not at what port I am arriued for as much as my heart giueth me that ye be courteous of your nature I will not hide nor couer any thing touching your request I was late king of Crete named Saturne now I am but Saturne for my sonne hath put me out sorrowfully so that of all the riches of all my people and all my goods temporall there is nothing left me but this onely ship that ye may sée Wherefore I pray you and require that it please you to direct mee to some Lord of this countrey to the end that I may require licence and leaue to enter into his lordship and to take that that shall be necessarie competently to the life of me and of my companie When king Troos heard the case of Saturne comprised in briefe words he saide to him by compassion King Saturne yee be welcome into the house of Troos in troth I haue great gréefe in my selfe of your first anoyance for your glorious renowme and for the goodnesse that is in you as often times I haue heard it recounted But with this anoyance two things gladde and ioye my heart the one procéeding of the accomplishment of desire for I haue desired manye dayes for to sée you and this desire is now accomplished in me and the other procéedeth of hope and in this part I saye to you that I king of this countrey haue intention to comfort and to councell you to my power and also to giue you so good ayde that ye shall correcte your sonne and shall punishe his personne in suche wise as it shall appertayne for his offence Saturne began to sighe and to take a lyttle comforte of the greate proffer and good chéere
that the King Troos made to him and he thanked him of so hie and ample offers and at the coming out of his shippe he b◠〈◊〉 him in his armes and kist his hande What shall I saye the King Troos brought him into his Pallace with all his men and feasted them as it appertayned for the loue of Saturne In likewise the people being aduertised of Saturne that it was he that found the maner of labouring of the earth of melting of metals and of sayling and rowing by Sea made so greate and plentifull feast at his comming that they coulde no more doo At that time during this feasting when Saturne felt him in the grace of the Troyans on a daye he called Troos and his two sonnes and addressed his words to them saying Lordes of Troye ye haue doone so much for me that I maye neuer deserue it but as I haue sayde to you my sonne is enhaunsed and lift vp aboue me and hath taken from me my Realme I intreate you as much as I may that ye will councell me what thing is most conuenient for me to doo And how I shall suffer and beare the iniury doon to me c. My brother aunswered the King Troos this is against nature for a sonne himselfe to rebell against his Father the sinne and crime is foule and worthy of reprehension for euery sonne is bounden by all lawes to serue worship dread and obey his Father And it is not reason that any man should approoue or hold with a sonne disobeysant Your sonne is in this condition cursed and right euill and I am of the opinion that ye shal not acquite you well vnlesse you do to your power to maister and ouercome his euill maners And to the end ye shall not excuse your euident harmes and losses when ye will I will deliuer you my sonne Ganimedes accompanied with twentie thousand Troyans that shall succour you vnto the death Or they shall sette you agayne in your royall tribunall Saturne was all recomforted when he knewe the loue that the King Troos shewed to him and after many thankes concluded that he would returne into Crete with Ganimedes and would begin againe the pitious warre of him and of his sonne And following this conclusion from thenceforth on he did cause 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—int the shipping of Troye and all things apperteyning and gathered togither men of armes with great puissance by the introduction of Ganimedes And when all the assembly had mustred and were gathered togither he tooke leaue of the king Troos and of Ilion and went to the sea and shipped all his manie and knowing the situations of the countreys by the seas he directed his hoste into the Sea Egee where as was Egeus sonne of Titan the greate pyrate which durst not haue to doo with them in no wise and from this sea of Egee he trauailed so much by diuerse iourneys that he came and arriued at the first porte and hauen of Crete CHAP. XXIIII ¶ How Saturne by the ayde of Ganimedes and of the Troyans returned into Crete to fight against Iupiter where he was ouercome and vanquished and Ganimedes taken AT that houre when Saturne arriued in Crete the sunne was turned into the west and on the heauen begaÌ„ to appeare the stars Saturne knewe the port and tooke land hoping to enter the country secretly and went a little way and there lodged his people in a place coÌ„uenieÌ„t made theÌ„ rest eate and drinke by the space of foure houres and then hée awooke the host and made the Troians arme them and enter into the Realme But they were not farre gone but anon after the sunne rysing and approaching a straight passage the espies and scowrers came vnto Saturne and Ganimedes hastily and tolde them that they had séene the King Iupiter right strongly accompanied which kept the passage Vpon this place it is to wit that when Iupiter was departed from Danae and from the Tower of Dardan and was come into Crete desiring to accomplish his promise to Danae hee did cause to assemble his men of warre concluding in himselfe that faithfully he would go fetch the fayre Danae and bring her into his Countrey by force of armes What shall I say more His armie was all readie and came the same night where on the morrow he hoped to haue departed but as hée was in his bed that night in his Citie of Parthenie tidings came to him of the arryuing of the Troyans Wherefore he was constrained by force to change his purpose of which he was right sorie and maruailous passing heauie This notwithstanding suddenly as these tydings were freshly brought vnto him he arose and tooke his men of armes that he had assembled and hastily brought them vnto the straight whereof aboue is written and there abode his enemies as wise well aduised And it is not to be forgotten that in this armie among his men was the king of Molosse which had late found the industrie and craft to tame and breake horses for to be ridden and to ride them And there was come he and his men to serue the king Iupiter for his good renowme accompanied with an hundred men that ran as the winde And for this cause they were called Centaures and these Centaures were so terrible and cruell that they doubted not the puissance of King nor of none other whatsoeuer they were For then to returne to the matter alreadie begun when Saturne knewe that the passage was kept and that Iupiter was then aduertised of his coÌ„ming he caused his host to stay and sayde vnto them My children it behooueth that this morning ye so do in Crete your deuoir not onely in mustring and shewing your courages but aboue all that ye bee redoubted and dread like the thunder Assure year selues of your quarrell Iupiter mine enemie is heere where he abydeth our comming to the battaile ordained if we will come to the ende of our enterprise it is necessarie that we draw thither Let me heare what ye will say Then thus answered Ganimedes we be come into Crete for to correct your sonne and to set you againe in your throne We will do that we may do by our power and fight fréely without doubting or feare And vnto the ende that no reproch be layde vnto vs I will sende and summon your sonne first or any swoorde be drawne or stroke smitten to the ende that he yéelde him vnto your obeysaunce and that he come and amende his misdéedes And then Ganimedes did call forth his Troians by consent of Saturne and set them in order of battaile and when he had so done he sent one of his auncient knights a noble man vnto Iupiter and gaue him charge to make the summons such as is sayde before The Troyan departed from the host at the commaundement of Ganimedes and did so much that hee was presented before Iupiter and said to him Iupiter thou oughtest to know that euery sonne oweth obeysance vnto his father thou dost
to Argos and betooke Danae in kéeping to other women and commaunded them vpon paine of death that they should tell him if she were or happened to be deliuered of childe or no. Within a certaine tyme when Danae sawe her in this case shée began to fall into wéeping The king Acrisius from this day forth came euery day to knowe how she did She wept without ceasing shée spake not but vnto her heart and shée bewayled her loue and complayned on Fortune sorrowfully But when she had laboured long in these wéepings and that her faire eyes were made great and red about fiftéene dayes before the time of her childing the beganne to remember the cause why she was put into the Tower And that the gods had prognosticated that she should haue a sonne that should bée king of Argos In this remembrance she was comforted a little and when the time came that nine months was expired she brought forth a passing faire sonne which the Ladyes and women receiued and named him Perseus And after that signified it vnto the king But at the birth of this childe she excused and put out of blame all the damosels and saide that they were all innocents of her fact Anon then as the king Acrisius knew the veritie of his Daughter and that she had a faire sonne he had in his heart more of sorrow then of ioy and condemned her to death indéede and commanded two of his mariners that they should take the mother and her childe and put them in a little Boate them both alone and that they should carrie them farre into the high sea that after should neuer man sée them nor haue knowledge of them The mariners durst not refuse the commaundement of the King but by his commandement they went vnto the Tower Dardane and tooke Danae and her sonne Perseus and said vnto the damosell al that that they had charge to do praying her humbly that shee would pardon them And this was about midnight when Danae vnderstood that shee should bée cast into the sea and her sonne with her Yet she had hope to escape this perill by the meane of the fortune of her son This notwithstanding the teares ran downe from her eyes and wéeping tenderly she tooke her leaue of the ladies and damosels that had her in kéeping and they let her be caried vpon the sea making complaint pitious bewailings When the mariners had brought hir vpon the sea they left her in a litle boat put in her lap Perseus her faire son And as hastily as they might they conducted her into the déepe sea without meate or drinke and without sterne or gouernaile and gaue her ouer to all windes Then was there many a teare wept among the mariners and Danae and Perseus the young childe The marriners bewailed with great compassion that they had to sée such a Damosell abandoned to perill of death Danae wept in considering the rigour of her father and the fault that Iupiter had done to her and also for the perill which she might not resist and Perseus wept for the blowing of the winde and for the grosse ayre of the sea that his tendernesse might not well suffer to endure In this fashion the Matrones returned to Argos and the right discomforted Damosell Danae went forth vpon the waues of the sea at the agréement and will of the windes The waues were right fearefull and lifted themselues into the ayre as Mountaynes the windes blewe by great stormes the little Boate was borne and cast vpon the waues and oftentymes Danae looked and supposed to haue perished but shée had alway hope in Fortune And so well it happened that in this aduersitie and trouble shée was cast into the Sea of Apulia or Naples And there shée was found by aduenture of a Fisher that for pitie and charitie tooke her into his Shippe and her sonne and brought her on lande forasmuch as hee sawe it was great néede At this time the noble Danae was as a deade bodie and halfe gone when the marriner had brought her a land the tooke a ring of gold that she ware on her finger and gaue it vnto the good man praying him that he would bring her into some house where shee might warme and cherish her with her childe for he was nigh dead for colde and was all in a traunce The marriner tooke the Golde Ring and brought the Damosell and the little childe into his house and made them a good fire and brought them meate and drinke As soone as Perseus felt the ayre of the fyre his heart came to him againe and he began to laugh on his mother When shee sawe that all her sorrowes turned to nought and she tooke hope of good fortune She then made ready and arayed her son and her colour came againe she did eate and drinke What shall I say the fisher behelde her and then séeing in her so much beautie that the like to her he sawe neuer none he went vnto the court of the king of Naples and tolde him his aduenture praysing so certaynly her beautie that the King sent hastely for to fetch her This King was named Pilonus and was sonne to the auncient Iupiter And when Danae was come before him sodaynlye he waxed amorous of her and demaunded her name her countrey and the cause why she was aduentured on the sea At beginning she excused her selfe of al these things vnwilling to tell all and began to wéepe When the King sawe that he comforted her and said to her that he would take her to his wife for her beautie and spake so fayre to her and so graciously that she tolde him al her life how she was daughter of the king Acrisius and how she was shutte in the tower and how Iupiter had deceyued her and how her father hadde put her in the sea What shall I say more when the King Pilonus heard all these fortunes of the damosell he had pitie on her and wedded her with great honour and did put to nurse Perseus and gat on her a sonne which was named Danaus but of this matter I will cease and turne again to the history of Iupiter c. CHAP. XXIX ¶ How Iupiter returning from Troy by sea encountred the great theefe Egeon which he fought with and ouercame and of the tidings that hee had of Danae whereof hee was passing sorrowfull WHen Iupiter was departed from Troy as afore is said he made his mariners to saile and row with all diligence for to withdraw from the port and for to approch Crete for he knew well that the time of his promise made to Danae was expired and that displeased him greatly that he might not amēd it His mariners did all that they could do by the space of a day naturall but the day being past there rose a tempest in the sea so terrible and out of measure that it bare many ships with their furniture vnder water brake their sternes and helmes and drowned all the
yée must vnderstand that acquaintance bréedeth loue and if ye will come and abide with me I make no doubts but that your minde will change and that ye will make a league with me Sir answered Medusa my will is vnchangeable Notwithstanding saide Neptune it must change be not abashed Sir answered Medusa I sée nothing that giueth me cause of abashment for I féele my heart firme and stable in his operations Ye be a King and haue giuen me safe conduct for to finishe my deuotion at the Temple of the goddesse of your Cittie Reason and honour should gouerne your courage Dame sayd Neptune if your beautie surmounted not the beautie of other women I would consent anon to your returne But when I conceyue in my minde you formed in so high a degrée of nature that nothing lacketh in you And further when I sée that the great goddesse Pallas hath enspyred you to come to this my Cittie reason maye haue no place howsoeuer it be by loue or by force ye shal be my wife for I had leuer die and run into al the dishonours of the world then for to fayle to haue your loue When Medusa that was wise had vnderstood the wordes of Neptune and sawe well that he was couragiously inflamed with her amorous desire and that she might not escape his power for her beautie vnlesse it were by an aduenture then she chaunged her haire into colours that is to saye that where force reygned shée wrought by subtiltie and sayde vnto the King Syr I knowe that ye be a great and puissante Lorde and that loue hath mooued you by force to take me to your wife Since your pleasure is such I am content to do all what shall please you in such wise as ye haue demaunded and that this same daye be made the mariage betwéene you and me but the more solemnly to halow the feaste of our wedding I requyre you of two things First that I maye returne vnto the porte to my people for to araye and dresse me with my costly Iewels for I maye not employe them to more great glorie then to vse this daye of my mariage And secondly that ye will cause to araye and adresse the ladyes of this citie for to receiue me as it appertayneth for I will that ye well knowe that in all the remnant of ladyes of the world ye shal not find any that haue more moueable goodes nor riches then I haue Neptune was then as one al rauished in ioy when he heard this answer of Medusa he thanked her for her swéete words and agréed to her to do in such wise as she had deuised And anon he sent againe this Medusa vnto the gallies hoping that she would returne againe to be his wife but when she by the subtiltie of her wit was deliuered againe at the port where Neptune had nothing to do in stead for to returne to the citie she caused to weigh ancres of al her ships and hoist saile and in all haste withdrew them from the port and in stead to array her investments nuptiall she tooke her arms and made all her men to arme them And thus she escaped from Neptune who was in great sorrow maruailously and in great anger saide that she had the head of a serpent and that her haires were turned into colours to the end to hide more graciously the malice of her heart he repeated the maner how she had deceiued and beguiled him c. Thus then escaped Medusa the hands of Neptune by the meane of her head serpentine Neptune abode conuerted and turned into a stone that is to say hauing his minde set on earthly affections and on the riches of Medusa and went not after her for as much as her power of men surmounted much all the power of Athens Of this thing ranne the renowme through all Greece And the beautie of Medusa was so commended that from those parts went euery day many knights to sée her and many of them were turned into stones and many lost their treasours innumemerable enforcing themselues by armes to conquer this Lady who withstood alway their assaults and indeuours and alway abode conquerour of them Medusa set nought by King nor Prince that would haue her to wife Shée was all set to get and gather the treasures of the world Whereas her father had béene very couetous yet was shée more couetous and comming againe from Athens into her owne Realme after shée hadde brought vnder subiection the Greekes that rebelled against her as is saide shée was so plunged in the déepe swallow of couetousnesse and auarice that shée made war against al her neighbours and conquered them constraining them to pay her yearly large tributes Whereby her estate and name arose and was so great that the fame thereof ran into many farre regions and among other in the Citie of Naples where reigned the king Pilonus as afore is sayd In the time that the renowne of Medusa was in this credite Perseus sonne of Danae and Iupiter was in the valour and prime of his strength and hee dayly required his mother and the king that they would giue him leaue to séek his aduenture When then Pilonus heard speake of the mightinesse of Medusa of her rapines and of her auarice he thought that his sonne in lawe should do a vertuous worke if hée might correct her so he told to Perseus that he would send him thither Perseus thanked him and sayde hée woulde employ thereto all his puissaunce Then the king Pilonus sent for men of Armes and made readie thirtie Gallyes for the armie of Perseus and dubbed him knight for the order of chiualrie began that time to be vsed in all the world And it was decréed that that same day Perseus should go to the sea And when the king had accomplished all the ceremonie to the case requyred in the Painims wise Perseus tooke leaue of the King Pilonus and of his mother Danae and of the damosels and right ioyously entred into his Galley afterward they weighed ancres and departed from the port of Naples with a great noyse of Tabors and Trumpets and with banner displayed and sayled into the déepe sea It was a good and faire sight to sée his departing There was many a teare wept euerie bodie loues Perseus for so much as hée was humble and courteous The Apuliens departed neuer as long as they might sée him and then after they returned home praying vnto the goddes that good and right happie might be the fortune of Perseus And the noble knight went by the sea and the coasts at all aduenture What shall I say he so hasted on his way that he came to Affricke that was named Libie at that time and there would haue refreshed him at a porte beside the strayte of Gybaltar where as was King Athlas the great Astrologyen But this King putte him from landing at this porte and came in armes against him and shewed by signe a farre off that he
aduance himselfe by defaming another This knowing I will say the truth and if there bee any man that may worthily prooue this against me and ouercome me no blessing to my heart I will stand to the iudgement of all noble men that haue knowne my behauiour Alas ladie from whence is come this abusion for to charge me that I should haue willed to enforce you when or in what place was it doone or where be the witnesses of the crie that ye made at the affray where be the prooues that shall say that euer in my life I was with you alone It giueth me maruaile from what heart departed this dishonour that ye note in me and for what cause it is imagined against me for I will well that all the world know that I haue serued you truely and loyally and that I neuer thought dishonour vnto you nor vnto the king to whom I pray that he will take and make information vpon my liuing and to vnderstand in like wise yours And if it can be prooued and appeare that I haue trespassed that I may be punished but I pray also if I be founde innocent that I may haue spéedy absolution Syr said the Ladie that strongly was obstinate in her errour I make me partie against him If then I accuse him it is truth it ought not to demand witnesses of his follie In this case I am worth two witnesses for all the world knoweth that when an ill man will dishonour a woman he calleth no witnesses nor no prooues thereto but doth his damnable will the most secretly that in him is possible And so wéened Bellerophon to haue doone with mée wherefore I require sentence and iudgement of him With these wordes Pricus assembled his Councell and it was iudged that the ladie shoulde bee beléeued and that Bellerophon should bee culpable of death Then spake Pricus to Bellerophon and said Faire sonne thou knowest and hast found that I haue loued and nourished thée louingly thou vnderstandest the accusation of thy Ladie the case is so foule that it may not be purged by denying For if it were so the euill boyes and had fellowes would all day dishonour as many of our women as they could find In this case the Ladyes haue a prerogatiue for to be beléeued and néede not to bring forth witnesses And forasmuch as thy mistres hath vanquished thée and required iudgement of thy trespasse thou art condemned to die But forasmuch as before this time I haue had great loue vnto thée and that I knowe thée a valiant man of thy bodie I will mittigate and attemper this sentence in this wise that thou shalt go fight agaynst the Chymere of Sicill and if thou mayst ouercome and maister her I giue thée thy life and giue thée plaine absolution of all vpon condition that neuer after thou renue nor rehearse this trespasse Sir answered Bellerophon sith that fortune consents that I be attainted of any infelicitie and that the priuiledge of the Ladies take place and go aboue reason I had much leuer to be vanquished by wrong cause and euil then by iust and good cause and thanke you of the moderation of your iudgement and make vow here in your presence that in all haste I will go into Sicil to proue me against the Chimere and will sée if fortune will helpe me to get againe the life which she hath made me lose by your iudgement Then the noble knight departed and tooke leaue of the king of the ladies and damosels tooke also his armours and goods and made couenant and bargained with certaine marriners to bring him to Sicill When they were agréed he went to the sea with little companie and was euill at ease at his heart when hee sawe that Fortune was to him so contrarie yet hee comforted him selfe in his good quarrell and sayling on a daye on the Sea of Hellesponte his Marryners looked into the West and sawe come a right great floate of Shippes of warre which discomforted them so sorrowfully that it was wonder and they awooke Bellerophon that at that time slept and saide that they were but dead and cast away Bellerophon comforted his marriners the best wise hee could and told them that discomfort could not helpe them and as he was thus speaking a gallie of aduantage went out afore his fellowes and flying on the sea like vnto a bird adressed her vnto the ship wherein was Bellerophon and aborded it And who that will demaund what the name was of the gallie and what men were therin I wil say to them that this was Pegase and that Perseus was within it As soone as he might speake to the marriners that caried Bellerophon to Sicyll hee asked and demanded them what they were and into what region they would go When Bellerophon heard Perseus speake hee behelde his behauiour and countenance and iudged in himselfe that he was of a good house and said to him Certes sir I haue much great ioy for that I sée the ship and marriners be so well adressed and in so good readinesse as yours be for ye séeme well a knight of a noble house and therefore I tell you my case afterthat ye haue made your asking First then where ye enquired what we bee knowe ye that in Argos wee haue taken our birth And as to the second I answere you that we haue a purpose to go straight into Sicill to the which I am constrained by the rigour of a mortall iudgement cast vppon mee at the instance of a Ladye called Aurea that vniustly and vntruely hath complained vppon mee saying that I would haue enforced her This Ladye that I speake of is wife to king Prycus which newly and of late hath banished and exiled his Brother Acrisius out of his Realme and this King for to please and satisfie the accusations of his wife hath condemned mée to be put to death yet for the good and the acceptable seruice that I haue doone to him hée hath graunted me to liue if so it please the goddes that I may by possibilitie vanquish and ouercome a Chimere that is in Sicill vnto the which I go for to assay mee So I pray you that in our misfortune we be not let by you neither by none of your companie Valiant knight answered Perseus as it is true that the heart of a noble man taketh pitie and compassion in the distresse and passion of his equall the weighing of your case hath pearced mine heart with a charitable mercie and pitie by which yée may surely vnderstand not to haue by vs any hinderance during your infortunate life And for as much as the hearts of them that would be induced at calling to the déedes of Armes singularly delyte them in aduentures of great woorth and weight to get credite by I will accompanie you for two causes The first is to expose my selfe to the disputation and destruction of the Chimere if it happen that you ouercome her not which I suppose yée can not
euill minde that she would strangle both two by the Serpents c. Alcumena departed from the chamber by the space of time and Iuno let the night waxe darke The nourses laide the children in their cradles to sléepe and they slept And after they layde themselues downe and slept leauing a Lampe burning in their Chamber Then when they were asléepe at that time that Iuno would accomplish her worke shee opened her lap and made to leape out the two serpenis charmed and enchaunted to worke the death of the two children and put them by an hole into the chamber When they were within they lifted vp their heads and smelling the two children made vnto them giuing the first assault vnto Ypecleus in such wise that they strangled him and there murthered him After the death of Ypecleus these two serpents came vnto the cradle of Hercules that was awake the same time When the Serpents were come to the cradle they went the one on the one side and the other on the other side and mounted on the Cradle but this was to their euill ease For as soone as they came vppe Hercules perceiued them and was afraied because they were fierce and dreadfull he then bestirred himselfe and his armes with such might and force that he brake the bonds in which he was wrapped and swadled and so laboured that hee had his armes and his hands at large and then when the serpents ranne vppon him hee put them backe by naturall strength and force many times and fought with them with his fists right long but at last when Hercules sawe that the serpents oppressed him more and more and ceassed not to assaile him he tooke in each hand one making a great crie and held them so fast and sore that he strangled both two The nourses awoke at the crie that Hercules made and arose vp hastily and went to the cradles for to see their children and they found Ypecleus dead and they found that Hercules held yet the two serpents in his hands Sodainly as they saw that maruaile they cried pitiously With that Iuno the false witch and sorceresse that had séene all fled her way sore troubled and terribly angrie at that that the serpents had not wrought and atchieued her purpose as well in Hercules as they had done in Ypecleus And Amphitrion with Alcumena awoke and came into the chamber where the two nurses were which made sorrowfull and pitious cries and entring therin they saw Hercules at the one side yet holding the Serpents and at the other side they beheld Ypecleus all swolen with venim and dead then déepe and gréeuous sorrowes came and entred into the bottome of their hearts Alcumena began to crie and wéepe by naturall pitie and Amphitrion was al afraide Many damosels and other folke came to the chamber which all were afeard to take away the Serpents for feare of hurt and there was none so hardy that durst approch to Hercules for the serpents that he held in his hands which were swolen with the venim Alway Hercules made no heauie nor worse cheere but laughed to one and other and was there in that case so long that phisitions and surgions came and by their science tooke from his hands these venimous beasts When Amphitrion sawe Hercules deliuered from the Serpents he recomforted Alcumena that was nigh dead for sorrow and made to burne and bury Ypecleus All they that were there had passing great maruaile of the power and strength of Hercules that was so young a childe and that he had soughten against the serpents and by excessiue strength and might had strangled them The night passed in the fashion and manner that I haue rehearsed On the morrow betime Amphitrion would shew and manifest this maruailous and glorious victorie wherefore he did cause to take Hercules and made him to be borne to Athens into the temple of the god Mars with the two serpents and he in person went accompanied with King Euristeus The false olde witch Iuno followed a farre after in a dissembled forme and shape When Amphitrion was come into the Temple he sent for King Egeus and assembled the people and after tooke Hercules presenting him vnto the god Mars thanking him of the victorie that he had sent to Hercules against the Serpents After this he lifted him vp and shewed Hercules vnto the people recounting and telling to them his maruaylous aduenture And thus when Hercules was shewed and put into the common view and sight of the people and that euery man gaue him laude and prayse the false olde Iuno being in the prease with other after that she had long beholden the noble childe that in all his members he resembled and was like to king Iupiter for to put Amphitrion in iealousie of his wife and for to make him to haue Hercules in suspition shée sayds vnto them that were about her Certes Amphitrion is a verie foole if he wéeneth and thinketh that Hercules is his Sonne Beholde the members of King Iupiter and the members of this Childe yée shall finde no difference This Childe and Iupiter bée both of one semblaunce and haue like fauours and shape And euerie man sayeth that this Childe is the Sonne of Iupiter and none other When this olde Iuno had sowen these cursed words she withdrew her apart out of the prease and tooke another shape to the end that she should not be known And then these words were sowne abrode and told forth of them that heard them in such wise that a great murmuring grew and arose touching Amphitrion And it was reported to him that men said so by aduertisement of the olde Iuno When Amphitrion heard these new tidings he beganne to behold the childe and in the beholding him thought verily that this childe had wholy the very semblance and likenesse of king Iupiter And then began to enter into his heart a right great griefe sorrow and thus after he entred into iealousie Yet he kept silence and made as good countenance as he might and could for to eschew the slaunder And anon after that the people were withdrawne he called the king Euristeus and prayed him that he would bring vp Hercules saying that neuer after he would sée him and that he beléeued verily that he was the sonne of Iupiter Euristeus comforted Amphitrion the best wise he could meaning to haue put this iealousie out of his minde but he could not What shall I make long rehearsall Euristeus enterprised to kéepe and nourish Hercules and made him to be borne into his house Amphitrion returned vnto Arciancie where he found Alcumena sore discomforted for these tydings which shée had receyued and for to excuse herselfe to Amphitrion and the false olde Quéene Iuno shée went vnto Crete Of which matter I will stay nowe and will come to speake of the first aduentures of Hercules CHAP. XXXIX ¶ How Hercules began the Olimpiades and how he waxed amorous of Megara the Daughter of the king of Thebes and how
first at the most straight and nigh marks and after at the most long marks he that shooteth most straight and nigh at short marks shall winne a gloue of gold and he that is best at long marks shall haue a bow and a sheafe of arrowes At the seauenth he will cast a stone against all men and he that doth best thereat shall haue a right good diamond At the eight day and other folowing to the fiftéenth he will exercise armes and if any will prooue himselfe one alone against him he shal be receiued fore séene that during the first six daies he shall come and present himselfe vnto the iudges he that so doth best shall haue a rich sword And if it happen that they that shall come to this feast will tourney togither in maner of a battaile in iousting with launces or speares fighting with swords or baryers the iudges shall ordaine captains such as shall séeme conuenient who that best doth in this exercise or fight shal win a garlaÌ„d of lawrel All these things before written the said esquire vnknowen promiseth to accomplish and prayeth vnto all noble men Ladies and Gentlewomen that they will vouchsafe to come and sée this méeting of Nobles which shall be performed by the pleasure of the immortall gods who wil giue to the acceptors of this worthie chalenge multipliance of honour and encreasing of good fortune c. When Hercules had written this proclamation and engrossed it he sent it to Euristeus who read it and him séemed that the inuention of the authour and maker was good and right worthy to bee put in memory and called one of his knights and gaue him the charge and office to go publish this proclamation in the courts of all the kings of Greece The knight enterprised with right good heart to doe the said office and this was the first officer of arms that euer was He went to Athens Thebes Argos Lacedemonia Archadia Perelye Magnesie Crete Ephese Pepos Tripoly and Thessaly and all about hee published the proclamation without declaring who hee was that should kéepe the exercise They that heard speake of the squire vnknowne and vnderstoode his high enterprise iudged him that this came of a noble courage and that hee might not fayle to gette honour and fame The knight for to finish this voyage hadde foure Monethes tearme for to accomplish it During this time Hercules disposed him for to furnish his prouision for the excercises and so did the kings and noble men for to come thither What shall I make long processe When the euen before the first day of the exercise was come the King Euristeus brought Hercules vppon the mount Olympus and from all parts came thither so many Noble men Ladyes and Gentlewomen that the number might not bee estéemed the Mount was full on all sides All this night there was great adoo and noyse of one and other for to make their tents and lodges of bowes leaues and to pitch their pauilions And it ought not to be forgotten when the euen was come how the knight that had published the challenge assembled in a common tent all the knights that were come thither and required them in the name and on the behalf of the Esquire vnknowne that they would choose among them such as should be iudges and giue the prise When the kings that were there heard and vnderstood the request of the noble Esquire they thanked him and they choose thrée kings to be their iudges that is to wéete the king of Thebes called Creon the king of Argos named Gorgophon and the king of Myrmidon named Eson which was father of Iason They were wise and discréete they enterprised the office with a good will And that night they passed ouer with great ioy for they assembled in a tent which was made for to daunce in and the kings with the knights yong and old went togither and thus beganne the feast which endured till midnight in daunses and songs The king Iupiter and Amphitrion were not at this assembly by the counsel of king Euristeus which let him haue knowledge secretly that Hercules was he that should holde and kéepe this sport or exercise for to eschew all words and languages that might grow or arise vp by cause of the natiuitie of Hercules for Amphitrion on the one side beléeued not that he was his sonne and Iupiter on the other side said that he appertained not to him He sent them word therefore that they could do no better then not for to come to this solemnitie which was a most speciall thing and the most strange that euer was spoken of before that time The first day of May at the houre what time the sunne cast his heate vpon the earth Hercules did cause to sownde a trumpet for to make the Ladies to go vp into the scaffolds and places appointed and anon after they being mounted and set Hercules leapt out of the tent apparelled to wrastle and came into the middes of the place or field making reuerence vnto the iudges kings and to the ladies He was then xiiii yeare old full accomplished Anon as he had done the reuerence the knight that was officer of armes made a crie and said High excellent iuâ—ges we let you haue knowledge with all kings knights and gentlemen of armes Ladies and Gentlewomen that héere is the Squire vnknowne readie present in his person vppon the mount Olympus and offereth himselfe to fulfill the contents of his challenge by order and after the maner that the particulars thereof make mention Wherefore if there be any man that will proue and assaie him at wrastling let him come and he shall be receiued Theseus of Athens at the end of this proclamation and at the commandement of king Egeus his father entred then into the field he was a passing faire child and a gentle at his comming he saluted Hercules and said to him Maister of all bodily exercises I am come hither not of presumption but for to learne those things that I haue néede of and therefore I recommend mee vnto your grace My Brother Theseus answered Hercules I may more learne of you then you of me wherefore lette vs indeuour to winne the prise it must be begunne by some bodie These words accomplished the two noble Esquires approched and seised each other Theseus employed his puissance and Hercules suffered him to doo as much as hée would or could without shewing and putting out his force and might againe to him And so they shooke and lugged each other but in the ende Hercules cast Theseus the most softly and fauourably that he could Wherat the laughter was great among the ladyes and gentlewomen Theseus then departed from the place and went among the ladyes and Gentlewomen praying them that they would take it in good part that he had done Then came vnto the place many yong squires of whom I know not the names and they indeuored and trauelled all that they might for
by his play she knew well that it was her husband then shée was sore abashed and whereas shée had sore wept before she kept as much more after Pluto was sorte for the sorrow that Proserpina made and saide to Orpheâ—s if hee could so play with his harpe that the ladie should cease her wéeping hee would giue him what hee would aske of him Orpheus promised and assured him that hee would doo it And Pluto sware to him that hee would hold and kéepe his promise if he so did And then Orpheus sette and tuned his harpe and played diuerse songs so swéetely that the infernall Ceberus and many other fell asléepe and also Proserpina by the meane of certaine tokens and signes that Orpheus made with his eyes ceased of her wéeping When Pluto sawe Proserpina so ceasing her wéeping hee was passing ioyous hee awoke then Cerberus and the other that slept after he spake to Orpheus and said to him that he had so well harped that no man could do better and that hee would that he should demand something and he would giue it him without any faile Orpheus hearing the words of Pluto had great perplexitie in himselfe for to knew what thing he might demand in the ende he sayde to him Sir I am Orpheus the husband of this ladie and for her loue I haue enterprised to come hither in this case nowe I pray and require you that yée will giue and render her againe to mee that I may bring her againe vnto her mother that dyeth for sorrowe When Pluto had heard the request that Orpheus had made hée was all amazed at the hardinesse that Orpheus had shewed how be it he answered to him Orpheus ye haue demanded of mee Proserpina she is the Ladie that I most loue of all the world Neuerthelesse for to accomplish the promise that I haue made to you take hir vpon condition that ye bring her out of this Citie without looking or beholding after or behinde you and if it happen that yee once looke behinde you ye shall loose her At this answere Orpheus was content and it séemed to him that his wife was as good as recouered or woonne hee and Proserpina passed ouer that night in good hope When the morning was come Pluto deliuered Proserpina to Orpheus on condition afore rehearsed Orpâ—â—â—nd Proserpina tooke leaue of king Pluto and thanâ—◠〈◊〉 after they went on their way but hee had not gone halfe way to the gate when Orpheus priuily looked behinde him for to sée if any man followed him and then hee found at his héeles Cerberus that tooke Proserpina away from him and yéelded and deliuered her againe vnto the king Orpheus séeing that by his vnhappinesse he had lost his wife beganne to curse the day that he was borne and came after and followed Proserpina and beganne againe to harpe and to offer great gifts for to recouer her againe but it was saide to him for conclusion that hee should neuer haue her againe and also that if he had vsed the feats of armes as he had the strings of the harpe he should haue died With this conclusion Orpheus departed from hell full of sorrow and anguish and returned into Sicill vnto the quéene Ceres telling to her his aduenture The quéene being acertained that her daughter was in hell as she that was aduertised that in Thessaly should be halowed the feast of the wedding of Pyrothus and that there were many knights of great name she went to the sea and came fitly to Thessalonica while the feast yet endured In approching the citie on an after noone as Pyrothus and Theseus were in the field they mether Her armie w s great The seus and Pirothus saluted her she saluted and gréeted them againe and after asked them the estate of the feast of the wedding They tolde and recounted her all After she demaunded of them if there were there no knights of great name and high enterprises when they vnderstoode that she enquired so farre they would knowe what she was and demaunded her name I am sayde she the Ladye Ceres of Sicill Then spake Theseus and sayde Madame ye bée welcome for what occasion demaunde you if in the feast be any knightes of enterprise I can well saye to you that there be truly but notwithstanding I doo wish you I praye you and also require that ye tell and declare vnto vs the cause why ye haue so demaunded c. Syr sayd the Ladye since it pleaseth you to enquire of mine estate so farre knowe ye for certayne that I haue made to you my demaunde for as muche as Pluto the King of Hell hath rauished my daughter Proserpina by which I am hurt vnto the death and I would fayne finde some knight that of his courtesie woulde imploye him for to get her againe and yéelde her to me and for to assaile the cursed tyrant who I pray the goddes may be damned and confounded euerlastingly for his demerits Wherefore I praye you if ye know any that wil to me be mercifull that it please you for charitie to direct me vnto him Madame aunswered Theseus be ye no more inquisitiue to finde such a knight as ye seeke for in the fauour of all Ladyes I wil be your knight in this worke and promise you vpon myne honour that I will transporte me into hell And the king Pluto shall neuer haue peace with me vnto the time that he hath restored your daughter When Pyrothus heard the enterprise of Theseus he began to breake of his words and sayd to him My brother what thinke you to doo when ye enterprise for to go into hell ye knowe not the boundes nor the situation of that place Hell standeth behinde the inner sea betwéene mountaines and rockes so high that the Cittizens that dwell therein be in continuall darkenes and shadowe and the Entrie is so difficult that it is impossible to come within the Cittie vnlesse the porter consent For here-be-foretime many haue gone thither that be there left and abiding there goeth no man thither that euer commeth againe It is right an hell and each man nameth it hell as well for the situation thereof in so darke and vnlightsome a place as for the inhumanytie and terriblenes of the inhabitants that wayte to doo euill and displeasure to all the world Theseus aunswered vnto Pyrothus and sayde There is nothing impossible vnto a valiant heart The King Pluto is cruell and strong his folke and people tyrannous His Cittie standeth in a Countrey enuyroned with mortall perills Notwithstanding certes the doubt and feare of these things shall neuer â—aunt nor withdrawe my courage but that I will doo my deuoir to atchiue this enterprise and will performe my promise or will haue reproche of all manner of Knightes A manne to kpeepe his owne honoure and worshippe ought not to doubte anye perill what soeuer it shoulde be c. When Pyrothus had heard the noble answer of Theseus he allowed it greatly and sayd
sayd to him that Achelous demaunded of him if he would giue him his daughter and that if he would not giue her to him at this time he would molest and gréeue his countrey and would make him warre At this message Oeneus was troubled and answered the messenger that on the morrow he would giue him an answere All that day Oeneus was pensiue and sorry and abode alone and for to passe his melancholy he came to Hercules When Hercules sawe him so pensiue he adiured him in earnest wise that he should tell him the cause of his pensiuenes who tolde it him and sayde Lord Hercules since it pleaseth you to know of mine anoiance and gréefe I will anon tell you the cause There is hereby a king my neighboure named Achelous great and fierce and proude which many times hath required to haue to his wife Deyanira my daughter I haue not béene in will to accord the mariage for asmuch as I knowe this king a man of right euill life And for this cause I haue had many menaces of him and also this day his messenger is yet come againe to me and hath sayde to mée that if I giue him not my daughter at this time he will make mée war Certes Hercules if ye ye sée me pensiue it commeth to me by this occasion for I haue not yet giuen him his aunswere but I must giue it him to morrow Neuerthelesse I haue concluded in my selfe that I will not giue vnto him my daughter And now when I sée verily that by the refuse of my daughter it must néedes be that the war be open betwéene the aforesayde king Achelous and me know well that I am displeased for warre is the eternall desolation of the countrey perdition and wast of the people and of goods Sir said Hercules it is néedefull vnto a man that he take and beare all that fortune will As ye say warre is not increasing of people but dimunition yet by that extremitie it behooueth to passe It is expedient that a man reioyce in his right Right comforteth the courage of a man and the courage of a man comforted bringeth him often times to glorious victorie A brute beast disgarnished of reasonable wit fighteth for his hole and nest with his clawes with féete with his téeth and with his bill What shall a man sensible and endowed with wit and reason do with any assault and namely in his owne land and territorie Nature willeth and instructeth that where corporall force faileth vigour and vertue of courage worketh and that they fight for their countrey Take courage then in your right and say your intent vnto your enemies ye haue receiued mée worshipfully in my receiuing these tydings that be come I wil help you if it be neede and I suppose if Achelous assaile you he shall repent him With these words the king Oeneus comforted himselfe greatly and the day drewe ouer On the morrow Oeneus called the messenger of Achelous and said to him that he should come no more to demaund his daughter and that he was not minded to giue her to his maister and furthermore if he mooued warre against him for this cause hee had intention to defende himselfe vnto the death of the last man of his people The messenger returned with these words and tolde them to Achelous and all that hée found with him Achelous was euill content with king Oeneus and as hee that was ouermuch smitten with the loue of Deyanira beganne to assemble his men of armes in intention to make warre on king Oeneus and to take from him his Daughter Hercules was then in Calcedonie and often times he was with Deyanira in gracious conferences He found her so well adressed in all honest maners that all day he was the most part with her and in the night he did nought but dreame and thinke on her howbeit he sayd nothing to her that touched his amorous desires willing first to shewe there his power in armes It happened on a day he opened a window that was by the garden of Deyanira and casting his eyes downe he sawe Deyaninira that sate vppon a gréene place accompanied with many Ladyes and Gentlewomen Then hee set all his minde to contemplate the excessiue beautie of her After he desired her and in coueting and desiring said O Deyanira thou that hast not the prerogatiue to know the hearts and the thoughts of men if I should say to thée the tenth part of the loue and desire I haue to thée thou mightest not beléeue it I haue gone many a countrey and séene mannie a Realme and many a treasure I haue desired many a thing But of all for to come to my wished blisse I was neuer in so great thought as I am for to get thy grace The same houre that Hercules spake by himselfe Deyanira was not idle shee hadde Hercules in her minde and remembrance in hir heart then being rich in the points of loue sowen betwéene variations of hope and despayre was esprysed in all her veynes with the heate of that fire that burneth amorous hearts This fire burning was strong and very hard to quench or to couer the right pearcing sparkle Shée lay downe then vpon the grasse and beganne to say in her minde Alas Hercules what shall Deyanira do she may not come to attaine vnto your loue I was wont not long since not to daigne to behold a man and then said that neither Prince nor King should haue my loue Nowe I am all of another nature and desire no other thing but that I might bee your wife I haue supposed to haue remained and continued a stable virgin and I only was disdainer of men contrary to the requests and admonitions of the ladies these be nowe farre other tydings with these words she ceased a little and beganne to thinke on many other things At this point as she thought on Hercules and Hercules on her tydings came thither that Achelous was comming for to besiege the Citie by land and by sea and that he was very neare by For these tydings arose in the pallace a great murmuring that came to the eares of Hercules and of Deyanira their spirits were trauersed in such fashion that Hercules left to behold Deyanira and the damosell left to thinke on Hercules and both two went vnto the king Oeneus Anon as Hercules came vnto the king and that the King saw him he went against him and said to him that his enemies were verye neare the Citie Hercules answered ioyously that it behooueth to go feast them and willed that he put his people in armes At this answere of Hercules the king did sounde to armes and with this sound all Calcedonie was mooued and each man made him readie Hercules and his Gréekes were ready in a little space The Calcedonians assembled by great companies in the pallace When they were assembled the king and Hercules brought them into the field and Hercules put them in order that done he did
intended to please the lady more then hée had done before And shortly hee acquainted himselfe so with her and she with him that they lay togither secretly And he begat on her a sonne that was named Latine which was afterward of great gouernment During these things whiles that Hercules and Facua had this good time in Laurencia tidinges came that the king Fanus was comming Facua that then began first to ioy in the loue of Hercules was passing sorie and heauy when she heard these tidings for shee firmly fixed her heart on Hercules Sodainly the teares all blubbered her eies And so wéeping she came into a chamber where as Hercules was then shée tooke him apart and said to him Alas my loue I shall die for sorrow Lady said Hercules wherefore Forsomuch said she as my husband the king Fanus commeth home It is full foure yeare since I heard of him I had supposed he had been dead but hee is not His herbingours and fourriers bee come before and say that he will suppe héere this day Alas what euil aduenture is this we must néedes now depart and our communication shall faile With this word the lady embraced Hercules and fell downe in a sowne in his lappe Hercules tooke her vp and comforted her the best wise he could and said to her that since it is so that shee was married it was reason that shee abode still with her husband Whatsoeuer Hercules said vnto the Ladie shee coulde not kéepe her from weeping nor bewailing her loue and her bewailinges were great In the end shee went into her chamber and dried her eyes and brake off her dolorous weeping asmuch as she could arraying and apparrelling her in such wise as if shee had been ioyous and glad of the comming of her husband who came soone after and entred into his citie with great triumph Hercules and Facua went against the king Fanus When the king Fanus saw Hercules hee did to him as much honour and worship as he could doe Forasmuch as he had heard say and was aduertised of the deeds of arms that he had done against the giants of Cremona and against Cacus and thanked him forsomuch as hee was come into his citie For conclusion Hercules abode there foure daies after that Fanus was come home on the fifth day hée considered that hee might no more enioy his loue and that he did nothing there but loose his time so he tooke leaue of the king Fanus and of the queene Facua and returned vnto the house of the king Euander where he held him and abode vnto the time that his temple was made and accomplished About the consummation of this temple an Herauld of Calidonie came to Hercules and signified to him that the king Pricus came against him with a great puissance of men of armes for to reuenge the bloud of Cacus his cousen and that he charged Hercules that he hadde without a cause and cruelly put to death one so noble a king as Cacus was and said to him moreouer that if he would mainteine the contrary on the morrow early he should finde the king Pricus in the same place where the bloud of king Cacus was shed and that there by mortall battell by puissance against puissance he would prooue it true that he said When Hercules had wel heard what the king Pricus had signified to him he had his heart all full of ioy and answered to the Herauld that the death that he had made Cacus to die was a worke of iustice and that vppon the quarrell hee woulde furnish by battell the king Pricus at the houre and place that hee had said After this aunswere thus made Hercules gaue vnto the Herauld has gowne that he ware and did him to be feasted right wel saying that he had brought him tidinges of pleasaunce When the herauld had had good chéere and wel feasted as Hercules had commanded He returned vnto the king Pricus tolde him what Hercules had answered to him and that he should haue on the morrow the battaile The king Pricus that supposed to haue wonne all by aduantage of multitude for he had in his hoste mo then thirty thousand men thanked the Gods of these tidinges and came and lodged him the same night nigh vnto the mount Auentin vpon the riuer of Tyber He made him readie then for to fight this battaile And likewise Hercules eche man on his side thought on his workes The night passed ouer and on the morrow as soone as it began to dawn the king Pricus Hercules began to sound their great tabours and with that sound their men put them in armes to be ready and after trained in battaile order And so they came both parties as well the one as the other into the same place where the bloud of king Cacus had béen shed c. CHAP. XXVII ¶ How Hercules fought against the king Pricus in battaile and how he fled into the Citie where Hercules alone slew him and many mo with him ABout fiue of the clocke in the morning Hercules and Pricus assembled at the battaile from as farre as Pricus sawe Hercules hee made a maruellous cry With this cry all the Calidoniens began to runne against Hercules and made so great a noise that it séemed that there was not people enough in all the world for them But certainly like as a small raine abateth or laieth downe a great winde in likewise Hercules alone laid downe their ouer great boasting and vproare For assoone as he sawe his enemies runne against him about a quarter of a mile off hee departed from his battaile that was well set in order and after that he hadde commaunded his folke that they shoulde not haste for nothing hee beganne to runne against the Calidoniens swiftly not like an horse but like an Hart that no man might ouertake The king Euander was all abashed for to sée in Hercules so great nimblenesse and swiftnesse Pricus and the Calidoniens when they sawe him mooue from the hoste they supposed that it had béen a horse or other beast In the end when Hercules was come nigh to them within the space of a bow shot they knewe that it was Hercules whereat they were sore abashed of his comming Pricus cried to haue set his men vppon him They shot arrowes and casted dartes and speares vpon Hercules against all the partes of his body neuertheles they coulde neuer pierce nor enter into the skinne of the Lion and he neuer rested till hee hadde accomplished his course thrusting him among his enemies so mightily that ouerthrowing all before him like as it hadde béen a tempest or thunder hee went into the midst of the hoste whereas there was the chiefe banner of the king Pricus Hercules abode and staied there but beganne to smite and lay on vpon the one side and the other and to die his sword with the bloud of the Calidoniens His sworde was so heauy that no man might endure it it
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
well remembred of the great iniuries that yee and other haue done to him that for so little cause or occasion haue slaine his father destroied his citie and his people some dead and some in seruitude And yet that is worse to holde his sister foully as a concubin and yet at least he ought to haue wedded her And forasmuch as yée be a man of great witte and discretion the king my lord wisheth you and warneth you that from henceforth yee cease the rage and the great slaunders that may come for this cause that all good men ought to eschewe to their power that his sister be safely deliuered again to him and he will pardon the residue and wil hold it as a thing that neuer had happened c. When the king Peleus had heard Anthenor so speak hee chafed with him anon in great anger and ire and beganne to blame the king Priamus and said that his wit was light And after menaced Anthenor and commaunded him that he should go anon out of his land for if hee tarried long there hée woulde flea him with great tormentes Anthenor taried not long after but entered into his shippe without taking leaue of king Peleus and sailed so farre by the sea that he arriued at Salamine where the king Thelamon soiourned Then Anthenor went vnto him and declared to him the cause of his comming in this maner Sir said hee the king Priamus requesteth effectuously your noblenesse that his sister Exione whom ye holde in your seruice so foully ye would restore vnto him For it is not fitting nor seemly vnto your glorie nor renowne to vse so the daughter and sister of a king and that is issued of a more noble ligne then yée bée And in case that ye will restore to him his sister hee will hold all thinges as not done as well the damages as the dishonours that by you and other haue beene done vnto him When the king Thelamon hadde heard Anthenor so speake hee beganne to waxe passing angry and aunswered to him right fiersly saying My friend saide hee whatsoeuer thou bee I haue much maruaile of the simplenesse of thy king to whom I beare none amitie neyther he to mee And therefore I ought not to hearken vnto his praier nor request Thy king ought to knowe that I and other haue béen there for to reuenge an iniurie that his father Laomedon did late to some of our friendes And forasmuche as I then entered first into the citie of Troy with great trauaile effusion of my bloud Exione of whom thou speakest which is right faire was giuen vnto mée for the guerdon of my victorie for to do with her my will And forsomuch as shee is so well to my pleasure as shée that is of great beautie and replenished with all Sciences it is not to me so light a thing to render and deliuer againe a thing that is so faire and delightfull which I haue conquered with so great paine and daunger But thou shalt say to thy king that hée may neuer recouer her but by the point of the sword but as for me I repute thée for a foole that euer wouldest enterprise this message wherein lieth thy great perill for thou art come among people that vehemently hate thée and thy like therefore go thy way hastily out of this countrey For if thou abide any more here I will make thée die by cruell and hateful death c. When Anthenor heard Thelamon so speake hee entered right hastily into his ship and sailed so farre that hée arriued in Thessalie where the king Castor and the king Polux his brother soiourned Hée went a shore spéedily from his shippe and declared his message like as hée had done to the other And the king answered to him in great yre and said to him thus Friend what that thou art I will that thou knowe that wée thinke not to haue iniuried the king Priamus without cause for it is so that the king Laomedon his father then beganne the folly wherefore he was slaine For he wronged first certaine of the Nobles of Greece and therefore wee desire more the euill will of thy king Priamus then his good loue or peace And certes it séemeth well that he had not thée in anie good reckoning when hée sent thee hither to doe this message in this countrey wherefore I wishe thée see well that thou abide not here long for if thou go not incontinent thou shalt die villanously Then Anthenor departed without leaue and entered into his shippe and sailed till hee came to Pilon where the duke Nestor soiourned with a great company of noble men Anthenor went vnto him and saide that hee was messenger of the king Priamus and tolde and counted to him his message in such wise as hee hadde saide to the other before And if the other were angry this Nestor chafed in himselfe more against Anthenor and said to him Ha ha vile varlet who made thee so hardie for to say such thinges before me Certes if it were not that my noblenesse refraine me I woulde anon cause thy tongue to be plucked out of thy head and in despite of thy king I would by force of horse cause to draw thy members one from an other Go thy way hastily out of my sight or by my Gods I will cause to bee done all that I haue heere said c. Then Anthenor was all abashed at the horrible words of Duke Nestor and doubting the furie of his tyrannie returned vnto the Sea and sette him on his returne to Troy ward And hee hadde not been long on the Sea when a great tempest arose and the aire began to waxe darke and to raine and to thunder right maruellously and there rose great windes contrary and waxed thicke and horrible mistie and his shippe was borne on the waues one time high and another time lowe in great perill and there was not a man in the saide shippe but supposed to die and that made not speciall promises and vowes to their Gods and in these perilles were they three dayes and on the fourth day the tempest ceased and and the aire waxed all cléere and became peaceable Then they comforted themselues and sayled so farre that they came to the port of Troy and went straite to their Temples to giue then thankes to their Gods for that they hadde escaped so manie perilles as they hadde been in And after Anthenor went with a great companie of noble men before the king Priamus and when all the Barons were assembled and all the sonnes of the king present then Anthenor tolde all by order what hee had done in Gréece like as it is contained heretofore At these tidinges was king Priamus sore troubled and greeued for the opprobrious tauntes that they had offered to his messenger in Greece And then he had no more hope nor trust to recouer his sister CHAP. II. Howe the king Priamus assembled all his barons for to know whom hee might send into Greece for
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 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 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
all ye kings princes and barons wee ought to render and yeeld thanks to the gods humbly and with deuout heart that our right hard enemie Hector hath suffered to be slaine by the hand of Achilles For as long as he was aliue we had neuer any hope to haue come to the better hand of our enemies What may the Troyans from hencefoorth hope or trust for but onely for their owne ouerthrow and we may in short time hope for the victorie vpon them And for as much as Achilles is grieuously hurt and may not goe to battell if ye thinke good whiles that yee maybe healed and the other also that be hurt of whom we haue many and also for to burie the dead bodies we will send to the king Priamus for to haue truce for two moneths The counsell seemed good to them and they sent anon to the king Priamus for truce and hee accorded it to them for two moneths During this truce Palamedes murmured againe at the seignorie of Agamemnon and as they were on a day all together Palamedes spake of this matter the king Agamemnon answered to him as sage in the presence of all the other and sayd vnto him Palamedes weenest thou that I haue great ioy of the seignorie that was giuen vnto me at the beginning and haue occupied to this present time for that it was not at my request neither haue I none auaile nor profit thereby but I haue great charge and breake many sléepes therefore to the end that by my negligence our hoste goe not to decline nor disworship and certes if had well suffised me to haue beene vnder the gouernment of another and I feare no man that may accuse mee that for any euill or negligence I haue failed in any thing And if thou gauest not thy consent vnto mine election thou needest not to dismay thereof for thou werest not as yet at that time come with the other but it was two yeeres after ere thou camest And therefore if wee shoulde haue abiden thy comming wee had beene at the Port of Athens And forasmuch as thou shalt not thinke that I haue ioy or pleasure of this office and am desirous to haue this honour I am content that another be chosen and am readie to giue consent with the most voices When Agamemnon had thus spoken there was no further procéeding that day in this matter And then at euen Agamemnon did make it to bee cried in all the hoste that ech man should be on the morrow betimes before his tent at the Parlement When it came to the morning that they were all assembled Agamemnon said to them My brethren and friends I haue had vnto this time the charge of this worke with great trauaile for to conduct it well in such wise that by the sufferance of the Gods I haue brought it vnto honor vnto this time And forasmuch as it is not lawfull that an Vniuersitie be ruled alway by one maister but that euery mā employ him to the best to his power and forsomuch as I haue conducted this hoste long time I will that wee doe choose another that may conduct it discreetly When Agamemnon had finished his wordes his saying pleased to euerie man and they chose Palamedes to bée their duke and gouernour and then hee went vnto his Tent. Achilles that lay sicke of his woundes was angry at the deposing of Agamemnon and said before al them that would heare it that Palamedes was nothing like vnto Agamemnon in witte and in discretion and that they ought not to change him for Palamedes but forasmuch as the people had consented he abode thereby also c. CHAP. XIX ¶ How the king Priamus issued to battaile for to auenge vpon the Greekes the death of his sonne Hector and of the prowesses that he did and of the anniuersary of the said Hector in which Achilles was surprised with the loue of Polixena the daughter of king Priamus in such wise that he might endure no rest WHen the the two monthes of the truce were past the king Priamus desiring to auenge the death of his sonne Hector ordeined with his owne person his battailes and sette in each battaile good conductors and hee himselfe went and lead with him fiue and twentie thousand of good knightes chosen of the best And Dares saith in his booke that there issued out of Troy that day an hundred and fiftie thousand men Deyphebus was the foremost and then Parie and after him came the king Priamus and Troylus Eneas Menon and Polidamas they went vnto the Tentes of the Greekes Palamedes had ordained his battailes Then began the battel great and mortall The king Priamus smote downe Palamedes in his comming and after smote vnto the greatest prease of the Greekes and slew many of them and beat them downe and did so much in armes in that day that with great paine woulde beleeue that a man so ancient and old might doe that he did that day The king Sarpedon of Troy assailed king Neoptolemus that was a passing strong knight and king Sarpedon was borne to the earth that defended him valiantly and gaue so great a stroke vnto king Neoptolemus that made him a great wound in his thigh Then came to the battaile the king of Perse that remounted the king Sarpedon with the aide of his folke Menelaus and the duke of Athens assailed the king of Perse and inclosed him and his people among them and slew the king of Perse and made the Troyans to recule by force there did the king Sarpedon great and woonderous matters of armes The king Priamus and his bastard sonnes that then followed him ceased not to slea the Greekes and there was none that day that did so much in armes as did the king Priamus for his sorrow his ire made his strength to grow Then the Greekes aduised them to take the way by which the Troyans should returne vnto their citie and they went thither in great number And when the Troyans reculed for to go into that place they found themselues in the middle of their enemies Then began mortall battel and there came vpon them the king Priamus with a great number of fighting men by a wing and Paris came crossing them with a great plentie of good fighters and he had great store of archers that slew many of the Greekes and hurted them and they did so well that by force the Greekes were driuen to recule to their Tentes And the Troyans reentered into their Citie and the king Priamus had the losse and worst of this battaile He sent to the Greekes to demaund truce and they agreed and accorded to him but we finde not howe long this truce endured c. Among these thinges the king Priamus did cause to cary by land the body of the king of Perse for to be buried in his countrey then was the weeping and sorrow great in Troy and in especiall of Paris that loued him exceedingly During this truce the anniuersary of
and I trow there is not left one at home of the men of Troy but that euery man is come to the battell and therefore if it please you now whiles that the Troyans be wearie to come to the battell ye shall get to you perpetuall memorie of worship and of glorie For by your prowesse you shal in little space haue all vanquished theÌ„ and they shall not dare to defend themselues against you they be so wearie Neuer would Achilles for the words of his varlet nor for the death of Ebes change his courage but dissembled all that he had seene heard for the great loue that he had to Polixene During these things the battell was right sharpe and endured vnto the night to the great damage of the Gréeks and the night parted them yet was not Deiphebus dead but hee drewe towardes his ende and when Paris and Troylus saw him in that sorrow they began to cry and make great sorrow And then Deyphebus opened a little his eies and demaunded of Paris with a féeble voice if he were dead that had slaine him And Paris saide to him yea Then Deyphebus did cause to drawe out the head of the speare with the truncheon and anon died Wherefore the Troyans made great sorrowe It is no néed to hold long talke of the sorrow that the king Priamus his father made nor his wife and his sister for it was too much and also for the death of the king Sarpedon Of the other partie the Greekes made great sorrow for the death of Palamedes and made his body to be buried worshipfully And as they that might not bee long without an head and gouernour by the counsell of the duke Nestor and of other Agamemnon was set againe in his dignitie as he was before The day following the Troyans early in the morning issued out of the citie in good order and the Greekes came against them Then began the battell mortall and there was great slaughter on both sides but it rained so much that day that the Greekes withdrew them to their Tentes and the Troyans followed after them but the raine was so great that they must needes leaue the battell and returne to their citie On the morrow betimes they began to fight and flew that day many barons of the Greekes and fought till the euen and so they fought the space of seuen daies continually where was great slaughter of the one and of the other And forasmuch as the Greekes might not suffer the stenche of the dead bodies they demaunded truce for two monethes which were graunted to them by king Priamus During this truce the king Agamemnon sent the duke Nestor Vlisses and Diomedes to speake to Achilles for to pray him and will him to come to the hoste for to defend theÌ„ against the Troyans that slew them maruellously When they were come vnto him he receiued them with great ioy And then Vlisses said vnto him Sir Achilles was it not by your agreement and also ours all this host to leaue our countrey and a ow yeare come running vpon king Priamus and haue destroyed him and his by force of armes do beat downe his â—itie From whence commeth this courage after so many hurts and damages as we haue receiued in this land by the Troyans that haue slaine so many kings and pâ—intes pilled and robbed our tents and burnt our shippes and we were now in hope to haue vanquished them alter that ye by your force and valour haue slaine Hector that was the true defender of the Troyans and also now that Deiphebus is dead the Troyans be there with put â—nder foot and after this day when ye haue gotten with great trauell to great worship and so good renowme will ye nowe loâ—se all at once and suffer your people to be slain â—uelly that ye haue so long defended with the effusion of your bloud Please it you from henceforth to enter â—oute kéepe your good renoume and defend your people that without you may not long defend them against your enemies to the ende that wee may come to the victorie by your prowesse by the which we hope to atteine and come to it Sir Vlisses sayde Achilles if wee be come into this land for these causes that ye haue declared wee may say that great folly was among vs that for the wife of one of vs that is to wit of sir Menelaus so many kings and so high princes bee put in perill of death Had it not béene much more wisedome for the noble Palamedes to haue abider in peace in his countrey then for to be slain here and other kings and princes in like maner Certes as the most great part of the world of noble menne be héere how assembled if they die here as many be already dead it must needes follow that the countreys shall be replenished and gouerned by villaines Hector that was so noble and so worthy is he not dead in like wise I may die shortly that am not so strong as he was And therfore in as much as ye require me to goe to battell so much paine and labour loose yee for I haue no more intention to put me any more in daunger and loue better to loose my renowme then my life for in the end there is no prowesse but it will be forgotten Nestor and Diomedes contended enough to drawe Achilles to their quarrels but they might neuer induce him to their purpose nor the wordes of Agamemnon neither And then he sayd to them that they shoulde make peace with the Troyans before that they were all slaine c. Then returned these thrée princes vnto Agamemnon and sayde to him all that they had found in Achilles and Agamemnon made it to bee knowen to the princes of the host whom he had assembled for this cause and demaunded of them their aduice Then stood vp Menelaus saying that it would be to vs now great shame to séeke peace with the Troyans since that Hector and Deiphebus bee dead and slaine and that by their death the Troyans repute them as vanquished and that without Achilles they shoulde well mainteine the warre against the Troyans To that answered Vlisses and Nestor and sayde that it was not maruell though Menelaus desired the warre for affection to recouer his wife and that Troy was not so disgarnished but that they had a newe Hector that was Troylus who was little lesse strong and woorthy then Hector And there was also another Deiphebus and that was Paris whom wee ought to doubt as much as the other and therefore they counselled the peace and to returne home againe to Gréece Then cried the false traitour Calcas which was traitour to the Troyans and sayd Ha noble men what thinke yee to doe against the commaundement of the gods haue not they promised to you the victory and will ye now leaue it Certes that should be great folly take againe courage to you fight ye against the Troyans more strongly then ye haue done
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
put her out of the order and of her company AT this time began to rise in the mind of Iupiter many thoughts for the better he concluded in himself to returne to Pelage from whence he came And then for because that hee was displeased with himselfe for the enforsing of his Ladie dame Calisto by loue hee departed from the wood and so hasted on his way that hee was on the morne among the Epiriens in his first habite When the Epiriens sawe Iupiter come againe they made him right great chéere and great honor And the same day Iupiter fained him that he would go on hunting and so went and found means to speake with Calisto and required her that she would be his loue but she in no wise would assent to him He returned from the chase so gréeued that for to passe his melancholy he departed out of the country The fourth day following after that he ordained there folke that gouerned the people and returned into the house of king Melliseus who receiued him as his son and there he dwelled a long time without aduentures whereof any mention is made and also Calisto dwelled in peace a while and when she heard tell and vnderstood that Iupiter was gone she was passing ioyous for she had leuer haue him far then nigh alway the time passed the fruit of her wombe grew and the day came that Diana and Athalanta with other virgins perceiued that she was with child wherfore they assembled al in their Chapyter and called Calisto and then spake Diana to her and said Calisto my daughter thou hast done fornication with some man this fornication is not excusable The virgins of this place be sorie for thy sinne and haue abhomination of thy shame For this cause it is of force that thou departe out of this house thou shalt be no longer their fellow Thou hast made thy selfe worthie to depart by the breaking and loosing of thy virginitie Take thine array and go thy way into some place where then maist be deliuered of the fruit that resteth in thée for thou shalt no longer be héere within When Calisto heard the goddesse Diana and knew that she said truth great teares fel from her eies and wéeping by great aboundance excused her vpon Iupiter rehearsing the abuse and violence that she had Diana and the maidens had great maruaile of Iupiter that had them so deceiued Calisto cried her mercie right humbly and many times offered her selfe to the correction of the maidens This notwithstanding albeit that she was held excused they receiued her not to mercie She was condemned to go out of the cloyster and so much went the matter for t of that the poore religious woman departed from thence all bewept and so ashamed that she would not go to no towne citie nor house but in a déepe caue that she had seene afore time in the wood And first she made her prouision of hearbs and rootes for as much as the winter was comming After she entred into the caue and there she held her so lōg time as the beare holdeth him in his den wherefore the Arcadiens fayned that she was turned into a beare And it is not to be forgottē that during this time she was deliuered of a sonne which she named Archas. This child was great and huge of members Calisto nourished him among the wilde beastes with rootes fruites and hearbes and of the proper meates and prayes that the cruel and terrible beasts liued with and there was no beaste that did him any harme nor none was so hardie to do him any gréeuance And he was so cruel and fierces that at the age of seuen yeare as his mother angred or troubled him on a day he lifted vp himselfe against her and would haue slaine her In so much that Calisto was constrained to flée before him by the bushes and to issue out of the wood and go to Iupiter which at that time was in the citie of Pelage Are has pursued Calisto his mother vntill he came within the citie and so forth entred after her into the Pallace and held in his hands two great round stones When Calisto entred into the pallace by aduenture she encountred and mette with Iupiter whom she knew and she knéeled downe on the earth before him and required him with afrayed spirite that he would do her iustice of her sonne that would flea her Iupiter that nothing knewe Calisto for asmuch as she was euil clothed and halfe wilde and sauage behelde the chylde and made him be taken and after he demaunded Calisto what she was Sir said she I am ' Calisto that for thy sinne was long since banished out of my religion I haue had this childe of thy séede such as thou seest this is thy sonne I haue nourished him seuen yeares in the forrest among wilde beasts He now would slea me for asmuch as I haue angred him I pray shée saue my life When Iupiter heard these wordes of Calisto he was right glad and ioyous for it was sayd that she was dead and he comforted her the best wise he could After that he called Archas and made the peace betwéene him and his mother and did cause him to be clothed and reteyned him in his palace And thēceforth the same Archas gouerned him so wel and so wisely that at the prayer and request of the Pelagiens Archas was made king of the countrey CHAP. IX ¶ How Titan assayled by warre his brother Saturne for as much as he had not put to death all his Children males c. IN this time that the young Archas was crowned king of Pelage and that he named the Cytie Archadia after his name the king Saturne was so great and so puissaunt that for to ample and increase the splendor of his natiuity he named himselfe Saturne sonne of heauen and of earth But then as he began to study how and by what maner hée might exalt the splendour of his felicitie by diuine misteries fortune turned her backe to him warde And as there is nothing in earth that may abide and endure so it happend that Tytan was all acertained that the quene Cibell had diuerse men children that she did cause to be kepte secretly and so had saued their liues Boccace that recounteth this history in the fourth booke of the genealogie of the goddes sayth not by what meane Titan knewe this thing alwaye eyther by suspection or by enuy that he had of the glorye of Saturne his Brother or by secret aduertisement Vnder this colour he determined in his courage that he woulde assayle Saturne by armes and for this cause he did assemble on a daye al his sonnes and them required that they would ayde and helpe him to get the land of Crete saying that hée woulde make warre against Saturne his Brother and that by right and iuste tytle he had good cause for he had not put to death dyuerse men children that his wife Cibell had conceyued of his séede like as