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
speake with me It is a small matter for his seruant to speake a word with me The king my father shall neuer know it it is no neede that he know all that shall fall but first shew to him how it is charged you vppon death that no man speake with me And make him promise and sweare that he shall kéepe this matter secret The Damosels and the olde woman ioyous of the answere of the maide went downe from the tower to the gate and finding Iupiter busie to open abroad and vnbinde his iewels the old woman said vnto him Faire sonne the king Iupiter hath found more grace héere in this place anenst the maide Danaes then all the men in the world Neuerthelesse ye must know that vpon paine of death it is to you forbidddn and to other by vs And wee be also charged vppon the same paine by the King Arcrisius that wée shall let no man liuing speake with her The commandement of the king is so great and your request is not little Certes we dare not bring you vnto her al thing considered For if it were knowen without faile we should be all put into the fire And peraduenture if ye were found héere within by the king that cometh often times hither he would put you to death Wherfore we pray you excuse vs against your maister At hearing of this answere Iupiter founde not that hee sought and then hee helde him more néere in dispaire then he did in hope but he remembred that a begger shuld not go away for once warning said vnto the old woman to the beginning of her answere Dame ye do wel if ye feare and dread the king which is to me no meruaile Yet his commaundement is not so strait but that ye may enlarge it if ye will he hath commanded that none shal speake with her The king Iupiter requireth that his seruant may saye to her certaine things in secrete touching her honour ye shall do that pleaseth you but in truth if ye accorde him his request the accord shall not be preiudiciall to you in anye thing For the king Iupiter is no pratler and knoweth so much of the worlde that vnto you he hadde not sent me if he hadde not founde me secrete And thus if ye will doo to him anye pleasure ye haue none excusacion reasonable None knoweth heereof but you and I. If I speake vnto the mayde by your consent who shall accuse vs it shall not be ye for that the matter toucheth you And it shall not be I nor the King Iupiter for certainly we had leuer die in sorrowfull death and also abide in greeuous payne c. Faire sonne answered the old woman ye speake so swéetely that we may not nor can giue vnto you the refuse of your request We dare well affye and trust in you Alas dame answered Iupiter doubt you When I shall fault against you or any other I wish to be smitten with the thunder and tempest I would verily that ye had the prerogatiue to know my inward thoughtes to the end that in iudging of my mind yee might be assured of mee not to haue by my cause any inconuenience With these words Iupiter drew to his will the olde woman and all the Damosels as well by his subtil language as by his riches For to vse short processe the olde woman accorded to Iupiter that he shall haue the grace to speake with the mayde and brought him before her with all his presents Iupiter had then more ioy then I can write And when he was thus aboue in the towre of Dardane in beholding the ample beauty of Danae his ioy doubled and he knew her well by her beautie and made vnto her reuerence saying Right noble accomplished damosell the king Iupiter saluteth you by me and sendeth vnto the women of this house of such goddes as fortune hath giuen to him if it be your pleasure they shall receiue them and after I will saye vnto you certayn things secrete which the king Iupiter your seruaunt hath charged me to faye vnto you My fréende answered Danae sauing your honour the King Iupiter is not my seruaunt but I my selfe am beholden to him and am his seruant and thanke him of his bounty it séemeth as he had reygned golde in this place It is acceptable to me that the women of this tower haue your presents And it pleaseth me well also to heare your charge to the ende that King Iupiter should not say that I were vnkinde c. The matrons and the Damosels were present at this answer Iupiter deliuered vnto them his Iewels which they receyued with great galdnes After that Danae tooke the messenger by the hand and led him a parte vnto the beddes side where she made him to leane by her And then when Iupiter founde himselfe all alone with Danae he sayde vnto her right noble Damosell I no more call you Damosell but Lady For ye are my lady and my only mystres which haue maystred mine heart and also haue ouercome me vnder the sownd and bruit of your glorious reports name For to aduertise you verily I am Iupiter of whome now I haue spoken to you at the presentation of the iewels and it is truth that it is not long fithen when I was in my Realme for to heare reported the maner how your Father helde you shutte in this Tower with litle good that maye accorde vnto your honoure as well for to gette your thanke and grace as for pittie wherewith I was mooued I haue deliberated in my heart to employe my selfe vnto your deliueraunce and also for to gette your grace And for to execute this deliberation I haue taken parte of my tresours and haue come hither to present them vnto your Damosels and so departed and of newe am comen again in hope to haue your loue whereof I am wel content and thanke mercy and fortune Alas madame if I be so hardy as for to haue put my self in the aduēture of my life for to shew the great loue that I haue to you Excuse me if I haue enterprised a thing so hie that I ne me holde worthie to attaine but in the affiance of fortune and insomuch as shée will fauour in this partie Madame then in consideration of my wordes ye may sée my life or my death and yee onely may lightly make the iudgement If your humilitie condiscend in the knowledge of pitie that I haue had of you exposing my selfe into the daunger where I might bee sure I am nowe nigh the ieopardie which ye may saue and if not I yéelde me your prisoner Certes the shining resplendissour of your renowmed beautie whereof the méede passeth the renowme and the triumph of your incomparable excellency hath enraged mine heart and brought me hither into the prison of your will Alas Madame behold and sée with your eyes full of swéetnesse and of clemencie mee which sée not at this tyme but languish for fault of rest in continuall
came betime hee did cause to clothe her and array her the most honourably that he might and made her to sit vpon a Palfrey richly arraied and decked and so did hee other prisoners each after his degree and after hee went to horse backe himselfe and Doyphebus his brother Eneas Anthenor and Polydamus with a great company of noble men and accompanied the queene Helene and departed from Tnedon and went to Troy ward And there came against them without the town the king Priamus with a great company of noble men and receiued his children and his friendes with great ioy and after came to Helene and bowed rightly swéetly to her and did to her great ioy and worship And when they came nigh the citie they sound great store of people glad of their comming with many sortes of instrumentes of Musicke and in such ioy came vnto the Pallace of king Priamus and hee himselfe lighted downe and holpe Helene downe from her palfrey and â—â—d her by the hand vnto the Hall and there they made right great ioy all the night throughout all the Citie for these tidinges And then when it came vnto the morrow Paris by the agreement and consent of his father tooke Helene to his wife and wedded her in the temple of Pallace and therefore the feast was lengthened throughout all the citie and there was ioy that endured yet after eight dayes whole c. When Cassandra knew for trueth that Paris her brother had wedded Helene she beganne to make great sorrow to cry bray as a woman out of her wit said thus O vnhappy Troyans wherefore reioyce yee of the wedding of Paris whereof so many euils shall come and follow And wherefore sée not yee the death of your selues and of your sonnes that shal be slaine before your eyes and their husbandes before their wiues with great sorrow Ha ha noble citie of Troy how shalt thou bée destroied and put to nought Ha ha vnhappy mothers what sorrow shall ye see when yeé shall sée your little children taken and dismembred before you Ha ha Hecuba caitife and vnhappie where shalt thou take the water that thou shalt wéep for the death of thy children Ha ha people blinde and foolish why send not yée incontinent Helene home againe and yéeld her vnto her right husband before that the swordes of your enemies come and flea you with great sorrow Wéene ye that this prince the husband of Helene wil dwel at home without greeuous vengeance Certes that shal be your dolorous destruction and end Ha ha vnhappy Helene thou shalt doe vs much sorrow As Cassandra spake and cried thus with high voice and with great sorrow the king Priamus knewe it and did her to be taken prisoner and sent to her and did pray her that she would ceasse but shee would not And then hee commaunded that shee should bee fast shut in prison and in yrons where shée was kept many daies O what pitie was it that the Troyans beleeued not this warning and admonition For if they had beleeued it they hadde eschewed the right great enâ—â— that came after vnto them which shall bee tolde in tables and made plaine and manfest to them that will heare them vnto the ende of the worlde c. CHAP. III. How Menelaus was sore troubled for the rauishing of Helene his wife And how Castor and Pollux brethren of her pursued Paris in the sea and of their death and of the condition and maner of the Lordes as well Greekes as Troyans AS these thinges were done as is saide Menelaus that soiourned at Epyre with the Duke Nestor heard tell the trueth of the prise and taking of his wife and of his people whereat he was sore angry and much abashed and was so greeeued and sorrowfull that he fell to the ground in a sownd And then when he was come to himselfe againe hee beganne sore to complaine him and make the greatest sorrowe of the world And aboue all other thinges he was most sorie for his wife and bewailed her beautie and her solace and might by no way bee comforted When the duke Nestor heard say thereof hee came to him hastily and comforted him the most best wise he could for hee loued him with great loue But Menelaus could not leaue his sorrow but tooke his way vnto his countrey and the duke Nestor brought him on his way with a great compane of noble men He sent vnto the king Agamemnon his brother that he shoulde come and speake with him And also he sent vnto Castor Pollux the brothers of Helene that they shuld come also to him And anon as they had heard the message they came vnto him When Agamenon sawe his brother make such sorrow and heauinesse he said to him ah my brother wherefore hast thou such sorrow suppose that the cause be iust yet a wise man ought not to shew such semblance outward it causeth his friendes to be sorrowfull and his enemies to bee ioyous And therefore faine thy sorrow and alay thy rage and make semblance as though thou regardest nothing this that is befallen for by weeping nor by vsing of sorrowe thou maiest neuer come to honour nor vengeance but onely by the force of the naked sword thou shalt therfore awake thy courage and so shalt thou take reuenge of the harmes that bée done to thee Thou knowest what puissance we haue and what helpers and ayders we shall finde for to auenge vs for this iniury toucheth all the kinges and princes of Greece and assoone as wee shall require them of helpe there shall not be one but hee will helpe vs with all his power and then wee will go with great puissance before Troy and will slea our enemies and doe what wee list and wil destroy the Citie And if it happen that we may take Paris that is actor of these hurtes and illes we wil hang him and make him die an euill death Cease then thy sorrow and let vs make to be knowne to al the kings and princes of Greece this iniury and require them that they will helpe for to take vengeance Then was Menelaus recomforted with the wordes of his brother and anon they sent their letters vnto all the barons of Greece and at their sending they came all first Achilles Patroclus Diomedes and many other And assoone as they knew wherefore they were sent for they said that they would go to Troy with all their strength for to auenge this shame and recouer Helene So they chose them Agemenon chiefe and Prince of their hoste as he that was wise and prudent and of good councell Nowe it happened that the king Castor and the king Pollux that were brethren of the Queene Helene as soon as they heard say that their sister was rauished they entred into their shippes and went after the Troyans with a great company of men of armes for to see if they might recouer her On the third day that they were on the sea there rose so
was woonderfull angry and in his excéeding great ire gaue him such a stroke that he slew him and afterward sayd vnto him that he should go and say his villainous wordes to them that were dead such as he was woont to say to liuing men Then was Cedus passing sorrowfull for the death of his brother and admonished a thousand knights that he meant for to slay Hector and they assailed him anon and beat him off his horse and they cried to the king Cedus for to slay Hector And whē Hector perceiued that he gaue him such a stroke that he cut off his arme wherewith he fel for the anguish that hee felt and anon Hector slewe him Eneas slewe in this skirmish the king Amphymacus and then went togither all the most puissant of Greeks and assailed the Troyans and slew many of them and they went with so great force that they put the Troyans in a chase in the which Achilles slewe the king Philes whereof Hector had great sorrow and in his ire he slew the king Dalpme and the king Doreus and thus by the puissance of Hector the Troyans recouered the field and flewe many Greekes c. Then issued out of Troy the king Epistropus with three thousand knightes and they brake rankes and thrusted among the Greekes that reculed in their comming forasmuch as he brought with him a Sagittary the same that afore is made mention of This Sagittary was not armed but hee bare a strong bowe and a quiuer that was full of arrowes and shot strongly When the knightes of the Gréekes saw this maruellous beast they had no will to go forth and they that were afore began to withdraw them and went backe Among these thinges Hector slew Polixenes the noble duke that fought sore against him for by the strength of the Troyans the horror of the Sagittary the Greeks were driuen back to their tentes It happened that Diomedes before one of the tentes was assailed of the Sagittary and had this beast before him and the Troyans on his backe so that it behooued him there to shew his puissance The Sagittarie had then shot an arrow to him and Diomedes that was not well assured aduaunced him nigh vnto him gaue him so great a stroke with his sworde who was not armed that he slew him and that time it was past midday and then the Greekes recouered the field and made the Troyans to flee And then encountred Hector and Achilles and with force of their speares they fought both two and fell both to the earth And as Achilles was first remounted they supposed to haue lead away Galathe the good horse of Hector but Hector cried to his folke that they should not suffer him to leade him away Then they ran vpon Achilles and did so much that they recouered Galathe and rendred him to Hector that was right glad of him At this skirmish was Anthenor taken and sent to their tentes notwithstanding that Polidamas his sonne did maruailes of armes for to reskew him but he might not and thus they fought to great damage of the one party and of the other vntill the night parted them CHAP. XV. ¶ Of the truce that were betweene them after the which began battaile againe from Morne to Euen with great damage of that one partie and of that other but the Troyans lost more then the Greekes ON the morrow betime the Greekes sent Diomedes and Vlisses vnto the king Priamus for to haue truce for three monethes The king Priamus assembled his counsell vppon this thing and eache man agreed saue Hector that said that the Greekes fained that they woulde bury their dead bodies by cautele and they lacked vittaile and therefore required they truce to the end that during this time they puruey them of vittaile and we dayly wast ours whereof we may soone haue scarcitie howbeit he would not abide only by his intent against the opiniō of so many wise men but agreed with the other and the truce was accorded for three monethes This truce during the king Thoas was deliuered in the steed of Anthenor that they held prisoner whom they sent to the Troyans Calcas that by the commaundement of Apollo had left the Troyans hadde a passing faire daughter and wife named Briseyda Chancer in his booke that he made of Troylus named her Cresida for which daughter hee praied to king Agamemnon and to the other princes that they would require the king Priamus to send Briseyda to him They praied enough to king Priamus at the instance of Calcas but the Troyans blamed sore Calcas and called him euill and false traytor and worthy to die that hadde left his owne land and his naturall Lord for to go into the company of his mortall ennemies yet at the petition and earnest desire of the Greekes the king Priamus sent Briseyda to her Father The truce during Hector went on a day vnto the tents of the Greekes and Achilles behelde him gladly forasmuch as hee had neuer seen him vnarmed And at the request of Achilles Hector went into his Tent and as they spake togither of many thinges Achilles saide to Hector I haue great pleasure to see thee vnarmed forasmuch as I haue neuer seen thée before But yet I shal haue more pleasure when the day shall come that thou shalt die of my hand which thing I most desire For I knowe thee to be very strong and I haue oftentimes prooued it vnto the effusion of my bloud whereof I haue great anger and yet haue much more great sorrow forasmuch as thou slewest Patroclus him that I most loued of the worlde Then thou maiest beleeue for certain that before this yeare bee past his death shal be auenged vppon thee by my hand and also I wote well that thou desirest to slea mee Hector aunswered and saide Achilles if I desire thy death maruell thou nothing thereof forasmuch as thou deseruest to bee mine ennemie mortall thou art come into our land for to destroie mee and mine I will that thou knowe that thy wordes feare mee nothing at all but yet I haue hope that within two yeare if I liue and continue in health and my sworde faile mée not thou shalt die by the force and valor of mine handes not thou alonely but all the most greatest of the Gréeks for among you yee haue enterprised a great folly and it may none otherwise come to you thereby but death and I am assured that thou shalt die of mine hand ere I shal die by thine And if thou thinke that thou bee so strong that thou maiest defend thée against mee make it so that all the barons of thine hoste promise and accord that wee fight body against body and if it happen that thou vanquish me that my friendes and I shal be banished out of this realme and we shall leaue it vnto the Greekes and thereof I shall leaue good pledge And heerein thou maiest profite to many other that may run in great danger if
contrarie to these things and shewest that thou art not son of a king but of perdition for thou despisest thy father In stead of reuerence thou hast him in hate and thou makest him warre where thou shouldest hold him in loue and thou puttest him to great dishonor thy selfe where thou art hold and bounden to do him worship O Iupiter who shall giue thée absolution of thy life dwelling in venome Who shall excuse thy sinne Thou art enemie of thy father The case is so grieuous that there is no mercie ne excusation vnlesse it procéede from the naturall clementie of thy father Beholde Iupiter beholde the ende of thine insurrection All lawe positiue and all lawe written condemne thée vnto death and curse and anathematise thée It is great pittie thou art a goodly yong man Know that thy reigne may not long dure and that thou shalt more sharply be punished then thou wéenest peraduenture at this this time For Ganimedes one of the sonnes of Troy is hereby in the helpe of Saturne thy father with twenty thousand sighting men which summoneth thée by me that thou returne into the mercie of thy father and yéeld him his realme all excuses set apart Messenger aunswered Iupiter if I were such one as ye say with iust reason ye and other might giue sentence and condemnation vpon mee I were then guiltie for both parties And I trow if Ganimedes of whome ye haue spoken had heard my my excuse hée would not bee mine enemie I aunswere you that I loue my father Saturne in as much as hee is my father But I say to you on the other part that he hath oft tymes sought to put me to death hée shewing himselfe my mortall aduersarie and not father For euery father naturally loueth his sonne and for that regarde I will kéepe me from him as from mine enemie And will well that the Troyans knowe that if they come and assayle mee I will defende mee with all my puissance c. With this aunswere returned the saide Troian vnto Saturne and Ganimedes and sayd vnto them what he had found Saturne and Ganimedes swore then the death of Iupiter and approched so nigh the strait that they came within a bow shot the one nigh vnto the other and from as farre as they sawe each one nigh vnto the other they made great cryes and showtes Iupiter had set his puissaunce in two wings whereof hee was chiefe in the formost and Ixion and his Centaures were gouernours of the second When Iupiter had séene that there was no way but for to skirmish he said he would begin the battaile and after that he had encouraged his people he pricked his horse foorth and then happened and befell a maruaylous thing For from the high clouds aboue came downe an Eagle vpon his head and after beganne to flie about him making him ioy and théere and departed not nor left him during the battaile By the flying of this Eagle Iupiter and the people tooke in them an hope of good successe And Saturne and the Troians fell in a feare and doubt that could not come out of their conceits What shall I say more when Iupiter sawe the dooing of the Eagle he had a great ioy in his heart and as a man well assured in his bodie he entred among the Archers of the Troyans that shot thicke at him and running as a tempest passed by their arrowes and tarried not for resistance of shot till he came among the men of armes of the Troyans The Troyans had neuer séene man on horse backe before and when they saw Iupiter they had thought it had béene halfe a man and halfe a horse and there were some that fled at his comming and some abode and fought valliantly against him thus began the battaile of that day They of Crete followed Iupiter with a great noyse of Tabors and clarions and began to skirmish with the Troyans they did their best on both sides Iupiter bare to the ground many Troyans and well employed his horse on which he rode Ganimedes and Saturne on the other side failed not Alway Iupiter proued himselfe in armes the most expert aboue all other And abandoned his body and life vnto the fight of his enemies and there was no man that durst haue to do with him or abide him but he was slain and put vnderfoote by the cutting and smiting of his sword Cruell and fierce was this battaile The Troyans were without feare and did great prowesses and manly by the the leading of Saturne and of Ganimedes Saturne met Iupiter often times as he that sought great strokes but Iupiter that knew him well would neuer abide him saying that he would neuer set hand on his person but eschewed and fled his death vnto his power This notwithstanding hee sought the death of his helpers and made no sparing of their harnesse ne armor of leather of their heades ne of their liues of yong nor of old of valiant nor of hardy it was to him all one he yéelded neither to one side nor to other for stroke of sword of mace ne of guisarme Yet he had oft remembrance of the faire Danae and desiring to be quit of his enemies for to go about her deliuerance like as he had promised vnto her he smote off heads and arms Vnto him was nothing impossible At euery stroke he dyed his sword with new blood and the Eagle did flée alway about him now low now hie Wherfore the Troians had great despite in thēselues Ganimedes the noble Troyan was of little stature Yet notwithstanding he was of more greater courage then any other vigorouslie he fought agaynst them of Crete as hee that mynded nothing but to get worshippe and honour What shall I say they fought thus togither in this poynt from the morning till the euening without that any of both parties obtayned any winning or losse and then Saturne withdrew his people on the one side and Iupiter returned with the King Ixion and the Centaures and still followed him alwayes the Eagle and sate vppon his Tent which was made of boughes and greene rushes For at that time Tents and Pauillions of cloath were not had nor vsed howbéeit the making of linnen cloath and of cloath of Golde and Silke was founde afore this tyme. In this night they of Troy and they of Crete made great cheare in theyr Tentes and lodgings and disposed them to beginne againe on the morrowe the labour of armes hoping all to haue the better and victorie The hurt men were dressed and the harnesse broken was made again and amended they spake largely of the prowesses of one and other but principally they helde theyr speaches of the Eagle and spake so much of him that Iupiter that same night tooke a péece of Crimson Satten containing a yard and a halfe square and made therein the resemblaunce of an Eagle of Golde and set it on a Speare and made a banner saying that he would beare that banner in all battailes euer after
ships sauing onely that ship where Iupiter was in wherefore he wept outragiously The tempest dured two dayes and two nights They saw not that time in the hauen sunne nor moone nor starres Iupiter and they that were with him thought neuer to haue died other death yet they escaped the death and tooke land on the third day when the tempest was ceased not in Crete nor in the sea of Europe but in the Ocean so far that they knew not the language of them that inhabited the port where they came to ancre When Iupiter and his people sawe the strangenesse of the people dwelling in this port and their maner of doing they knew that they were farre from their region and then was Iupiter discomfited in such wise that he wished that he had not bene there nor come on the sea forasmuch as he knew well that he might not accomplish his promise made vnto Danae his Loue. Hee made many great bewaylings touching this matter and more then I can say and also complained for his men that he had lost in the storme and tempest as well as he complained for the default of his promise But when his companions that is to wit Ixion and the Centaures and Ganimedes had refreshed them and vittailed them and had well put all things in point and had taken all things necessarie for their ship they weighed anchor and departed from the port tooke their way into the East and so laboured day by day and moneth vpon moneth that they entred into the sea Egee And they had not long sailed when Egeon the great theefe and rouer which held at his will all this sea then they disankred from the port of the I le of Desert and accompanied with sixe gallies and with a thousand men of armes came before Iupiter prouiding them to battaile in purpose to haue destroyed them When Iupiter and the Centaures saw the behauiour of the théefe they knew straightway that they might not faile of battel saying each to other they would defend themselues vnto the death they had not long held parliament among them but they furnished them with their armes and displayed the banner with the Eagle of gold And in the displaying they made a great ioy as they had beene in paradise At this time had Ganimedes his wounds healed When he saw that each man prepared him to fight sauing hee which was prisoner hee came and knéeled downe on his knées before Iupiter and required him right humbly that he would commaund to deliuer him his harnesse for to help to maintaine his worship and also to defend his life promising to do his true deuoir Iupiter tooke vp Ganimedes when hée saw him submit himselfe and began to set his loue on him in such wise that it endured vnto the death and that more is he made that his harnesse and armes were yéelded to him saying that from thenceforth they would be brethren and fellowes in armes And Ganimedes answered to him that he would alway abide and dwell his seruant During these spéeches Egeon and his galleis borded the ship of Iupiter and fought with them hardly Egeon was in the front before as captaine Iupiter beheld him and knew him by his armes that he bare and yet that any stroke was smitten he called to him and sayd Théefe and rouer and pyrate how darest thou pursue to death him that made thée tremble and flie before him at the battaile of Crete by séeing of his sword dyed and made red with the bloud of the vnhappye Tytanoys Beholde and see mee I am Iupiter the mortall enemy of all thy linage Thou in likewise art my enemy and now art come to battaile against me It maye be well sayde that we shall run each vpon other by great force and that this conflict shal be right damageable for thée or for mée and let the goddes doo their pleasure When Egeon vnderstoode what Iupiter had sayde to him and that he was the destroyer of his linage he had his heart so incensed with yre and impacience that he could not answer one word And grenning with his téeth he began to smyte so hard toward Iupiter that if the stroke of the axe that he smit had bin right there had neuer bin remedy of his life But Iupiter knew the feates of war and when he saw the stroke come he auoyded it and lifted vp his sword and charged it vpon Egeon so surely that he could not auoide the stroke which was so forcible that he was so astonied as it made him fall downe vpon the plankes of the galley Then made the pyrates and théeues a greate crye and fell vpon Iupiter and his fellowes Ganimedes helde his axe in his handes and was not then ydle he fought and wrought valyantlye after his power and so did the Centaures The skirmishe was great and many were deade not of the partye of Iupiter but of the partye of the pyrates and then laboured the Centaures so that they dyed theyr galleyes with the bloud of theyr enemies And that the pyrates albeit they were tenne againste one coulde not nor might not abyde before them c. Thus began the mortall battaile of the pyrates and of the Centaures when the one Galley had fought as long as they might an other came on This Iupiter and Ganimedes had inough to do to fight and they fayled not what to do for the more they smote the more displeasure had the pyrates Each of their strokes was the death of a pyrate In processe of time Egeon came againe into the prease dismayed and fulfilled with impatience he put himselfe forth to fight in the most strength all desperately to winne all or to loose all At this time the battaile was so terrible and so deadly that al the Gallies closed the Ship of Iupiter and smote on it but this was to their mishap and ilfare for the most part of them were slaine and then Ganimedes and Iupiter entered into the galley of king Egeon where he fought so sore on the one side and the other for enuie who should do best that of all them that were within there was not left one man but he was slaine or cast into the sea excepting onely Egeon which Iupiter tooke with his hands and bound him with an hundred chaines of yron c. With these chaines of yron Egeon had a custome for to bind his prisoners vntill the time they had done his will When the pyrats sawe the mischiefe that came vpon them and that their maister was ouercome and bound with the chaines that he was woont to torment the prisoners withal they intended to saue themselues and withdrew them from the ship of Iupiter saying that those that they had fought withall were no men but diuels and that they were vnhappie that came vnto their hands Iupiter had but one ship The pyrates dispersed abroad one here another there And when the Centaures sawe that they sayde to Iupiter that it ought to suffice
that he fell downe dead vnto the great gréefe and amasing of the other giants For in beholding the are dyed with the bloud of Curyens their captaine they were al abashed Then began Hercules to smite more and more vpon the giants there was none then so resolute but he was affraide nor none so hardy but he began to hide himselfe and tremble for feare His strokes were not to be born but he put his enimies out of araye and vnto flight Fynally with the helpe of Iason of Theseus and of Pirothus that were meruailous valiant they vanquished and chased them vnto a riuer where twelue of them saued themselues in passing and swimming ouer and all the remnaunt of them were persecuted vnto the death saue only Lyncus that Hercules helde prisoner for as much as at the discomfiture he prayed him of mercy and yéelded him vnto him Thus were the Centaures destroyed more by the strength ond hand of Hercules then by any other When Hercules had so fought that there were no mo of the Centaures vpon the place he and his fellowes returned vnto Hypodamia and brought her againe vnto the Cittie with great tryumphe What shall I say the Ladies recouered ioye by the recoueraunce of Hypodamia and renewed and beganne againe the feast that dured afterward eyght dayes right great and sumptuous c CHAP. V. ¶ How Pluto rauished Proserpina and how Orpheus went for her into hell and how the queene Ceres came vnto the wedding of Pirothus and how Theseus Pirothus fought with Cerberus porter of the sayd hell c. IN this time that is to wit a little before the wedding of Pyrothus as Pluto the king of Molose sonne of Saturne and brother of Iupiter sayled and went by sea séeking his aduentures so long hée sayled that he arriued in Sicill and hee founde there nigh by the waters side a right great assembly of Sicyliens that halowed the feast of their goddes When Pluto saw this feast he did arme twentie of his company vnder their robes or garmentes and went in this manner for to sée the feast for to wit if he might finde any booty This Pluto was the greatest théefe and the most lecherous man in all the world and had with him a Giant named Cerberus enough like vnto Pluto of conditions and of courage but he was much more stronger and more puissant of body All the other were great as giants and had learned nothing els but for to practise harme and mischéefe and could none otherwise doo WheÌ„ then the Sicilians sawe Pluto come and his fellowes they supposed that it had béene some of their neighboures that came for to sée theyr playes and sports for as much as they came clothed in theyr garmentes and sawe none of theyr armour nor harneis And they enforced them to sing and daunce But Certes their songs and theyr daunces were not continuing nor dured long for in coming vnto them there the king Pluto cast his eyes aside and sawe there the Quéene of that countrey that beheld the feaste and by her her daughter that made a garland of floures The mother was named Ceres and the daughter was called Proserpina was maried vnto a noble man named Orpheus that sate beside her and played on the Harpe This Proserpina was passing meruailous fayre Anon as Pluto had séene her he desired and coueted her and aduertised his folke secretlye of her and after came nigh vnto her that he set hands on her and layd her on his backe and bare her away When Orpheus and Ceres saw Proserpina so taken away they cryed out piteously and lamentably vnto Pluto With this crye the Sicilians left their feast and ran after Pluto in great number men and women hoping to haue reskewed Proserpina But when Cerberus and his complices sawe the vprore they drew out theyr swordes and shewed theyr armes and smote vpon them that approched them and sleaing them aboundantly they retyred and went vnto the port Maugre the Ciciliens and Orpheus They guided Pluto into his ship and after they entred and then disancred and carryed awaye Proserpina The Cicilians were then dispurueied of armes They coulde not withstand the taking away of Proserpina At the departing from the porte was made the most sharpe lamentation and sorrowe that could be Proserpina wept sore on the one side piteouslye and cryed right highe and loude Ceres on the other side with the Cicilians made no scarcitie of teares and Orpheus fayled not to furnishe his teares with déepe sighes for he loued Proserpina and she loued him also At their departing their hearts were brought to a hard and grieuous distresse with so great anguish that Proserpina fel downe in a sounde and Orpheus was so rauished with anger that he returned vnto his Pallace when he had lost the sight of Proserpina and held him close in his chamber with out speache two dayes At the ende of two dayes Ceres 〈◊〉 disâ—e Orphâ—â— that would neither eate nor drinke 〈◊〉 sayd in him that 〈◊〉 knew well the rauishour of her â—â—â—â—der that it was Pluto the king of Molose and thei 〈…〉 a part of Thessaly in a lowe and base Cittâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—ied Hâ—ll for as much as in this I le King 〈◊〉 complices old so much harme and euil that 〈◊〉 compared vnto dâ—â— is and theyr cittie was named Heâ—◠〈◊〉 Orpheus vnderstood that Proserpina was in heâ—â— he 〈◊〉 â—â—ile hope in himself and eate and dranke and made 〈◊〉 that he would neuer rest in place vnto the time that 〈◊〉 bin in Hell for to sée Proserpina After that he had eaten he sent for his marriners and bad them to make ready a ship When the ship was furnished with all that it behoued after the leadâ— and congâ—e taken of the Quéen Ceres in habi◠〈◊〉 he entred alone into his ship with his harpe and 〈◊〉 marriners to sayle foorth on the sea in such â—â—se that he arriued at one of the portes of Thessalie Orpheus went there a land and after he commaunded his Marriners that they should abide him in the same place vntill a certayne time that hée named After he departed and went from countrey to countrey so long for to dispatch his matter that hee came to the gate of hell which Cerberus kept and there hée beganne to playe on his harpe right swéetely and melodiously When Cerberus heard the sound of the harpe hâ—â— lifted vp his head on highe and came out of the gate for to know who was he that played so melodiouslye and by the sound of the harpe he found Orpheus and thinking that Pluto would gladly heare him for to reioyce Proserpina that alway wept he made him enter into the citie and brought him before the King Orpheus then began to play againe on his harpe When the King Pluto had heard him he tooke therein good pleasure and so did al they that were there by him Then Pluto sent for to séeke Proserpina When she was come and heard him play with his harpe
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
mortall that Theseus and Affer slewe the king of Cothulie beate downe his banners his recognisances and his Cotuliens and smote so sore with the Iron vpon theyr bodies that they went backe and were constrained to crie after helpe The king of Getulie séeing this euill aduenture came vnto the reskew and found the Cothulians all discomforted At his comming the crye the noyse the tempest and strokes beganne to renew many a valiant act and manie a prowesse was shewes there Many shewed their vertue and strength and manie were slaine there Theseus did there maruailes but alway the Getulians helde them togither and fought against Theseus by the space of thrée houres and lost but few of their people vnto the time that Hercules brought them of the battel of king Antheon to discomfiture made them to flie to saue themselues with the Getulians that then discouraged themselues in such wise that after they had séene the battayle of king Antheon disranked and broken they might not lift vp their armes to defend them but were slayne by little and little and finally they were brought to so straight limits and boundes that they wist not where to saue them And then they fled out of the place dispersed by the fieldes and champaines without leaders guides or captaines And then Hercules put himselfe forth in the prease al before among them that fled first of the Libians so that he came to the gate of the cittie with them and there he began to smite so vnmeasurably that he put to death the Lybians flying thither and the porters and them that would resist him Also he made the Egiptians to enter into the town And Antheon séeing fortune against him in al points fled into his pallace not accompanied as a king but went at large in to the fields by the conduct of foure moores only that brought him into Mauritania after CHAP. XIII ¶ How Hercules fought againe against king Antheon and put him vnto the death BY this maner Hercules and the Egiptians entred into Lybie and subdued it by force of armes And Antheon was fled into Mauritania where he assembled new folke hastily They of Libie yéelded them al to the mercy of Hercules When Hercules had thus daunted them of Lybye and theyr neighbours séeing Antheon he made Affer king and named it after him Affrique and sayd that he fought not for his singular proffit couetousnes but for lyberalytie and for to enhaunce vertue O most valiant and noble Hercules there was neuer man borne among the paynims more liberall more noble nor more vertuous He would not be king of all the world he was liberall and imployed his conquest right well and wisely and gaue all gis gifts aduisedly When he had made Affer king he enquired what lawes they held and established among them the Sacrament of mariage For at that time the women were there all commune and when it happened that the women hadde children they gaue them to the men after their Phisiognomies and thus telleth Aristotle in his politikes Besides this sacrament Hercules ordeyned vnto the Affricans that they should hold the lawes of Gréece and by right wise and politique gouernment made the Affricans lyue reasonably and vertuously And aboue all other things he made them haue the order of mariage in great reuerence When Hercules had ordeined all this tydings came to him that Antheon was come againe to chase him with manye Moores that followed him Then he returned toward Antheon and the Moryans and there smote them downe with his club so deadly that he made it red with theyr bloud and slewe them all and put them to flight so cruelly that Antheon abode alone against Hercules and fought against him body to body by great strength and gaue him many strokes hard to beare But Hercules gaue to him so many and so large strokes that the Giant wist not how to saue him and wéened to haue fled But Hercules that ranne as swiftly as an horse ranne after him and embraced him in his armes with all his might and lifted him vppe into the ayer and bare him ouer the hoste of the Maurytanes And when hée came nighe vnto them hée cast him downe dispiteouslye to the earth that all to brused and forfrushed Antheon abode there dead And his death turned vnto the Moores so great abashement that they lost all theyr strength and puissaunce and were slayne by great excesse without remedy they lost there the king Antheō the king of Mauritane the king of Tingie and many other kings and all the honourable of the battaile for in the end they all fled in which flight was taken and subdued to the segnorie of Affrique the Citie of Mauritans CHAP. XIIII ¶ How Hercules and Theseus fought togither agaynst the two Damosels of Scythie c. IN remembrance of this victorie Hercules did make in the field a statue or image of a man sléeping in the place where he had put to death Antheon and there vnder hée did burie the bodie of Antheon And anon as the image which was made of the bone of an Elephant was set vp there the necke of the the image began to sound like as it had bene a man sléeping wherefore the Moores had afterward the sepulchre in great reuerence and worshipped the idoll After this statue thus accomplished by Hercules he went by Tingie and Ampeloste and by many other Countries and conquered all the countrey that now is called Affrique and gaue all to Affer and Affer returned into Libie and there he found Echée his wife dead by a grieuous sicknes wherfore he tooke made sorrow so great that it was maruell Then to forget this sorow he tooke leaue of king Affer and the Egyptians and had thought to haue departed thence but as he was in taking leaue a damosell strangely arayed came vnto him and said Lord of Libie the Quéene of Scythie Ladies of Egypt of Cappadocie and of Asie haue sent me vnto you which ladies haue conquered the said contries in taking vengeance of the misfortune of their husbands now late dead and haue abandoned their Countrey because of the great outrage that Vexores King of Egypt made in Scythie And as asmuch as ye be of the linage of the Egyptians they send to you that ye submit you vnto their obeysance for to do with you that that shall please them or else that ye come against them in battaile for to eschew the effusion of blood And they let you know that they haue good right to subdue you and that if there be among you two knights that agaynst two of them will do feates of armes to trie their liues they will deliuer to you two Ladyes in place conuenable vpon condition that if the Ladyes vanquish and ouercome you yee shall bée holden as vanquished and bée a◠their commaundement and if your men ouercome the Ladyes they shall bée reputed as ouercome and shall bée subiect vnto you Hercules hearing this gréeting and
our aduersaries let vs now defend the port Auenge we our bloud auenge we our sorrow auenge we our damage it must needes be done c. In the meane while that Gerion encouraged thus his folke Hercules and his companie rowed so nigh the port that they were come to strokes smiting The Hesperiens cast vpon Hercules then round stones dartes with sharp yrons on the end speares and swordes Against this the Greekes tooke their shieldes and couered them and put them in deuoire for to winne the port But the casting of the Hesperiens was so mortall that it constrained their enemies to abide and not approche the porte They had at this port great aboundance of stones The Hesperiens kept well the entry more then three houres so that the Greeks coulde finde no way nor meane to remedy it At the end of three houres Hercules right sorrowfull to see his men troubled so thought he would enter into a little boat and aduenture himselfe alone to win the port Then he that doubted no stroke of any mortall man entered into the little boate and steared it himselfe with helpe of the winde which he had at his aduauntage and hoised vp the saile and putting all in aduenture as fast as he might he brought the boate vnto the port whither hee came by his hardinesse But this was at such time as he receiued more then a thousand strokes with stones and that his saile that stood ouer end by force of the winde was smitten full of holes and the cordes broken and the mast ouerthrowne and the boate well nigh filled with stones Notwithstanding all these thinges Hercules ceassed not at all from his enterprise but through he passed by al the strokes of his enemies He laboured so that hee tooke land and that he thrust himselfe among the Hesperiens and there he began to smite with his clubbe on the right side and on the left side endlong and ouerthwart with such aboundance of prowesse that all the place was red with their bloud and with their braines Theseus and Hispan and fiftie of the Greekes best armed by the example of Hercules tooke a light boat and aduentured themselues to winne the porte Hercules was euen at the mouth of the porte he saw Theseus come and for to make him haue passage he ran hither and thither and did so great hurt to the Hesperiens that without great danger they tooke land and sprang out of the boate Then was the assault hote and furious Gerion came to the landing of Theseus and fully three hundred of his men that followed him All they smote and layd vpon the Greeks and of the fiftie they slew ten When Theseus and Hispan saw that their heartes began to swell They encouraged themselues and piersed the assembly of Gerion and against one man that was slaine of theirs they slew fiftie of the Hesperians And there they vsed so their prowesses that they did there the greatest marueiles of the world by armes Gerion died for sorrow that he might not come to haue his will on the Gréekes hee and his men were eager as Tygres that had béene famished The Gréekes were very mighty and strong as Elephants their strokes were great they doubted neither death nor sworde but put all in aduenture The battell was strong and the Gréekes receiued many a wound alway Theseus and Hispan by their marueilous prowesses saued them from the death and made passage thorow a great prease where Hercules was Hercules that left not to smite was very glad when he saw Theseus and Hispan and their forty companions Their comming cost Gerion the death of a thousand men more for Hercules for to encourage his men and for to be to them an example of well doing he added to his déeds strength vpon strength and prowesse vpon prowesse confounding his enemies so dreadfully and terribly drawing them toward the sea that they that saw him wished that they had bin in their mothers wombs and in flying they were in such haste so distressed that they beat ech other into the sea and so they slew ech other themselues Then was Gerion smitten to the heart with great ire medled with impatience so hee put himselfe in the prease and smote not only vpon Hercules but also vpon the companions of Theseus he smote the first man vpon the helm so that he cleft his head vnto the téeth After he assailed another and bare him to the earth so astonied that he wist not where he was Consequently he made there a great assault suddenly on the Gréekes so that he died his sword with their bloud and that the Gréekes were constrained to make a huge great crie for to haue succours At this season the Gréeks that were left in the gallies entred into the port and tooke land easily When Hercules and his folke heard the crie that his men made he ran thither to the assault and made about them a newe noise great pitious Gerion knew anon that the noise came because of Hercules For he saw him come and smite in the thickest of the prease for to saue himselfe then he called to his folke and chéered them in encouraging and had there so great mishap that for one stroke that Hercules gaue him with his club by chance he was constrained to depart from the prease to withdraw him apart with them that were weary for to take his breath Gerion afterward fought to his extremitie and casting so his eies vppon the skirmish and fighting he saw the Greeks vpon the port prouiding them vnto the battaile After he saw how they put many of his men to the worst and that hee might not resist it al his losses came before his eyes and then he began to sigh and said with a dolorous heart alas what is the mutabilitie of fortune Flattering fortune what hast thou thought All the honor that thou hast giuen me here before redound now to my shame since thou hast sent and parted to me so many goodes wherefore hast thou sent to me Hercules this is the enemy of all my glory noâ—e queÌ„ched He from a shining hath brought me vnto a name all full of darknes At least if thou hast giuen him sufficient let him not come after me with his horrible deedes All my veines be replenished with furies my heart murdereth it selfe boyling with ire O what great mishap is this since it must needes be that I shal be vnfortunate I will verily die of the club that I haue seene my brother die with or I will take vengeance Gerion all out of his wit with these wordes put him in the prease crying Gerion Gerion for to make his men to courage theÌ„selues Thus crying seeking Hercules he put to death many Gréeks he was al furious so as his sword was died with the blood of his enemies In the end he came vnto Hercules with his sword so died he smote him sore Hercules was weary for without ceassing hee abode
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
shirt that hanged on the pearch and was drie and commaunded her that shée should folde it and winde it in a handkerchiefe At the commaundement of Deianira the damosell folded and wrapped the shirt But so doing she was serued with the poyson in such wise that she lost her speech and died anon after This notwithstanding Deianira that thought on nothing but for to come to her intention took the shirt and deliuered it to Lycas and charged him that he should beare it to Hercules praying him in her name that he would weare it Lycas that was ready to accomplish the will of his mistresse tooke the charge of the dolorous shirt and departed from thence and went into the mountaine whereas Hercules was and there hee found him in a forrest whereas was the temple of Diana Hercules hadde no man with him but Phylotes which made ready for him a great fire for to sacrifice an hart that Hercules had taken running at a course Lycas then finding Hercules in the temple hee kneeled downe lowe to him and said Sir here is a shirt that your waiting woman and seruaunt Deianira sendeth vnto you Shee recommendeth her humbly vnto your good grace and praieth you that ye will receiue this present in good part as from your wife Hercules was ioyous of these wordes and anon vnclotheth him for to doe on this cursed shirt Saying that verily she was his wife and that he woulde for her sake weare this shirt In doing on this shirt he felt a great dolour and paine in his bodie This notwithstanding he did on his other clothes aboue as hee that thought none euill When he was clothed and the shirt was warme his paine and sorrow grew more and more Then he began to thinke and knew anon that his maladie came of his shirt and feeling the pricking of the venim without long tarrying he tooke off his robe supposed to haue taken off his shirt from his backe and to haue rent it and spoiled it But he was not strong enough for to doe so for the shirt held so sore and cleaued so fast and terribly to his fleshe and was so fastened to his skin by the vigour of the sharpe poyson in such wise that hee tare out his flesh and bare away certaine péeces thereof when he would haue taken off his shirt c. Hercules knew then that hee was hurt and wounded to the death Death began to fight against him he began to resist by drawing of his shirt from his body with péeces of his flesh and of his bloud but al might not auaile He al to rent and tare his backe his thies his body vnto his entrailes and guttes his armes his shoulders vnto the bones and still his dolour and paine grewe and inlarged to be more and more Thus as he returned in the force of his great dolorous paine hee beheld Lycas and another fellow that he had brought with him that were all abashed of this aduenture Then he went to them and said vnto Lycas Thou cursed and vnhappie man what thing hath mooued thée to come hither vnder the false friendship of Deianira to bring me into the chaunce of this misfortune What thinkest thou that thou hast done Thou hast serued mee with a shirt intoxicate with mortall venim Who hath introduced thee to doe this thou must needes receiue thy desert And saying these wordes Hercules caught by the head poore Lycas that wist not what to say and threwe him against a rocke so fiersly that he to frushed and all to brake his bones and so slew him The fellow of Licas fledde and hid him in a bushe Phylotes was so afraid that hee will not what to do At the houre that Hercules was in this case much people came into the temple The entrailes of Hercules were troubled His bloud boyled in all his veines the poison pierced vnto his heart his sinowes shrunke and withdrewe them When he felt himselfe in this miserie and that death hasted his end by terrible paine as hee that coulde not take away the repugnance of his vertuous force striuing against the malice of venom hee began to runne ouer hill and ouer valey vp and downe the forrest and pulled vp the great trees and ouerthrew them After he began to rent off his shirt with the flesh that was sodden and broiled When he had long lead this life he returned vnto the temple all assured of death lift vp his hands and eies vnto the heauen and said Alas alas â—ust it be that fortune laugh at me for this miserable destinie comming of the accusation of mad ieâ—â—dulle and sorcerie of that woman that in the worlde I helde and reputed most wise and most vertuous O Deianira vnnaturall woman without wit without shame and without honour with an heart of a tyrant all besotted with iealousie how hast thou been able to contriue against me this fury and treason enuenomed false feminine will vnnatural out of rule and out of order thou hadst neuer so much honour and worship as thou now hast deserued blame not onely for thee alone but for all the women that do or euer shall be in the world For if it happen that kinges or princes acquaint them with ladies or gentlewomen for the multipliance of mankinde they will neuer haue credite nor affiance in their proper wiues O Deianira what hast thou done The women present and they that bee in the wombes of their mothers all shall spit at thée in thy face and shall curse thée without end for the reproche by thée turning vppon them infinite and men will haue dread for to be ferued with the like shirt c. Alas Deianira what shall Calcedonie nowe doe that glorified her in thy glory and put and set thee in the front of their honour as a carbuncle for the decking of their pretious thinges In stéede to set thee in the front they shall cast thee vnder féete and in steed to haue glory of thee they shall haue shame hereof they may not faile for by impietie and diuerse engines and by conspired and swollen crueltie thou hast conspired my death and hast broched and vnfolded not recurable misfortune for thée and me and for our friendes and kinsmen O Deianira thy malice as an vnhappie and most cursed serpent hath wrought this malicious and reprochfull murder Thy false ielousie hath more power to extermine my life then haue had all the monsters of the world By thine offence and by thy mischieuous sleight hid and couert where from I could not keepe mee I must die and passe out of this world Since it is so I thanke fortune and aske of the Gods no vengeance of thee but certes to the end it bee not said that the vanquisher of man he not vanquished by a woman I will not passe the bitter passage of death by thy mortall sorceâ—ies full of abhomination but by the fire that is neat and cleere and the most excellent of the elementes These dolorous and
sorrowfull wordes accomplished Hercules tooke his clubbe and cast it in the fire that was made readie for to make his sacrifice After hee gaue to Philotes his bowe and his arrowes and then hee praied him that he would recommend him to Yo le and to his friendes and then feeling that his life had no longer for to soiourne hee tooke leaue of Phylotes and then as all burnt and sodden hee laide him downe in the fire lifting his handes his eies vnto the heauen and there consummated the course of his glorious life WheÌ„ Phylotes saw the end of his maister Hercules hee burnt his body to ashes and kept those ashes in intention to beare them to the temple that the king Euander had caused to make After he departed from thence and returned into Licia greatly discomforted and with a great fountain of teares he recounted to Yo le and to his friends the pitious death of Hercules No man could recount the great sorow that Yo le made and they of Licia as well the studentes as rurall people All the world fell in teares in sighes and in bewailinges for his deathe So muche abounded Yo le in teares and weepinges that her heart was as drowned and forthwith departed her soule from the body by the bitter water of her wéeping Eche body cursed and spake shame of Deianira Finally Deianira aduertised by the fellow of Lycas of the mischiefe that was come by the shirt she fell in despaire and made many bewailinges and among all other she saide What haue I done Alas what haue I done The most notable man of men shining among the clerkes hee that trauersed the straunge coastes of the earth and hell hee that bodily conuersed among men and spiritually among the sun the moone and the starres and that sustained the circumference of the heauens is dead by my cause by my fault and without my fault He is dead by my fault for I haue sent to him the shirt that hath giuen to him the taste of death But this is without my fault for I knew nothing of the poison O mortall poison By me is he depriued of his life of whom I loued the life asmuch as I did mine owne Hee that bodily dwelled among the men heere on earth and spiritually aboue with the sunne the moone and celestiall bodies He that was the fountaine of Science by whom the Atheniens arrowsed and bedewed their wits and skils hee that made the monsters of the sea to tremble in their abismes and swallowes and destroied the monsters of hell He confounded the monsters of the earth the tyrantes hee corrected the insolent and proud he humbled and meeked The humble and meeke he enhaunsed and exalted He that made no treasour but of vertue he that subdued al the nations of the world and conquered theÌ„ with his club and he that if he had would by ambition of seignorie might haue attained to be king of the East of the West of the South and of the North of the seas and of the mountaines of all these hee might haue named him king and Lord by good right if hee had would Alas alas what am I owne â—â— all vnhappy time when so high and so mighty a prince is dead by my simplenesse he was the glorie of men There was neuer to him none like nor neuer shal be Ought I to liue after him Nay certes that shall I neuer doe For to the end that among the Ladies I be not shewed nor pointed with the finger and that I fall not into strangers handes for to bee punished forasmuch as I haue deserued shame and blame by this death I wil doe the vengeance on my selfe And with that she tooke a knife and saying I feele my selfe and knowe that I am innocent of the death of my Lord Hercules with the point of the knife she ended her desperate life Whereat Phylotes was all abashed and so were all they of Gréece that long wept and bewailed Hercules and his death And they of Athens bewailed him excéedingly some for his science and other for his vertues whereof I will now cease speaking beseeching her that is cause of this translation out of French into this simple and rude English that is to wit my right redoubted lady Margaret by the grace of God Duchesse of Burgoine and of Brabant Sister to my soueraigne Lord the king of England and of Fraunce c. that she wil receiue my rude labour acceptably and in good liking Thus endeth the second booke of the Collection of histories of Troy Which bookes were late translated into French out of Latine by the labour of the venerable person Raoulle Feure priest as afore is said and by me vnfit and vnworthy translated into this rude English by the commandement of my saide redoubted Lady Duchesse of Burgoine And forasmuch as I suppose the saide two books haue not been had before this time in our English language therfore I had the better wil to accomplish this said worke which worke was begunne in Bruges and continued in Gaunt and finished in Colein in the time of the troublous world and of the great diuisions béeing and reigning aswell in the realmes of England and Fraunce as in all other places vniuersally through the worlde that is to wit the yeare of our Lord a thousand foure hundred seuentie and one And as for the third booke which treateth of the generall and last destruction of Troy It needeth not to translate it into English forasmuch as that worshipfull and religious man Iohn Lidgate moonk of Burie did translate it but late after whose worke I feare to take vpon me that am not worthy to beare this penner and inke-horne after him to meddle at all in that worke But yet forasmuche as I am bound to obey and please my said ladies good grace and also that his worke is in rime and as farre as I knowe it is not had in prose in our tongue and also peraduenture hee translated it after some other authour then this is and forasmuch as diuers men bee of diuers desires some to reade in rime meeter and some in prose and also because that I haue now good leisure being in Coleine and hauing none other thing to doe at this time to eschew idlenesse mother of all vices I haue deliberated in my selfe for the contemplation of my said redoubted Lady to take this labour in hand by the sufferance and helpe of almightie God whom I meekly beseeche to giue me grace to accomplish it to the pleasure of her that that is causer thereof and that she receiue it in gree of me her faithfull true and most humble seruant c. The end of the second Booke ⧠The table for the second bookâ— of the Collection of the historoyes of Troy HOwe Hercules fought against threâ— Lyons in the forrest of Nemee and how he slew them and tooke their skin 〈◊〉 Chap. 1. pag. â—45 How Iuno sent Hercules into Egypt 〈◊〉 to bee slaine of the
and she was the fairest mayde that was in her time and the best formed Many mo were within the towne and without during the fiege but these were the principall greatest of name And therfore Dares declareth the fashion of them and rehearseth not of the other CHAP. V. ¶ How the kinges dukes earles and Barons of Greece assembled al with their nauie before the citie of Athens for to come to Troy and how many shippes each man brought vnto the helpe of the king Menelaus WHen it came vnto the end of February that the winter was passed the kings and princes of all the prouinces of Greece assembled them togither at the porte of Athens for to go to Troy It is not in the remembraunce of any man since the beginning of the worlde that so many shippes and knights were assembled as there were at that time For first Agamemnon that was chiefe and prince of all the hoste of the Greekes brought from his realme of Michmas an hundred shippes full of armed knightes The king Menelaus his brother brought from his realme of Sparta fortie shippes Archelaus and Prothenor from the realme of Boecie fiftie shippes The Duke Ascalapus and the Earle Helmius from the prouince of Orconemy thirtie shippes The king Epistrophus and the king Sedius from the realme of Focide thirtie shippes and in his companie were the Duke Theuter Duke Amphimacus the Earle Polixene and the Earle Thebus and many other noble men The auncient duke Nestor for his prouince of Pilon fiftie shippes The king Thoas of Tholy fiftie ships The king Doxunois fiftie shippes The king Thelamon Thyleus sixe and thirtie shippes Polibetes and Amphimacus from his prouince of Calidonie two and thirtie shippes The king Idumeus and the king Mereon of Crete foure score and two shippes The king Vlisses of Trace two and fiftie shippes The Duke Tynelus from his Citie of Friges twelue shippes Prothocathus and Prothesilaus the dukes of Philaca brought with them two and fiftie shippes Collesis brought foure twentie ships from the realms of Cresome and then brought king Machaon and the king Pollydris his sonne three and thirtie shippes Achilles brought from his noble Citie of Phaces two and twentie shippes The king Thephalus brought from Rhodes two and thirtie shippes Eruphilus from Orchomenie two and fiftie shippes The duke Anthipus and the duke Amphimacus of Rusticane thirteene shippes The king Polibetes of Rithe and the duke Lopins his brother in lawe that hadde wedded his sister threescore and two shippes The king Diomedes of Arges foure score and two shippes and hadde in his companie Thelamus and Eurialus the king Poliphebus nine shippes the king Fureus thirteene shippes the king Prothoylus of Chemenense two and fiftie shippes The king Carpenor of Carpadie two and fiftie shippes Theorius of Breisse foure and twentie shippes The summe of kinges and dukes that were come thither were sixtie and nine And there assembled at the Port of Athens twelue hundred and foure and twentie shippes without comprising the ships of duke Palamedes the sonne of king Naulus that came after on with his estate as shall be saide hereafter c. CHAP. VI. ¶ How the Greekes sent Achilles vnto Delphos to the God Apollo for to know the end of their warre and howe hee found Calchas sent from the Troyans that went with him to Athens WHen the king and the Princes were thus assembled at the Port of Athens the king Agamemnon that was chiefe of all the hoste and taught alway to conduct this hoste orderly assembled vnto the counsell on a plaine without the Citie all the noble men of their hoste And when they were all assembled about him in seates that he had made he said to them in this maner O yee noble men that by one will and minde bee heere assembled in this hoste with so great puissance yee knewe verie well that it is not in the remembraunce of any man that he sawe euer so many noble men assembled for to achieue any worke nor so manie young knightes and actiue in armes for to assail◠their enemies Is not he then out of his minde that presumeth to raise himselfe against vs and to begin warre verily I doubt not but one of an hundred that is in this companie is sufficient enough to bring this worke to an end for which we be all assembled It is well knowne to each of you the great iniuries and the great damages that the Troyans haue done to vs wherefore wee haue iust cause to take vengeance by force of armes to the end that from henceforth they nor any other enterprise neuer against vs in any maner for if we should suffer such iniuries by dissimulation they might yet greeue vs more then they haue done And it is not the custome of the noble men of Gréece to let passe such wrongs in dissimulation therfore it shuld be to vs great shame that be so many and that haue assembled so great strength to dissemble in this quarrell and yet that more is there is no nation in the worlde but that breadeth our puissance saue onelie these foolishe people of Troy that by euil counsell haue mooued them against vs and also haue enterprised war vpon vs as first the king Laomedon that iniuried some of our people for little occasion wherefore hee receiued death for his reward and his citie was destroied and his people slaine and soone brought in seruitude where they he yet Certes it is not so difficile and hard to vs that hée more puissant to take vengeance on the Troians as it was to foure Princes of lesse puissance that came to get the better of them Forsomuch then as the Troyans knowe verily that we be assembled for to go vppon them and that they be strongly furnished with men of arms against our comming and of all such thinges as behooueth them for to defend them with it seemeth me good if it please you that ere wee depart from this port heere wée send into the Isle of Delphos our speciall messengers for to haue answere of our God Apollo of this that wee wil doe and enterprise Then was there none but hee allowed and approoued the wordes of Agamemnon and chose incontinent Achilles and Patroclus for to go into this I le to heare the answere of Apollo and anon they departed and went and came soone thither for the saide Isle is as it were in the middest of the Iles of Ciclades where Locana Enfanta Apollo and Diana be And there was a rich temple in the which the God of the Paynims was worshipped and gaue aunswere to the people of such things as they demaunded of him This Ile was first called Delos that is as much to say in Greeke as manifestation forasmuch as in this I le the Paynims sawe first the sun and the moone after the deluge and therefore they supposed that they hadde been borne there of their mother for Apollo is the Sunne and Diana is the Moone in their languag◠Some
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
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
legat once twice thrice that thou yéelde this Cicâ—io vnto his Father King Saturnâ— and that as hastely as thou hast entred therein likewise that thou depart◠〈◊〉 do aunswered Tytan thou tellest me tydings that be full of pleasures and obâ—â—ltation by the which I knowe by thy wordes that Saturne hath a sonne yet liâ—ring nor by this meane I sée clearely and so seeth all the world that by good and iust quarell I am made king of this 〈…〉 Iupiter thy father knew that I doubt him not nor set nothing at all by his comming and also that I will nothing do after his commaundement Titan sayd Archas for asmuch as thou abidest in this will I will no more at this time trouble thee Make good watch Iupiter is héereby that tarieth for none otherwise but answer from thée for 〈◊〉 his indeuour to recouer this Citie With this word departed Archas from the presence of Titan and returned againe vnto his father When Iupiter heard the answer of Titan he was full of gladnes for he desired nothing but for to be in armes and concluded with his people this on the 〈◊〉 we he would assault the citie in case that 〈◊〉 furnished on him to battaile Aâ—on were there 〈…〉 and leaues and tabernacles the Oâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the Aâ—tadiens and the Epiriens laye vpon the agré verâ—â—le and made their hoste to watche Titan was then in Crete And it is to wit when Archas was departed 〈◊〉 his presence he assembled all his sonnes 〈…〉 these 〈◊〉 which were to the pleasant and agréeable 〈◊〉 For they desired nothing but strife and debate and assured themselues to haue victory of Iupiter as well as they had of Saturne In the same houre they sente foure spies to espie the nuÌ„ber of their enimies 〈◊〉 made ready their harnesse these spies wente so faâ—re that the sawe the host of Iupiter maâ—â— their report to Titan of yâ— place where his enimies were and of what number of people they were After the report of the said spies Titan coÌ„cluded for asmuch as his enemie were but a 〈◊〉 from the Citie that there shuld make them readie and go to battaile against them on the moste early The night passed fast and the â—ay came oâ— and then aboue the sunne rising Titan mounted vppon his â—haire that was right riâ—h and made his Titanoys to range in battaile and left an hundred within the Citie for to kéepe it from Rebellion or from treason and tooke all the other â—â—th him vnder his conduct and of his sonneâ— and his espies c. Iupiter that was not idle had the same houre set all his men in orâ—er and had then brought all his folke into a faire plaine hoping of battaile And this Titan had not farre ridden but the sawe the hoste or Iupiter for this plaine was at discâ—uer 〈◊〉 sides and as farre as each might sée other each of them full of ioy enforced him to make shouts and cries and with great courage they marched the one against the other vnto the ioyning and smiting of stroakes Then Iupiter 〈◊〉 himselfe in the front of the battaile and 〈◊〉 his bow in his hand and his 〈◊〉 by his side by his sâ—â—ting began a 〈◊〉 that was right fierce for on the 〈◊〉 and the other there were right good archers and many â—aâ—ters of polished stones that failed neuer and that 〈◊〉 the cause of the death of many When the shot and casting of stones failed they began to go together 〈…〉 and then began of mortall fighting hand to hand that was so 〈◊〉 that the breaking of the speares and the this fâ—es 〈…〉 welles of Crete and 〈◊〉 to the cares of 〈◊〉 and of Cibell at the noyse whereof they began to reioyn for they had a good hope that Iupiter would obtaine the victorie against Titan. This 〈◊〉 Vesca weâ—â—â— vpper vppon a high Tower that shee might sée into the flée 〈◊〉 and there shée same the fighting of the battaile Thâ—â— haâ—â—â— Iupiter his 〈◊〉 in his â—ne hand and his shâ—â—ke in the other and with his sword hâ—e smote into the thickest of his Enemies and with his shield hee saued himselfe from their â—â—â—ies And with one stroke of his sword he diuided the bodye of Enceladus one of the sonnes of Titan and cast him on the ground at the féete of the Titanoys that were right sory for the death of their felow Iupiter assayled them right sharply and one cried slea slea but he that so cryed was slaine anon by the hands of Iupiter that destroyed the blood of his aduersaries He was strong fierce young and boystrous and of high enterprise He defended him vigorously as a Lyon mightily as an Olephant and egerly as a Tiger and intended not onely vnto the defence of his body but to saue and reskew all them that were in peril vnder his charge he did meruailous things on all sides the noyse and bruit doubled and redoubled about him The Titanoys began to be ouerthrowen by great routes one fell on his shoulders an other on his shéelde and he charged so sore vpon them that his strokes might not be sustained of men they were so strong and puissant c. This battell was cruell and hardye at beginning for both the two parties there were many of the Titanoys of Arcadiens and of the Epiriens hurt dead and cast vnder foote Archas was there accompanied with fiftie Arcadiens appointed vnto the guard of his body for asmuch as he was younge and yet he made and put himselfe to the armes Meliseus fayled not nor Titan Lycaon Egeon on the other side also eche man did his best that he might I cannot say how many men lay dead on the grounde us how oftentimes the one set vpon the other but ye shall vnderstand that there was none comparable vnto Iupiter in strength in leading his men nor in prowes there was nothing to him impossible He ouercame the ouercommers he flewe the flears he smote downe the smyters he put himselfe so farre foorth and in so many places in the battayle of the Tytanoys that in a straight he came and found Tytan in his chaire that ouerthrew the Epiriens with stones and round plumettes that he cast on them and cryed Titan Titan for as much as he thought that he fought well When Iupiter knewe that Titan was there he drewe towarde him and as Titan aduaunced his arme for to smite vpon an Epirien Iupiter lifted vp his sword and charged so sore vpon his arme that he smote it off and departed it from his body whereof he had great ioy and cried Iupiter Iupiter and Titan so hurt had great sorrow that he fell downe within his Chaire At this time the Epiriens began to courage themselues and the Titanoys were discouraged Licaon and Egeon were there fast by where they saw their fathers arme flie into the field then they began to assaile Iupiter as men dispayred and so began a new combate where much blood was spilled But notwithstanding the