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
brought vp to war and to fight They had nigh their countrey an isle where the men dwelled and they were accustomed three times a yeare to go thither in Aprill May and Iune vnto the men for to haue their companie and after they returned into Amazonne and they that had conceiued and were with childe if they bare sonnes they gaue them sucke a certaine time and after sent them to the fathers And And if it were a daughter they held it by them and did burne off the right pappe for to beare the better the speare and taught her the feates of armes Of this prouince then was the Lady and Queene a verie noble virgine and a strong fighter that had to name Penthesilea and she loued wel Hector for his good renowme When she knew that the Greekes hadde assailed Troy with so great strength shee went thither for to succour it with a thousand virgines for the loue of Hector And when she was come and knewe that he was dead shee made great sorrow and praied to the king Priamus that hee woulde let her issue out to the battaile against the Greekes and that she might shew to them how her maidens could beare their armes At the praier of Penthesilea on the morrowe betimes was the gate opened and there issued out the king Philemenus with al them of Paphlagone Eneas and Polidamas with all their people the queene Penthesilea with all her maidens The Greekes were anon readie and beganne the battaile hard and sharpe Menesteus addressed him to Penthesilea and shee likewise to him and anon shee smote Menesteus downe to the ground and took his horse and gaue him to one of her maidens Then came Diomedes against her and she receiued him gladly and smote him strongly that he was turned vpside-downe from his horse and she tooke from Dyomedes his shield trom his neck and deliuered it to one of her maidens When Thelamon saw that shée did such deedes of armes hee addressed him against her and she against him and Thelamon was borne down to the ground and had lead him into the citie but Dyomedes came to his reskewe with great defence and then she cried to her maidens that smote in among the Gréeks by such fiercenesse and yre that she and they turned thē to flight and they chased them sleaing and beating them vnto their tentes and had slaine them all if Dyomedes had not so greatly resisted thē who maintained the skirmish vnto the night that departed them and the queene Penthesilea returned into the citie with great glorie where the king Priamus receiued her with great ioy gaue her many faire Iewels and riche and him seemed well that he should auenge him of his sorrowes They fought thus many times after and so long that Menelaus returned from the king Nicomedes and brought into the hoste Neoptolemus the sonne of Achilles otherwise named Pirrhus This Pirrhus was receiued with great glory of al the barons of the hoste and aboue all other the Mirmidones were passing ioyous and held him for their Lord. Then was deliuered to Pirrhus all the conduct of the men of armes and they made him knight by the hand of the noble Thelamon the praied to the Gods to giue him strength and courage in guiding of his sword and that they would giue him victory and honour for to auenge the death of his father and two other Princes sette on the spurres of gold and the king Agamemnon gaue to him al the arms of Achilles his father and all his other pretious pearles and iewels and for this new knight feast of chiualrie the Greekes made many daies great gladnesse ioy c. After these thinges came the day of fighting and the battels were ready on the one side on the other Then began the battaile right hard Pirrhus that was armed with the proper armes of his father encountered Polidamas in his comming had slaine him with the great strokes of his sword that he gaue to him but the king Philomenus came and deliuered him and then Pirrhus smote from his horse Philomenus and had lead him away hadde not they of Paphlagone reskewed him with great trauell Among these things the queene Penthesilea entered into the battaile with her maidens smote in among the Mirmidones and slew many of thē There came then the king Thelamon that smote to the ground Penthesilea and she gaue him so great a stroke with her sword that she beate him downe to the earth in like sorte and then her maidens relieued her and set her again on horse and she smote in among the Mirmidones that held the king Philomenus in great danger and many she slew and hurt of thē When Pirrhus sawe that his men were so euill intreated he cried to them and saide that they ought to haue great shame that suffered them to bee vanquished by women and then he left the king Philomenus for to defend his men against the maide Then addressed the queene Penthesilea nigh to Pirrhus and reproched him for that his father had slaine Hector by treason and that all the world ought to run vpon him Pirrhus that had so great sorrowe at these wordes addressed him against her and anon shee beate him downe to the earth and forthwith hee rose againe and assailed Penthesilea with his sworde and she him by great strength and then was Pirrhus remounted by the aide of his Mirmidones Then came to the battaile Agamemnon Dyomedes Menelaus Menesteus the duke of Athens with al their people and so did all the other princes barons Among these thinges the king Philomenus was deliuered of the Mirmidones and he gaue great thankes vnto the queene Penthesilea and said that had not shee haue been he had been slaine Then came to the battell all the Troyans and so began the skirmish sharpe and mortall there encountered Pirrhus Glaucon the sonne of Anthenor and brother of Polidamas of another mother and gaue him so great a stroke that he slew him and fell downe dead to the earth Then addressed Penthesilea vnto Pirrhus and hee to her and beate downe each other to the earth but they remounted anon and began the fight togither againe Then came so much people of both partes that they were parted Polidamas for to auenge the death of his brother slewe that day manie Greekes and hurt them and did so much in armes hee and Penthesilea that they put the Greekes to flight Then came to the reskew Pirrhus Diomedes and Thelamon and made them that fled to abide and sustaine the combate and so they did vnto the night that each man went into his place they fought thus euery day a moneth long in which time were slaine more then ten thousand fighting men of both parties and Penthesilea lost many of her maidens and when they had rested a moneth they began the battell right sharpe At this assembly came one against another of Pirrhus and Penthesilea and brake their spears without falling but Pirrhus
fiercely that he made him stagger and go backe two paces Cerberus would haue auenged him of this stroke and smote vppon Theseus a stroke by so great force that if the noble knight had not turned backe Cerberus had borne and smitten him vnto the earth This stroke of Cerberus fell vpon the earth and entred therein and Theseus smote againe vpon his enemie which had the heart so great that he began to rore as an olde Lion and smote Theseus so fiercely with his sworde that hée all to brake his shéelde and all to frushed his helme that hée was all astonied at the stroke But alway Theseus abode in his place and then Cerberus would haue brought him vnto destruction following the euill aduenture of Pirothus if that fortune had not brought thither Hercules which came so fitly to reskew that Theseus knew not else how to saue him At this poynt when that Theseus was so astonished Hercules that was departed from the sea as is said came to stayres that were cut and made in the Rocke and beholding Theseus all couered with blood and Pyrothus dead hée beganne to descende downe crying to Theseus that he should not bée afeard nor take no dread When Cerberus sawe and heard Hercules he beganne to crie againe and rore and assayled eagerly for to be quite of him Theseus might no more howbéeit that hee was recomfortes with the voyce of Hercules but began to run now here and now there before Cerberus So much then hasted Hercules for to go downe the stayres or degrées in entring the place and as hastely as hée might he cryed to Cerberus and sayde to him Tyraunt cruell let the knight run and come to me thou hast put to death vpon the earth my good fréende Pyrothus whereof I am sorye certaine and if I may I will take vengeaunce on thée for him Cerberus hearing the sentence of Hercules ran no more after Theseus but taryed and behelde Hercules with a fierce looke and aunswered to him So weneth he to auenge his shame that so beléeueth I haue destroyed thy fellowe vnto the death and vnlesse thou excéede him in skill of armes and in bodylye strength an hundred folde double it is folye for thée to come hither For I am Cerberus the porter of hell he that at report of my name all the world trembleth Thus ending his answere Hercules was at the foote of the rocke and he had his club vpon his shoulder Cerberus came against him they smote each other lustily and thus they began a right hard battaile and then Theseus that was passing weary sat at one side by out of the way rested him in drying and clensing his woundes of the bloud that had come out of theÌ„ Hercules beheld then on the one side and séeing Theseus purging and clensing his profound and great woundes hée beganne to imploye the force of his strength and might by such meruaile that with a stroke that he gaue him vpon his helme vpon the right side hée made him to bowe and stowpe vnder his club and to knéele to the grouâ—d with his left knée and at the second stroke in pursuing him hastilye hée made his sworde to flye out of his handes and then he made him to fall on his armes to the grounde and with the thyrde stroke as Cerberus wéende to haue reléeued him and gotten his sworde Hercules smote him vpon the bodye that he made his head réele against a great stone that was thereby after that hée sprang vpon him and bounde his legges with the strength and force of his handes maulgre the giant he tare of the helme of his head and would haue slaine him but Theseus prayed him that he would not put him to death there and that he would bring him into Thessalonica for to die by the sentence of the Quéene Hypodamia c. Cerberus was not then put to death at the request of Theseus Notwithstanding Hercules bound his handes behind his backe and after he made him arise and tooke him by the beard and made him go vpon high on the rocke and there he laid him downe and bound his féete his hands and his necke togither in such wise that he might not nor durst not remooue When he had done so he went downe and entred into the gate of hell and leauing there Theseus hée went so farre that he found the pallace of King Pluto and there came into the same hall where Pluto was with Proserpina All they that were there maruayled at him when they saw him entred for they knew nothing of the ouercomming of Cerberus as they that left all the charge and keeping of their Citie to Cerberus without hauing any doubt or suspition and also they were so farre from the gate that they might not heare of the battaile nor knewe nothing what was befall to their porter Then when Hercules had founde Pluto and Proserpina hee had great ioy and knew by tokens and markes of them there béeing that it was hée he addressed him to Pluto and sayd Pluto by thy malice Sicil is now all full of wéeping and of teares for the rauishing of this Ladie which thou hast not willed to yéeld and render againe to her husband Orpheus I wote not what pleasure thou hast therein but I will say to thée that thou shalt receyue great displeasure in following the euill aduenture of Cerberus whom I haue vanquished and ouercome c. With these words Hercules lift vp his club and gaue such a stroke to Pluto that he ouerthrew him to the earth so that he moued neither hand nor foote When he had so beaten Pluto thinking that he had béene dead hée assayled all them that were there that made any murmur and put them all to death lightly with his club in the presence of Proserpina which trembled for feare Then he comforted Proserpina and sayd to her that he was come vnto that place for to deliuer her and for to bring her again to her mother and that she shuld boldly follow him Proserpina assured and resolued was comforted with these words of Hercules and followed him Hercules opened the hall and went out and Proserpina with him After he addressed him vnto the gate of the Pallace and it happened to him that he found there a right great companye of Cittizens that were aduertysed of this affray and they ran vpoÌ„ him vnmeasurably pursuing him to death When Hercules sawe that he willed Proserpina that she should get her a part After that he enhaunsed and lifted vp his club and began to skirmish with his enimies right vertuously and by so high prowesse that he couered all the entry of the Pallace with these miserable tyrauntes that he flewe smote downe and all forfrushed them and put to death more then foure hundred Finally he wrought so that the other fled and gaue it ouer and then when he saw his euil willers dead and scattered he tooke Proserpina by the hand and lead her out of the gate of
then anon rent off In bickering he receiued many a stroke and alway he defended himselfe without displaying of his power and of his strength as he that awaited for the tidings of the assault that was nigh The affray was great in the hall and in the citie on al partes the Calidoniens ranne to the pallace for to assaile Hercules King Pricus made him ready came with other vnto this fray Then was Hercules assailed fiercely but this assault was déere to the king for to his welcome Hercules came to the tabernacle that stoode vppon foure great barres of yron whereof hee tooke the one and beat downe the tabernacle After he lifted vp his arme with the bar and smote the king Pricus so vnmeasurably vpon the â—oâ— of his helmet that notwithstanding his strong harnesse and armours he all to beat him downe to the earth and smote him so sore broken and bruised that he fell downe dead betwéene his two porters At this time the crie arose great among the Calidonians Not alonely there but also in the citie for hee that kept the watch sounded to armes forasmuch as the Greeks assailed hastily the walles Calidony was then terribly troubled and the Calidonians wist not where to turne them whether to Hercules or to the assault All was full of heades armed aswell in the pallace as vppon the walles After this that Hercules had slaine the king Pricus he beganne to smite vppon his enemies and his strokes were great at ech stroke he slew two or three so as shortly he bare himselfe there a knightly that in little while hee couered all the pauement of the pallace with dead bodies of the Calidonians lying one vpon another without that any man might dammage his armor The Calidonians were of great courage and had great shame for that they might not ouercome Hercules that alone had done vpon them so great an exploit They assailed him with great courage and cast vpon him darts sharpe iauelines His armes and his shoulders bare all and he did so great things with his barre and gaue so great strokes that none of them might resist his strength The poore Calidonians came thither with great courage and desire for to reuenge the death of their king Hercules put so many to death that hee wist not where to set his foote but it must be vpon Calidonians Before the gate of the pallace was a pitifull noise of wéepings of cries that women and children made In the end when the Calidonians knew and perceiued the vertue the strength of Hercules and that they laboured in vaine they ceassed to assaile him and fled Then Hercules issued out of the pallace with his barre all couered with bloud Assoone as the Calidonians saw him they set vpon him passing furiously and assailed him anew they cast stones and darts vpon him they shotte arrowes on him aboundantly as they that were purueyed and awaited for his passage In this assault Hercules had much to suffer yet after receiuing moe strokes then canne be numbred he passed the watch that awaited to haue staine him and rested neuer till he came vnto the gate The Calidonians ranne then after him as men without dread of death and mightily swollen with pride and ire beganne on anew to smite vppon his shoulders and vpon his backe When Hercules saw that he turned his face vppon his euill willers and smote vppon them with his barre on the right side and on the left side so lustily that he died his barre with newe bloud and maugre his enemies he beat them downe and all to bruised them before him He made them then to recule and go backe more then fourtie pases and after came to the gate And the Calidonians pursued him againe but ere they came vpon him he all to brake bruised and to frushed the lockes and the wickets and doores of the gate and the Greekes assailed him with all their power and beate downe the draw bridge After he called the assailants and they came vnto him and with little resistance they entred the citie which was at that time with great slaughter of the Calidonians that would not yéeld themselues nor put themselues to mercy vntill the time that they saw their stréets and houses full of dead bodies c. CHAP. XXVIII ¶ How Hercules was enamoured on Yo le the daughter of king Pricus and how he required her of loue and how she accorded vnto him BY this maner was king Pricus slaine and his city taken by Hercules After the slaughter when the Calidoniens had huÌ„bled themselues Hercules and Theseus went to the pallace they came thither so fitly that they found the daughters of king Pricus with their ladies and gentlewomeÌ„ séeking the king among the dead bodies There were so manie dead bodies that they could not finde nor know him that they sought Hercules at his comming beganne to behold one and other and especially among al other hee cast his eie vppon Yo le the daughter of the king forasmuch as she was excellently glistering in beautie that in all the world was none like vnto her When hee had a little beheld her by a secret commaundement of loue hee drewe him vnto her wéening for to haue comforted her Anon as the right desolate gentlewoman saw Hercules approching vnto her she trembled for dread and fled vnto her chamber the ladies and the gentlewomen followed her and among them so did Hercules What shall I say hee entered into the chamber where she was and sate downe by her She thought to haue risen for to haue gone out of the way but he held her by her clothes and said vnto her Lady ye may not flie my companie Yo le spake then and said O miserable tyraunt what séekest thou me nowe for to trouble mee more Thou hast slaine my father let that suffice thee Madame answered Hercules if the king Pricus be dead it is reason that he be not much bewailed nor wept for he thinking for to auenge the death of the tyraunt Cacus came not long since for to assaile me in Italy saying that I had vnrightfully and without cause slaine him In maintaining the contrary I fought with him vppon this quarrell the battaile was not ended nor put to vtterance at that time for he withdrew himselfe with his people and came into this citie and I haue pursued him hastily albeit I coulde not ouertake him When I saw that I laide my siege about this citie he would not come to fight the battaile during my siege wherefore I haue this day willed to haue an end Fortune hath béen on my side and hath put you in my power Certes it must néedes be that without remedie ye be my lady and my loue for in séeing your singular beauty loue hath constrained me to be yours Then I pray you as affectuously as I may or can that yee cease your sorrow and that ye receiue mee as your friend and loue The more ye weep
Iconie then shee depriued her selfe of all worldly pleasure and held her solitarily without going to feasts or to playes Thus abiding in this solitude her gréeuous annoy grew more and more by so great vexations that she was constrained to make infinite bewaylinges and sighes The continuall comfort of her ladies might giue to her no solace The innumerable spéeches that they vsed vnto her eares for to make her passe the time might neuer take away Hercules out of her minde She passed and liued many daies this life hauing alway her eare open for to know if Hercules sent for her In the end whē she had wayted long and sawe that nothing came and that neither man nor woman was comming to bring her tidinges from the person of Hercules shee made a letter which she deliuered to Lycas for to beare vnto Hercules and charged him to deliuer it to no person but to the proper hand of him that shee sent it vnto Lycas tooke the letter and went vnto Licie and two mile frō the citie hee met Hercules in a crosse way Hercules came from Archadie where he had newly slaine a wilde bore so great that there was neuer none séen like to him When then Lycas saw Hercules hee made to him reuerence and presented his letter to him saluting him from Deianira Hercules waxed red and chaunged colour when he heard speake of Deianira He receiued the letter amiably and read it and found therein conteined as as here followeth Hercules my Lord the man of the world that I most desire I humbly beséech earnestly intreat you that you haue regard to your true seruant and vnworthy louer Deianira Alas Hercules alas Where is become the loue of the time past yee haue nowe soiourned manie daies in Licie ye haue let me haue no knowledge therof Certes that is to mée a right dolorous griefe to suffer and beare for I desire not to be deified nor to mount into the celestiall mansions with the sunne with the moone nor with the starres but without faining or breaking of a free heart I desire your solemne communication I may from henceforth no more faine It is said to me that you haue another wife besides mee Alas Hercules haue I made any fault against your worthines wherefore giue yee me ouer and abandone me Howe may ye do so men name you the man vertuous Yee abandon me and forsake me and that is against vertue Though now yee doe it I haue seene the time that yee were my husband in embracing vs togither and kissing you shewed then to me semblance of good liking of ioy Now let ye her alone that ye loued as a poore castaway Alas where be the witnesses of our mariage where be the eternal vowes othes that we made one to another Men bée deafe blinde but the Gods heare and see wherefore I pray you that ye consider that which ye ought to consider and that ye hold your good name more deerer than ye do the loue of your new acquainted gossip that maketh you to erre against vertue whereof ye haue so great a renowm I pray you hastily write to me your pleasure c. When Hercules hadde read from the beginning to the end the letter of Deianira as hee yet beheld and sawe it Yo le came vnto him with three hundred gentlewomen for to bee merrie and to make cheere with Hercules Hercules then closed the letter and returned into Licie holding Yo le by the hand howbeit when he was in his pallace he forgot not Deianira but found meanes for to go into his studie and there wrote a letter and when it was finished he tooke it to Lycas for to present it to Deianira Lycas tooke the letter and returned home againe to Deianira First he told her the tidinges and of the state of Yo le After he deliuered to her the letter conteining that he recommended him vnto her and that hée hadde none other wife but her and that hee praied her that shee woulde not giue her to thinke any euill but to liue in hope and in patience as a wise ladie and noble ought and is bound to doe for her honour and credite This letter little or nought comforted Deianira she was so vehemently attainted with ielousie Her sorrowe redoubled and grew In this redoubling she wrote yet another letter which she sent to Hercules and that conteined these wordes that follow Hercules alas and what auaileth me to be the wife of so noble a husband as ye be your noblenesse is to mee more hurtfull then profitable O fortune I was woont to reioyce for all day I heard none other things but commendations and praisinges of your prowesses and right glorious deedes and exploites wherwith the world was inlumined and shone Nowe must I be angry and take displeasure in your workes that be foule full of vices All Greece murmureth at you and the people say that ye were woont to be the vanquisher of all thinges no◠ye be vanquished by the foolish loue of Yo le Alas Hercules and how shal I be separated from you and hée holden the waiting drudge of the caitife Yo le She is your Caitife for ye haue slaine her father and haue taken her in the prise of Calidonie and yet now shee hath the place of your lawfull wife Alas haue I sayd well married for to be named the faire daughter of Iupiter king of the heauen and of the earth Now shall I no more be called so it is not alway happy to mount vnto the most high estate For from as much as I haue mounted in height and was your fellowe from so farre I feele my selfe fall into the more great perill O Hercules if for my beautie ye tooke me to your wife I may well curse that beautie for that is cause of the grieuous shame that is to me all euident for to prognosticate mine harme and ill to come And that is to come cannot your astronomers sée that I would I knew that I wote well your beautie and my beauty haue brought my heart into the strait prison of sorrow without end And I may not count them but for enemies since by them all sorrowes come vnto me The ladies haue ioy in the preheminence of their husbands but I haue ill fortune and mishappe I sée nothing but displeasure in my marriage O Hercules I thinke all day on you that ye go in great perils of armes and of fierce beasts and tempests of the sea and in the false perils of the world Mine heart trembleth and hath right great feare of that I ought to haue comfort and hope of wealth All that I remember in my minde and thinke on in the day I dreame on in the night and then me thinketh verily that I see the cutting sharpe swords enter in me and the heads of the speares and after mee thinketh that I sée issue out of the caues of the forrests and deserts lyons and wilde monsters that ease my
in so great number for to defend their port there was none so hardie but hee was afraid But forasmuch as they could not go a land but by force of armes they armed them incontinent and did their best to take land by force c. Of the first hundred shippes was chiefe and captaine the King Prothesalaus of Philard that indeuoured with great paine and diligence to bring his shippes within the porte but the winde that was strong blew them into the porte so strongly against the shore that many of them brake and brused and many Greekes were drowned and they that might take land tooke it and were anon slain by the Troyans with great tormentes and in so great number that the ground was red with their bloud It is not in the remembrance of any man that euer any Nauy wan land with so great damage as did the nauy of the Greeks After this first hundred shippes the other came and arriued that followed them and they that were within were well prouided of great Arbalesters wherwith they did shoote and flew many of the Troyans and constrained them to go backe And then with all speede tooke the Greekes land and succoured the first that fought at great deadly hazzard Then beganne there a battaile The king Prothesilaus that was landed with the first did great maruailes with his body and slewe that day of the Troyans without number And if he alone had not bene all the Gréekes that were gotten a lande had béene slaine But what might his defence helpe when seuen thousand Greekes fought against an hundred thousand Troyans And I say to you that for the great daunger wherein they felt themselues they solde their liues déere abiding the succours of king Archelaus and the king Prothenor that anone arriued and would the Troyans or not they went ashoare tooke land and succoured their people valiantly and beganne againe cruell battell c. After that arriued the duke Nestor and his folk that thrusted in among their ennemies right fiercely There was many a speare broken and many an arrow shotte knights fell downe dead on both sides and the crie was so great that it was maruellous to heare There were slaine many Troyans by Archelaus Prothenor After ariued the king Ascalus and the king Aglaus with their ships and went aland and assailed the Troyans with great fiercenesse and by force made them to retire and goe backe and then came to the battell great plentie of new Troyans Then beganne the battell to be greater then it had béene all the day before in somuch that the Gréekes were reculed by force vnto their shippes and then arriued Vlysses with a great company of knights which thronged anone into the battell and the Gréekes recouered land at their comming and assailed on the Troyans There made Vlysses great effusion of bloud of his ennemies and immediately his ensigne was knowen among them King Philomenus séeing that Vlysses slew so their people he addressed himselfe to him and beat him off his horse a litle wounded Vlysses smote him againe so hard that he wounded him in his throate and cut asunder his originall veine and smote him as halfe dead And the Troyans ranne and tooke him from the Gréekes and bare him vpon his shield into the cittie And had not this aduenture of this king béen the Gréeks had béene discomfited But the Troyans laboured much to saue him Then arriued the king Thoas and the king Agamemnon the king Menelaus and the king Thelamon Aiax with all their power and went a land and fought a battell very valiantly and brake their speares vpon the Troyans and beate downe many some slaine and some hurt At this skirmish were many Troyans When the king Prothesilaus departed from the battell where he had béene since the beginning for to take breath and when he came to the port he found al his men nigh dead for whom he wept for pittie and tooke againe his courage to auenge the death of his men and went againe vnto the battell and in his great yre slew many Troyans and wounded them and smote downe many of them off their horses Then came to the battell of the party of the Troyans the king Perses with a great company of knights at the comming of the Ethiopians beganne the battell to be mortall and there were manie Gréekes slaine and by maine force they made them goe backe and had without faile discomfited them had not the worthy Palamedes soone gone aland for at his comming the Gréekes were recomforted And also Palamedes did great maruells with his hand and addressed him against Sagamon the brother of king Memnon and nephew of the king of Perse that sore gréeued the Gréekes and he smote him so sore with his speare that hée pierced him through the body and smote him dead downe to the earth afterwards he thronged into the great prease and beat downe all that hée mette and eache man that knew him made him way And then arose a crie vpon the Troyans so that they might not beare the strength of Palamedes who were reculed by force and had béene all discomfited But the most worthiest of all worthies Hector when he heard the cry vpon his people hee issued out of the Citie with a great company of knightes and entered into the battaile armed in rich armes bare in his shield of golde a Lion of Gules His strength was anon knowne among the Greekes hee encountered and met in his comming the king Prothesilaus that had not all day ceassed to slea Troyans and hee smote him with his sword with so great might vpon his helme that hee cleft him vnto the nauell notwithstanding his armour whereof he fell downe to the ground And after Hector thrusted into the greatest prease and as many Greeks as he raught with his sword he slew Then each man fledde from him making him way and then demaunded the Greekes one of another what was hee that so greeued them and straight they knewe that it was Hector the most strong man of the world and then was there none so hardie that durst abide his stroke Then it happened that Hector went out a little for to refresh him whereupon the Gréekes tooke courage again against the Troyans and this happened that day eight or ten times It was about the houre of Euensong what time Hector departed from the battaile and reentred into the Citie for the Greekes were withall discomfited and then arriued the right strong Achilles with his maymed ones and entered anon into the battaile with three thousand good knightes that were with him and then were the Troyans on all sides beaten downe and slaine for against Achilles endured no man but hee was beaten downe to the earth and sore hurt Then were arriued all the Nauie of the Greekes and the knightes gone a land and skirmished with the other in the battaile wherefore the Troyans had much to suffer so that they must needes flee into their citie and Achilles and the
in the middle a Lion of gules and albeit that he was the last that issued out of his house or of the city yet passed hee alway all the battels and came and put himselfe before in the first battell The women that were in the citie and all the other went vpon the walles for to behold the battailes There were the daughters of the king with the queene Helene that had great doubt diuers imaginations in her selfe Whiles that Hector had ordeined his battels the king Agamemnon was not idle but ordeined right earely of his people sixe and twentie battels He put in the first battell Patroclus with his people with them the folke of Achilles which was not that day in the battell for his wounds that he had and did stay to heale them in his tent Thie Patroclus was a noble duke and rich and loued so much Achilles that they were both of one alliance In the second battell was the king Menon and the king Idumeus with three thousand knights and there was the duke of Athens with all his people The third battell lead the king Achalaphis and his sonne Phinenus with their people The fourth battell lead the king Archelaus and the king Prothenor his brother and with him was Securidan the right strong knight with all the people of Boecie The fift battaile lead the king Menelaus with all his people of Sparte The sixt battaile lead the king Epistropus and the king Celidus with all their people The seuenth battaile lead Thelamon Aiax with all his people of Salamine and he hadde foure Earles with him that is to wit Thesus Amphymacus Dorius and Polidarius The eight lead the king Thoas The ninth lead Aiax Aleus The tenth lead the king Philotus The eleuenth the king Idumeus the king Neron The twelfth the duke Nestor the thirtéenth lead the king Exiones The fourtéenth the king Vlisses The fifteenth the king Humerus In the sixteenth were the folke of Prothesilaus much despairing to auenge the death of their Lord. The seuentéenth lead the king Polidarius and the king Machaon The eighttéenth the king of Rhodes The nineteenth the king Sampitus and the king Lidorus The twentieth the king Geripulus The one and twentieth the king Phylotâ—tes of Larisse The two and twentieth Diomedes The thrée twentieth the king Oeneus of Cypres The foure and twentith the king Prothalus The fiue and twentith the king Carpenor The six and twentith the last battaile lead king Agamemnon emperor of al the host When all the battels were set in order on the one side and on the other and there was nothing to do but to méet then aduaunced him Hector all the first and Partroclus came against him as fast as his horse might runne and smote him so strongly with his speare on his shield that he pearsed it thorowe out but more harme did it not Then Hector assailed Patroclus with his sworde and gaue him so great a stroke vpon his head that he cleft it in two pieces and Patroclus fell downe dead to the ground When Hector sawe him dead hee coueted his armes for they were right trimme and rich and lighted downe off his horse for to take them but the king Menon came vpon him with three thousand good knights for to defend the king Patroclus against Hector sayd to him thus Ha ha woolfe rauishing and insatiable certes it behooueth to séeke thy praye in some other place for here gettest thou none And then they assailed on all sides and woulde haue taken from him Galathee his horse But Hector by his prowesse remounted woulde they or not and meant to haue auenged him on king Menon but the king Glaucion and the king Thesus and Archilogus his sonne came with three thousande fighting men And then Hector layed on and beat downe all afore him and the first that hee met hee gaue so great a stroke that hee slew him and after him many more he beat downe and flew Thus beganne the battell on both sides and Hector came againe to the bodie of Patroclus for to haue his armes but the king Idumeus of Crete came against him with two thousand fighting men and the king Menon that had alwayes his eyes to Hector letted him and was so in the way that Hector might not haue his armes that hee most earnestly desired and suffered great paine forasmuch as he was on foot but he enforced him with all his courage and beganne to slay man and horse and to smite off heads legges féete and armes and slew fiftéene of the strongest that assailed him In this meane while the king Menon tooke the body of Patroclus before him and bare it vnto his tent As the Greekes contended to greeue Hector and to take away his horse there was among theÌ„ a strong knight named Creâ— de la plerre that gréeued him most then one of the seruauntes of Hector addressed him against this Creon and gaue him so great a stroke with his speare that he smote him downe dead to the earth and after he smote downe another and cried to the Troyans right loud that they should come and succour Hector With this crie came first Securabor one of the bastard brethren of Hector and thrusted into the greatest prease so fiersly that he came vpon them that most greeued Hector who had slaine more then thirtie of them and did so much bestirre him that by force he made the Greekes to recule and then was Hector remounted vpon his horse and thrusted in among them by great fiercenesse and slew great plentie of them for displeasure that hee might not haue the armes of Patroclus Then hee met with none but he slew him or beate him downe hurt and each man made him way and dreaded him c. Then came to the battaile Menesteus the duke of Athens and came and ioyned him to the battaile whereas Troylus was who did maruailes and hadde with him the king Sampitus the king Machaon and the king Alcanus Then began fierse battailes Menesteus addressed him against Troylus and there fought against him with so great force that he beate him downe of his horse in the great prease of the folke and Menesteus laboured with all his strength insomuch that hee tooke him and led him toward their tentes with a great companie of knightes Then Miseres of Troy cried to the Troyans that Troylus was prisoner and that they shoulde be dishonoured if they suffered him to be lead away Then the king Alcanus tooke his speare that was right strong and addressed him vnto them that held Troylus and smote the first downe to the earth and smote another and sore wounded him and did so much by the aide of his men that Troylus was reskewed and set againe vpon his horse and also by the helpe of king Sampitus that came on with al his people he gaue so great a stroke to Menesteus ouerthwart that if he had not been well armed he had been slaine And then cried
Mnesteus to his people and so began among them a mortall battaile and there were many slaine on the one side and the other Among these thinges Mnesteus that was sory that he had lost his prisoner met Miseres by whom he hadde lost him and assoone as he knew him he addressed him to him and beate him downe and the same time smote down another knight Then came to the battaile Hupon and Hiripisus with two thousand fighters and against them came Menelaus and Prothenor with their folk and there began a mortall skirmish c. Anon after came Polidamas the sonne of Anthenor with a great company and thrusted in on the other side among his enemies After came the king Remus from Troy with three thousand fighters and against them came Menelaus with all his people The said Menelaus adressed him against king Remus they iusted togither and smote each other to the ground Then adressed him Polidamas and Remus against the nephew of Helene a young man twentie yeare olde and Remus gaue him so great a stroke with his speare that he smote him down to the earth whereof Menelaus had great sorrow for hée loued him much and in his great ire hee gaue so great a stroke to Remus with his sword that he smote him down as dead And when the king Remus was so beaten down his men had we end that he hadde been dead and woulde haue fledde had it not been for Polidamas that retained them with great paine and did so much that they tooke their king so hurt as hee was and bare him home in safetie Then the king Celidus that was the most faire king of the world adressed him to Polidamas and smote him with his speare but he could not remooue him Polidamas gaue him so great a stroke with his sword that he smote him downe to the earth Among all these thinges Hector went and came beating downe and slaying his enemies and made way before him in slaying of knightes and beating downe so farre that he came vppon them of Salamine that the king Thelamon conducted who slew many of the Troyans and beate downe by his prowesse Then the king Theuter gaue so great a stroke with his speare to Hector that he made him a deepe wound and Hector in his great ire encountered an admirall of the Greekes and slew him cruelly with his sword Then was Hector closed with his ennemies on all partes there was of the Greekes the king Thesus and he spake to Hector and warned him that he should go out of the battaile and saide that it were damage for all the worlde to loose such a knight and Hector thanked him right courteously In this while Menelaus and Thelamon assailed Polidamas and Thelamon that adressed him first smote him with his speare and after gaue many strokes insomuch that they brake the lace of his helme and tooke him and had lead him away had not Hector been which was not farre off who smote among them that held him and slew and hurt many of them and did so much by his valiaunce that he slewe thirtie of them and the other fled and left Polydamas with him Then there put them togither the king Menelaus and the king Thelamon with al their people and smote in among â—he Troyans by so great fiercenesse that they made them go backe maugre them notwithstanding the great prowesse of Hector that was with the other that did maruels in his person And then was his fierse and gallant warlike horse Galathe slaine vnder him and then hée defended himselfe on foote so maruellously that there was none so hardy of the Greekes that durst approche him When his brethren knew the right great daunger that he was in they ranne al to that part Then was Thelamon sore hurt and Dinadorous one of the bastard brethren of Hector gaue so great a stroke to Polixenus a noble man that hee slewe him and beate him downe of a great and a strong horse whereupon he sate and tooke the Steed to Hector who mounted vpon him incontinent There were maruailes of armes done by the bastards Then came on Deyphebus with all his hoste wherein he hadde great store of Archers that hurt and slew great store of the Greekes And Deyphebus made gaue to king Theuter a great wound in the visage Then beganne the battaile as mortall as it had been in all the day There was Thesus assailed by Quintelinus one of the bastard brethren of Hector and of king Moderus and was taken and lead away but Hector deliuered him all quite for the courtesie that he had done to him a little before Then came to the battell of the Greeks the king Thoas and the king Philotas but the king Thaos addressed him against Cassilanus one of the bastard brethren of Hector and gaue him so great a stroke that hee slew him downe to the earth seeing Hector which then smote so angerly among the Greekes that hee slewe many and put them all to flight Then came to the battaile Nestor with sixe thousand knightes and the king Esdras and the king Philon that did great maruels of armes came against them At this assembly there were many knightes slaine and beaten downe of the one part and of the other The king Philon that did great maruailes in armes was enclosed with the Greekes on all sides and hadde béene slain if Iecomas and the king Esdras his father had not deliuered him from their handes Hector and his brother did maruailes with Polydamas and had put all the Gréeks to flight but Menelaus and Thelamon resisted them strongly Then came Eneas to the battaile with all his hoste and put him in with Hector and the other and by force put the Greekes to plaine flight whereof Aiax had verie great sorrowe and also as hee beheld behinde him he saw the banners that came to the battaile that hadde not yet been there and there was all the floure of the chiualry of Greece Then praied he them that fled that they would abide and recommence and beginne a new battaile Aiax and Eneas encountered so hardlie that they fel both to the earth And then came Phylotes with three thousand knights and made the Troyans go backe and smote Hector with his speare but hee might not remooue him and Hector gaue him so great a stroke with his sworde that he beate and sore hurt him Then came to the battell the king Humerus and the king Vlisses with all their people and the king Humerus and they hadde in their hoste tenne thousand knightes the which did the Troyans much sorrowe that were very weary To their succours came Paris vnto the battaile and in his comming smote so hard the king of Frigie who was coosin to Vlisses that he slew him and beate him down whereof the Greekes had much sorrow and Vlisses supposed to haue smitten Paris with his speare but hee smote his horse and slew him and Paris fell to the earth Then Troylus gaue to
Vlisses so great a stroke that he wounded him in the face and made the bloud spring out like as the wine runneth out of a tunne c. and Vlisses hurt him againe And truely the Troyans had then fled had it not béen for the great prowesse of Hector and of his brethren for Hector ceassed not to put himselfe in the greatest prease here and there and each man that knew him made him way When he saw that his people might not suffer the great strength of the Gréekes he withdrew them on a side and told them what iniuries the Greekes had done to them and what they will doe if they come to their conquest and then admonished and warned them to doe well and after brought them by a valley on the right side for to assaile their enemies There was great slaughter of the Gréeks there was the king Thoas assailed of the bastard brethren of Hector for to auenge the death of Cassibelanus their brother that he had slaine they beate him downe off his horse and rased off his helme from his head and hadde slaine him incontinent if the duke of Athens hadde not come on that thrusted in among them and gaue so great a stroke to one of the bastardes Quintilinus that he fell downe to the ground sore hurt and Paris smote the duke with an arrow in the side and made him a great wound But the duke that was sore hurt set not thereby but maugre them all he deliuered the king Thoas from their handes Then Hector did indeuour to put the Greekes vnto flight and then the king Humerus shotte an arrow vnto Hector and hurt him in the face and Hector ranne vpon him by so great ire that hee smote him sore vppon the head and cleft it vnto the teeth and hee fell downe dead Then with blowing of an horne came more then seuen thousand Greekes for to assaile Hector that defended him against them merueilously After this he went a litle off to his father and took three thousand knightes fresh and fierse and brought them to the battaile and at their comming hee made verie great slaughter of the Greekes c. Aiax and Hector iousted togither and fought each with other Menelaus slew at this ioyning an admirall of Troy Celidonius slew Moles of Oreb the nephew of King Thoas Mandon smote out an eie of king Sedonius Sadellus slew an admirall of the Greekes Thelamon beate Margareton and sore wounded him Famuel beate the king Prothenor to the earth The king of Gaul iousted against Mnesteus but Mnesteus hurt him on the nose with his sword Then Dianor séeing his brother hurt addressed him to Mnesteus and smote him down to the earth and then fell vpon him the three brethren that would haue slaine him or taken him but hée defended him valiantly and anon hee was succoured by the king Theuter But Hector then assailed them both and without fault they had not escaped had not Aiax the strong knight haue come to the reskewe with a thousand knightes that he had in his company Then came on the king of Perse with fiue thousand knightes that Paris lead and so did all the other Troyans and made the Greekes recule and go backe by force Dares writeth in his booke that Hector slew a thousand knightes onely in this assault Among all other thinges Hector encountered the king Menon before a tent and said to him ha euill traytour the houre is come that thou shalt receiue thy reward for that thou lettest me to take the armes of Patroclus and then he smote him so great a stroke that he fell downe to the ground And after Hector alighted downe smote off his head and would haue taken his armes from him but Mnesteus letted him and smote vppon Hector ouerthwart by such force that hee gaue him a great wound and went his way without more carrying doubting the fury of Hector Then Hector went out of the throng and did binde vp his wound that it bled no more and after went in againe into the prease and slew in his comming many Greekes And Dares saith that after he had bound vp his wound he slew the same day a thousand knights there was none had courage to auenge him against him or defend himself but he put them al to flight the Troians entered into their tents and pilled and robbed them and tooke all the best that they could finde c. On this day had the Troyans had victory of the Greeks if fortune had consented for they might haue slaine thē al and eschewed great euils that after came to thē Certes it is not wisedome when any man findeth his ennemy in great perill and fortune to offer his power to deliuer him thereof for it happeneth oftentimes that he shall neuer recouer to haue his enemy in the same case but that fortune will turne her backe Thus it happened this day to the vnhappie Hector that had the better of his ennemies and might haue slaine them all if he hadde would for they sought nothing but for to slea When by great misaduenture there came afore him in an encounter Thelamon Aiax that was sonne of king Thelamon and Exion that was coosin Germaine of Hector and of his brethren which was wise and valiant he addressed him against Hector and deliuered to him a great assault and Hector to him as they that were valiaunt both two and as they were fighting they spake and talked togither and thereby Hector knew that he was cosin Germaine sonne of his aunt and then Hector for courtesie embraced him in his armes and made great chéere and offered to him to doe all his pleasure if hee desired any thing of him and praied him that he would come to Troy with him for to see his linage ot his mothers side but the said Thelamon that intended to nothing but to his aduauntage saide that he would not go at this time But praied Hector requesting that if he loued him so much as he said he woulde for his sake and at his instance ceasse the battaile for that day and that the Troyans shoulde leaue the Greekes in peace The vnhappy Hector accorded to him his request and blewe a horne and made all his people to withdraw into the Citie Then hadde the Troyans begunne to put the fire in the shippes of the Greekes and had all burnt them had not Hector called them from thence Wherefore the Troyans were sory of their repeale This was the cause wherefore the Troyans missed so haue the victorie to the which they might neuer after attaine nor come for fortune was to them contrary and therefore Virgile saith Non est misericordia in bello that that is to say that there is no mercy in battaile A man ought not to be too mercifull but take the victory when he may get it CHAP. XII ¶ Of the first truce of two monethes demaunded by the Greekes and of the three battailes betweene them in the which Hector beate Achilles to
Hector encountred the king Agamemnon beate him and wounded him sore And then Achilles assayled Hector and gaue him so many strokes that he brake his helme Then Eneas and Troylus came to the rescue of Hector and Diomedes came vppon that who addressed him to Eneas and beat him and sayd to him in mockery Ha ha good counseller that gauest counsell to thy king to offend and grieue me know thou for trueth that if thou come oft into these battels and that I may méete with thée thou shalt not escape without death Among these things Hector assailed Achilles and gaue to him so many strokes that hee all to frushed and brake his helme and wéened to haue taken him but the sonne of Guideus ranne vpon Hector and gaue him so great a stroke with his sword that he did hurt him very sore And Hector in his ire encountred Diomedes and gaue him so great a stroke that he beat him downe to the ground Then Troylus alighted and descended downe for to fight with Diomedes on foote but Diomedes defended himselfe so valiantly that was marueile And beside them fought together Hector and Achilles Then came to the skirmish all the kings and princes of Gréece with a great company of men of armes and from the partie of the Troyans came all the Barons that were come for to ayde them There beganne marueilously the battell The king Agamemnon and the king Pandolus fought together the king Menelaus encountred Paris and they knew ech other well and Menelaus smote him so hard with his speare that he gaue gim a great wound and smote him downe whereof Paris was all ashamed Vlisses beat the king Arastous and tooke his horse that was very good and sent it to his tent Polimites assayled Huppon the ancient and slew him Neoptolemus the king Archilogus fought together Polidamas beat Palamedes and wounded him very sore and after mocked him by reproch The king Selenus and the king Carras encountred together and Carras was sore beaten and wounded Philomenus beat Anthenor Philoteas and the king Remus fought together The king Thesus and the king Enrialus fought together and both were sore hurt And the bastards of king Priamus did marueiles and slew mane Gréeks and hurt many kings The king Thelamon and the king Sarpedon iousted so sore the one against the other that they fell both sore hurt and all astonied of the anguish that they had The king Thoas and Achilles that were cousins assailed Hector and gaue him many strokes and drew off his helme from his head and hurt him in many places and Hector gaue to him so great a stroke with his sword that he cut off halfe his nose To the rescue of Hector came his bastard brethren that slew many of the Gréekes and tooke the king Thoas and wounded and beat the king Agamemnon in such wise that he was borne to his tent as dead and the king Thoas was lead prisoner to Troy Menelaus indeuoured to grieue Paris and Paris shot at him an arrow enuenimed and wounded him in such wise that hee was borne into his tent and assoone as Menelaus had bound vp his wounds he came again to the battell for to assaile Paris if he had found him and he found him and assailed him but Eneas put himselfe betwéene them both forasmuch as Paris was vnarmed and not able to preuent him and so Eneas lead him into the citie to the end that Menelaus shoulde not slay him Then Hector assailed Menelaus wéened to haue taken him but there came to the rescue great plentie of chiualrie of the Greekes wherefore Hector might not come to his intent And then hee thrust in and smote among the other and did so much with helpe of his folke that the Greeks fled And then the night came on that made the battell to cease CHAP. XIIII ¶ How Priamus would that the king Thoas that was prisoner should haue beene hanged and how they returned to the fift battell in the which Hector slewe with his hands three kings and how Diomedes slew the Sagittary c. WHen it came on the morrow betimes the king Priamus would not that they should fight that day but sent for his councell that is to witts Hector Paris Troylus and Deiphebus Eneas Anthenor and Polidamas and sayde vnto them Ye know how wee holde prisoner the king Thoas that without any euill that wee haue deserued is come for to destroy vs and therefore mee thinketh good that wee make him die an euill death What say ye thereto Ha sir sayd Eneas the gods forbidde that your nobles should do such a villanie since it is so that the king Thoas is one of the most noble kings of Gréece for that it might happen that the Gréekes might take one of ours to whome they might do in semblable wise whereof ye might take the greatest griefe and sorrow in the worlde So then it is better as mee thinketh that yee keepe right well and safe the king Thoas without misdoing vnto him that if by fortune one of ours were taken wee might make an exchange and take the one for the other This counsell séemed good and pleasing to Hector but the king Priamus sayd vnto them Yet if ye doe thus it shall séeme to the Gréekes that we doubt them and that wee dare not put their folke to death notwithstanding I will doe by your counsell This counsell finished Eneas tooke Troylus and Anthenor and went to see Helene whome they found in the great hall of Ilyon with the Queene Hecuba and many other noble Ladies where she made great sorrow and they supposed then to haue comforted her and so did the Quéene Hecuba that sayd to her that she should take no thought nor sorrowe and that they of the Citie should well defend them Among these things the Gréekes complained verie sore of the death of their friendes that the Troyans slew thus and held themselues very children that they had put themselues in such danger wherefrom they had wel passed and béene deliuered if they had had good counsell and yet it happened that same night that there came so great a winde and so great a raine that their Tents were all turned vpside downe to the earth and it séemed that the world shoulde haue ended by the great storme whereat her sorrow was doubled When it came to the morning that the tempest was passed they armed themselues all thorowout the hoste and went against the Troyans that then were issued to battell Achilles addressed himselfe first to Hupon that was great as a Giant and was king of Larissa and hee smote him so sore with a speare in the breast that hee slewe him and bare him downe to the earth Hector slew in his comming the king Anthomeus Diomedes slewe the king Antipus Then the king Epistropus and the king Cedus assailed Hector and Epistropus iousted against Hector and brake his speare vpon him and sayde vnto him many villanous wordes whereat Hector
before and cease not til ye haue the victory that the gods haue promised to you And then with the wordes of the sayd Calcas the Gréeks tooke heart to them saying verely that they would mainteine the war against the Troyans whether Achilles holpe them or not and that for him they would not leaue CHAP. XXII ¶ Of many battels that were made on the one side and on the other to their both great damage and of certeine truce and of the death of the noble Troylus that Achilles slew against his promise and drew him at his horse taile through out the hoste and how Achilles slew the king Menon c. WHen the truce of two moneths was passed they began to fight in battell right sharpely There did Troylus marueiles of armes for to reuenge the death of his brother Dares sayeth in his booke that hee slewe that day a thousand knights and the Greeks fledde before him and the battell endured vnto the night that parted them the day following the foureteenth battell beganne hard and sharpe There did Diomedes marueiles of armes and slew many Troyans and hurt them and addressed himselfe against Troylus one time that smote him so harde that he beate him downe to the earth and sore hurt him and reproched him of the loue of Briseida Then the Gréeks ranne with great strength and tooke Diomedes vp bare him vpon his shield vnto his tent Menelaus that sawe Diomedes so beaten adressed himselfe against Troylus but Troylus that had yet his speare whole smote him so hard that hee beate him downe to the earth sore hurt and was borne into his tent by his men vppon his shield Then Agamēnon assembled all his strength and thrust in among the Troyans and slew many but Troylus came against him and smote him downe off his horse but hee was anon remounted by the helpe of his folke Thus finished the battell that day and Agamemnon sent for to haue truce for six moneths which were agréed and accorded by king Priamus Howbeit it seemed to some of his councell that he should not grant them for so long Among these things Briseida against the will of her father went for to sée Diomedes that lay sore hurt in his tent and shee knew well that Troylus that was her loue had so hurt him Then returned into her minde many purposes and in the end she saw that she might neuer recouer Troylus and therefore assoone as Diomedes were whole she would giue to him her loue without longer tarrying Among these things the king Agamemnon transported him vnto the tent of Achilles in the company of duke Nestor and Achilles receiued them with great ioy and Agamemnon prayed him that he would come forth to the battell and suffer no more their people thus to be slaine But Achilles woulde neuer stirre vp his courage for his words yet forasmuch as he loued Agamemnon he agréed and consented that his men should go to battel without him whereof Agamemnon Nestor gaue him great thanks after they had thanked him he returned into their tēts When the truce were passed Agamemnon ordeined his people to battell and Achilles sent to him his Mirmidones clad marked with a red signe for to be knowen Then began the battell hard and sharpe to the great damage of both partes There Troylus beate downe the duke of Athens and slew many of the Mirmidones and hurt and fought thus till the night parted them On the morrow betimes began the battell sharpe mortall the king Philomenus Polidamas tooke the king Thoas and had lead him away had not the Mirmidones rescued him Then Troylus smote in among them and slew many and hurt them but they deliuered to him a great assault and slewe his horse and woulde haue taken him Then Paris and his bastard brethren smote in among them and brake their ranks and put Troylus againe on his horse then was there a fierce fight there slew the Mirmidones Emargeron one of the bastards of king Priamus of Troy whereof Troylus had great sorrow and by the ayde of his people smote in among them and slewe and hurt many but they defended themselues valiantly and helde together and Troylus ceased not to grieue them to enter among them often times Then came to the battell Agamemnon Menelaus Thelamon Vlisses and Diomedes with all their people and began a hote skirmish There the Greekes did make the Troyans to suffer much paine but Troylus succoured them valiantly and put himselfe alway where most need was and slewe and beat downe all that he founde and did so much by his prowesse that the Greekes fledde into their Tents and Thelamon defended valiantly made them to recouer the fielde by his prowesse This was the sixteenth battell in the which died many knightes of both sides Troylus ceased not to grieue the Mirmidones and there was none so puissaunt nor so strong that might endure against him and hee did so much that hee put the Gréeks to flight and tooke an hundred noble men that he brought into the citie When the battell was finished against the euen the Mirmidones returned vnto the Tent of Achilles there was founde many of them hurt and there were an hundred of them dead whereof Achilles had much sorrowe and when it was night he went to bed and there he had many thoughts and purposed once to go to the battell for to reuenge the death of his men and another time hee thought on the beautie of Polixene and thought that if he went hee should loose her loue for euer and that the king Priamus and his wife woulde holde him for a deceiuer for he had promised them that hee would helpe no more the Greekes and when he said in himselfe that hee had sent his men vnto their aide and in this thought Achilles had béen many daies and that the day came that the seuenteenth battaile began beeing verie much horrible that dured by seuen daies continually wherin were many Greekes slaine Agamemnon required truce but the Troyans agreed no longer the truce but till they hadde buried their dead bodies and when those daies were pas sed the eighteenth battaile began right aspire and fiers Menelaus and Paris iousted togither and beate well each other Polidamas and Vlisses fought togither a great while and Menesteus beate downe Eneas with iousting The king Phylomenus beate Agamemnon and had sore hurt him if Thelamon had not come on that smote to ground Philomenus sore wounded Archilogus the sonne of duke Nestor assailed one of the bastardes of king Priamus named Brum and smote him so hard with his speare that hee bare him downe to the ground and slew him Whereof the Troyans had great sorrow and aboue all other Troylus was angry that smote in among the Greekes and had put them to flight hadde not the Mirmidones haue been that resisted him And therefore Troylus smote in among them and slewe so many and beate downe and did so much that
was so hurt that the truncheon of her speare abode within his bodie wherefore the crie arose greatly among the Greekes and they ranne vpon Penthesilea with great strength and brake the lase of her helme and then Pirrhus that in his great furie tooke none heede to his wound set not thereby that hee had the truncheon in his body but assailed strongly Penthesilea that had then her helme broken and shee weend to haue smitten him but Pirrhus raught her first gaue her so great a stroke with his sworde that hee cutte her arme off by the body whereof the saide Penthesilea fell downe dead to the earth and Pirrhus that was not yet content smote the body and cut it in two peeces and anon for the great effusion of bloud that ran from his wound he fell downe as dead among his people and they tooke him vp layed him vpon his shield and bare him into his tent Then the maidens of Penthesilea for to reuenge the death of their Quéene smote in among the Mirmidones by great furie and slew many and hurt but it profited but little to the Troyans as they that were but a few against a great multitude of Gréeks And so there were slaine of them of Troy that day in the battell more then tenne thousande men and the other withdrewe themselues into the citie for to saue themselues and shut closed fast their gates and had no more intention to issue out to battell against their enemies c. CHAP. XXV ¶ How Anthenor and Eneas spake together among them for to deliuer the citie vnto the Greeks by treason and did it vnder colour of peace and howe the king Priamus gainsayd them with some of his bastards by great and rude words THe Troyans had very great sorrowe when they sawe them in this distresse for they had no more hope to haue any succours from any place and they endeuoured to nothing but to keepe well their citie and to furnish them well with bitaile for they feared nor dreaded nought of any assault Among these things the Gréeks would haue cast to the dogs the bodie of Penthesilea forasmuch as she had slaine so many noble men of Gréece but Pirrus gainsayde it for the honour and credit of noblenesse and finally they concluded that they would cast it in a pond that was nie the citie Anchises with his sonne Eneas and Anthenor with his sonne Polidamas went to counsell together for to aduise them how they might haue their liues saued against the Gréekes and their goodes and rather than they woulde faile heereof they woulde betray the Citie Then they concluded that they shoulde speake vnto king Priamus and counsell him to take a peace and appointment with the Gréekes in restoring of Helene to her husband and the damages that Paris did in the I le of Citharis O if the king Priamus had beene so happy to haue doone this and had pleased the Gréekes at the beginning he had saued his life and his wifes life and the life of all his children and had saued all the Citie and the cittizens and had eschewed all the mischiefes that came to them afterward Therefore say men in a Prouerb that the concorde or peace soone taken is good for it is an hard thing to reappease such manner dammages to him that hath aduantage of the warre For with great paine would the Gréekes haue beene content that were thē at the better hand with these offers forasmuch as they had suffered so many hurtes and damages before Troy for them séemed well that they were at the point for to destroy the Citie and all the inhabitantes But the aforenamed traitours spake not of this matter but to the end that vnder colour of peace they might betray the citie if otherwise they might not saue their liues Then they went before the king Priamus and Amphimacus one of his bastard sonnes and spake there of this matter before many noble men of the Citie and aboue as king Priamus had heard them speake of purchasing of peace with the Gréekes he thought that they spake this thing by great fury and beganne to laugh saying to them that he would be aduised and take counsell first and then they spake vnto him in this manner If thou wilt heare our counsell vpon this thing marke what we shall say and if it please thée not vse the counsell of other The king saide that hee woulde well heare their counsell and would wéete what séemed them good saying vnto them What séemeth you good Then spake Anthenor saying King you may not dissemble but that you and yours be compassed with your ennemies who béene héere by your citie desiring your death and destruction and ye may not issue out there are more than fiftie kings that desire nothing but to destroy this Cittie and you and all them that dwell therein yée may no longer resist them neyther dare ye no more open your gates and thus we let vs then be inclosed héerein We ought of two euill things choose the lesse euill and therefore for to haue peace with the Gréekes if ye séeme good we will render Helene to Menelaus her husband since that Paris is dead and also restore the damage that Paris did doe to them in Gréece rather than we will suffer our selues to be put to the death c. At these wordes arose vp Amphymacus one of the bastard sonnes of king Priamus and reprooued egerly the wordes of Anthenor and saide vnto him what trust or hope may my Lorde my father and wée haue in thée since that thou oughtest to haue firme goodwill vnto him and to this citie and we sée that thus recreant thou oughtest to liue and die with vs and thou counsellest vs now to make peace with the Gréekes to our great dishonour and shame Truely before that the king shall doe that there shall die twenty thousand menne the thing that thou counsellest the king commeth of treason Many other iniurious wordes said Amphimacus to Anthenor and Eneas beganne to interrupt him saying Yée know well that we may not from hencefoorth goe to battell against the Gréekes and we dare no more open our gates wherefore it behoueth vs to finde meanes to haue peace with them Then the king Priamus with great ire saide to Anthenor and to Eneas haue yée not shame in your selues to speake so to mée Yée make me die with sorrow for all that I haue done hitherto I haue done it by your counsel Anthenor at thy return fro Gréece whither I sent thée to require my sister counselledst thou not me that I shoulde send Paris into Gréece for to endammage the Greekes And I had neuer taken vpon me for to haue mooued war against them had not thy false counsell beene which moued me to send thither And thou Eneas alas when I sent thee with Paris into Greece wast not thou principall of the counsell that Paris should rauish Helene and bring her into this realme and thou helpedst
must passe by his realme And then the king Naulus did crie in all his realme that men shoulde make great fires euery night vpon the mountains that stood by the sea side And this did he to the end that when the Greekes shoulde see the fire by night they shoulde come thither weening to finde good hauen and if they came they should find hard rocks and mountaines of sand And so they shoulde not escape without death It was thus done as Naulus had deuised there were nigh two hundreth ships of the Gréeks broken against the rocks and all they that were therein were drowned When the other shippes that followed them heard the noyse of the shippes that so were broken and the câ—â—e of them that were drowned they turned on the other boord and made to seawarde and saued themselues Of them that escaped were Agamemnon Menelaus Diomedes and some other that shall bee named hereafter Cetus that otherwise was called Pellus had great sorrow when hee knew that Agamemnon was escaped and then he thought long how he might auenge himself When hee was come home and was ariued in his owne land he wrote a letter to Clitemnestra the wife of Agamemnon and this letter conteined that for certaine Agamemnon her husbande had espoused one of the daughters of king Priamus and that he loued her greatly and brought her with him into his countrey for to make her Quéene and to put out Clitemnestra or to slay her and therefore Cetus aduertised her to the end that she might prouide for her selfe Clitemnestra anon beléeued these letters and thanked Cetus enough and thought that she would auenge her of her husband This Clitemnestra in the absence of her husband loued a man named Egistus by whom she had a daughter named Erigona she loued more her loue Egistus then euer shee did her husband though he was come of lowe bloud But it is the custom of a woman that doth amisse to take one to her of lesse value than her husband is Shée had treated with Egistus that the first night that Agamemnon shoulde lie with her he should runne vpon him and slea him This thing was done in like manner as shée had purposed and Agamemnon was slaine and laide in the earth and anone after Clytemnestra tooke to husband her loue Egistus king of Michmas Agamemnon thus slaine had a sonne of this Clytemnestra that was named Horestes a yong childe which Calcibus his cousine had in kéeping and tooke him from his mother to the end that she should not slea him and after sent him to the king of Créete Idumeus that was his vncle And he had great ioy of him and so had his wife Tharasis also that loued him as much as Clytemnestra her daughter that had no more children but her and she was a faire yong maide Thus as Cetus had written to Clytemnestra the wife of Agamemnon in like manner he wrote to the wife of Diomedes named Egée who was daughter of the king Polimites of Arsimens and sister of Assandrus that returned from Troy with Diomedes his brother in lawe So it happened in their returning that they went into the land of king Thelephus which was euil content and went against them with a great company of men of armes and assailed them and they defended them strongly And Assandrus slew many of the knightes of Thelephus wherof he had great sorrow and was angry and tooke a great speare addressed him against Assandrus with so great force that he smote him to the earth and slew him Diomedes to auenge the death of his brother in law slewe many knightes of Thelephus and recouered the bodie of Assandrus with great trouble and paine and bare it into his shippe Thus died Assandrus but it was not so reported to Egée his siâ—ter but it was tolde her that Diomedes her husband had slaine him to haue all the seignorie of Archimens whereof Assandrus had the one halfe against his sister Egée Of these tidings and of them that Cetus had written Egée was angry with Diomedes her husband wrought so with her people that they promised her they would no more receiue Diomedes for their lord Thus when Diomedes returned his wife ne his folk would receiue him but banished him out of the countrey of Archimens for euer Then happened he to arriue in Salamine where king Theuter brother of king Thelamon was This king heard say that Diomedes was culpable of the death of his brother with Vlysses wherevpon he commaunded that Diomedes shoulde be taken But Diomedes hearing thereof fledde thence King Demophon and king Athamas being arriued in their landes were banished by semblable manner Then arriued they in the land of Duke Nestor which receiued them with great ioy These two kings purposed to goe into their lands with men of armes and take vengeance on their people But Duke Nestor blamed them thereof and counselled them that they should first send to them to admonish them to receiue them for their Lords and promise to them great franchises and liberties Thus did they as Nestor had counselled them and it was not long after but that their people receiued them as aforesaid While Eneas abode in Troy to repaire his shippes he indured many assaults of his neighbours that would haue taken as a prey all the remnant of the Troyans And forasmuch as he might not abide there longer then his terme assigned vnto him by the Gréekes he assembled the Troyans and councelled them that they should send and séeke Diomedes to be their king and said vnto them he would come willingly forasmuch as he was driuen out of his countrey and he was both wise and valiant So they sent for to séeke Diomedes and found him who came foorthwith and found the Troyans besieged by their neighbour nations Eneas then prepared to the battel in which Diomedes bare himselfe so valiantly that he tooke away prisoners and hanged many as théeues In the fift battell he behaued himselfe so that he gat the vpper hand altogither of his ennemies and conquered them all so as there were none of his neighbours that durst assaile the Troyans During these things the nauie of Eneas was ready wherevpon he tooke shipping with Anchises his father and being at sea they resolued to go and seeke an habitation where the gods and fortune would assigne During their aduentures at sea many perils happened and rouing at randon this way and that way they sayled by Hellespont and thence passing arriued at Tuskane in Italie from whence sayling they came to Carthage and thence againe to Italie The storie whereof who lift to peruse let him reade Virgil. When Egea the wife of Diomedes knew that the Troyans had intertained Diomedes and that he had discomfited their ennemies shée doubted that Diomedes would also take vengeaunce on her Then she councelled with her people and by their aduise she sent for him to come vnto her who came with a good will and had
cry insomuch that the people of the Castle armed themselves and came and assailed Thelagonus He séeing that stept to one and wrung his Sword out of his hand wherewith he slew fiftéen in short space and was himself hurt in many places Hereupon the uproar grew more and more and Vlisses doubting it was his Son Thelamonius who had broken out of prison came running out with a dart in his hand which he flung at Thelagonus and hit him not knowing who he was and hurt Thelagonus a little Thelagonus féeling himself hurt flung it again at Ulisses not knowing who he was with so great force that hitting him he fell down to the earth Then Vlisses being in great pain remembring himself of his fore-said Vision demanded of him what he was saying I am Ulisses Thelagonus hearing this fell to great lamentation and said Alas wretch that I am I came hither to sée my Father and to live joyfully with him and now I have slain him Thus saying he fell down in a swound and when he was come again to his understanding he rent his cloaths beat himself about the face â—â—th his fists and went to his Father and fell down wéeping before him and said I am Thelagonus thy unhappy Son whom thou begottest on Quéen Circe I pray the Gods that they will suffer mée to dye with thée When Vlisses understood this hee sent for Thelamonius his lawful begotten Son who presently coming would have slain Thelagonus to revenge his Fathers death But Ulisses said not so for he is thy brother be ye reconciled together and live and love as brethren Then was Vlisses carried into Achaia where within thrée daies he dyed and was by his Son honourably buryed After whose death Thelamonius his Sonne succéeded in that Kingdome who kept with him Thelagonius his brother for the space of a year and a half making him knight and honouring him greatly At length being often sent for by Circe his mother he returned to her into the Isle Aulides having received many rich presents at the hands of his brother And Circe dying shortly after Thelagonus enjoyed her Kingdome and raigned in the said Isle thréescore years Thelamonius was fourscore and thirtéen years old at the death of Vlisses his father and raigned afterwards much increasing his Seigniory thréescore and ten years In this wife Dares finished his book of the siege of Troy and speaketh not of their further adventures and asmuch as is contained in the History before written is also found to have béen recorded by Dictes the Greek and in most things both their Books agrée Dares in the end of his book writeth thus that the siege of Troy endured for the space of ten years ten months and twelve daies and that the number of the Greeks there slain was eight hundred and six thousand fighting men and the number of the Troâ—ans slain in defence of themselves and of their Country was six hundred fifty and six thousand fighting men He saith moreover that when Eneas departed from Troy into exile he carryed with him two hundred ships and that Anthenor had with him away five hundred Souldiers and all the rest that were escaped went with Eneas The said Dares furthermore reporteth in the latter end of his Book by whom the most noble Kings and Princes of the one part and of the other were slain and he saith that Hector the most famous Prince of Chivalry in the world slew with his own hands in good and loyal fight eightéen Kings not with treachery or subtil devises but by his prowesse and valour the names of which Kings do here follow That is King Archilogus K. Prothesilaus K. Patroclus K. Menon K. Prothenor K. Archimenus K. Polemon K. Epistropus K. Ecedius K. Daccius K. Polixenus K. Phybus K. Anthypus K. Cenutus K. Polibetes K. Humerus K. Fumus and K. Exampitus And Paris he slew Pallamedes who was Emperor of all the Greekish Host K. Achilles and at last K. Ajax and therewithall Ajax slew him also Eneas slew K. Amphimacus and K. Nercus Achilles slew K. Cupemus K. Yponeus K. Plebeus K. Austerus K. Cimoneus K. Menon and King Neoptolemus Also he slew Hector at unawares and Troylus whom hée caused his Myrmidons to beset round about Pyrrhus the Son of the said Achilles slew the Quéen Penthasilea in fight he slew also cruelly and tyrannously the noble King Priamus He slew moreover Polixena the fairest Maid in the world Dyomedes slew King Antipus K. Escorius K. Prothenor and King Obtineus Now thus I am come to the finishing of this present book which I have translated though rudely out of French into English at the commandement and request of my right gracious and redoubted Lady and Mistresse the Lady Margaret Dutchess of Bourgony Lothericke and of Brabant c. And forasmuch as I am weary of tedious writing and worne in years being not able to write out several books for all Gentlemen and such others as are desirous of the same I have caused this book to bée Printed that being published the more plentuously mens turns may be the more easily served And as for the sundry Authors that have written of this matter namely Homer Dictes and Dares albeit their writings in many circumstances do disagrée yet in describing the Destruction of Troy they all affirm it to have béen in manner as is said utterly ruinated and laid waste for ever with such a wonderful Effusion of the blood of so many worthy King Princes Dukes Earls Barons and Knights and such an excéeding number of souldiers as here is mentioned And look what pleasure or commodity men reap by perusing this Book let them transferre the praise and thanks due therefore next to almighty God unto my foresaid right gracious Lady who not onely caused mée to undertake this translation but hath also bountifully rewarded mée for my labours To whose good liking I humbly Dedicate this work beséeching her Grace and all that shall read the same to accept in good part my simple endeavour herein And I most humbly pray unto Almighty God that the example of these cruel Wars and dissolation of this famous City may be a warning to all other Cities and People to fly Adultery and all other vices the causes of Wars and Destruction and that all true Christians may learn to live godlily and in Brotherly love and concord together Amen PErgama flere volo Fata Danais data solo Solo capta dolo capta redacta solo Causa malitalis Meritrix fuit exitialis Foemina lethalis Foemina plena malis Si fueris lota si vita sequens bona tota Si eris ignota non eris absque nota Passa prius Paridem Paridis modo Thesea pridem Es factura fidem ne redeas in idem Rumor de veteri faciet ventura timeri Cras poterunt fieri turpia sicut heri Scoena quid evadis morti qui cetera tradis Cur tu non cladis conscia clade cadis Foemina
dwelled with his mother and his sisters Cibell and Ceres and beganne to raigne with so great magnificence that they of the countrie séeing their neighbours by them did make and ordaine Kings to raigne on them of such as were noble and vertuous assembled togither on a day and made Saturne King ouer them and vppon their lines and crowned him with great glorie with a crowne of Lawyer with great ioy Saturne anon tooke and accepted this royall honour and worship and tooke the scepter in his hand and here the crowne on his head and raigned wisely inducing his people to liue honestly and to loue vertue and ordained a naked sword to be borne afore him in signe of iustice He did iustice on malefactours and enhaunsed them that were good hee did build a Citie which he named Crete because the I le bare the saide name and hee was the first inhabitour and dweller When he had founded the Citie he ordained his Pallace and dwelling place in the middle thereof in example as the heart is in the middes of the bodie to minister to the members so hée would instruct and gouerne his people And after this he chose an hundred and foure wise men which hee instituted and ordained counsellours and gouernours of his Realme And then they of Crete séeing the right great wisedome of their king assembled togither diuers times and named him a god and yet more they founded vnto him a Temple an Alter and an Idole bearing in the one hand a sickle in signification that hee destroyed the vices in such wise as the fickle cutteth hearbs and destroyeth the wéedes and in the other hand he held a serpent that did bite his taile forasmuch as Saturn said that euery man shuld bite the taile of the serpent that is to say that euery man should feare and flée the euill end For the end oftentimes is venemous as the taile of a Serpent and that appeareth yet daily by the ende of many euill disposed and inuenomed men By the meane of these thinges the renoume of king Saturne grewe and that worlde was the time of golde That is for to say it was much better and more abundant in the daies of mans life and in plentie of fruits of the earth then in any other time after The Poets by this colour compared the world at this time to gold which is most pretious of al metals wherfore many men say that Saturne was the first man that found the maner to melt mettall and to affine gold and made his vessell vtensilles of his house of diuers mettal And vnder this colour they figured at that time the worlde to be of gold Then began the men by the doctrine of Saturne to vse and were gold to myne the rocks to pearce the mountains perillous to haunt the thorny desarts to fight aduance the orguillous serpents the fierce dragons the deadly griffons the moÌ„strous beasts to spred abroad their worldly engins By these exercises was then Saturne the fourbisher and beginner of the stile to learne men to take these beasts And first found the manner of shooting and drawing of the bow Of this gold made Saturne his house his chambers and halles to shine by maruailous working He was strong and hardie he had no feare nor doubt of any Serpent of the mountaine nor any monster of desart or of beast dwelling in caues He knew the veines of gold in the earth and could discerne them from the veines of siluer He edifies rich things of gold ioyous vnto the eie sight and hâ—te and couragious to the heart For at that time the courages by perdurable fire chasing the affections of man in manner of a contagious heat so singularly that after alway that they coueted they desired to accomplish In this time of the golden world the creatures liued and endured greatly and long And al the world laboured in edification of science and cunning of vertue And that time were the men more vertuous in bodily edifying then euer they were since Among whom Saturne was neuer idle after that he had once laboured cornes in earing and sowing Hee molte and fined gold and mettals and induced and taught his men to draw the bow and shoote He himselfe found first the bow and the manner to go and saile by the sea and to rowe with little boates by the riuage and tooke his owne pleasure for to endoctrine and teach his people in all these things and he had great aboundance of worldly goods reserued onely he durst not marrie and that hee had sworne to death all the men children that should come of his séede Whereof hee was oftentimes anoyed and had great displeasure c. CHAP. III. ¶ Howe Saturne went to Delphos and had aunswere how hee should haue a son that should chase him out of his realme And how he maried him to his sister Cibell c. WHen Saturne sawe his Palace flourish and shine of gold and sawe his people obey him saw his goldsmiths workers breake mountaines with their Pikares and instruments saw his mariners cut the waues of the sea with their Oares saw his disciples learn and labor the earth saw his Archers shoot with their arrowes smote and tooke the birds dwelling in the high trées and flying by the ayre he might embrace great glorie and inhaunce on high his throne and his felicitie But on the other side when he remembred the couenant made betwéen him and his brother Titan he was like vnto the Peacocke that is proud of the fayre feathers diuersly faire coloured which he spreades round as a whéele withall only looking on his féet he leeseth all his ioy Saturn likewise by this treatie lost al his ioy his glory and his pleasure He was long time leading this life now ioyous now sorowfull growing alway and increasing his realme and dayly thought and poised in himselfe if he might marry or not for nothing in the world he would false his oath He was iust and true in déed in word Neuertheles nature moued him and cited him to haue generation and to come to company of women and this mouing was al all times refreshed and renued by a continuall sight that hée had daily in a passing faire maid that is to wit his sister Cibell which he saw continually in whom was no default of al the goods of nature appertaining to woman She was out of measure right huÌ„ble in speaking wise in her works honest in conuersation and flowing in all vertues And for this cause Saturne behelde her oft times And so hapned on a time as he beheld her affayres and workes he cast his eyen on her vertues that pleased him so greatly that in the ende he was desirous of her loue wherof his mother Vesca had great ioy and pleasure And she perceiuing of the desire of Saturne gaue him courage and will to marry her And so laboured and solicited the mariage so effectually that with great worship and triumph Saturne
that the King Troos made to him and he thanked him of so hie and ample offers and at the coming out of his shippe he b◠〈◊〉 him in his armes and kist his hande What shall I saye the King Troos brought him into his Pallace with all his men and feasted them as it appertayned for the loue of Saturne In likewise the people being aduertised of Saturne that it was he that found the maner of labouring of the earth of melting of metals and of sayling and rowing by Sea made so greate and plentifull feast at his comming that they coulde no more doo At that time during this feasting when Saturne felt him in the grace of the Troyans on a daye he called Troos and his two sonnes and addressed his words to them saying Lordes of Troye ye haue doone so much for me that I maye neuer deserue it but as I haue sayde to you my sonne is enhaunsed and lift vp aboue me and hath taken from me my Realme I intreate you as much as I may that ye will councell me what thing is most conuenient for me to doo And how I shall suffer and beare the iniury doon to me c. My brother aunswered the King Troos this is against nature for a sonne himselfe to rebell against his Father the sinne and crime is foule and worthy of reprehension for euery sonne is bounden by all lawes to serue worship dread and obey his Father And it is not reason that any man should approoue or hold with a sonne disobeysant Your sonne is in this condition cursed and right euill and I am of the opinion that ye shal not acquite you well vnlesse you do to your power to maister and ouercome his euill maners And to the end ye shall not excuse your euident harmes and losses when ye will I will deliuer you my sonne Ganimedes accompanied with twentie thousand Troyans that shall succour you vnto the death Or they shall sette you agayne in your royall tribunall Saturne was all recomforted when he knewe the loue that the King Troos shewed to him and after many thankes concluded that he would returne into Crete with Ganimedes and would begin againe the pitious warre of him and of his sonne And following this conclusion from thenceforth on he did cause 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—int the shipping of Troye and all things apperteyning and gathered togither men of armes with great puissance by the introduction of Ganimedes And when all the assembly had mustred and were gathered togither he tooke leaue of the king Troos and of Ilion and went to the sea and shipped all his manie and knowing the situations of the countreys by the seas he directed his hoste into the Sea Egee where as was Egeus sonne of Titan the greate pyrate which durst not haue to doo with them in no wise and from this sea of Egee he trauailed so much by diuerse iourneys that he came and arriued at the first porte and hauen of Crete CHAP. XXIIII ¶ How Saturne by the ayde of Ganimedes and of the Troyans returned into Crete to fight against Iupiter where he was ouercome and vanquished and Ganimedes taken AT that houre when Saturne arriued in Crete the sunne was turned into the west and on the heauen begaÌ„ to appeare the stars Saturne knewe the port and tooke land hoping to enter the country secretly and went a little way and there lodged his people in a place coÌ„uenieÌ„t made theÌ„ rest eate and drinke by the space of foure houres and then hée awooke the host and made the Troians arme them and enter into the Realme But they were not farre gone but anon after the sunne rysing and approaching a straight passage the espies and scowrers came vnto Saturne and Ganimedes hastily and tolde them that they had séene the King Iupiter right strongly accompanied which kept the passage Vpon this place it is to wit that when Iupiter was departed from Danae and from the Tower of Dardan and was come into Crete desiring to accomplish his promise to Danae hee did cause to assemble his men of warre concluding in himselfe that faithfully he would go fetch the fayre Danae and bring her into his Countrey by force of armes What shall I say more His armie was all readie and came the same night where on the morrow he hoped to haue departed but as hée was in his bed that night in his Citie of Parthenie tidings came to him of the arryuing of the Troyans Wherefore he was constrained by force to change his purpose of which he was right sorie and maruailous passing heauie This notwithstanding suddenly as these tydings were freshly brought vnto him he arose and tooke his men of armes that he had assembled and hastily brought them vnto the straight whereof aboue is written and there abode his enemies as wise well aduised And it is not to be forgotten that in this armie among his men was the king of Molosse which had late found the industrie and craft to tame and breake horses for to be ridden and to ride them And there was come he and his men to serue the king Iupiter for his good renowme accompanied with an hundred men that ran as the winde And for this cause they were called Centaures and these Centaures were so terrible and cruell that they doubted not the puissance of King nor of none other whatsoeuer they were For then to returne to the matter alreadie begun when Saturne knewe that the passage was kept and that Iupiter was then aduertised of his coÌ„ming he caused his host to stay and sayde vnto them My children it behooueth that this morning ye so do in Crete your deuoir not onely in mustring and shewing your courages but aboue all that ye bee redoubted and dread like the thunder Assure year selues of your quarrell Iupiter mine enemie is heere where he abydeth our comming to the battaile ordained if we will come to the ende of our enterprise it is necessarie that we draw thither Let me heare what ye will say Then thus answered Ganimedes we be come into Crete for to correct your sonne and to set you againe in your throne We will do that we may do by our power and fight fréely without doubting or feare And vnto the ende that no reproch be layde vnto vs I will sende and summon your sonne first or any swoorde be drawne or stroke smitten to the ende that he yéelde him vnto your obeysaunce and that he come and amende his misdéedes And then Ganimedes did call forth his Troians by consent of Saturne and set them in order of battaile and when he had so done he sent one of his auncient knights a noble man vnto Iupiter and gaue him charge to make the summons such as is sayde before The Troyan departed from the host at the commaundement of Ganimedes and did so much that hee was presented before Iupiter and said to him Iupiter thou oughtest to know that euery sonne oweth obeysance vnto his father thou dost
to get honor and worship but their labor profited little vnto them in regard of getting the prise for Hercules cast and foyled all them that came and the wrastling dured foure houres continually At the last at the request of the Ladies the Iudges made the wrastling to cease for that day because that they sawe that Hercules was young and that hee had done a great worke c. When Hercules had vnderstoode that the Iudges had made cease the wrastling he was right sorrowfull for in his wrastling he had a singular pleasure The Iudges thē with Eusteus came to him made him do on his cloaths and aray him After they brought him into the common hal where as the Ladies were dauncing and singing ioyously and it was sayd to him that he must daunce and sing like as other did Hercules excused him much but his excuse might not auaile He was set on to daunce in hand with Megara a right faire Gentlewoman of yong age but she was right well furnished with wit and vnderstanding and shée was daughter of king Creon When Hercules saw him in the hand of one so noble a Gentlewoman hee was sore abashed and ashamed The Gentlewoman on the other side was also shamefast for as soone as she had séene Hercules wrastle shee had set all her loue on him And they wist none of them both what to say howbeit in stead of wordes they vsed priuie and couert countenances Hercules tooke a singular pleasure to behold and sée the Gentlewoman and the more néere the Gentlewoman was to Hercules the more she set her heart on him What shall I say loue in this night enforced and constrained them to loue each other without speaking and their beauty was cause therof Men shuld not haue found in all Grece two so faire children nor of better qualities They were inough beholden and looked on and in especially Hercules for his prowesse and euery man maruailed of him and of his behauiour By space of time then Hercules was brought from the feast into his tent His tent nor the tent of the kings and of the ladies were not made but of branches with leaues and herbes giuing good odour sauour It was not knowne how to make tentes of cloath nor of silke then Hercules passed this night more intending to thinke on the beautie of Megara then for to sléepe The day following at houre conuenient she came vnto the sport and there were many young men strong and actiue the strongest of all Grece but Herculus with one arme threw and cast them and that day and the day following he cast and flang to the earth mo then thrée hundred and there could not so many come to him but he cast them downe and put them to foyle without any chasing himselfe ne greeuing and at that time he gat a right great glorie and honour there Megara oftentimes behelde him and in likewise did the ladyes and gentlewomen and many there were that set their loue on him And thus he passed the exercise of wrestling to his worship all thrée dayes At the fourth day he assembled all them that were come thither for to run and he made them that were most féeble to ryde vpon the best coursers that were in Grece and after he shewed them the furlong or stade and made thē to take their waye and run and he ran after the horse and men but he passed all them that ran and without taking once his breath he ran the furlong and came thereto before al the ryders and runners wherefore he was greatly praysed and had a great laude And some say that he ran all as swiftlye as a hart Of this course that Hercules made all the world wondred and helde it for a merueilous thing and wrote it in bookes among other things worthy to be put in memory At the fifth and sixt dayes following Hercules tooke his bowe and his arowes and went into the place that was ordeyned for to shoote in with the bowe and the Ladyes and the gentlewomen were there Hercules and manye other shot at a most strait and neare the marke but shot by shot he excéeded al the nighest for he shot alway wtin a little ring of gold And as for shooting at a long marke he passed the furthest in the fielde foure and twentie strides his howe was so great that it was the load and burthen of a man No man could bend it but himselfe It was a pleasure to sée him for he gat great praise and fame the two dayes and yet gat he more the daye following which was the seuenth daye of the sports for when it came to the casting of the stone a farre one after an other then he cast it imploying his strength in such wise that he passed sixe pases further then anye man that at that time imployed himselfe in that exercise Then they that were come to this feast cried with a high voice the Esquire vnknowne is neither the sonne of Amphitrion nor the sonne of Iupiter but he is the sonne of the god of nature which hath garnished him with double force and redoubled it an hundred folde in his infancie he vanquished the serpentes and in hys youth he surmounteth in wyt force and valiance all the world Blessed be the wombe that conceiued hym and bare hym for to glorify Greece For certes the tyme shall come once that he shall be the glory of the Greekes and their tryumphe and wel shal helpe them if they haue néede Such were the wordes of the Kings of the Ladyes and of the Damosels of the nobles and of the valiant each man praysed him in his guise The fayre Megara heard gladlye the commendation and praysing that men gaue him but yet she sawe him more gladly doo his feates and valiances and it is no meruaile though she sawe him gladlye and gaue her to beholde him for in Hercules was that was not in other his beautie surmounted the measure and the great portion and quantitie of his force and strength What shall I laye After that each man that would cast the stone hadde doone he went into the common tente where manye an amorous man was with his Ladye and there he began to put himselfe forth a little and his speache with one and other well became him for he had a right high and a cleare vnderstanding Megara and Hercules in this euening oftentimes beheld each other secretly their countenaunces were fixed each on other often and then of force they chaunged colour In this chaunging of coloure there was not a veine in them but was mooued And by this moouing grew amorous desires in aboundance with déepe sighes which were nourished in the abismes and bottomes of their heartes Among al other things for to spéede the matter the kings and the auncient knightes assembled them in councell for asmuch as they had manye yong knightes that were come and had abidden from the beginning of the feast for to do feats of armes
against Hercules The puissance and strength of Hercules was well considered of in this councell and for asmuch as it was verye likelye that no man might stand against him it was ordeyned that he should do no déedes of armes hand to hand and that the dayes that were yet to come of the residue of the feast from two dayes to two dayes they should turnoy in manner of battaile whereof should be captaines two Kings that were there that is to wit Tandarus that was father of Menelaus husband of the fayre Helene and Ixion that was King of Thessaly These two Kings tooke on them with a good will this charge and it was ordeyned that Hercules shoulde lette them turnoye vntill the tyme that the one partie were at worse and that then he might helpe that partie so suffring the worse vnto the time that he had brought theÌ„ to match their betters This ordinance was shewed in the tent by the officer of armes What shall I make long counte they that were afore named for to fight and to doo deedes of armes man for man against Hercules were right ioyous of the new ordinaunce The feast then ceased and one and other withdrewe them vnto their tents on the morning they came to the fieldes for to begin the first turnoy and there were fiue hundred Esquires and three hundred knights all armed as for to go into battaile sauing that their swordes were rebetues and not sharpe and that theyr speares had rochettes oâ— trée or of wood The king Tandarus and the King Ixion was richlye arayed and well horsed and armed well with bossed curets and ranne in the most hardest place of this assembly There were no more but an hundred knights on horseback for horses at that time were but little knowne nor vsed All they on horsebacke and they on foote were parted into two companies The one of these companies was deliuered to Tandarus and the other to Ixion And when Tandarus and Ixion had all that they ought to haue they that had horses at the sound of the trumpet were readie to ioust and ranne one against another so couragiously that they troubled all the aire with dust and pouder that rose by their horse feete At the bickering each met with other oftentimes and there were some ouerthrowne vnder the horse and tumbled vpside downe at ioyning and some there were that brake their spears knightly and cheualrously for there were plentie of valiant knights But in the end when the knights on horsebacke had done their indeuours and that they set their handes on their swords the pietons or footemen began to renew the turnoye with so great a stirre and noyse that all the mount redounded on the one side and on the other there were many speares broken and shields vniointed they foyned with their speares eagerly their strokes and foines were great each man shewed the quantitie of his force it was ioyous to sée the speares flie in the aire by péeces there were great cries none spared other ancient nor yong The ancient beate and fought with the yong the yong men by great courage learned and shewed the olde men When theyr speares were broken they tooke their swords where with began a new adoe ioyous and pleasant they cutting their helmes and hewing on their shieldes so couragiously and in speciall they of the part of Ixion that they of the part of king Tandarus were constrained to call for Hercules vnto the reskew When Hercules heard that they cryed after him hee was passing ioyous for it was a gréefe to him to be idle and to sée other labour He was nigh by the turnoye beholding them that did best he had also his sword in his fist At the crie that they that were put to the worse made he went vnto their ayde and helpe and began to turney on the side where were the greatest strokes giuen so pleasantly that it was ioy to beholde The king Ixion came against him for to maintaine his prowesse and to holde togither his folke But certes for his welcome Hercules smote him on the shéeld in such wise that all astonied he bare him to the earth and downe from his horse Then began there a great shoute and laughter as well one as the other began to apply them to the reskue of Ixion Hercules put himselfe into the prease and made heapes on all sides so great that Tandarus and his folke recouered and entered into the battaile with their counterpartie At that time began again the turnoy strong and sharpe they that right now fled tooke heart force and vertue to them againe by the well dooing of Hercules and recouered vigour and strength Hercules of all them that were there was taken héed of his strokes surmounted all other without all measure he brought againe Tandarus to match his better with little labour Finally he did shewe so great prâ—wesse that day and in the dayes following that he was commended aboue all the men of the world What shall I make long processe of the turnoy and of the pleasant sports of this feast There were thrée great turnoyes and notable at each turnoy as soone as it happened that one party was put backe and to the worse Hercules by his well doing recouered them and put them vp aboue againe No man tooke héed but to his glory euery man said well of him at daunces and at feasts euery man loued him euery man worshipped him there was no tongue of noble nor of base but that gaue him laude and praise whereof the conclusion was such that all the prises abode with him and also there were giuen to him many gifts of the kings that were there The dayes of this solemnitie drew ouer the last night the kings and the ladies and nobles assembled in the common tent and of one common accord they would that from yeare to yeare they and their heires should hold renue the feast that Hercules had begun and stablished for they saw that it was the most honourable pastime that euer was made in Greece and named the feast Olimpiade because of the mount Olimpus And they had it so recommended that from thence forth they dated their edicts and their letters of continuance with the yeare of the first Olimpiade c. In such wise as wee say the yeare of the incarnation These things ordained giuen and promised the officer of armes of Hercules thanked all them that were come to this Olimpiade after that each tooke leaue of other and departed on the morrow and thus finished and ended this feast CHAP. XL. ¶ How Hercules sayled by the sea into Hesperie and how he vanquished the I le with the muttons or sheepe and vanquished Philotes and slew his fellow AT the departing Hercules passed not greatly for the withdrawing and departing of all them that were there sauing for the departing of Megara hee knew not the maladie of loue vntill the time hee sawe her depart into the countrey Megara
their fell sight The great lion came first his haire standing vp hee was as high as an Olyphant great after that proportion and his head was twise as big as the head of a bull Hercules séeing them come tooke his sword and his clubbe that Philotes bare Philotes notwithstanding his prowesse was so sore afraide that hee went vppon the trée vnto the heard-man Hercules set his club vnto the tree and tooke his sword fast in his fists the lions at the appraching brayed in their throates Hercules smote one of them betwéene the eyes and bare him downe to the earth that hee sate vppon his buttockes The great lion thought to haue sprong vppon Hercules and to haue taken him in his clawes and made a terrible leape When Hercules sawe and knewe his intent he turned from him and smote at the third lyon which was light and nimble and strake with his sword so right and so firmelye into his throte that he raught him to the hart what-soeuer resistance that he made in biting of the sword and left it within his body in such wise that he fell downe dead When the two lyons sawe their felow so vsed they set their clawes on the earth and howled so yrously that it séemed that thunder had sprong out of their stomacks All the forest sownded thereof Hercules tooke his sword the two lyons approched of newe againe and ran vpon him with theyr pawes and hurte him so vnmeasurably that they loosed his armour their nailes entring into his fleshe and them they drew out al dyed with his bloud Hercules had his heart sore troubled when he felte his woundes that the Lyons had made then hee lifted vp his sworde and smote on one and other but the great Lyon had his skyn so hard that his sworde might no more enter therein then it might on a great stithy Thus began the battayle of the Lyons and of Hercules The little lyon was passing eager and fierce hee launched him foorth ofte times against Hercules and alwaye thought to haue hurt him with his clawes that cutted like a rasour but he launched so ofte that it was to his euill health and ease for Hercules among and after many strokes made to be deuided from his body the right legge very nigh by the shoulder and smote him downe by the féete of that other lyon that laye dead c. When Hercules sawe that he was deliuered of the two euil beastes and that he had no more to doo but with the great Lyon he began to haue an hope of good fortune He then had comfort in himselfe of the battaile which was strong to sustaine for the great lyon gaue him great strokes with his pawes and put him oft times in perill of death the sword of Hercules might neuer enter into the skin of the beast it was so hard The lyon tooke his sword betwéene his téeth and his nailes that with great paine he pulled and haled it from him Finally when he had long fought with his sword and knew well that thereby he might raise no bloud of the lion he would assay if his club were to him more profitable Then he tooke it and the first time that the Lion came vpon him hee gaue him a stroke with his club so great on his mouth that all the téeth brake and fell out before him The Lion féeling the stroke made a great maruailous howling so he lifted vp his pawes and thought to haue pulled downe Hercules But he fled the comming of the lion and the lion fell to the ground with so great fiercenesse of running and fayling of Hercules And when Hercules sawe that hee was fallen he leapt vppon him forthwith eagerly and beate him and held him with his hands about the throate so fast that hee brought his iawes out of their places out of ioynt and made his eies to flie out of his head and strangled him and so slew him In doing this déede or worke Hercules shewed a singular hardines and incredible force for he strangled with his hands a lion with the skin so hard that speares nor swords might not do any harme he put him to death by a wonderfull valiance and when hee had so done he went to the other that liued yet and all to brake and tare him as if it had beene a little lambe After he called Philotes to him and the pastor or heard-man that were maruailous ioyous and glad of so high a victorie And Hercules found the maner how to flea the Lions and tooke their skinnes by the helpe of the heardman When they had fleaed them it was night Hercules then demanded the heardman if there were any house or lodging thereby where hee might haue meate and drinke The heardman brought him to his house where they found prouision of meate and drinke wherewith the good man feasted Hercules to his power and he séemed that he was in paradise And thus Hercules passed the day and the night and forgat not to thinke on his wounds that were fell and smarted so that little or nought he slept that night This notwithstanding when the day appeared he tooke leaue of the heard-man and so departed and tooke his iourney for to go into Crete for to shew vnto the Quéene Iuno the thrée lions skinnes and for to thanke her of her good aduertisement CHAP. II. ¶ How Iuno sent Hercules into Egypt to be slaine of the tyrant Busire and how Hercules slew the tyrant against the hope and will of Iuno AT this time raigned in Egypt the king Busire the sonne of the Quéene of Libie and the land of Egypt was drie not fertile but barraine Busire for to remedie this called his Clearkes that held the science of Zoroastes and asked of them what he might do for the health of his Realme They asked counsell of the gods and had answere that they must sacrifice vnto them mans bloud When Busire that naturally was euill and that had neuer done good heard this answere he beganne to tyrannise more and more that was a tyrant before And beganne first with his people raking and plucking from the mothers their little children and from the men their wiues and from the wiues their husbands in burning and defiling the temples of Egypt with their bloud For all these homicides and slaughters the drouth ceased not but augmented and waxed more The Clearkes demanded their goddes the cause why they had no dewes of water nor raine from aboue They answered that they would not haue the iust bloud of Egypt but the strange blood which they shoulde take and make sacrifice thereof The goddes by this answere would haue in sacrifice the blood of Busire for he was strange in vertuous policie and farre from all good And the Clearkes vnderstood that they would haue the blood of strangers Busire aduertised of this answere ceased to persecute the blood of Egypt and turned his sword vpon the blood of strangers And made an Edict and statute that no straunger
should enter into his Citie but hée should be sacrificed to his goddes and that hee would slea all the straungers that he might get By this Edict and by this damnable custome manie straungers nobles and other were put to sacrifice and had their blood sheâ— in Egypt Among all other one noble man of Crete of the lynage of Iuno perished in this misfortune by the sworde of Busire The tydings came into Crete and there was made for him a great sorrowe As this sorrowe was in his most prime Hercules and Philotes came vnto the Quéene Iuno and they found her charged with teares of wéeping in her Citie At that tyme there were an hundred Cities in Crete and the King Iupiter helde him no more with Iuno for many causes and reasons When then Hercules was returned vnto thiâ— Ladie Iuno his stepmother he made reuerence vnto her After he shewed to her the skinnes of the Lions that he had slaine and thanked her of the high aduenture that she had admonished him of The cursed stepmother for the returne of Hercules augmenting her sorrow vpon new sorrow receiued and feasted Hercules and made to him faintly the greatest cheare that she could It was vpon the poynt to go to dinner shée made him to dine and eate with her In eating after diuerse speaches of the Lions she deuised and thought howe shée might make Hercules for to die and thought she might do no better then to send him into Egypt At that tyme she concluded in her selfe that she would send him into Egypt if she might For to do so she changed the reasoning of the lions and sayd to Hercules your coming again in safetie is to mee most ioyfull for that your name shall bée put in perpetuall renowme and praysing among the most worthie and best of the world for ye haue done many faire enterprises and déedes In your yong childhood ye made all the world to wonder and maruaile of the victorie of the serpents by you strangled After ye made your sword to brandish in the west parts in Frigie and now newly in Nemée The aduenture of these exploits haue giuen to you right much honour and worship whereof I haue right great ioy for each person ought to be glad and reioyce in the well doing of another and especially of a noble man and principally such a one as laboureth to excell in valiantnesse euerie person is holden and bound to counsell him vnto his worshippe and weale Wherefore since it is so that ye indeuour your selfe from day to day and séeke the perils of the sea and the dangers of the earth to the ende for to ouercome them I aduertise you that in Egypt is a tyrant that sacrificeth al strangers that come into his country without reseruing noble man or base So then me séemeth if fortune will helpe for to go and conquer him that ye â—â—â—uld get great honour and worshippe to you and yours and health and profit to all the nations of the world Madame answered Hercules I am not nor neuer shall bee in all my life of such recommendation as yée say and report notwithstanding for as much as I haue great desire for to doe workes that may be to the pleasure of the people and for their health and weale I promise you and sweare that to morrow without any other delay I will put me in deuoir on the way for to go into Egypt And I will neuer returne againe into my Countrey vntill the time that I haue séene the tyrant And if hee lay or put hand on me for to sacrifice me I haue intention that hee shall not doo it without strokes Iuno hearing the enterprise of Hercules had in her heart passing great ioy That day they passed in many conferences Hercules tooke the skinnes of the Lyons and deliuered aâ—â— laboureth to excel in valour every person is bound to counsel him to his honour and welfare Wherefore since it is so that ye endevour your self from day to day and séek perils of the Sea dangers of the earth to overcome them I advertise you that in Egypt is a Tyrant that sacrifizeth all strangers that come into his Country without reserving Noble or base So I think if Fortune be still favourable to you you shall gain great honor to your self and profit to all the Nations of the world Madam answered Hercules I am not nor never in all my life shall attain to such an eâ—â—ceding height of honour as ye report notwithstanding forasmuch as I have great desire to perform adventures to the benefit of all Nations that they shall concern I promise you and swear that to morrow without further delay I will make all things in readinesse to go into Aegypt And I will never return again into my Countrey untill the time that I have séen the Tyrant If he lay hand on mée to sacrifice mée I have intention he shall not without great strokes Juno hearing the enterprize of Hercules rejoyced in her heart excéedingly That day they passed in many conferâ—nces Hercules took the skins of the Lyons and deliverâ—â— them to a certain workman to make of them a garment in manner of Armour to Arm him withall On the morrow he took leave of his Step-mother and departed from Creet so journeyed on the way with Philotes without finding any adventure worthy the remembrance on a day he came to the Gate of the City Memphis in Aegypt where the Tyrant Busire held his residence When Hercules was come nigh unto the Gate he took his Club that Philotes bare and entred himself into the City Hee had not béen long there nor far gone but Busire which was advertised of his comming came against him with his complices without speaking of any word ran upon him Hercules was well appointed for he knew the Tyrant by his gesture and the sign that was told him he lifted up his Club when he saw him come and as the Tyrant would have smitten him with his Sword without any word speaking he stroke the Tyrant on the right side so vehemently that not onely he feld him to the earth but also all the ribs of his body were broken that he could neâ—â— reléeve himself after The Aegyptians séeing Busire overthrown some ran to reléeve him and the rest assailed Hercules Then was all the City in an uprore Hercules was joyful he had overthrown the Tyrant and began to make the Aegyptians to know his Club. He slew many of them and the remnant he made to flye His strokes were so forcible that the Complices of Busire that were accustomed to shed mans blood had their blood shed abroad and could not remedy their mis chance which was so great that Hercules filled all the place with dead bodies And after a long battel he found himself alone for there was no man so hardy that durst be séen before him The people and the Commonalty of the Aegyptians minded not the rescue of their King When they saw him beaten they all
of the wedding of Pyrothus he disposed him to go thither By space of time he went foorth on his way and tooke Philotes with him and at all aduenture tooke with him his armor of the skin of the lion When Megara saw him depart she was sore troubled for his departing And the more for that that he tooke his armour with him for she thought if Hercules had heard speake of any great exploit he would go thither and endeuour himselfe to assay himselfe agaynst it With great sighs she looked after him as farre as shée might praying to the goddes that they would bring him shortly againe Hercules and Philotes went forth into the Countrey and as much as they might they hasted so their iourny that they came to Thessalonicque where they were receyued with great ioy of Pyrothus and of his friendes They found there a right great assembly of noble men Ladies and Gentlewomen Theseus and Iason were there The friends of Iason would that Iason shoulde bée made knight And for to do that they presented him to Hercules which gaue him the order of knighthood And Hercules said that he had séene in him a good beginning of a noble man and if he may liue he shall attaine one day to things right high and noble Among other things the day of wedding came the citie was all full of nobles the Centaures were there they were an C. Giants armed that ran as the wind which the king Ixion had got him in Thessaly of whoÌ„ some dwelled in Molose and the other in Aphyte a Citie of Epyre whereof was Quéene Hypodamia the Ladie and bride of the wedding There were many kings and princes of whom I haue not the names The quéene Hypodamia and Pyrothus were wedded together after their law When the time of the dinner was come they set the Ladie in the hall where was made a generall feast At this feast all the commers were amply serued with all maner of good wines and good meates in especiall the Centaures made passing good chéere and drunke so much of the strong wines that the principall captaine of all named Eurycus and some of the other had words togither and troubled the feast In this trouble they sought togither and cast each on other pots platters wines and meates so terribly that many of them were hurt and dead Then anon was the hall full of noyse Euricus and fiftie of his giants issued out of the prease and went to fetch their hardesse or armour When they were armed they entred into the hall and not content with the trouble that they had made albeit that Hercules and the other indeuored to appease them that slew each other they tooke the quéene Hypodamia and bare her out and rauished her and fled away with her When the Ladies saw this great outrage they cryed out all afraide The affraie was so great that Hercules Iason Pyrothus and Theseus ranne vnto them and when they knew that the Centaures had rauished the Lady at fewe words they went and armed them anon Hercules did on the skinne of the Lion and tooke his sword his bowe and his arrowes and then went after the giants without abiding for any other companie or person The giants were withdrawen vnder a trée and there they trained them in battaile as they that wist well and surely that the first that should come to them should be Hercules They hated Hercules secretly and had enuie at his glorie They swore all the death of Hercules and then when they were in these tearmes and spéeches Euricus espyed from farre Hercules and shewed him to his companie Hercules was all alone and came not a pace softly as a man but he came running as nimbly and swiftly as the hart runneth in the vally and it séemed that he flewe in the ayre The swiftnesse of Hercules abashed nor afrayde not the Centaures they were about foure score and they were all of great courages they tooke then their Speares Polaxes Swordes and other weapons of warre and some of the strongest of them were agaynst Hercules on the other side as soone as Hercules approched so nigh as hée might shoote at them he bent his bow and with an arrow he sâ—â—oâ—e a Centaure named Grineus in such wise that the arrow pearced the head entring by the visage and nayled and fastned his head vnto a trée that stoode behind him With the second arrow hée smote another Giant named Petreus in the breast through the armour that it went through his body With the third hée hurt Dorillas a terrible Giant and nayled his hand vnto his face and the arrowe entred with so great might as afore is sayde and made the hande to be fastned to his face of which stroke he was dead He shotte many mo arrowes then as long as hée had any and hée shotte none but with it hée hurt or slew one of the Gyants When his shotte was fayled the Giants béeing sore gréeued for that they had séene theyr fellowes die by the shotte and strong hande of Hercules they cryed vppon Hercules and enuyroned him on all sides Sisacus Pheotones Nessus Mincus Stilo Lodeuin and Piseon were the first that smote vppon Hercules with their Swoordes Hercules tooke hys Sword and came agaynst Pheotones that had a great Axe so great that it was a mans burthen Pheotones anon lift vp his great Axe and thought to haue smitten a mightie stroke vpon Hercules But Hercules that knew inough of the warre turned him from the stroke and so the great Axe fell downe to the ground And then suddainly Hercules caught that great axe and plucked it out of his hands and forthwith gaue him a stroke withall so great that he smote of his right arme with the shoulder c. Such was the beginning of the battaile of Hercules and of the Centaures Cilarus smote then Hercules behinde with all his might Piseon and Ledeuin smote him also both at one time notwithstanding Hercules was not once astonied therewith but running to Cilarus he gaue him a stroke with the axe so lustily on his helme that it entred into his body so that he ouerthrew the giant to the earth and he serued in likewise Piseon and Ledeuin Iason and Theseus put them then in the battaile and well proued theyr youth at their comming For to giue the other heart and courage Hercules thrusted into the greatest prease of the giants and so wrought with the axe that they cursed Pheotones that had brought them thither and all them that had gone about this matter In beating and smiting down all before them Hercules began then to séeke Hypodamia found her al bewept right beside and nighe Eurycus Then he spake to Euricus and said to him thou euil glutton thou hast this day troubled the feast and stolen the Lady of my fréende Pirothus and now anon I wil trouble thy spirit with this word he discharged his axe smote with-al Eurycus in such wise on the head
him a wound in the head that all astonied he bare him to the earth Then they of the Fortresse durst no more adventure to assaile Hercules neither durst they adventure to reléeve Aâ—las but fled thence out of the Castle and Hercules abode there alone with Atlas and the dead bodies So in the end when Hercules saw they had given it over he took Atlas and made him to cry him mercy Then he went into his study and took all his books which he laded upon a Camel and constrained Atlas to follow him And when Hercules had done in the Castle all his pleasure he departed accompanied with Atlas and with his books and brought him down to the Sea side to the place where Phylotes stayed for him When Phylotes saw Herc les come with Atlas and his books he had great ioy and took acquaintance with Atlas who was so sorrowful that he could not speak then they entred into their Galley and went unto the Sea Atlas was sorrowful and troubled with the wound he had in his head Hercules requested him instantly that he would teach him his science Atlas would in no wise do it at the beginning of his sorrow but when he had conversed and tarryed with Hercules as well for the bounty he saw in him as by the perswasion of Philotes which affirmed that Hercules was the most noble and vertuous man that ever was he began to teach him all his sciences wherein he learned and profited by quick and sharpe wit that he attained to all and that afterward he became the best Phylosopher and the most perfect Astronomer in all the world Thus studying Hercules returned with great honour into the Army of Affer and found at his coming that his Wife had brought forth a fair Son which the Egyptians had Crowned King of Egypt where hee raigned afterward and was called Dedon When Affer saw Atlas and knew how Hercules had vanquished him hee marvailed much of his prowesse which was so great and of his wisdome that attained to such high things But Hercules bent all his wit and study to learn the science In the mean while a little and a little the time passed and Antheon assembled a very great hoste and was all healed of his wounds and the Truce failed and expired whereat the Egyptians had great joy for they yet hoped to have victory of their enemies And the Lybians hoped to revenge them of the shame that Hercules had made them receive When the Truce was expired the day following Hercules made ready his battails of the one side and Antheon ordained his on the other side Antheon made thrée battails the first of twelve thousand fighting men the second of twenty thousand and the third battel of thirty thousand He then ordained himself King and chief Captain of the first battail in the second he ordained the King of Getulie to be Governour and in the third he made the King of Cothulie And then when he had well set them in array and trained them in a morning he made them to march joyously against his enemies expecting nothing but the hour when Hercules would charge them CHAP. XII How Hercules assembled his battaile against Antheon King of the Lybians which he put to flight and slew the King of Cothulie HErcules had made of his folk two battails the first whereof he conducted Affer and Theseus guided the other When he saw the Lybians march which made the greatest tumult and noyse in the world he went forth before and his Company followed Then began the Trumpets to sound and Tabours to make great noyse the cry was great they began sharpely the battaile whereof Hercules and Antheon made the assay by a swift course and with sharp Swords smote so sore together that Antheon brake his Sword and the Iron of the Sword of Hercules pierced the Shield of Antheon and his armes on his right side by which he had a wound where the blood sprang out Antheon was almost dead with sorrow when he felt the stroke and saw that his Sword had done but little to Hercules hée took his Sword and Hercules took his and they smote each other so hard that Hercules bare Antheon unto the earth with one stroke and had slain him had not the Lybians runne upon Hercules on all sides they gave him so great an assault that hée knew not to whom he might attend Then Hercules imployed his Sword upon the Lybians The Egyptians assembled them eagerly upon their enemies Antheon relieved himself all ashamed of his fall applying all his puissance and strength to revenge him not upon Hercules but upon them of his party This Antheon smote eagerly on the one side and Hercules on the other Antheon fought with great fiercenesse and anger and Hercules by Prowesse The fiercenesse of Antheon was great but the Prowesse of Hercules was so excessive great that the Lybians fled him and when they saw him they trembled for fear at this battel before the Sword of Hercules all bloody Then the great routs of the Lybians were sore afraid and kept no array he smote off heads and laid them down to the earth his folk that were destroyed by Antheon hee gathered together again He made such work that the Lybians had the worse and Antheon sent hastily to the King of Cothulie that hee should come to his help The King of Cothulie at the sending of Antheon departed wéening to have come to the skirmish but when Affer and Theseus saw him they went against him and hindred him Then began the fight so great and mortal that Theseus and Affer slew the King of Cothulie beat down his Banners his recognisances and his Cotuliens and smote so sore upon their bodies that they went back and were constrained to cry for help The King of Getulie séeing this evil adventure came unto Antheon reléeued himselfe all ashamed of his fall applied all his puissance and strength for to auenge him not vpon Hercules but vppon them of his partie This Antheon smote on the one side and Hercules on the the other Antheon fought by great fiercenesse and anger and Hercules by prowesse The fiercenesse of Antheon was great but the prowesse of Hercules was so excessiue great that the Libians fled him as the death and where they sawe him they trembled for great feare at this battaile before the sword of Hercules all bloudy Then the great routs of the Libians were sore afraide and kept none array he smote off heads and laide them downe to the earth his folke that were destroyed by Antheon he gathered togither againe He made such worke that the Libians had the worse and that Antheon sent hastily to the king of Cothulie that he should come to his helpe The king of Cothulie at the sending of Antheon departed wéening to haue come to the skirmish but when Affer and Theseus saw him stirre they went against him and letted him of his way And there beganne the fight so great and so
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
message of the Ladyes aunswered vnto the messenger Damosell since that the Ladies of Scythie hée so chiualrous that they haue conquered the great Realmes of Egypt of Cappadoce and of Asia they be sore for to doubt Neuerthelesse for to eschewe the effusion of bloud and for to defend the Affricans from their bondage ye shall returne vnto them and say that the battell of the two knights agaynst two ladyes is accorded and agreed vnto them for to be done to morrow vpon the condition that ye haue said Then Hercules Affer and many other swore and promised to hold these things and did great honour and reuerence vnto the Damosell The Damosell hauing done her message as is said returned vnto the Ladies which were entred a great way in Affrique and tolâ— to them worde for worde the answere of Hercules The prâ—ncipall or mistresse of all these Ladies was named Synope and had two sisters so expert and strong in in armes that they dread no knight of the world the one was named Menalippe and the other Hyppolita Anon as these Ladies had receyued these tydings of the Affricanes they had great ioy and holding opinion that Affrique was woonne by the strength of Hypolite and Menalippe which did maruailes in armes they ordeyned that they should fight with the two Knights and so for to do they warned Hyppolite an Menalippe which were on the morrow readie in the fields At the houre that was ordayned Hercules and Theseus sitting on two strong horses with a great companie of Affricanes rode into the place that the Ladyes had chosen for to do feates of armes in There were the two Ladyes abyding in a fayre place armed and well mounted on good stéedes and by them were the other Ladies in great number As soone then as Hercules and Theseus had espied the two Damosels they made them that followed to stand and come no neare and sent vnto the Damosels to wit what they would do The Damosels aunswered that they abode the two knights and that they were readie to do déedes of armes against them vnder the condition of their quarrell And if they were come they would come forth Hercules and Theseus with this answere tooke their speares and spurred their horses and made signe vnto the Damosels And they furnished with Shieldes and with Speares ran agaynst them so chiualrously that it séemed that they helde of heauen not of earth and at the coping of their sharpe speares the strokes were so huge and great on both sides that Hyppolita and Theseus bare each other vnto the earth and in like wise did Menalippe and Hercules The Affricans maruailed much to sée the two Princes borne downe and yet the Ladies of Scythia maruayled much more of the Damosels c. When the Knights on the one side and the Damosels on the other side found themselues lying on the earth shame and abashment smote them vnto their hearts Neuertheles each of them got them vp as lightly and with great courage tooke their swords and approched each other and charging and smitting the one vpon the other so fiercely that the Ladies and the Knights felt the strokes Hyppolita pursued her man Theseus and Menalippe held her vnto Hercules The strokes of Hippolita were great and did great griefe vnto Theseus Theseus enforced himselfe strongly to auenge him and might not well come to his purpose Hercules put vnder and ouercame Menalippe lightly with his sword and put her in his mercie but Hippolita mainteyned her force so mightily agaynst Theseus that she had put him to foyle had not Hercules béene that sayd to him Brother what shall this be where is the prowesse of Theseus Shall that be daunted by the chiualrie of a Damosell If it be so certainly all men shall haue shame of your dishonour These words began to quicken and to wake againe the blood of Theseus that was afore asléepe and to lighten the courage in such wise that he recouered a new force and strength and put himselfe forth and began to smite with such prowesse that he made the Damosell recant and tooke from her her sworde and conquered her whereof the Ladyes were much gréeued and sorrowfull and in especiall the Quéene Synope which then sent to Hercules her armes in token that she was vanquished praying him that he would yéeld againe and render the two Damosels And Hercules tooke the armes of the Quéene and sent to her Menalippe and made peace with her for the Affricanes vpon condition that she should giue Hyppolita in mariage to Theseus which was amorous of Hyppolita So then the wedding was made in Affrique with great honor and worship And the Ladies hearing tell of the maruaylous acts and déedes of Hercules praysed him all and held themselues happie and fortunate to be vanquished of him CHAP. XV. ¶ How Hercules began to waxe amorous of Deyanira and how Achelous Hercules had battaile the one against the other and how Achelous was vanquished AFter the conquest of these ladyes Theseus tooke leaue of Hercules and of Affer and returned into his countrey for to bring home his lady and went to the sea for to go into Calcedony which lyeth in the opposite of Achaie of Arcadia for to sée a fayre ladye of excellent beautie that he had heard greatly recommended by a Calcedonien that was in his companie He did so much what by sea and by land that he came into Calcedonie The king of that place had to name Oeneus and had two daughters the one named Deyanira and the other Gorge Deyanyra was the fayrest and that was she that Hercules came for to sée When Oeneus had vnderstanding and knowledge that Hercules came into his countrey he had great ioy and went against him and receyued him embracing him so honourablye as was to him possible In entring into his pallace the Quéene and his two daughters Gorge and Deianira welcommed Hercules Incontinent as Hercules caste his eyes vpon Deyanira that was the most fayrest woman that euer he sawe and that she by desire right déepe was settled and rooted in the most déepe place of his heart he felt himselfe rauished meruailously This desire entred into Hercules all full of rayes of loue and pearsed into his heart as sodaynlye as the rayes of the sunne passe through the glasse Deyanyra had so much beautie and was so well accomplished and so glistering and shoone among the ladyes that to her might be made no comparyson not all onely in beautie but with that in wisedome and bountie She was the most precyous treasure of Calcedonie and thither came many Ladyes gentlewomeÌ„ and other Hir neighbors were al amorous of her and especially the king Achelous that was stroÌ„g and puissaunt This king had great seignory and marched thorough the realme of Calcedonie When then Hercules had béene there a space in passing the time ioyously and in beholding the behauior of Deyanira it happened on a day that the messenger of king Achelous came to Oeneus and
cause them to march and the Calcedonians and Gréekes so sped them on an after dinner that they came and found their enemies and approched them so nigh that there was nothing to do but to smite and lay on Hercules had made two battailes one and the first with his people and the other with the Calcedonians When they came to the poynt to méete Hercules went to the Calcedonians and in the presence of the king sayde to them Lo héere yee may sée your enemies that sette little by you for they be come into your Lordshippe to assayle you I pray you that the great outrage of them abate not nor minish your courage Ye ought herein to haue the fiercenesse of a Lion the puissance of an Elephant and bée gréedie as a Griffon for to deliuer you without ende from the enmitie of king Achelous in kéeping your countrey your dominion your honour your treasures your wiues your children and that more is your liues Be ye then studious to doe well be ye inflamed with desire of vengeance be ye couetous to get worship and glorie If ye shew not your selues valiant at this time ye may not haue any thing but beggerie or seruitude to death for your enemies will doe vnto you all the euill of the world if they haue victory ouer you These wordes wrought in the hearts of the Calcedonians and gaue to them courage marueilously And all they with one right good will desired the battell When Hercules had finished his exhortation hee went to the battell for it was come to the point to fight Then were there great cries on the one side and on the other tabors trumpets clarions harnesse and weapons began to sound knights began to stirre at the entrie of the battell Hercules and the Greeks shot and drewe largely vpon their enemies and made Achelous all abashed forasmuch as hee hoped not to haue founde so great resistance with the Calcedonians Then they cast their eyes vpon the banner of Hercules and seeing the great Lion that was painted therein they began to imagine that there might be Hercules of whom was spoken thorowout all the world for his vertues and his strength When they were thus imagining the shot failed with great slaughter of them of the partie of Achelous When the shot was so failed Hercules tooke his sword went vp and downe among them of Achaie that were in thâ— first front of the battell of Achelous and there made an hole so great that the Calcedonians the Iconians wan vpon them at the first ioyning and made the other partie to recule and goe backe whereof Achelous had great sorrow and hee tooke to him twentie knights which were chosen and came ranged with them there where Hercules scattered and brake the battell of the Achaians There hee approoued his courage lustily This strong giant and his horsemen so valiantly fought that the Gréekes entring taried and abode and also Hercules for they died their swoordes and the earth with their bloud and beat downe many Iconians And there was the strife so great that men might sée nothing els but heades and armes flie into the fielde Hercules smote no stroke but it cost to Achelous the death of a man Achelous in like maner stroke for stroke smote down one of his enemies The residue of their folke did the best they could now before now behinde and yet might neuer the Achayans confound and put backe their aduersaries howbeit they were alway foure against one and the Iconians were in great number and they had alway fresh people and new In this maner the two puissaunces fought together more then foure houres Loue wrought sore there in Hercules and in Achelous both two made their swordes to flourish couered with bloud They met oft times and smote ech other but neuer durst Achelous abide before the sworde of Hercules for the horible strokes that hee sawe Hercules giue but he put him in the prease assoone as hée had smitten him or had angred him In this battaile Hercules did wonders and maruailes Oeneus tooke a great pleasure to beholde him and the Achayans had therein displeasure for they that saw him were no more assured to escape the death then he that faâ—leth the sword in his necke in the hand of a tyrant There receiued no manne a stroke of him but he abode in the place he made so great a slaughter that no man can well write it In the end king Oeneus with all his Calcedonians came to the battaile in his comming the Achayans receiued losse vpon losse and perill vpon perill The king Oeneus made many of his enemies to die Hercules shewed his puissance more and more by his well doing he put the Achayans all out of aray and after vnto flight and the losse of the field turned greatly vnto the damage of king Achelous for Hercules chased him shamefully into his shippes and made him to loose twelue thousand Achayans c. CHAP. XVI ¶ How Hercules put to the worst king Achelous and how he espoused Deianira AFter this victorie when Hercules sawe that the king Achelous saued himselfe by the sea he called the king Oeneus sayd to him that he would pursue his enemie that he would deliuer the world of him and after tooke an hundred of his chosen men and tooke leaue of the king Oeneus and went to the sea following after Achelous recommending him to Gorge to Deianira In this night Oeneus after the departing of Hercules returned into Calcedonie and tolde his wife and his daughters the high prowesse that Hercules had done in the battaile and how he had chased his enemies and how he was gone after with two hundred men The ladies Gorge and Deianara were right ioyous of the victorie but it grieued them sore that Hercules with so litle a company pursued Achelous and aboue all other Deianira was greatly vexed and grieued at the enterprise of Hercules so sore that she went into her chamber and was constrained to wéepe and not to haue ioy in heart vntill the returne of Hercules For to returne vnto the purpose touching Hercules when he was put to the pursuit of Achelous as is sayd he entred into his realme and followed him so nigh that hee was constrained to withdrawe himselfe in a right strong castle standing by the sea Hercules besieged Achelous in this castle When Achelous sawe that Hercules pursued him with so little a companie as with two hundred men onely hee called his friendes and his leaders of menne and among other things tolde them that it was a shame for them to suffer themselues to be besieged with so little a number of people They answered that he had sayd trueth and concluded that the same houre they woulde issue out and raise breake the siege and foorthwith they sounded to armes with short counsell It was not long after that they issued out of the castle but Hercules espied them and knewe that they came to the battell
withhold my hand from smiting vppon thee and assay if thou be as subtill in armes as thou art subtill in language Poore foole said the serpent which was full of pride knowest not thou that by my part serpentine I haue infected all this countrey and I wil this day drinke thy bloud and deuour thy body wherefore make good watch and kéep thee well Without mo wordes Hercules enhaunsed his sworde for to haue smitten his aduersary but he could not so soon haste him but the serpent gaue him first two strokes one with his sword and the other with his taile wherewith he had almost smitten him down to the ground Yet Hercules abode standing with his sword that he had lifted vp he smote the monster vpon the helme with such strength that he al to frushed the helme and made him a wound in his head At this stroke that the Serpent felt he was full of furie and with his sword smote Hercules the second time vpon the helme with so great might that the sparkles and the fire flew out and the helme was broken Hercules that neuer before hadde receiued so great a stroke promised him that he would reuenge it and smote him right angerly Their strokes were great and deadly they smote eche other 〈◊〉 and they were both two of great courage But when fortune had enough cherished them both she turned against the Serpent so earnestly that after many strokes Hercules smote his sharp sword within the helme into his head and bare him downe dead vnto the earth Hercules had great ioy when he sawe the monster put to the foile he went for to fetch the king of Lerna with Deianira and his folke and brought them for to see the monster When he hadde shewed them the monster hée made a great fire and burned it and made sacrifice vnto the goddes And by the fire hee consumed the monster Hydre Wherefore there were giuen to him great and right high praises and thanks And he was brought to the Citie of Lerne with great glory of Ladies and of gentlewomen which conueied him vnto the kings pallace singing melodiously Deianira theÌ„ ioyed greatly in the triumphant victorie of her noble husband When Hercules had abidden there a while he departed and went to Athens where Theseus receiued him gloriously Then Hercules and Athlas held schoole in Athens forasmuch as they of Athens were quicke of capacitie and of wit and gaue themselues all to learn science and there they were a great while introducing and enforming them of Athens in philosophy and in astronomie And especially in astronomie Atlas profited in such wise that the students said that he sustained and bare the heauen on his shoulders O noble vertuous man When Hercules had spent some time there and studied so long that his doctrine had giuen light vnto the Athenians hee departed from thence with great bemoning and brought his wife vnto the citie of Licie And then hee was so greatly renowmed that from all the realmes of Greece there came dayly to him noble men and other for to profit in vertue in noblenesse in honour in armes in philosophy in astronomie and in all other perfection c. CHAP. XIX ¶ How Hercules went into Spaine and howe hee fought in the Sea against king Gerion and vanquished him and how he tooke the citie of Megidda and entred therein IN the time that Hercules flourished in vertue and that his name was borne from realme to realme by glorious renowme as the Chronicles of Spaine rehearse there was a king of the Citie of Megidda that standeth vppon the riuer of Gaudian which began to make his name to haue a great report by many bad misdeedes and tyrannies that no man coulde tell the third part This tyrant had to name Gerion he was king of Andalosâ—e and Destremadure and also of the mountains of Galicia and of Portingale The Poets faine of this tyrant that he had three heades forasmuch as he had two brethren great giantes the which were all of one nature and of one complexion and they were so vnited togither that al that the one would the other would and they were neuer in discord Gerion was the worst of them all Hee did cause to be made a temple in the Citie of Megidda and ordained that all they that were noble shoulde there haue their image and sepulture and that men shoulde make there the remembrances of al the men of name that he should flea to the end that there should be a memory of them in time comming What shall I say of his deedes he his brethren tyrannized not alonely vpon the strangers but also vpon his neighbours and had pittie on no man in such wise that he gat him an euil name and that the Affricanes whom they persecuted more then any other went for to complaine to Hercules by the commandement of Afer as to the soueraigne destroyer of tyrantes and of monsters and praied and required him greatly that hee woulde deliuer them out of this tribulation When Hercules vnderstoode the complaint of the Affricanes and was aduertised of the tyrannie that Gerion and his brethren vsed He enterprised for to go into Hesperie and promised to the Affricans that they shoulde haue right shortly lidings of him And after asked them of the state of king Afer And when they had tolde all that they knew they returned with great ioy into their countrey Hercules from thenceforth disposed him for to go into Hesperie wherefore his wife Deianira made great sorrow The renowne of this voiage was anonne spred in all the countrey In short time there came more men of armes into Licâ—e for to serue Hercules then he sent for he was so good bountifull and wise and also valiant and so free that he gaue a way all his spoiles wherefore euery man woulde follow him and good cause why for no man followed him nor serued him but that hee rewarded and enriched him in al wealth and worthinesse When then his army was readie hee tooke leaue of his wife Deianira and departed out of the realme of Licie Manie a teare was shed at his departing as well of Deianira as of his schollers that learned of him Theseus and Hispan Athlas and Philotes were with him During this voiage he studied oft times with Athlas and was neuer idle without doing somewhat that ought to be remembred Hee ariued in Affricke where hee found Afer which receiued him worshipfully From Affricke Hercules passed by the strait of Gybaltar and went into the Gades that now we call Galicia and peopled the countrey forasmuch as he found there good land and deliuered this people for to gouerne vnto a noble man named Phylistines This Phylistines as Bocace rehearseth in the genealogie of goddes was son of Phenis king of Phenycia And this Phenis was sonne of king Agenor son of king Belus Philistines then raigned in Galicia and was after named the Priest of Hercules forasmuch as when Hercules had vanquished
to enter into battell The battell is ready beginne at me and I at you and let vs sight together till more come With these words he lifted his club and discharged the stroke so sore vppon one of the thrée brethren that he cast his shielde before the stroke and all astonied he bare him to the earth When Gerion his other brother sawe their brother so borne downe and beaten they smote with their swords vpon Hercules with great fury and so imployed their strength that they brake part of his armes With these two strokes of their swords Hercules receiued more then an hundred dartes vppon his body howbeit the swordes nor the darts were not so hard tempered that they could pearce enter ne hurt the armes of Hercules ne Hercules left not to worke with his clubbe but he it lift vp on high at that time and strak it vpon the second brother of Gerion so lustily that downe from the top of the helme he all to crushed and bruised him smote him downe to the ground like as an hard and great rockâ— had fallen on his head c. Gerion was all afrayde for to sée so great a stroke and with a wonderfull angry and fierce heate he layde vpon Hercules and gaue him so great a stroke vpon the helme with his sword that he made the fire spring out but the helme was so hard that the sword might not enter Then was Hercules enuironed with his enemies and was smitten in many a place vpon his body The Hesperians desired sore to sée their swordes and glaiues red with the bloud of Hercules but Hercules put himselfe to defence ioyous for that he might employ his strength vpon them And when he prooued him thus vpon one and other and would suffer none come néerer then his arme and clubbe might reach and that his enemies more and more came about him Malion that was nephew to Vlisses issued out of Megidda with a thousand men of the army of Hercules And séeing so great a company of people about Hercules and was assured that he fought there hee and his people addressed themselues thitherward making so great a crie and setting on so valiantly that in bearing downe all afore them they came and founde Hercules that he had slaine more then sixe hundred of his enemies and that he feared yet nothing They that bare ladders and other engines were constrained to cast them downe to the ground and to goe to the battell The battell was there grieuous and hard and there were many knightes slaine Gerion bestirred himselfe terribly His brother that was first beaten after that he was borne out of the prease came vnto the field againe and in his comming he made a great roome among the Gréeks he was strong and puissant and bare a right heauie guisarme the edge of which was thrée great foot long he did maruailes with this guisarme and beate downe so many of the Gréekes that the noise arose greatly about him And this noyse came to the eares of Hercules Then left Hercules them that he fought with and drew to the noise that procéeded by the cause of the giant Assoone as he saw the giant that deall with the Gréekes as he would he was not well content with that guisarme and hee lifted vp his clubbe and smote the giant vpon the shoulder employing his strength in such maner that the shoulder and the side hee all to brake and bare him downe to the grounde not fully dead but in worse estate then dead for he might not relieue himselfe and must néedes die vnder the féet of the men of armes right miserably At this time Theseus and Hispâ—n with the residue of the Gréekes came vnto the battell right ioyfully and finding their enemies without ray and without conclud they skirmished among them fiercely and slewe so many that all the place was couered Hispan and Theseus cloâ— the heads of many knights vnto the téeth they 〈◊〉 right expect in the feats of armes At their comming they made their enemies to retire and wanne vpon them with so good fortune that by their meanes and well doing Gerion lost mo then thirty thousand men In shorte time the battaile was such about Hercules that his enemies wist not where to saue them And Gerion being aduertised of the death of the second brother turned his backe and fled vnto the sea blowing his horne When the Hesperiens heard the horne anon they endeuoured sodainly to commit themselues to flight and they that might saue themselues saued them without delay Hercules Theseus and Hispan with about twelue hundred Greekes followed them swiftly they entered into some of their ships and pursued Gerion but they had not marriners so ready as the other had wherefore they were a little letted Howbeit as farre as they might see Hercules pursued them onely with his twelue hundred men CHAP. XXI ¶ How Hercules pursued Gerion and howe hee went and vanquished him and put him to the death at the port of the Corogne THus hauing finished the battaile for this day to the great damage and dishonour of Gerion and all to the honour and profite of Hercules Malion abode in Megidda by the ordinaunce of Hercules for to keepe the Greekes that abode there and for to take the spoile of their enemies Hercules on the other side sailed and rowed after Gerion Gerion perceiued him and was sore afraid and fled all that euer he might The flight dured three daies Gerion had good mariners who kept them warily from bording of the ship of Hercules And they sayled by the sea Mediterrane from coast to coast from floud to floud nowe before and nowe behinde But the end was such that on the fourth day they were constrained to abide Hercules at the battaile vppon the sea or descend to land at the Corongne in Galicia For to flie alway the death whereof they were in doubt they left the sea and tooke the land at a port imagining that they should well defend them against Hercules for they were ten against one Anon as they had taken land at the port of the Corongne they tooke and tramed them about the port for to defeÌ„d the sea which was strong for to take And then Gerion warned his men saying loe nowheere is the houre or the day that wee must die or ouercome our enemies in Fortune hath done to vs the worst she can She was woont to make all strangers to tremble before our swordes Nowe shee maketh vs to tremble before a right little number of people Alas what shame is this truely the shame is great and wee ought to haue right great reproofe so to do Since we be at this point there is no way but to auenge this shame If we aueÌ„ge vs at this time we shall recouer our worship and honour In our vsage lieth right good hope for fortune hath brought vs into a very good port and me seemeth that shee wâ—ll raise vs againe and make vs conquerours of
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
for to escape from thy handes hee is descended with his companie in the forme of lightening or tempest and thus thy strength is deceiued by his Science When Hercules vnderstood this that Athlas had said to him hee greatly maruelled of the science of Cacus and might not beleeue it Then for to know the trueth he tooke his clubbe and went vp through the smoke or fume vnto the top of the rocke seeking Cacus but hee found there neither beast nor man then he returned vnto Athlas and laughing confessed to him that hee had saide trueth and saide that he woulde make no pursuite after him forsomuch as hee was so gentleman-like escaped This day they passed ouer in speaking and communing of Cacus and of his father Vulcan The day following when the smoke and fume was gone and vanished away Hercules began to behold the country and sawe that it was commodious and fertile and to the end that there shoulde euer be remembraunce and memory of him hee founded there a citie which he named Terracone forasmuch as he gaue this countrey to the sonne of the king of Ancone and there hee made him dwell with his people and with them of Tyre Hercules after this foundation went to the cittie of Salamanque and forasmuch as it was wel inhabited and peopled hee would make there a solemne study and did make there in the earth a great round hole in maner of a studie and hee sette therein the seuen sciences liberall with many other bookes After he made them of the countrey to come thither for to study but they were so rude and dull that their wittes coulde not comprise any cunning of science And then forasmuch as Hercules woulde depart on his voiage and woulde also that this study were maintained he did make an Image or statue of gold vnto his semblance and likenesse Which hee did set vp on high in the middest of his studie vpon a piller and made so by his crafte and arte that all they that came before this image for to haue declaration of any science to all purposes and of all sciences the Image answered instructed and taught the schollers and studentes in such wise as it hadde been Hercules in his proper person The renowme of this studie was great in all the countrey And this studie dured after the time that saint Iames conuerted Spaine vnto the christian faith From Salamanque Hercules departed and went into Catalogne and founded there the citie of Barseloigne which is a right good citie And finally when he hadde accomplished all these thinges he sent Athlas home againe into his countrey but he held by him all his writers for he loued bookes aboue all the riches of the world After he woulde giue leaue vnto Phylotes for to returne vnto his countrey But Phylotes refused his congie and leaue and said to him that he would serue him all his life and that hee reputed his felicitie more great to be in his seruice then for to gouerne the countrey that fortune hadde put in his hand Hercules after this called Hispan and said to him Hispan I know thy wit and thy valiance I haue found thée alway wise and true Thou art a man of authoritie and well knowne in these Coastes I do now make and constitute thee to be king ouer all this Countrey and I doe giue vnto thee none other charge but to loue vertue and to ensue honouâ— and worship When Hispan heard the gift that Hercules made to him he fell downe at his feete and thanked him and after excused him of so great worship But Hercules said to him that he would that it should be so and deliuered to him a certain number of people of his company for to serue him After he made him to depart with great sighes and sorrow And Hispan went then by all the couÌ„tries that Hercules hadde conquered there from Gerion and Cacus And from thenceforth on the countrey was named Spaigne after his name Whereof I will nowe cease talking of this conquest of Spaigne and will come to speake of the deeds of armes that Hercules did in Lombardy and of the death of Cacus CHAP. XXIIII ¶ How Hercules fought against the eleuen Giantes of Cremona and how he vanquished them WHere be now the kings the emperours the souldans and the princes that men may speake of the vertuous liberalitie of them equall or like vnto that of Hercules The men at this day fight one against other and make mony conquests but they attribute them vnto their singular profite They resemble not Hercules that neuer fought but for the common weale of the worlde O noble Hercules For to follow pursue my matter When he made Hispan king of al the region of Hesperie that now is named Spaigne hee sent for his Oxen his kine and calues and after departed from Barselone and tooke his way into Lombardie he went so long on his iourny that he came nigh to the city of Cremona which is but a daies iourny froÌ„ Millane There were theÌ„ in this city xi giants great out of measure These eleuen giants were all brethren sonnes of Neâ—eâ— the sonne of Saturne And they called themselues all kings of this city They held all estate royal howbeit their rnoumes were but small litle that because they were théeues robbed their neighboâ—r and made them alwayes warre When then they knew that Hercules approched their citie anon they assembled their councell together and demanded the one the other if they should suffer Hercules for to enter into their citie All were of one opinion that they should not receiue him and that they woulde sende vnto him one of them which was named Nestor that he should not enter into Cremona vnlesse he first had vanquished in battell the eleuen brethren Nestor at the commandement of the giants departed from Cremona and went to Hercules whome he found with his litle armie but thrée mile from Cremona Then spake he to Hercules and sayde vnto him Sir I haue ten brethren kings of Cremona that haue sent mée vnto thée forasmuch as they be aduertised that thou entrest into their dominion and they charge thée by me that they will giue vnto thée no passage into Cremona vnlesse thou first ouercome them one after another in battel and therefore choose whether thou wilt haue the battell or els to returne againe and leaue this voyage I aduertise thée that they be all giants more great and more puissant then I am Sir knight answered Hercules I haue taken my way for to passe by Cremona let the giants knowe that Hercules hath intention to speake vnto them more neare as he that dreadeth not nor feareth their accustomed tyrannies which I must deliuer the world of by feats of armes And forasmuch as to the end that they presume not that I haue any doubt or dread of them in any maner yee shall say to them that I will not fight with them ten one after another but all at
he approched the mount and went vnto the place where him séemed that he hadde heard the kine and was there full three houres seeking if hee could finde any hole or caue or way to passe by But howbeit that hee passed many times by the entry of the caue hee could neuer perceiue it Some said that the noise and bleating that they had heard of the kine was come by illusion The other said that Hercules lost his labour and trauell and praied him to leaue to séeke any more for they thought them not recouerable In the end when Hercules had heard one other and saw that hee might not come to the end of his desire in a great anger he tooke in both armes a great tree that grewe there and shooke it three times with so great force that at the third time he ouerthrew it root and all in such wise that the roote that came out of the earth made a very great large hole so déepe that the bottome of the caue was séene plainly When Hercules sawe the great hole that the roote of the tree had made hee was right ioyfull and glad and said truely it is here that the great théefe dwelleth I must sée if he be heere and what marchantes inhabite in this place In saying these wordes Hercules bowed downe his head and beheld on the one side of the caue where hee saw Cacus Assoone as he saw the theefe he knew him anon whereof he was more ioyous than he was before and called to him Cacus I see thee thou hast before this time troubled the realmes of Hesperie with innumerable trespasses and great sins that thou didst commit openly and manifestly This was the cause of the destruction of thy seignory Now thou troublest the Italians with tyrannies secret and vnknowne I know thy life Thou maiest not denie it nor gainsay it It behooueth that thou die therefore and that I make the Italians franke and free from thine horrible and odious thefts O cursed man if thy crownes thy Diademes thy Scepters thy renowns thy royall men might not maintaine thee Why then and wherefore art thou wrapped here still in sinnes and amendest not for all thy punishment that thou hast suffered but yet still in the steed and place that thou shouldest dispose thee to that that appertaineth to a king and a prince thou hast been a theefe In steed to doe iustice thou hast been a murderer and a putter in of fire to burne villages and houses And where thou shouldest haue kept and saued womē thou hast defloured them and done them villany O caitife king without coniuring or pining of thee Certes I see well that thou art hee that the Italians know not and that thou hast persecuted thē Thy malice hath been great and thy subtiltie seeing that this day thou wert neuer bewraied and hast done great mischiefe But thy cunning is not so great nor hast not thou so hid thée but thou art right nigh peril for thou shalt yeeld to me againe my Oxen. And to conclude thou shalt put mee to death or thou shalt die by my hand and thou shalt not escape by running nor by thy subtile shiftes When Cacus vnderstood this sentence he was exceedingly afraid neuerthelesse he lifted vp his head and seeing that he was found by Hercules the onely man of the world that he most hated he said to him Alas Hercules a man all corrupted with couetousnesse what cursed fortune hath made thee to draw out the tree whereof the profound and déepe rootes hath couered the secret abode of king Cacus late reigning but nowe depriued from reigning and banished from all worldly prosperitie Suffiseth it not to thee that I may haue the vse of my natural forces to liue by when thou hast taken al away from me and that I am forced to liue of robbery and spoile whereof the blame and fault ought to redound vpon thee Why sufferest thou not me to liue and drawe forth the residue of my poore life among the stones among the rockes and among the wormes of the earth Consider nowe what thou hast done to this king and seeke him no more Thou hast hurte and greeued him enough Hercules answered Cacus In the déepest of thy depthes of wretchednesse and miseries thy demerites wil accuse thee and I am right sory and greeued to sée a king in so wofull and shamefull estate but seeing thou canst not beautifie thy dayes passed or present with one onely good deed what remedie thou hast dayly exercised tyranny as well in prosperitie as in aduersitie I wote well that thou art the newe persecuter of the Italians and that thy hand is all foule with their bloud I séeke thée not nor the Italians can say nothing of thee And for asmuch as they complaine not of thee hauing cause to their preiudice this tree hath spoken for them and by his rootes hee hath discouered thine ambush So behoueth it that thou choose whether thou wilt come and fight with me here in the aire at large or els that I come and assaile thée there within For if it be to me possible I will deliuer the world from thy tyrannies c. By this answere Cacus knew that there was no respite for his life Then he intended to saue him as he had done aforetime and made by his crafte so great a smoke and fume that it séemed to come out of the hole that the tree had made as it had ben a very pitte of hell And this fume was mingled with flames burning as it was maruaile For all this fume Hercules left not Cacus but leapt into the Caue in the middle of the flames and fume as he that was maister of the craft and was quickly purueied of remedies that thereto appertained and went in lustily and assailed Cacus in such wise as he felt no fume nor let and then hee gaue him so great a stroke vpon the helme with his clubbe that he made him to hit his head against the walles of the caue Cacus with the receiuing of this stroke let the fume disgorge out of his stomacke seeing that by that maner he could not escape and tooke his huge great axe that stood by him for to defend him with Hercules suffered him to take his axe Cacus smote vpon him for the caue was not large they fought long therein Vnto the reskewe of Cacus came the thrée sisters that made great sorrowe and did cast stones vppon Hercules in great aboundaunce and wept bitterly These three damsels loued very wel Cacus Hercules and Cacus fought more then a long houre without ceasing At the end of the houre they were both so sore chafed that they must needes rest them Then Cacus tooke in himselfe a great pride for he was strong of body and him séemed when he had rested that Hercules was not so strong as hee had been afore times that he might neuer vanquish him forasmuch as he had not ouercome at the beginning By this presumption hee
and helde his peace and spake not of a great while and so did all the other Then arose vppe on his féete Troylus the yoongest sonne of king Priamus and beganne to speake in this manner O noble men and hardy how be ye abashed for the wordes of this coward priest here Is it not the custome of Priestes for to dread the battailes by pusillanimitie and for to loue good chéere and pleasures to fill their bellies with good wines and with good meats who is he that beléeueth that any man may know the things to come vnlesse the gods do shew it him by reuelation It is but follie for to tarie vpon this or to beléeue such things If Helenus be afrayd let him go into the Temple and sing the diuine Seruice and let the other take reuenge of their iniuries by strength and force of armes O right deare father and lord wherefore art thou so troubled for these wordes send thy shippes into Gréece and thy knights wise and hardie that may make requitall to the Gréekes for their iniuries that they haue done vnto vs. All they that heard Troylus thus speake allowed him saying that hee had very well spoken And thus they finished their parlement and went to dinner After dinner the king Priamus called Paris and Deiphebus and commaunded them expresly that they should goe into the parties of Pannonie hastily to fetch and assemble knightes wise and hardie for to take with them to Gréece And then that same day Paris and Deiphebus departed from the citie of Troy for to performe and accomplish the will of their father The day following the king assembled to counsel al the citizens of the citie of Troy and sayd vnto them after this maner O my louing friendes and true citizens ye all doe know notoriously howe the Gréeks by their pride and insolencie haue done to vs great wrongs and innumerable dammages as it is very well knowen in the al whole world And ye know also how they holde Exione my sister in seruitude wherefore I liue in great sorrow and also ye be remembred howe I sent Anthenor into Gréece that hath nothing done wherefore my sorrowe is doubled And forasmuch as by yron hee cured the woundes insanable I haue purposed to sende Paris my sonne with men of armes and puissance into Gréece for to inuade and assaile our enemies by strength and for to do them great damages and for to assay if they might take any noble ladie of Gréece and to send her into the city and that by the commutation of her I might get againe my sister Exione And forsomuch as I will not begin this thing but that it may come to your knowledge first I pray you that you say to mee your aduise for without you I will not procéed further therein forasmuch as it toucheth you all as well as me When the king had thus finished his spéeches and that ech man held himselfe silent a great while then stood vp a knight named Pantheus that was the sonne of Deuphrobe the Phylosopher and sayde O right noble king as I am your true seruant and vassaile I will declare to you my aduice in this matter also truely as a vassaile and subiect is bound to counsell his lord Ye haue had wel in knowledge Deuphrobe the great Phylosopher my father that liued whole and sounde more then nine score and tenne yeres and was so wise in Phylosophy that he knew the science of things to come hereafter he sayd vnto me many times and affirmed for trueth that if Paris your sonne went into Gréece for to take any noble ladie by violence that this noble citie should be destroyed and burnt vnto ashes by the Gréeks and that ye and all yours should be slaine cruelly And therfore right sage and wise king pleaseth if your noblenesse to heare my wordes and beléeue that the wise men haue sayd and be perswaded in that thing that ye may not loose by if ye leaue it whereof great sorrowes may ensue if ye perseuere in opinion Wherefore wil ye séeke to intrap the good estates of your rest and put your tranquillitie vnder the dangerous aduentures of fortune Leaue this and disswade your selfe if it please you from this folly and finish and end your life in rest happily and suffer not Paris to goe into Gréece in Armes And if ye will algase send ye another then Paris At these wordes of Pantheus grewe and arose great murmuring of the hearers Some reprooued the prophesies of Deuphrobe the Philosopher and some helde it for mockerie and a fable and they were of the greatest number insomuch that by the consent of the more part Paris was appointed for to go into Gréece with men of armes and the parliament finished each man went home into his house and to his place When this conclusion was known of Cassandra daughter of king Priamus she began to make so great sorrow as if she had been foolish or out of her right mind began to cry on high saying Ha ha right noble Citie of Troy what Faierie hath mooued thee to bee brought to such perils for which thou shalt in short times be beaten downe and thy high Towers be ouerthrown destroied vnto the ground Ha ha queene Hecuba for what sinne hast thou deserued the death of thy children which shal be cruell and horrible wherefore with holdest not thou Paris from going into Gréece which shal be cause of this euill aduenture And when she had so cried she went vnto her father the king and with weeping drowned in teares praied him that he woulde be perswaded for to leaue off his enterprise saying that she wist by her science the great euils and harmes that were comming by this meane But neither for the disswasions of Hector neither admonition nor warning of Cassandra the king woulde not change his purpose nor for Helenus his son nor Pantheus c. CHAP. III. ¶ Howe Paris and Deyphebus Eneas Anthenor and Polidamus were sent into Greece and howe they rauished Helene out of the temple of Venus with manie prisoners and richesse and brought them to Troy where Paris espoused the said Helene AT the entry of the moneth of May when the earth is attyred and adorned with diuers sloures Paris and Deiphebus returned from Panonie and brought with them thrée thousand knightes right hardy and wise Then they made readie two and twentie great shippes and charged and laide in them all that was conuenient for them Then the king Priamus called Eneas Anthenor and Polidamas that was the sonne of Anthenor and praied them and commaunded that they shoulde go into Greece with Paris and Deyphebus and they offered themselues to go with a good will And when they were all ready and assembled for to go into their shippes the king Priamus spake to them in this maner It needeth not to vse many wordes for yee knowe well enough for what cause I send you into Greece and howe well that I haue
the aire that was before verie cleere and faire beganne to waxe troublous and thicke and there beganne a right great tempest in the sea of winde of raine and of thunder insomuch that there was none so hardie but he had feare and we end to haue died for their shippes were cast by the sea the one here and the other there and they supposed none other for certaine but to haue béen drowned Then said Calcas to them that were with him that the cause of the tempest was forasmuch as Diana their Goddesse was wroth and angry against them because they departed from Athens and made to her no sacrifice and for to appease this wrath it behooued that the king Agamemnon sacrifice to her with his owne hand Iphiginie his daughter a young virgine and tender of age and that otherwise the tempest shoulde neuer ceasse And for to speed this sacrifice hée counselled to turne the nauy and to apply it to the I le of Andill where the temple of the Goddesse Diana was c. When the king Agamemnon vnderstoode this thing hée was all greeued and passing sorrowfull in his minde for he loued his daughter Iphigenie with great loue and on the other side hée was praied and required of all the other kinges and princes of Greece that hee woulde make no delay to this that was so great a matter or to withstand the sacrifice wherefore hee was vanquished by the saide Princes and for the loue of his countrey hee tooke his saide daughter Iphigenie and in the presence of great kinges and princes sacrificed her vnto the goddesse Diana and anon the tempest ceassed and the aire became neate and cléere and the sea well quieted and in tranquilitie and peace And then hee went againe into his ship and all the other in like maner drewe vppe their sailes and sailed before the winde so farre that they arriued at a port of the realme of Troy nigh vnto a Castell called Sarrabana Dares putteth not downe determinately what was the cause wherfore King the Agamemnon made his Sacrifice vnto Diana But Ouid in the twelfth booke of Methamorphose saith that it was Iphigenie his daughter as aboue is said And when they of the castle sawe the great Nauie at their porte they armed them and came vnto the porte weening to defend their land against the Gréekes and assailed them that then were come a land that were yet weary of the trauaile of the Sea But the Greekes issued anon out of their shippes in great plenty all armed and slew them and chased them vnto their Castle and killed them with flying and entered into the Castle with them and there put them all to death and tooke the booties and after beate downe the castle vnto the earth and then reentered into their ships againe and sailed so farre that they arriued at the port of Tenedon and there then they ancred their ships c. At this port was a passing strong Castle well peopled and full of great riches and was three mile from Troy When they of the castle saw the Greekes they ranne to armes and furnished their castle with good fighters and the other issued out and came vnto the porte where they found the Greeks that were then issued out of their ships all armed and great plentie and took all that they could finde Thus beganne the battaile betweene them right fierce and mortall and there were enough slain dead of both partes and manie mo of the Greekes then of the Troians But as soone as the great strength of the Greekes were landed the Troyans might no longer suffer nor abide but put them to flight some to the castle and the other fled vnto Troy Then the Greekes bestirred them and belaid the castle round about and assailed it on both sides and they within defended it passing well vpon the walles and slewe many by shotte and by Engines but the Greekes dressed their engines all about the castle and set their ladders vnto the walles and went vpon all sides and they within defended them valiauntly and made them fall down in their ditches some dead and some hurt But the Greekes that were so great in number sent alway new folke to the assault whereof they within were so wearie that they retired and went backe from their defence and then the Greekes entered by force into the castle and there slewe all them that they found without sparing of man or woman and tooke and pilled al that they found that was good and after beate downe the castle and the houses vnto the earth and put in the fire and burnt all vp And after they reentred into their shippes ioyous of their gaine that they had gotten in the Castle CHAP. VIII ¶ Howe the Greekes did send Diomedes and Vlisses vnto the king Priamus for to haue againe Helene and the prisoners and the aunswere that they hadde WHen the Greekes had destroied and beaten downe thus the Castle and edifices of Tenedon and of Sarrabana and that they refreshed them in the medow of Tenedon then Agamemnon that hadde the charge of all the hoste and to conduct it well as a good captaine ought to doe commaunded that al the bootie and gain of these two castles should be brought forth And so it was done anon as he had commaunded and he as a wise king distributed the gaine to each man after his desert and qualitie And after did cause to cry in all the hoste that all the noble men of the hoste should assemble them on the plaine of Tenedon before the king Agamemnon and when they were all come the king Agamemnon spake and said in this maner My friends and fellowes that be here now assembled for so iust a cause as each of you knoweth and in so great puissance that there is and shall be tidinges thereof in all the worlde yet how strong that the puissance bée that it please the Gods that it be without pride and felonie for it is so that of the sinne of pride grow all other vices and that the gods resist and withstand the insolent and proud people And therefore we ought to put away pride from our workes and in especiall in this worke here now and vse the right way of iustice to the end that no man may reprehend vs nor blame Ye know well that we be come thus farre for to take vengeance of the iniuries and the wronges that the king Priamus hath done to vs and we haue done to him now great hurt and damage Ye may well know for trueth that they haue assembled in the city of Troy great power for to defend them against vs and also the Citie is passing great and strong and ye know well that they be vpon their proper heritage that is a thing that doubleth their force and strength For ye may take example of the Crowe that otherwhile defendeth well her nest against the fawcon I say not these thinges for any doubt that I haue but that we shall
all ye kings princes and barons wee ought to render and yeeld thanks to the gods humbly and with deuout heart that our right hard enemie Hector hath suffered to be slaine by the hand of Achilles For as long as he was aliue we had neuer any hope to haue come to the better hand of our enemies What may the Troyans from hencefoorth hope or trust for but onely for their owne ouerthrow and we may in short time hope for the victorie vpon them And for as much as Achilles is grieuously hurt and may not goe to battell if ye thinke good whiles that yee maybe healed and the other also that be hurt of whom we haue many and also for to burie the dead bodies we will send to the king Priamus for to haue truce for two moneths The counsell seemed good to them and they sent anon to the king Priamus for truce and hee accorded it to them for two moneths During this truce Palamedes murmured againe at the seignorie of Agamemnon and as they were on a day all together Palamedes spake of this matter the king Agamemnon answered to him as sage in the presence of all the other and sayd vnto him Palamedes weenest thou that I haue great ioy of the seignorie that was giuen vnto me at the beginning and haue occupied to this present time for that it was not at my request neither haue I none auaile nor profit thereby but I haue great charge and breake many sléepes therefore to the end that by my negligence our hoste goe not to decline nor disworship and certes if had well suffised me to haue beene vnder the gouernment of another and I feare no man that may accuse mee that for any euill or negligence I haue failed in any thing And if thou gauest not thy consent vnto mine election thou needest not to dismay thereof for thou werest not as yet at that time come with the other but it was two yeeres after ere thou camest And therefore if wee shoulde haue abiden thy comming wee had beene at the Port of Athens And forasmuch as thou shalt not thinke that I haue ioy or pleasure of this office and am desirous to haue this honour I am content that another be chosen and am readie to giue consent with the most voices When Agamemnon had thus spoken there was no further procéeding that day in this matter And then at euen Agamemnon did make it to bee cried in all the hoste that ech man should be on the morrow betimes before his tent at the Parlement When it came to the morning that they were all assembled Agamemnon said to them My brethren and friends I haue had vnto this time the charge of this worke with great trauaile for to conduct it well in such wise that by the sufferance of the Gods I haue brought it vnto honor vnto this time And forasmuch as it is not lawfull that an Vniuersitie be ruled alway by one maister but that euery mā employ him to the best to his power and forsomuch as I haue conducted this hoste long time I will that wee doe choose another that may conduct it discreetly When Agamemnon had finished his wordes his saying pleased to euerie man and they chose Palamedes to bée their duke and gouernour and then hee went vnto his Tent. Achilles that lay sicke of his woundes was angry at the deposing of Agamemnon and said before al them that would heare it that Palamedes was nothing like vnto Agamemnon in witte and in discretion and that they ought not to change him for Palamedes but forasmuch as the people had consented he abode thereby also c. CHAP. XIX ¶ How the king Priamus issued to battaile for to auenge vpon the Greekes the death of his sonne Hector and of the prowesses that he did and of the anniuersary of the said Hector in which Achilles was surprised with the loue of Polixena the daughter of king Priamus in such wise that he might endure no rest WHen the the two monthes of the truce were past the king Priamus desiring to auenge the death of his sonne Hector ordeined with his owne person his battailes and sette in each battaile good conductors and hee himselfe went and lead with him fiue and twentie thousand of good knightes chosen of the best And Dares saith in his booke that there issued out of Troy that day an hundred and fiftie thousand men Deyphebus was the foremost and then Parie and after him came the king Priamus and Troylus Eneas Menon and Polidamas they went vnto the Tentes of the Greekes Palamedes had ordained his battailes Then began the battel great and mortall The king Priamus smote downe Palamedes in his comming and after smote vnto the greatest prease of the Greekes and slew many of them and beat them downe and did so much in armes in that day that with great paine woulde beleeue that a man so ancient and old might doe that he did that day The king Sarpedon of Troy assailed king Neoptolemus that was a passing strong knight and king Sarpedon was borne to the earth that defended him valiantly and gaue so great a stroke vnto king Neoptolemus that made him a great wound in his thigh Then came to the battaile the king of Perse that remounted the king Sarpedon with the aide of his folke Menelaus and the duke of Athens assailed the king of Perse and inclosed him and his people among them and slew the king of Perse and made the Troyans to recule by force there did the king Sarpedon great and woonderous matters of armes The king Priamus and his bastard sonnes that then followed him ceased not to slea the Greekes and there was none that day that did so much in armes as did the king Priamus for his sorrow his ire made his strength to grow Then the Greekes aduised them to take the way by which the Troyans should returne vnto their citie and they went thither in great number And when the Troyans reculed for to go into that place they found themselues in the middle of their enemies Then began mortall battel and there came vpon them the king Priamus with a great number of fighting men by a wing and Paris came crossing them with a great plentie of good fighters and he had great store of archers that slew many of the Greekes and hurted them and they did so well that by force the Greekes were driuen to recule to their Tentes And the Troyans reentered into their Citie and the king Priamus had the losse and worst of this battaile He sent to the Greekes to demaund truce and they agreed and accorded to him but we finde not howe long this truce endured c. Among these thinges the king Priamus did cause to cary by land the body of the king of Perse for to be buried in his countrey then was the weeping and sorrow great in Troy and in especiall of Paris that loued him exceedingly During this truce the anniuersary of