yée must vnderstand that acquaintance bréedeth loue and if ye will come and abide with me I make no doubts but that your minde will change and that ye will make a league with me Sir answered Medusa my will is vnchangeable Notwithstanding saide Neptune it must change be not abashed Sir answered Medusa I sée nothing that giueth me cause of abashment for I féele my heart firme and stable in his operations Ye be a King and haue giuen me safe conduct for to finishe my deuotion at the Temple of the goddesse of your Cittie Reason and honour should gouerne your courage Dame sayd Neptune if your beautie surmounted not the beautie of other women I would consent anon to your returne But when I conceyue in my minde you formed in so high a degrée of nature that nothing lacketh in you And further when I sée that the great goddesse Pallas hath enspyred you to come to this my Cittie reason maye haue no place howsoeuer it be by loue or by force ye shal be my wife for I had leuer die and run into al the dishonours of the world then for to fayle to haue your loue When Medusa that was wise had vnderstood the wordes of Neptune and sawe well that he was couragiously inflamed with her amorous desire and that she might not escape his power for her beautie vnlesse it were by an aduenture then she chaunged her haire into colours that is to saye that where force reygned shée wrought by subtiltie and sayde vnto the King Syr I knowe that ye be a great and puissante Lorde and that loue hath mooued you by force to take me to your wife Since your pleasure is such I am content to do all what shall please you in such wise as ye haue demaunded and that this same daye be made the mariage betwéene you and me but the more solemnly to halow the feaste of our wedding I requyre you of two things First that I maye returne vnto the porte to my people for to araye and dresse me with my costly Iewels for I maye not employe them to more great glorie then to vse this daye of my mariage And secondly that ye will cause to araye and adresse the ladyes of this citie for to receiue me as it appertayneth for I will that ye well knowe that in all the remnant of ladyes of the world ye shal not find any that haue more moueable goodes nor riches then I haue Neptune was then as one al rauished in ioy when he heard this answer of Medusa he thanked her for her swéete words and agréed to her to do in such wise as she had deuised And anon he sent againe this Medusa vnto the gallies hoping that she would returne againe to be his wife but when she by the subtiltie of her wit was deliuered againe at the port where Neptune had nothing to do in stead for to returne to the citie she caused to weigh ancres of al her ships and hoist saile and in all haste withdrew them from the port and in stead to array her investments nuptiall she tooke her arms and made all her men to arme them And thus she escaped from Neptune who was in great sorrow maruailously and in great anger saide that she had the head of a serpent and that her haires were turned into colours to the end to hide more graciously the malice of her heart he repeated the maner how she had deceiued and beguiled him c. Thus then escaped Medusa the hands of Neptune by the meane of her head serpentine Neptune abode conuerted and turned into a stone that is to say hauing his minde set on earthly affections and on the riches of Medusa and went not after her for as much as her power of men surmounted much all the power of Athens Of this thing ranne the renowme through all Greece And the beautie of Medusa was so commended that from those parts went euery day many knights to sée her and many of them were turned into stones and many lost their treasours innumemerable enforcing themselues by armes to conquer this Lady who withstood alway their assaults and indeuours and alway abode conquerour of them Medusa set nought by King nor Prince that would haue her to wife Shée was all set to get and gather the treasures of the world Whereas her father had béene very couetous yet was shée more couetous and comming againe from Athens into her owne Realme after shée hadde brought vnder subiection the Greekes that rebelled against her as is saide shée was so plunged in the déepe swallow of couetousnesse and auarice that shée made war against al her neighbours and conquered them constraining them to pay her yearly large tributes Whereby her estate and name arose and was so great that the fame thereof ran into many farre regions and among other in the Citie of Naples where reigned the king Pilonus as afore is sayd In the time that the renowne of Medusa was in this credite Perseus sonne of Danae and Iupiter was in the valour and prime of his strength and hee dayly required his mother and the king that they would giue him leaue to séek his aduenture When then Pilonus heard speake of the mightinesse of Medusa of her rapines and of her auarice he thought that his sonne in lawe should do a vertuous worke if hée might correct her so he told to Perseus that he would send him thither Perseus thanked him and sayde hée woulde employ thereto all his puissaunce Then the king Pilonus sent for men of Armes and made readie thirtie Gallyes for the armie of Perseus and dubbed him knight for the order of chiualrie began that time to be vsed in all the world And it was decréed that that same day Perseus should go to the sea And when the king had accomplished all the ceremonie to the case requyred in the Painims wise Perseus tooke leaue of the King Pilonus and of his mother Danae and of the damosels and right ioyously entred into his Galley afterward they weighed ancres and departed from the port of Naples with a great noyse of Tabors and Trumpets and with banner displayed and sayled into the déepe sea It was a good and faire sight to sée his departing There was many a teare wept euerie bodie loues Perseus for so much as hée was humble and courteous The Apuliens departed neuer as long as they might sée him and then after they returned home praying vnto the goddes that good and right happie might be the fortune of Perseus And the noble knight went by the sea and the coasts at all aduenture What shall I say he so hasted on his way that he came to Affricke that was named Libie at that time and there would haue refreshed him at a porte beside the strayte of Gybaltar where as was King Athlas the great Astrologyen But this King putte him from landing at this porte and came in armes against him and shewed by signe a farre off that he
is so doone the best way ought to be taken we counsell thée that thou leaue this Pallace and finde manner to issue out and wee shall follow thée and go with thée and search our aduentures in other lands for it shall be great paine by possibilitie euer to content and appease this people For it is so that the Corinthians be terrible to all men that they haue inhate and in despight Dardanus hearing these wordes beganne to sigh and considering that hee must depart from his Citie by his misdéede fault and desert hee smote himselfe on the brest and saide Ha fortune vnstedfast what is mee befall My hands be foule and filthie with the bloud of my lawfull brother The insurrcetion and the rebellion of my people hanging before mine eies it is force that I flée for to saue my life and purpose to liue of rauin and theft What mischance what euill happe is this Since it is so I yéeld me fugitise and shall go my way at all aduentures be it When the friendes of Dardanus had vnderstoode that hee was concluded and purposed to saue his life they ioyned to him and appointed togither that the next morning in the first breaking of the day they would departe from the Pallace and take the aduenture to passe by their enemies saying that if they might escape they would go to the riuage of the sea and take the kings barge And all they sware to helpe and companie each other vnto the death The night passed the day appeared and then Dardanus that had not rested that night to his pleasure but had watched with his armed men and were readie to take the aduenture that the gods and fortune would giue and send them issued out of the pallace and found the most part of his enemies asleepe he thrusted among the villaines and passed forth with little resistance that notwithstanding the waking Corinthians he came to his royall ship and tooke the sea and saued himselfe whereof the Corinthians had great sorrow When Dardanus sawe that he was so quit of the fauour of the Corinthians he went sailing by the sea and landed first at the port of the Citie of Samos being in Thrace there vitailed him and went to sea againe and arriued in Asia in a quarter where the land was ioyning to the sea of Hellespont And finding this land right good and fruitful for to enhabite he made there his habitation and there set the first stone of a right great citie that he beganne and after finished This Citie was that time named Dardane after the name of Dardanus but afterward it was called Troy Dardanus peopled and filled his Citie with men and women which he gate by swéetenesse and faire promises And the other part he conquered by force theft and pillage He made himselfe king of Dardane and ditched the Cittie about with great ditches After lōg time he passed out of this world and left a sonne of his wife Candama that was second king of Dardane This king was named Erutonius and raigned seauen yeare in augmenting and encreasing his Citie and people and at last came to the ende of his yeares And there reigned after him Troos his sonne This Troos was the third king of Dardane and was a strong man fierce and hardy in armes and increased greatly his seignoury and his Crowne insomuch as the Dardanians said that there was no king but Troyes and named them Troians And thus was Troy enhaunced more then all the Realmes of Greece so highly that the king Tantalus of Frigie had great enuie and gaue his heart and courage how he might anull and put downe the name of Troy that was his neighbour And began to assay to bring it downe as heereafter shall be said CHAP. VI. ¶ Of the great warre that was moued betweene the Pelagiens and Epiriens and how king Licaon of Pelagy was destroyed by Iupiter because of a man put to him to hostage which king Licaon did rost THe wise and subtill Virgine Minerue as saint Austen rehearseth shewed her selfe in this time by the stang or riuer called Triton by the greatnesse and subtiltie of her engine for she found the manner to forge and make armes And to this purpose Ouide rehearseth that she had foughten against a Giant named Pallas and slewe him by the flood of Triton In the same time that the armes were founden and the sciences of Minerue where practised by all the world a fierce discention engendred betwéene the Epiriens and the Pelagiens that after were named Archadians And héereof maketh mention Boccace in the fourth booke of the genealogy of gods Among the Pelagians raigned that time a king named Licaon eldest sonne of Titan. The Epiriens then enterprised vppon the Pelagiens and so made that a right great noyse arose and sourded For which cause they assailed each other by feats of armes so felonious and asyre that both parties suffered many foule mortall shoures When the wise men of Epire saw this warre so dissolute and that they of their partie had iniustly and vnrightfully vndertaken and begunne this warre they knowledged their fault and went to the king Lycaon bearing branches of Oliue in signification of peace and loue and him required that he would condiscend to accord and peace of both peoples Lycaon considering that his people had as much lost as woonne by this discention and that the battailes were perillous accorded to the Epitiens the peace by condition that they should deliuer him one of their most noble men such as he would demaūd for to be his seruant a space of time in token that they had vnrightfully engendred this discention The Epiriens consented to this condition and deliuered to king Lycaon in seruitude the most noble man among them and thus ended the warre The tearme and the time drewe ouer that the Epirien serued king Lycaon his due tyme and then when the time was expired the Epiriens assembled them togither and by deliberation of councell sent an Ambassade to Lycaon for to treate the deliuerance of the Epirien These Ambassadours departed from Epire and came to Pelage and shewed to the king howe their man had serued as long as hee was bound and required him that he would render and deliuer him and ratifie the peace to the ende that euer after that they might bee the more friends togither When Lycaon that was hardie of courage fierce and euill vnto all men and also vnto his owne people vnderstoode the wordes and requestes of the Epiriens hée had great sorrow and anger in himselfe and sayde to them with his mouth thinking contrarie with his heart that on the morrow hee would feast them and haue them to dinner and then he would doo like as they had demaunded With these wordes the Epiriens departed ioyously fro the presence of King Lycaon and on the morrow they came to the feast that was richlie ordayned and made for them in great plentiousnesse which was right fayre at the beginning and in
he had promised and sworne The children of Titan the one was Lycaon that at this time was no loÌ„ger wolf nor king of Arcadia another had to name Tiphon and was king of Sycilie and of Cipres the thyrd was called Briarius and was king of Nericos the fourth was named Ceon and was king of the I le of Cea the fifth was named Egeon king of the Sea Egee and of the I le desart and the sixt was named Eperion king of Plipheros When they had heard the will of their father that had purueyed them all these Realmes that hee had conquered after his departing out of Crete they desiring to please him and coueting the recoueraunce of their auncient heritages that were then of great renowme sayde to him as by one voyce that they were readie to accomplish his good pleasure and to go into Crete with armed hande and sware that they should constraine Saturne to séeke and fetch his sonnes and persecute them with his hand vnto death The olde Titan had in his heart great ioy when he behelde the frée and great courages of his sonnes And there they promised and sware togither that they all should imploy them to the recoueraunce of their heritages After which communication they ordayned in such wise that they gathered them togither at the port of Sicill and sent vnto their Lordships to assemble men of Armes and of warre They went and made such diligence and so exployted that there were assembled great armour and harnesse and much people at the sayd port And when the day was come they so desired to labour this matter that they departed from Sicill with a great host and tooke the Sea and so made their iourneys with good spéede that in fewe dayes they sayled vnto Crete at the port arriued and tooke land And then entring fiercely into the land they destroyed and wasted all afore them so cruelly and continued in their warre so mortally that they came vnto the Citie of Crete where King Saturne dwelled and was resident and then Saturne was aduertised of their comming and discent And Titan that might no further passe without battaile or assault sent to Saturne a letter whereof the tenour followeth O Saturne glutted with worldly he â—our and couetous of glorie for as much as thou art occupter of the seignorie that by right belongeth to me Titan thy Lord and elder brother furthermore because thou art falsâ—ie periured for thy wife hath diuerse men children that thou hast not put to death in like wise as thou wert bound knowe that I am come to take possession of thy kingdome not appertaining to thee but to me Wherefore come to mercie and méeke thy selfe to grace Or else make thée sure of thy person for if it be possible for me I will come and haue reason of thée When Saturne had read this letter as a man all amazed sent for his wife Cibell and tooke her apart and adiured and charged her to say the truth and tell him what shee had done with his children With this charge the poore Ladie chaunged colour and séeing that she was constrayned to say the truth shée saide Sir thou knowest that I am a woman the heart of a woman naturally doth workes of pitie Had not I béene in nature an abhominable monster if I should haue deuoured with my hande the children of my wombe where is that mother that will murther her children Certes my hand was neuer man-slear nor neuer shall be I haue erred against thy commaundement in the fauour of nature and since it must néedes be so I had leuer to bee murthered then a murtherer and to be named pitious then cruell for murther is crueltie appertaining to vnreasonable beastes and to tyrants and pitie is naturally appertaining to a woman And therefore I confesse to haue borne thrée sonnes conceyued of thy séede which I haue caused to bee nourished secretly but demaund me no further for where they bée they shall liue as long as it pleaseth fortune will Titan or not and there is no death whereof any woman may bée tormented with that shall make the places to bée discouered where they be Saturne hearing these wordes of his wife was so astonished that hée wist not what to aunswere Notwithstanding for the better he assembled all the wise men of his Citie and to them said My brethren and friends what is best to be done Titan my brother hath begunne warre in this Realme my wife hath confessed that shee hath receiued of mee three Sonnes which shee hath nourished in a straunge lande vnder the colour that I shoulde not flea them Titan assayleth mee What shall wee do Syr aunswered the wise men where force is enhaunced by ouer great presumption there must bee policie to conduct wiselie and to put the hande to withstande it Thou hast a strong Citie and fulfilled with great people thou art wise for to gouerne them put thy selfe in armes and take no regarde to the quarell of Titan. A man is not woorthie to bee a King but if it be in his vertue and gentle manners Crete was neuer Realme but nowe Titan hath béene all his lyfe inclined to vyces and is all wrapped in sinne in which purpose hee séeketh to come to thy Crowne If hee extoll himselfe thou must debase and put him downe This is the remedie helpe thy selfe and we shall helpe thee He that flyeth causeth his enemies to chase him Thus nowe it may not be eschewed but wee must withstande and assault our enemie and that couragiouslie For what a man may do this day let him not put it ouer till to morrow Arme thée then well and surely and assayle from thy Citie thine enemies If thou so do thou shewest thy courage to bée aduaunced greatly and not lightly to bée ouercome by any and so thou mayest abate somewhat their pride and presumption If thou behaue otherwise thy selfe and let them take their rest that shall bee matter and cause for to encourage them vpon which they will waxe proud hoping to come to their purpose which shall bee to thée more harming then auaylable For courage and hope oft tymes men say make men to attaine to become conquerours great and hie Notwithstanding thou art king thy will be accomplished and fulfilled Saturne aunswered and sayd Brethren and friends it were great shame to vs and our Citie if we suffered it to bée dissipate and destroyed It is of force that the warre be begunne and open and euerie man dispose him to saue his worship Titan assayleth mine honour and requireth my dishonour Since it must bée that of this matter the armes and warre bée iudges wee shall arme vs this houre and pursue the intertainment of the right good aduenture of Fortune that shall come to vs. And my heart telleth mee that as sodainlie as our enemies bee entered into this lande as sodainlie wee shall make them to go and issue out agayne With this answere all the wise and noble men of Crete tooke great
fiercenesse of Licaon that had Iupiter long time in hatred forasmuch as he had taken from him his Lordship Iupiter followed so eagerly to put Titan to foyle that he brake his Chayre into péeces by the helpe â—â— the Epiriens and with the sword that he smote off his arms he departed the life from the bodie of the vnhappie Titan by a mortall stroke that he gaue vnto his heart 〈◊〉 then bent he his indeuour and prowesse to persecute Licaâ—◠〈◊〉 Egeon that had giuen to him many strokes and 〈◊〉 and he smote with his sword vpon the head of Licaon so fiercely that the sword went to his heart wherat Egeon had so great sorrow and dread that he fled and saued him from the skirmish in which skirmish the Titaâ—ois so vnmeasurably had the woorst that all were put to death and to fight in the fields some here and some there one of the sonnes of Titâ—â— named Tiphon séeing the discomfiture came vnto Iupiter and sayd Iupiter â—e here thine enemie flie not after them that flie it shall be vnto thee more honourable to fight against me that defieth thée then to run after the fugitiâ—es Neuer yet was I found fléeing before mine enemies nor yet will I. Thou hast slaine Titan my father and my brother is slain and vanquished by force and strength and so it behoueth that this Realme must be thine or mine and now let vs sée who shall do best if I may I will vanquish thée and if I ouercome thée certainly thou shalt not â—is by glaiâ—e nor sworde but by the water of the â—ood that runneth all redde and dyed by the blood of my kinne to the end that thou drinke of the blood that thou hast made runne out of their bodyes whereof I have great sorrow and griefe for by the course of nature I ought to take displeasure and annoy thereof and also to turne to great dispight the displeasure that thou hast done to me c. CHAP. XI ¶ How Iupiter vanquished in the field Tiphon and cast him in the Riuer c. THis Tiphon was great and full of presumption and pride when he had saide all that say on his heart Iupiter that had then beheld vnderstood him answered to him vassaile hast thou no knowledge what reason and right the gods fortune haue done for me Thou art strong of members and there procéed from thy heart words more outragious then wise and forasmuch as thou demandest battel thou art welcom make thée ready shortly and do the best that thou canst and hast thee for the cause requireth it With this word Tiphon smote Iupiter so rudly vpon the head of his shield that hee dare away a great â—â—arter made Iupiter to sloupe with the right leg There were by many Epiriens that séeing Iupiter so smitten râ—â— and come for to rescue him but Iupiter would not suffer them that they should helpe him in any case but bad Meliseus and Aâ—chas that they should follow the chase of them that fled And thou he began to assaâ—â— Tiphon by great vertue â—â—â—ce in such wise that he gaue him many wounds in his body and thus began the battell of Tiphon and Iupiter they were both strong and able in the craft of armes they charged one vpon that other â—olorously and eagerly It is no néed that I declare how many strokes the one gaue vnto the other but I must tel how Iupiter so fought and smote his enemie that he tooke from him his sword shéeld and when he was in that point he charged him vpoÌ„ his shoulders by forre of his arms and bare him to the riuer that was all died with the bloud of dead men and there he made him die miserably casting him into the flood with the head downeward for asmuch as he had menaced Iupiter with such a death What shal I saye more of this battaile after the death of Typhon Iupiter weÌ„t agayne to the pursuit of his enemies vntill the sunne began to decline into the west and foâ—â—owed on by great slaughter but in processe of time when he saw that Titan and the more people were so feeble and so dispersed by the fieldes that they might neuer arise againe he sownded the retrayte and assembled his folke in the best wise he might and after he tooke the right way to the Citie hauing great ioye and eâ—â—â—tation of his victorie And he had not taryed long but that foure Cytizens of Crete came vnto him and to tolde him that al they of the party of Titan were fled and that they had taken out of prison his father CHAP. XII ¶ How Iupiter and Saturne reconcyled themselues together and how Iupiter by commaundement of his father weâ—â—â—â—â— to destroy the King Apollo of Paphos and of the â—edicine of Esculapius c. IVpiter receyued these Citizens and their tydings in right great gâ—aâ—â—es and desiring with all his heart to be with his father and mother did so much spéed him that he 〈◊〉 into Crete Saturne and Cibel with Vâ—â—â—â— were at the gaâ—e which receyued him honourably and brought him vnto the Palâ—ato where he was 〈◊〉 with the king Meâ—â—â— and Aâ—â—â—â— in 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—n that it might be no better At the comming of Iupiter many teares were wept for ioy by dame Cibell and Vesca Cibell kist and beclipt often times her sonne And all they of the countrie came thither into the pallace for to feast and worship Iupiter and also they gaue him many great gifts And it is not to be forgotten how Saturne reconciled himself vnto him and gaue him a state as to his sonne During these things the body of Titan was searched among the dead bodies by the commandement of Saturne and there was made for him his obsequie solemne as it appertaineth to a king and likewise vnto his sonnes that were found dead in the battaile All the sonnes of Titan were not perished and dead in the battaile for among all other Iopetus and Briareus were left aliue and fled That is to say Briareus was fled into an I le of Greece named Nericos and Iopetus fled into a part of Libie where be inhabited And he had with him thrée sonnes that he had by his wife whreof the eldest was named Athlas the second had his name Hesperus and the third named himselfe Prometheus Athlas dwelled in Libie and Hesperus reigned in Spaigne and were both vanquished by Hercules as it shall be saide in the second booke For to hold on our purpose when Saturne and Iupiter had doone the obsequies of the Titanoys tidings came to Iupiter that Apollo king of Paphos had taken part with them that fled from the battel of the Titanoy This said Apollo had made aliances with Saturne and was sonne of Iupiter of Artique When Iupiter and Saturne heard these tidings anon Saturn required Iupiter that be would take vengeance on Apollo that was his allie and that he would destroy his enemies At the request of Saturne Iupiter enterprised the
a right great assemblie of men of armes and there was no man that could tell the cause wherefore CHAP. XV. ¶ How King Saturne with all his great host came before the Citie of Arcadia against Iupiter his sonne IT is to be thought that Iupiter had his heart right displeasant when he had receyued these tydings from his mother Cibel and although that she warned him by supposing as she that wist not verilye the will of the king yet when he considered that he was not sent for vnto his armie he doubted him and departed thence and sayd to his wife Iuno that he would go vnto Arcadia concluding in himselfe that by this meane he should sée the behauiour of his father and to what place he imployed his armie But he was not farre on his waye when he rested vpon a mountayne and looked behinde him that he sawe the Cittie of Partheny that anon was euyroned and full of the men of armes of king Saturne that gaue to him a great proofe of the aduertisement of his mother And for to sée what waye he bent his course he taryed still on the mountayne hauing his eyes alwayes vnto the Cittie And anon he sawe his father Saturne mounte into his Chayre and all his armye issue out at the same gate where he came from and tooke the same waye that he had taken And that gaue him verilye to vnderstand and knowe that his father sought him And so he departed from this mountaine and went to Arcadia and told vnto his sonne and to the Arcadiens the cause wherefore he was come and prayed them that they would furnish him with good armours to the ende he might defend their Citie if néede were c. The Arcadiens at the request of Iupiter made ready their armes and their citie and sent out espies vpon the way And anon after they were come from the Pallaice the espies affirmed to Iupiter and Archas that they had séene the champaine countrey and the wayes of Arcadia all full of men of armes Anon there was proclaimed in the Citie in the name of theyr soueraigne Lord Iupiter that euerie man should make good watch and kéepe his ward With this crye the Arcadiens armed them with helmets and armes of leather and went vpon the the walles and towers hauing in theyr handes Axes Swordes Guyfarmes Glayues and Maces And they had not long taried there when they sawe come from farre two men of Crete which came to the gate and asked of the porters if Iupiter were within The porter when he vnderstood what they asked answered them that Iupiter was in the Cittie and if they hadde to doo with him they should finde him in the Pallace where he passed the time with his sonne Archas and that hée was newly come vnto the towne to visit him When they of Crete heard this they were sore troubled for they sought him that they would not finde Notwithstanding they went in and passed foorth vp to the Pallace and there finding Iupiter with the nobles of Arcadia after the reuerence made one of them spake and sayde Syr we séeke thée and we haue no will to finde thée for wée come against our will to execute a commission by the which maye sooner come ruine trouble then peace to Crete and vs. Saturne thy father commaundeth thée that thou alone come speake with him he hath sought thée in all the places of Partheny His daughter Iuno thy wife not thinking euill hath ascertayned him that thou art come hither Hée is come after thée in armes and we knowe not what he thinketh to doo for was neuer so angry nor sorrowfull nor so fierce as he is now We be his seruauntes force hath constrayned vs in his obeysance and for this cause wil we thée to appeare in person before him this same houre all excusations set a part When Iupiter had considered and well pondered in his minde the adiournement or summons with his eyes full of teares hée made â—â—s aunswere and sayde thus I maruell of the right straunge demeanour of my father and peraduenture it is not without great cause His Realme is in peace I haue put and set him againe in his Realme he putteth himselfe in armes without my knowledge and nowe he sendeth for me that I shoulde alone come speake with him that is too straunge a thing vnto mee And hée behaueth himselfe not as hee ought to do for men ought to prayse them that haue deserued it and be of value I haue auayled him as much as his Realme is woorth and hee hath other tymes sent for mee to make warre I wote not nowe what euill will he hath or may haue to mee But here he is come with his armie where he hath nothing to do And being come he demaundeth nothing but me alonely All things considered and weighed I haue no reason for to obey his commaundement notwithstanding that hee is my Father forasmuch as the suspition is too much apparaunt But I am content if hee haue to do with mee to serue him and to come to him vppon condition that I shall bee accompanyed with all my friends that I can get and none otherwise The two Commissaryes with this worde returned vnto Saturne and tolde him the intention of Iupiter Saturne tooke right impaciently the aunswere of Iupiter and approached vnto Archadie and besieged it with great oathes making his auowe vnto his goddes that if hee may haue Iupiter hee with his handes would make sacrifice of him And then hee sent for his moste wise men and willed them that in fell menaces they should go summon the King Archas and the Archadiens to yéelde and deliuer him Iupiter declaring openlie and plainly that hee was more his enemie than his sonne The wise men departed from the Hoste at the commaundement of Saturne and did well theyr deuoier to summon the Archadians and sayde to the King and people of Archadie we bee come vnto you forasmuch as yee sustayne Iupiter whome the King Saturne holdeth for his enemy telling you if ye deliuer him vnto Saturne ye shall bee his friendes and if not hee doeth you to wit that ye doe kéepe you with good watch and warde for hee hath not in the worlde whom hee reputeth greater enemies than you c. By this commaundement knewe Iupiter that it was hée himselfe for whom Saturne made his armie The Archadiens assembled to councell without Iupiter and spake of this matter and made aunswere to the wise men of Crete howe they were bounden to serue Iupiter and howe they woulde kéepe him and liue and die with him agaynst all men aboue all other When the wise men had their aunswere they returned vnto Saturne and tolde him the aunswere of the Archadiens Anon hastilie sore chafed and enflaming with great yre hee commaunded that the Citie shoulde bée assayled Anon went to Armes they of Crete in such wise that they approched the walles and fortes And when the Archadiens sawe their enemies approch anon they sounded
would kéepe his countrey with his sword Then Perseus which woulde not there employe his armye withdrewe him from the porte meaning to auenge him an other time of that hard vsage if fortune would helpe him He passed the strayte and sought so long the Realme of Medusa that anon after he found it and had tydings by certain merchants that he found trauailing on the Sea who tolde him that she and her sisters soiourned in a citie which stoode on the sea coast Great was the ioye of Perseus when he vnderstoode these tydings his folke had great nede of vittayle wherefore he called them all and bad that they shoulde make them ready and arme them for they were nighe the place that they sought and then as they sayled away forth about thrée houres before the euening they saw the citie where Medusa was in and moreouer they saw Medusa and her sisters with a great number of men of war that were trained on the port so richly arayed and furnished so that it was meruaile to sée When Perseus sawe this he diuided his armie in three equall battailes each of ten galeys and ordeyned and put in captaines of war and wisely enformed them howe they shoulde come nigh and approche the porte And after he put himselfe in the first battaile and the poets saye that the goddesse Pallas gaue to him then a shielde of crystall that is to vnderstand that he approched right wisely the port that was vpon the great sea of Spayne and that he conducted himself by such prudence which is likened to cristal that he came and fought hand to hād against the puissance of Medusa that by the shining of the right cleare shield of his prudence in receiuing giuyng infinit strokes he gat lād and constrained Medusa to returne to her city by force of armes and by prowesse and with a good ordering and fighting of his souldiers At that time the head serpent-like of Medusa might not withstand his first fortunes for she that was accustomed to put vnder foote and ouercome all them that exposed them in armes agaynst her at this time was put to the same extremitie that she had put other to CHAP. XXXI ¶ How Perseus vanquished in battaile the Queene Medusa and how she fled into her Citie SVch was the beginning of the war that was betwéene Perseus and Medusa where the Gorgons so fortunate which Medusa had cherished right dearely fell downe from the whéele of Fortune which whéele had cōsented that the prudence of Perseus should be cause of theyr downefal and humbling This notwithstanding Medusa tooke courage in her selfe and reentred into her Citie and gaue charge to one of her men to go vnto her enemies and to enquire of them who was chiefe and captaine of them and what thing he sought in her Countrey The Hesperiens at commaundement of Medusa departed from the Citie and came to the host of the Apuliens that were busie for to lodge them that night and hée hasted so much that he came to Perseus who tooke his refection vpon a table that he had made of a great stone of Marble and said to him in this wise Sir the conqueresse of men hath sent me to thée for to enquire what thing thou wilt do in her countrey to the end that she may know what she hath to do Messenger answerd Perseus I haue a purpose to enfranchise and make frée all men from the seruitude that thy mistresse holdeth them in and to make her that hath but one eye that shee conuert and turne men no more into stones and that her riches shall be no more the causes of the losse and perdition of knights which would haue hir in mariage For against her malice of the serpent I wil be armed with prudence and will well that she know to morrow without longer delay I will giue assault vnto the Citie in case she come not against me in battaile With this answere the Hesperien returned vnto Medusa and recounted vnto her all that he had heard Medusa assembled then all her men of warre and said to them it is no maruaile though I haue mine heart sore troubled when after that I haue vanquished great companies of men of armes I sée that shamefully we be driuen backe and withdrawne into this Citie by the prowesse of an handfull of men O what griefe is this to them that haue béene accustomed to ouercome and to triumph in all manner of warres Where be the high enterprises by which wee made all the Westerne Seas to feare and dreade Where be the swords that haue béene yéelded to vs by the kings our tributaries Where bee the armies and strengths that haue made to tremble the mountaines and Rockes of Libia Where bee they that this day haue taken feare for prowesse dreade for hardinesse dishonour for honour At least since this thing is so handled it behoueth to deale the best wise we may but now it behoueth also that euery man incourage and shew himselfe valiant and that to morrow it be recouered that by vs this day is lost The enemies of the Citie haue doone vs to vnderstande and knowe that to morrow they will giue vs assault if we furnish not them with battaile And for as much also as they be trauailed on the ayre of the Sea it is much better that we furnish them with battaile at this time then that wée should abide longer Our enemies be strangers here lyeth our triumph or euer mortall misaduenture If we ouercome them it shall be a memorie for vs farre and nigh in all honour If the case go contrarie wee shall runne with the losse of our liues into derision and mockerie of all people And what is this shall the bloud be spread abroad of them that haue made the ground red with the bloud of other Shall the honour be wasted and lost and also the name that wee haue gotten with so great labour All the worlde take to them courage and hope these two things be as néedfull in war as the armes and without them shall neuer man attaine to the crowne of victorie Ah then take heart to you and make readie your harnesse and armes to morrow must be the day that ye must néedes make to shine your déedes the best wise ye may and that for to kéepe your renowmes and your titles of honorable prowesse Dame answered one of the Captaines it is great pitty that ye were not a man for if it had béene so it is apparant that ye would haue conquered and put vnder all the monarchie of men As ye say we must néeds kéepe our renowme if fortune hath beene to vs this day froward to morrow she shall turne to profit The wounds and hurts that be made in our worshippes and bloud wee must beare it and take it in good part And our prowesse and honour shall to morrow put from vs all notes and shame wee will so behaue our selues Can yee not rise so early that we might be
shield of the giant was fallen from him and his armes all to bruised and his sword entred so farre into his bodie neare vnto his heart that he smote him downe dead at his féete When Philotes saw his giant dead he came vnto Hercules for to defend the place saying that he would auenge his giant if he might Hercules had great ioy when hee saw Philotes come to the place and said to him king thou art welcome I haue now ioy in my heart since I shall proue my selfe against thée Men say there is no stroke but of the maister now let vs sée how we shall worke together Well and happie bee hée that well shall doo and proue himselfe Philotes in the hearing of these wordes came vnto the place and helde a great Polaxe with which hée smote sore vppon the shield of Hercules and made him to stagger a little Whereat Philotes beganne to laugh and thought to haue smitten againe Hercules with that Polaxe who was ashamed of the other stroke And he then kept him well and waited so that in the smiting he caught it and plucked it out of his fists and cast it into the sea Then was Philotes all abashed of the force of Hercules and when hee had lost his Poleaxe hée tooke his sword and came for to fight with Hercules Philotes had the aduantage for Hercules was vnder him They assayled the one the other right fiercely and well they kept them both two All this day they fought without ceasing so long as the day endured the night came on that they must cease then they lay there both two vpon the place They slept nothing for it was no time both two kept the watch and they endured it well for they were accustomed for to wake Thus waking Philotes hadde many words vnto Hercules and demanded from whence hee was and Hercules tolde him the truth After they spake of their battaile and at the desire and request of Philotes they promised each to other that if anye of them were vanquished and ouercome for to saue his life he should be holden to serue truly the vanquisher all his life after c. During these spéeches and promises the day starre that the Poets call Aurora began to arise in his reigne The aire was cleare and fayre the starres shone At this houre Hercules cast his eyes among the starres and séeing there Aurora shine aboue all other he began to remember his ladie Megara saying Alas Madam where be ye now I would it pleased the goddes that ye remembred as well me as I remember you In truth the light of this same starre inflameth the amourous fire wherewith I was late seised by the administration of your beautie Ye bee as farre shining in beautie aboue the maidens of Greece as this Aurora shineth aboue all the other starres of whom the number is so great that no man can tell O noble Megara the right cleare starre your remembrance illumineth mine heart like as this starre illumineth the heauen and mee thinketh that by this remembraunce when I come to the battell I shall preuaile the better Wherefore I promise you if fortune helpe me like as I desire ye shall haue your part of all that I shall conquer c. The night drew ouer and the day began and at the poynt of the sunne rising Hercules was all glad of the thinking and remembrance that he had of his Ladie and tooke his sworde and sayd to Philotes we haue pawsed long enough â—o it is day and the sunne ryseth it is better that we exercise déedes of armes now then when the rayes of the sunne be greater let vs take the time ere the great heate come and let each of vs do his best Philotes that was all readie was right ioyous when he heard Hercules for he thought in his minde that he should soone and in little space spéede this matter and sayde to him Hercules I am readie and was since yesterday to atchieue this battaile kéepe you as well as yee can ye haue slaine my Giant the most stout and hardiest man that was in all the West Wherfore I haue great displeasure but at the least since his death may not be recouered by death of a man I will doo my best and deuoir to haue a new souldiour and that shall be you or els my sword and fortune shall fayle me Shall I so saide Hercules and if your sword and fortune shall faile you what tidings By my gentlenesse sayde Philotes that befell me neuer And if any ill fortune and misaduenture run vpon me that I must néedes be your seruaunte let it be vpon condition that I shall neuer go after into battaile at mine owne aduenture or none other during your life neither for you nor for other I shall neuer fight but if it be my selfe defendaunt Without other wordes the two champions assayled each other and smote togither so sadlye and sore that the place redounded with their strokes In a little while they had their shields vnfastened by great blowes Philotes did not fayle to smite on Hercules but his strokes were nothing so great but that Hercules might beare them well enough without greefe or suffering great damage Thus began the battaile againe of the two Giants Hercules was as high as a giant he was right fierce in armes he did much to get the standing but yet he might neuer attaine to smyte Philotes a full stroke for asmuch as Philotes was aboue on the passage which conteyned well two cubites of height When Hercules sawe and knewe that Philotes kept his standing without abashing or aduenturing to come downe he thought subtillye that he would fayne himselfe wearie and by little and little after he began to smite more féeblye then he did before after that he reculed himselfe and smote from farre as if he had fayled and béene wearye The Greekes were affraid and wéend he might no more and then Philotes sprang downe from the standing wéening to haue put him to the foyle but then when Hercules sawe him before him and that one was no more hygher then an other Hercules came to his place againe and gaue so great a stroke to Philotes that he made him recule and go backe more then foure foote Philotes was then all abashed and repented him that hee descended from the standing but that was for nought for the repenting might not auaile Then he tooke courage and enhaunced his sworde and smote Hercules on the left arme so hard that he gaue him a wound that the bloud sprang out When Hercules sawe the armes of Philotes besprinckled with his bloud he made none other countenaunce but that he would sodainly be auenged of the stroke In giuing to Philotes thrée strokes with the first he brake his helme and smote him on the head and with the seconde he gaue him a great wound on the right shoulder and with the third stroke he made his sword to flie out of his fistes and then he caught him in
fighting by the space of 4. houres and had receiued vpon his arms so many strokes that no man could number them This notwithstanding hee fledde not at all from Gerion but came to him ioyfully and fought against him with so great force that all they that saw it maruelled and after many strokes smitten of Gerion and Hercules Hercules smote him one stroke so great that he al to brused Gerion and beate out the braines of his head and smote the helme vppon his shoulders so that he fell down dead among the dead men in such wise mangled that he abode there dead CHAP. XXII ¶ How Hercules founded the Citie of Corogne vppon the tombe of Gerion SVch was the end of the vnhappy life of Gerion the tyrant he died in like wise as the two brethren did by the club of Hercules When the Hesperiens saw him brought to that passe as for to taste the bitter morsel of death all left their armes All they bewailed sorrowfully the death of Gerion and fell all in despaire So that one staied still to be slaine other fled by desartes by mountaines by the bankes of the Sea and turned all backe in discomfiture When Hercules had espied them so disraied he thanked the Goddes and began for to pursue his enemies The pursuite dured vnto the Euen The Greekes filled the fieldes the mountaines and the waies by the Sea with the bloud of them that fled When the night was come Hercules and the Greeks withdrew them into the Gallies and did eate and drinke such as they had and made ioyfull cheere The hurt men were remembred and comforted with the victory and spoile The wearie men forgat the labour that they had done They rested them after their trauaile passed the night ouer When it was day on the morrow Hercules issued out of his galley And beholding the porte him seemed that a citie should stand well there and said that he would make one there and concluded to begin it Hee sent vnto all places where he wist that any people were thereaboutes and gaue to each man in knowledge that hee was minded to make a citie there and that the first person that woulde come to put hand thereto shoulde haue the gouernment thereof This thing was knowne in all Galicia Manie came thither but a woman named Corogne was the first that came And therefore Hercules gaue vnto her the ruling therof and made to begin the citie and named it Corogne in remembraunce of the victory that hee had there Vpon the body of Gerion he founded a towre and by his art composed and made a lampe burning continually day and night without putting of any thing thereto Which burned afterward by the space of 300. yere Moreouer vpon the pinacle or top of the towre hee made an image of copper looking into the sea and gaue him in his hand a looking glasse hauing such vertue that if it happened that any men of warre were on the sea meaning to doe anie harme to the city sodainly their army and their comming should appeare in this said looking glasse and that dured vnto the time of Nabuchodonozor who being aduertised of the propertie of the glasse filled his gallies with white things greene bowes and leaues that it seemed a wood and in the looking glasse appeared none other thing but a wood Whereby the Corogniens not knowing of any other thing then their glasse shewed to them furnished not them with men of armes like as they had been accustomed to do when their enemies came And thus Nabuchodonozor tooke the citie in a morning and destroied the looking glasse and the lampe When this towre was made Hercules caused then to come thither all the maids of the countrey willed them to make a solemne feast in remēbrance of the death of Gerion After he departed vnto Megidda where were presented to him 100. oxen of the fairest CHAP. XXIII ¶ How Hercules assailed the king Cacus and had battaile against him and ouercame him and how Cacus began to tyrannise in Italy c. AFter this conquest as Hercules intended to people and inhabite this new country tidinges came to him that in the Citie of Cartagene a king giant raigned named Cacus which was passing euil ful of tyranny and had slaine by his cursed dealing the kings of Aragon and of Nauarre their wiues and their children and possessed their seignories and also held in subiection all the countrey of Italy Hercules receiued right ioyously these tidinges and said that by the pleasure of the Gods hee will assay if hee may take vengeance of the death of the kinges of Arragon and of Nauarre Then he disposed him vnto this work and hauing an appetite to correct the king Cacus as soone as his armie might be ready he went vnto the realme of Castile whereas was the king Cacus in the cittie of Cartagene that stood beside a mountaine named Monachaio And hee passed by many realmes that did him obeisance for his vertuous renowme but when hee came to approche to Cartagene the king Cacus came against him without obeysance and in armes for he had been aduertised of his comming And as hee entred into the frontiers hee sent vnto him one of his knights that said to him these words that follow Hercules thou open tyraunt that hast thine heart greater then thy body and that wouldest assaile the heauens for to conquer them if the Gods had giuen thee winges for to flie as the birdes haue If thou seeke peace and loue vnto the king Cacus thy equall in condition and fortune I salute thee in his name and if thou come otherwise to him as his enemy I defie thée in his name And in no wise be thou so hardy as to enter into his countrey And if thou enter know thou that thou shalt find in Cacus and in the Castiliens so hard an encounter that from thy euill aduenture shall no man of thy company bée quit c. Knight aunswered Hercules whatsoeuer you bee you shewe not that you haue the heart of a noble man For it is a shame to all men and especially to a noble man to missay or speake euill of another man Ye haue called me an open tyrant and also ye haue compared mee vnto the tyrant Cacus I answere you to this article that I am no tyrant but a destroier of tyrantes and therefore yee shall returne againe vnto Cacus and signifie to him that I haue intention for to shew what hate I haue vnto tyrantes and that within few daies he may prooue vpon me the hard encounter whereof I haue now receiued the menaces With this aunswere the Castilien departed from the presence of Hercules and returned vnto the king Cacus and tolde him worde for worde what Hercules had saide to him When Cacus had heard all this he was abashed notwithstanding that hee was a strong Giant and a puissant and that he had neuer found a man stronger then he was himselfe for the renowme of
the lesse ye get and winne continual teares or wéepinges nor long lasting sighes may neuer raise your father againe The faire Yo le with these wordes was sore oppressed with hote contrary imaginations that her heart failed her It was a piteous thing to beholde howe her friend Hercules would haue taken her vp and susteined her betwéene his armes But a wise lady that had alway gouerned her came to him and said to him kneeling on her knees Sir I pray you in the name of all the Gods that ye will cease to speake to this poore damsell for this time She hath this day lost her father it must needs bée that nature acquite her Ye may do with her your owne pleasure if ye let her a little abide in her melancholie all shall be well if it please the Gods as well for you as for her At the request of the Lady Hercules was content to let her go for that time hee recommended Yo le vnto the Gods and went vnto Theseus for to passe his time with him but to the end that Yo le shoulde not go away nor escape he ordained twelue Gréekes to kéepe her and commaunded vpon pains of death that they should suffer no woman to issue out of the chamber without witting whither she went In this night Hercules did cause the dead bodies to be had out of the pallace and the place to be made cleane And also he ordeined that the body of the king Pricus should be put in the sepulture When these things were accōplished Hercules Theseus with their men of armes made good chéere with such as they found there and Yo le was neuer out of the remembrance of Hercules Yo le certainely at this time was so discomforted that it cannot be recounted The ladie that had her in gouernance trauelled right sore for to comfort and chéere her Then when Hercules had left her in the chamber as sayd is she had many words to her and among all other she sayd to her My daughter you wéepe too much Ha madame sayd Yo le how may I lesse do when shall I haue cause to wéepe and to waile if I haue not nowe My father is dead I haue lost him that most loued me of all the world I may loose no more ne no greater thing Ought not then my heart to be angry and sorrowfull My daughter sayd the lady I know well that ye haue the most apparant occasion of sorrowe that any woman may haue but since it must néeds be that you passe by this infortune what profite you your grieuous wéepings There may nothing procéed of them but augmentation of melancoly and hurting and appairing of your praised beautie Ye be now fallen into the hand of this prince This is a man worthy and noble aboue all other he loueth you ye ought to thanke the gods and to giue them praise for this grace For this is to you a good fortune and an hap in your mishap If ye will be ruled by me y◠shall take all this in good part Better it is to suffer one euil then two He thinketh ye ought to consider your estate And if ye consider it well ye shall indeuour you to forget it Madame sayd Yo le Alas and how may that be that I should haue loue or affinitie or familiaritie with him that hath done to mee so much harme He hath not taken onely from me a knight an vncle nor a cousin but mine onely proper father Let none speake to me thereof Hee is and shall be my mortall enemy as long as I liue and as long as he shal liue he shall haue no more of me for prayer promise nor for menace My daughter sayd the lady make not your selfe bond whereas you be free the effects and déeds of loue be subtill and sudden Loue is alway in his secret throne that can doe none other thing but humiliate and méeken the hard hearted and bow the strong So hard nor so strong a heart is not amongst the humaine creatures but that it is right soone humbled and made méeke when that it is his pleasure There is no tower so high but it may be beaten downe by subtill mining Neither is no winde so great nor so rigorous but it may be tempered There is no night so darke but that it is surmounted with the day Ye hate Hercules now but if you haue a while kept companie with him and haue had communication with him peraduenture you will loue him better then euer you loued your father your mother or any other of your linage And that I may proue by my selfe for I had my husband in so great hate first ere we loued together that I would faine haue séene him die a shamefull death Shortly after when we had begun to be acquainted one with another I loued him so stedfastly that if he had not beene with me day and night I had thought I should haue died for sorrow and griefe My daughter such be the chances of loue that often times I say after great hate commeth great loue The glory of Hercules is so cléere that your heart ought to be delighted therewith the conquest that he hath made in this citie shall be for you a singular preparation to all good Would you attaine to a more greater weale then for to be fellow or loue of him that is the subduer of kings the most best wel-faring man and the most triumphant in armes for to him is nothing vnpossible hee hath conquered the most part of the vniuersall world O my daughter reioyce you in fortune shut not the doore to prosperitie that commeth to you it is to be beléeued that the desolation of this citie hath bene deuised and ordeined by the parlement of the gods in fauor of you that are the paragon and none like vnto you of all the daughters of the kings for to giue you in marriage vnto this man By these wordes the faire Yo le had her stomacke surprised with sundry imaginations She rose then vp from that part and entred into her guardrobe whereas was the presentation of the goddesse Diana When she was come thither she knéeled downe in great humilitie before the image and in abounding of sighes and weeping as sore as shee had done any time of the day before shee sayd Goddesse of virgines what shall thy right simple seruant and handmayden doe Alas lighten mine hope beholde mine affection weigh my mishappe Send thine eyes into the secret of mine heart and sée the sorrow that I beare and in the fauour of virgines kéepe my bodie and preserue me frō the hand of him that would that I should be his wife Since that he had caused in me the roote of mortall hate which is not possible to be rooted out as nature iudgeth in mee for it is not possible that I may loue mine enemie I am therefore perswaded and it is trueth that the hate that I haue against this tyrant Hercules shal be euer abiding
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