Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	year_n	youth_n	youthful_a	26	3	10.8206	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19170	The life and death of Hector One, and the first of the most puissant, valiant, and renowned monarches of the world, called the nyne worthies. Shewing his jnvincible force, together with the marvailous, and most famous acts by him atchieved and done in the great, long, and terrible siege, which the princes of Greece held about the towne of Troy, for the space of tenne yeares. And finally his vnfortunate death after hee had fought a hundred mayne battailes in open field against the Grecians: the which heerein are all at large described. Wherein there were slaine on both sides fourteene hundred, and sixe thowsand, fourscore, and sixe men. VVritten by Iohn Lidgate monke of Berry, and by him dedicated to the high and mighty prince Henrie the fift, King of England.	Colonne, Guido delle, 13th cent. Historia destructionis Troiae.; Benoît, de Sainte-More, 12th cent. Roman de Troie.; Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? Troy book.	1614 (1614)	STC 5581.5; ESTC S119764	480,848	336

Owle by night to flie and slay Young children or to beare them cleane away And changlings in their cradles vs'd to leaue The singles of a greedy Wolfe that can As some report himselfe of shape bereaue And when he list take on him forme of man The slimes of water-snailes the which she found With labour great within the Indian ground The liuer of a Hart that liues so long And of a Crow that loathsome carrion beast The which by cause the nature was so strong Had liued then Nine hundred yeares at least The head and bill of all which when she had An admirable composition made To lengthen Aesons aged yeares withall A withered bough the which not long before Downe from an Oliue tree did chance to fall In hand she tooke and with the same did pore And stir the liquor till the sticke waxe greene And sodainly both leaues and buds were seene To spring thereon straight did berrie● beare And where the fire the skum thereof did throw Vpon the earth where it had drop● euen there The ground began as fresh and green to show As it in summer did and flowers to rise Out of the same Wh●h wh●●n Medea spies She tooke a knife and with a courage stout Did cut old Aesons throat where presently His aged bloud did all come gushing out And with the boy ling iuce did new supply Which when to Aesons corps she had powr'd in His haire that was so gray did straight begin To turne and wax as blacke as any coale His leane pale withered skin grew faire and fresh The wrinckles in his face and euery hole Therein were fild with yong and lusty fresh His limbs waxt lith and all his ioynts did grow So supple that he plainly then did show To be a man of yong and youthfull yeares At which when to his sences Aeson came He was abasht but casting off all feares He knew at forty yeares he was the same And as backe from old age to youth he drew A youthfull spirit did in his heart renew By which so strange deuise she did restore King Aeson vnto strength and former youth With wit and reason as he had before In each respect as much if it be truth But be it true or false I haue not spar'd To write it as the story hath declar'd And after on his wife he did beget A valiant Sonne that Iason had to name In whose creation nature did not let To shew hir skill and to incurre no blame For neuer man mord perfectly was form'd Nor with more graces inwardly ado●n'd If I should striue here to describe at will His strength his beauty and his comlinesse His good behauiour and his perfect skill His wisedome vertue and his gentlenes To all and euery one both high and low Like as mine Author plainly doth it show My art and wit therein would be to little His qualities so pleased mens desire That he obtained praise of all the people For young and old each one did him admire Iudge then what he would proue in elder yeares That in his childhood such a one appeares But while he was of age and stature small And far vnfit as then to rule the Land His Vnckle Peleus by consent of all Still held the Crowne and Scepter in his hand From whom in ought he neuer seem'd to vary Nor his prcepts at any time contrary So diligent was he in euery thing To please and serue his Vnckle at a becke As is the child held vnder tutors wing And seareth to incurre his Maisters checke In heart no● outward shew whats'ere him toucht He neuer did repine nor at it grutcht And though his Vncle held his heritage And rul'd his Princely Scepter at his will While he remained still in tender age Yet was he neuer mooued vnto ill Nor once of him a bad conceite to haue In any wise his honour to depraue But Peleus he contrarie mind did beare And ●ullie had his heart to enuie bent Dissembling that in face and outward cheare Which inwardly was whollie his intent Like Adder lurking closely in the grasse To sting all those that throgh the same doth passe His heart and tongue contrary each to other For with pretence of faire and friendly show He seem'd to loue the Son of his deare Brother When inwardly his heart did ouerflow With malice though not outwardly espy'd So cunningly he did his malice hide For no man could by any meanes per●●au● That he to Iason bare an enuinous eie No cause he had but feare he should bereaue Him of his Crowne and regall dignitie And at the time of riper yeares obtaine The right succession of his fathers raigne Which he as then vnjustly occupied And daily did devise how that he might On Iason whome in heart he envied Worke his pretended malice and despight Which made him oft build Castles in the aire Like one that liu'd in feare and great despaire Still compasing some way or meanes to find T' intrap and take his Nephew in a snare Which secretly ●e kept still hid in mind Yet ceased not his engins to prepare Like Sathan cuery minute day and hower Deuising how mans soule he may deuour And as the Sun shines hot when raine is past So did his enuie burne more feruently And vext him sore till he deuis'd at last To execute his wilfull trechery A Lambe in shew a Lyon in his heart Fell Tiger like to play a double part A sugred face but false and bitter mind None might of him conceaue suspition That he should to his Nephew be vnkind And priuily worke his destruction Pretending loue but hatred was the end Description true of foule dissembling frend His bad intent disclosed might not be It was so well conceal'd within his heart So is all close and priuy enmity And yet although he playd so well his part His enuy still encreasing more and more Did inwardly torment and vexe him sore Attending time t' effect and bring about That which he did in heart so much desire And so to be cleane freed from care and doubt The only ioy that enuy doth require But Iason he did not conceaue in mind His Vncle would vnto him proue vnkind Their thoughts were cleane contrary in effect The Cousin simply seeking Vncles good The Vncle he all friendship doth reiect Deuifing how to shead his Nephews blood Pro●ok't by malice and desire of gaine The roots of mischiefe sorrow woe and paine For many Realmes and Cities old do feele The poyson of the serpent Avarice But let all those that cruelly will deale Learne this of me and thinke it good aduic● That what so euer mischiefe they intend It 's sweet at first but bitter in the end And though the world doth flatter for a while Let not the enu●ous man be proud withall For he that thinks another to beguile Perhaps may chance in selfe same pit to fall But let vs enuy leaue as fiend of hell And of King Peleus further to you tell Who all this

to me some skill That loftie verse by stately tearmes may yeild To valiant Knights their honour due in field Assist herein likewise i ft be thy will Calliope to Orpheus mother deare Who insweet musicke so exceld for skill That with the sound of harpe as doth appeare He pleasd the monster Cerberus so well That he had leaue to enter into hell To fetch his loue out of th' infernall lake Where Pluto held her for his owne sweet-hart But with the musicke he to them did make He graunted she with him should thence depart And with the dew of thy sweet liquor wet My tongue so harsh and in right tune it set For thou art sayd of Rethoricke to beare The onely praise and patronesse for skill And eke of musicke pleasant to the eare Thou canst direct each instrument at will Deny not then sweet Muse thy ayd to mee And I shall rest beholding vnto thee Els will the clowds of ignorance enclose And round incampe my wits that are so bare And cause the rude to Poets vtter foes To laugh at me But such as learned are I will intreat what faults soere they find To winke thereat and keepe them in their mind And if that in my verses I haue err'd As no man but may erre what ere he be I must confesse I never yet deseru'd To haue the praise for excellent Poetrie For God he knowes when I this worke began I did it not for praise of any man But for to please the humor and the hest Of my good Lord and Princely Patron Who dained not to me to make request To write the same least that obliuson By tract of time and times swift passing by Such valiant acts should cause obscur'd to lie As also cause his Princely high degree Provokes him study ancient Histories Whereas in Myrrour be may plainely see How valiant Knights haue won the masteries In battailes fierce by prowesse and by might To run like race and proue a worthy knight And as they sought to clime to honors seat So doth my Lord seeke therein to excell That as his name so may his fame be great And thereby likewise Idlenesse expell For so he doth to vertue bend his mind That hard it is his equall now to find To write his Princely vertues and declare His valor high renowne and Maiestie His braue exploits Marshall acts that are Most rare and worthy his great dignitie My barren head cannot devise by wit T' extoll his fame with words phrases fit This mighty Prince whom I so much cōmend Yet not so much as well deserues his fame By royall blood doth li●ally descend From Henrie king of Englād forth by name His eldest Son heire vnto the Crowne And by his vertues Prince of high renowne For by the graft the fruit men easly know Excreasing th' honour of his pedigree His name Lord Henrie as our stories show And by his title Prince of Wales is hee Who with good right his father being dead Shal weare the Crown of Brittain on his head This mighty Prince hath made me vndertake To write the siege of Troy the ancient towne And of their warres a true discourse to make From point to point as Guydo sets it down Who long since wrot the same in latin verse Which in the English now I will rehearse The time when first I tooke the same in hand To say the truth was in the fourteenth yeare Of famous Henrie King of England The Fourth by ●●ne my Princes Father deare When Phoebus shew'd in altitude to be Fine three times told and foure and one degree When he did in his Chariot downe descend With golden streames into the Ocean strand To bath his steeds and light to others l●nd That farre remote inhabite th' Indian land Where when our Summer is clean● past and gon Their spring beg●●s but newly to come on And when Lucina faire with paler light Began in cold October to arise T'enhase the darkenes of the winters night And glistring starres appeard in christall skies And then was in the signe of Scorpion And Hesperus then westward running downe His course to hasten gainst tomorrow bright As Lucifer that driues darke clouds away Is sayd to bee the messenger of light And shineth at the dawning of the day When Phoebus early shoes his glistring face Ascending from Proserpins obscure place Where Pluto sits environed about With furies of the fowle infernall Lake In this yeare moneth and time as it fell out This Historie I first in hand did take And of the Troyan wars the truth vntwind As in my ancient Author I it find For if no Authors had the truth set downe In written Bookes of things that are forepast Forget fulnes would soone haue trodden downe Each worthy act and cleane extinct at last Which Serpent never ceaseth to assaile The world to cause all truth on earth to faile And had no ancient Histories been found But all things vnto memorie were left Truth surely then would soone be layd in ground And men of knowledge vtterly bereft But God intending Sathan to prevent That hath foreseene and writers alwaies sent From age to age still to renew the same That truth might alwaies spring and come to light And thereby win an everlasting name Against the which sowle envy still doth fight But famous Clarkes not ceasing truth to show By writing leaue the same to vs to know Els time with syth would soone cut downe the grasse And re●ening death extirpe the root and all And nothing whatsoere on earth did passe Should haue record the same to mind to call Nor honor due to valiant Knights be read But it with them should rest and lie as dead And so not onely name but fame would die And wholy be defaced out of mind But Histories explain the same to th'eie As daylie by experience we may find Nere ceasing spight of envy to vnfold The truth of all which may not be controld Therein we see of high and low estate The life and acts as it were on a stage For writers that are wise in heart do hate To speake vntruth or flatter any age For tyrauts being dead they will not feare To write and shew their follies as they were And t'yeild each man as he shall well deserue Be 't good or bad and therefore it i● best For every one that credit will preserue In life to vertue cleaue and vice detest For after death know this and marke it well Clarkes will not spare the truth of them to tell For such vnpartiall dealing in their daies Great Princes in them tooke no small delight For truely blasing forth their laud praise Their high renown their power their might Their knightly acts their victories fame Eternally with glory of their name For they still sought to shun the sisters three Fraud Negligence and Sloth that none might doubt Ought was forgot or more p●t in to bee Then truth requird and as the truth fell out Els worthy acts

were wholy done in vaine And those that honour sought had lost their paine And time by length of yeares and ages past Would haue defaced name and honor cleane Of Conquerors for what can ever last Vnlesse record thereof were to be seene Which Clarkes for which they merit and deserue Continuall praise haue sought still to preserue For Histories and Bookes are sayd to bee The keyes of learning memory and skill In them and by them all men plainely see What hath forepast and what is good or ill Witnesse the fall of Thebes the ancient Towne In Stacies Booke for truth at large set downe Where you may read and see how Polinece Was nere content with Etocles a day Nor would like louing Brother liue in peace Till Thebes Towne was brought vnto decay And h●w Tedeus through that mortall ctrife And by dissention was bereft of life How Oedipus with sorrow griefe and woe Did loose his eies so bitterly he wept And how the Smo●kes devided were i● two Of fiers made when funerall feasts was kept Which fier brothers hatred did engender And death to both for iust reward did render Mine author Guydo in like sort doth show As by his Booke most plainely it appeares Of all the Troian Princes overthrow While Greeks besieg'd the towne so many yeares In very truth and though t is long since past No time nor age the storie hath defast For maugre them you may it still behold In Bookes set downe most plainely to mens eies For truth by lying will not be controld Though enviously some seeke it to disguise Transforming all the substance of the matter By fayned tales dissembling to flatter As Homer did who truth would seeme to show Yet covertly did seeke the same to hide And by vntruth which he full well did know With Artificiall words doth truth deride Who seeming Greecians honour to defend Doth faine the Gods from heaven to descend In shape of men and openly were knowne To helpe the Greeks against the Troians fight And many such vntruths by him are showne In sugred words and phrases for delight Pretending so his malice for to hide For falsehood seekes in darkenes to abide The cause why he the Greeks so smothly prais'd Was for that he vnto them was allide And therefore sought their glory to haue rais'd But such as loue the truth cannot abide Gainst conscience for to praise or discommend Where no desert their action may defind But Cupid as the Poets faine is blind And giues his doome more after lust then law So Sicophants as we by proofe doe find Commend and praise the men they never saw By false report extolling them to skie Of whom in heart they know full well they lie Whereby such men as never merit fa●e But iust disgrace are highly magnified And they contrary that deserue good name Are either not remembred or beli'd For favor now doth beare so great a s●ay That true desert is driven cleane away Ovidius Naso likewise hath devis● A Booke in verse of Troian ●●●s to show Part true part false but in such sort disguisd That who so reads it can by no meanes know Which way to sound the deapth of his intent His phraise therein's so mis●ically bent Like story also Virgill doth declare When of Aeneas tra●●●les he doth write Where truth to tell in part he doth not spare Although s●●● time he seemth to delight In Homers course with Rethoricke to glose And truth with falsehood often to compose Dares an ancient Author first was found And Ditus eke of Troian warres to write Who both set down the truth perfect groūd As being there and did behold the fight And thogh their books in seuerall language be Yet they are knowen in all things to agree The Books in time to Athens being brought Salustius cousen one Cornelius By diligent enquirie out them sought And being of a mind industrious Translated them with great earnest care In each respect as th' Authors doth declare His only fault was that he did not write The story full at large as he it found But ●ure he did in breuity delight Els would he not haue spar'd to shew the groūd And first beginning of that mortall strife Which cost so many thousand men their life And how the Greeks came both by sea lād The nūber of their ●en and of their ships The manner how they first did take in hand To plant their siege all this he ouerskips How envy was the root and cause of all The mischiefe that on Troy at last did fall How many Kings and Princes thither went In warlike wise to win them high renowne How they agreed all with one conscent To see the full sub●er●i●●● of the Towne What armes they ●are what men they did retaine Who in the siege did longest there remaine How one the other Knightly did assaile How many valiant Princes lost their life How of t they met in field to giue battaile How hatred still increast and bred new strife Nor of their deaths ●e ●iteth not the yeare Thus much he leaueth out as doth appeare Which lately causd an Author to arise Whose truth in writing is not to be bla●'d That tooke in hand this st●●i● i● such wise As that of Ditus and of Dares nam'd He hath not sought one sentence to neglect Nor yet in ought the meaning to reiect This Clarkethat wrote so true so iust so well Was Guydo of Columpna by his name Who in sweet Rethoricke did so much excell That he enricht his storie with the same So Eloquently hath he set it downe That he deserueth praise and high renowne For which in heart and voice I will not stay To giue him praise and commendation due And with applause in truth and rightly say He was the flower most certainely and true Of all that sought this storie to compile For wit and soveraignty of stile Whose treces as I can I will obserue If God vouchsafe me time and grace to do 't And graunt my labour may of him deserue The Princely praise that first provokt me to 't Beseeching all that see 't with heart mind Not spare to speake if any fault they find And with good will I shall amend the same For many eies may see much more then one Correct then freely where you find the blame But find not fault whereas deserueth none And so in hope I shall your favours win With your support this storie I le begin THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HECTOR THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. 1. I How Peleus King of Thessalie lost his people men women and Children by diuine punishment and after by prayer vnto the Gods obtained others IN Thessalie King Peleus once did raigne For vertue held a Prince of worthy fame Whose subiects as mine Author doth explaine Were Myrmidons so called by their name Of whose beginning Ouid doth rehearse The History at large in Latine verse And saith that in that Countrie downe did fall So furious a tempest from the skie

deny'd His small request and boldly him defi'd Which vnto vs not any vantage brought But onely was the meanes of our despight And afterwards no little mischiefe wrought For if that we by provident foresight Had not deny'd all harmes had been eschewd That after by the Troyans were pursude At Cithera nor yet the treasure great And costly jewels woone by Paris had Been carried vnto Troye their regall seat Nor slaughter of our men by them been made Nor yet the woe that Helena procur'd In Grecian land so long therein endur'd Nor any wrong to Menelaus been done If we I say had well considered Thereon and him restored Exion Nor had we been so foolishlie misled To spend our treasure and our goods in vaine To come to fetch Queene Helena againe With no small costs or charges to vs all And dangers great as you may well suppose And yet we know not what may chance befall Or whether we in fine shall win or lose Sith that nothing on earth is permanent But vnto alteration still is bent And for that fortune all things can subvert And to a good beginning giue bad end All dangers therefore from vs to divert And wiselie to begin that we pretend My counsell is ere further we proceed To send vnto King Priamus with speed To will him to make restitution Of Helena as reason doth require And of all other wrongs vnto vs done By Paris vnto which our iust desire If he consent we may returne to Greece With honor and all further troubles cease But if he seeme this offer to refuse And wilfullie reiecteth our demand Then shall we haue occasion iust to vse All rigour whatsoere within his land To spoyle his towne and lay it flat on ground And vtterly both him and his confound And two things will our action iustifie The one is that our quarrell iust and right Which to be so no man can well denie Will maintaine vs and boldly for vs fight And vs and ours will lawfully excuse But them condemne because they did refuse Our iust demand to them first offered The other is that through the world so wide All men will say that we were iustlie led To take revenge and will hold on our side And them perpetuallie for ever blame Of wilfulnesse to their erelasting shame And all extreames that by vs shall be vs'd Gainst woman child or man of each degree For causes fore aledg'd will be excus'd I●●s and we shall wholly freed bee Though that we kill and spoile them every one And shew no mercy vnto any one But yet before we enter thereinto My counsell is this offer should be made To them and that with speed the same you do And by this meanes as I before haue said We shall great praise and commendation gaine Which said he sat downe in his throwne againe But mongst the Grecian Princes many were Of cl●ane contrarie minds and would not grant That any should such message from them beare To Priamus least he should brag and vant That they to him had sent to craue amends And m●tion made with him for to be friends Yet such as more experience seemd to haue To Agamemnons counsell did agree And to the same their free consents then gaue That Diomed and Vlisses sent should bee Their minds vnto King Priamus to shoe Who straight without delay to Troye did goe At such time as the Sun with radiant light Had past along the whirling Hemisphere At noone-time with his beames exceding bright Vpon each hill and valley shone most cleare And when vnto the towne of Troye they got They entered therein and staied not But straight vnto King Priams pallace went For that the streets directlie led them to 't Not showing any man what their intent As then might be nor asking leaue to do 't Intending without feare or any dread In their Embassage boldlie to proceed And truth to say no man did them resuse To enter nor to passe along the street For t' may be that as then they did not vse For pasports or safe conducts to intreat For messengers but such as in that sort To any Prince or Countrie did resort Had leaue to enter freely without doubt And at the last they came to Ilyon The which with admiration round about They viewed well esteeming it alone Surpast all others both in breadth and length Beautie exceeding richnesse and for strength And yet they wondred more thogh't did thē good Within the court all pau'd with lasper stone To see a tree in midst thereof that stood Which like vnto the Sun for brightnesse shone But could not iudge it to be naturall Or made by workemen artificiall Or framd by divellish inchantation Or cunning of some learnd philosophie Or whether t' was but meere illusion And did appeare that t' was not to the eie And long they stood much troubled in their mind To see if that they could by reason find The ground of such a woonderfull devise But t' was too hard for them to comprehend So that if nere so long they should surmise Or on the same whole yeares in studie spend To find the truth thereof t' was impossible And yet to all mens sight t' was visible And palpably for to be felt with hand The stocke whereof was gold most bright cleare Which straight as any Mast or Palme did stand And did a huge and great proportion beare The height twelue cubits at the least and more And many branches great and small it boare Which large and wide all ore the place did spread And such a breadth it bare that round about The court therewith was wholly shadowed The branches and the leaues thereof throughout The tree in paires together coupled were The one ol gold the other silver clere The fruit it bare was precious stones most fine Of colours white greene red and saphire blew Which on the same exceedingly did shine And every day the blossoms did renue And on it hung with colours variable Which to the Grecians seemd most admirable Who having long beheld it at the last Went forward with intent t' effect their charge And never staid but through the pallace past So long till that into a chamber large They entered whereas King Priamus Sat in a throane most rich and sumptous Accompanied with his Nobilitie Who all along the chamber on each side About him sat with princely maiestie On whome the Greeks which did exceed in pride With visage sterne and froward countenance As having then but small rememberance Of honor look't most boldlie in the face And without any curtesie or word Once offered sat downe and tooke their place Right opposite against the counsell bord And there regarding not the Maiestie O● Priamus nor his Nobilitie When they had paws'd awhile with courage bold Vlisses gan vnto King Priamus Th' effect of their Embassage to vnfold So stoutlie and with words presumptuous That all that were assembled did admire His pride mus'd what he would then require And said

able there most cruell blowes to beare Nor gainst them long to stand in their defence Which don they tooke me and King Alphenore And in their armes by force and violence Despightfully away with them they b●re And carried vs that were in mighty feare Into a darke and filthy prison where Our hands and feet with Iron chaines were bound And we were fed with bread and water cleare And had no bed but bare and naked ground To lyevpon while we remaines there This mighty Giant cald Poliphemus Who as I sayd had so imprisoned vs A sister had that passed every one That liued in her time for beauty rare Who as it seem'd had some compassion Of our distresse as maydens often are More kind then men and came to visit vs In prison by which meanes it fell out thus That Alphenore though captiue then he lay So much admird her beautie that he fell In loue with her and did nought night and day But musd thereon and liked her so well That though he did himselfe in fetters find Yet he on her did holy set his mind And faster with loues chaines had tyed his hart Then with theyron bands wherein we lay Sixe moneths in great distresse ere we could part Or get from thence for so long we did stay Imprisoned till that Polliphemus At last had some compassion vpon vs. And after we had been tormented so Did ease vs of our great captivity And of his grace and fauour let vs go Whereas we would at our owne liberty But Alphenore still burning hot in loue Could not the same out of his mind remoue But dayly felt a sore and grieuous fit Thereof within his heart till at the last He found the meanes by policy and wit When he had many stormes of loue orepast That on a night he did the mayd convay Out of her fathers house and went away With her so secretly that no man knew 't Till morning early ere that it was day Polliphemus did sweare that we should rue't And following vs oretooke in the way And such a fierce assault on vs did make That ●e the mayd from Alphenor did take And then our men so furiously did slay With th' aid of those that him accompanied That they compelled were to giue him way And at the last in extreame feare they fled And left me in great danger all alone To fight with that most mighty Champion And when I saw there was no remedy To scape from death I did with courage stout Defend my selfe and smot him sodainly Vpon the face and thrust his eye cleane out Which done I went vnto my companie And with them to our ships in hast did flie And no man did perceiue which way we tooke And finding wind and weather fit to go We went aboord and speedily forsooke That countrey as best for vs so to do For there was no abiding then for vs. Of Poliphemus Ovid writeth thus That he a huge and mighty Gyant was Whose face was couered ore with beard haire So thicke and so defusedly that as Men lookt on him they were in mighty feare The rather for that he deformedly In middest of his forehead had an eie And none elsewhere as men are vsd to haue Which eie when as Ulisses had smit out He did therefore s●extreamely rage and raue That he ran blindfold groping round about Ore hils dales and wheresoere he past Huge rocks and mighty stones about him cast In euery place supposing so to be Reuenged on Ulisses for the ●ame As you at large in Ovids booke may see Which he his Metamorphosis doth name And hauing so escaped from his hand And safely with our ships got from the land We sayled all that day vntill t' was night When as it was our chance vnhappily Vpon a round and little Isle to light Which in the middle of the sea doth lie Eludium cald wherein as then did dwell Dame Circes who in magicke did excell And would that which she tooke in hand performe So cunningly that by her Art she could A man or woman when she list transforme Into what kind of shape so ere she would And make them in that sort to liue as long As pleased her her potions were so strong And likewise made her selfe by Art so faire That none like vnto her was to be found For that whosoere did to her Isle repaire Could not get out of that accursed ground Without her leaue for by that Sorceres My mind was so possest with carelesnes That I had no desire at all to go From thence but there with a yeare did stay And truth to tell I was enchanted so That I could not get thence by night nor day So pleasant was the life that there I led And while that I with her continued She did conceaue with child by me and had A sonne that Thelagenius had to name For which cause much account of me she made And lou'd me more then others for the same But yet at last by secret providence I in her Art had such experience That maugre all inchantments she could vse I stole away from her and to conclude Though she so many others did abuse By Art I did her divelish Art delude And by that meanes escaped from her hand And with my men got free out of her land But nerethelesse it did me nought availe For that when I had been a little while Vpon the seas and forward thought to saile A wind contrary blew me to an Isle That farre remote within the sea did stand And was exceeding rich and fertile land Wherein Calipha Circes sister raignd Whose Art and foule inchantments were so strong That she againe my liberty restraind And spight my heart there also held me long But truth to say she did so much abound In courtesie the which in her I found And was a Lady of such excellence For rarenesse of her qualities and wit That tarrying there to me was no offence But though that I well pleased were with it Yet loath to stay I did her Art prevent And secretly escapt from her and went Directly to an Isle wherein did stand A Temple where there was an Oracle And whosoere therein did chance to land Might answere haue as 't were by miracle Of any thing whereof he wold enquire Whereas I did most earnestly desire To know what fortune should vnto me fall And also how I might prevent the same Where I was told my future fortunes all What soere I ask● saue only what became Of soules of mortall men when they are dead For nothing therevnto it answered As being that which is not in the might Nor power of any creature to tell For that belongeth wholly and of right To God that doth in highest heavens dwell For it is cleane beyong the reach of man And from that Isle I once againe began To hoyse vp sailes in surging seas scourd The same but with contrary In Caribdis where Mermaids vse to lie That from the middle down-wards

To grieue his head was fild with fantasies And deepe conceits t' imagine and to see If he could find or shape a remedie By any meanes to shun that would not bee But yet for all his policie and wit He could not reach vnto the depth of it For thinking that he would the same prevent De did suppose that no man but his son Was he that should it do and therefore sent With all the speed he could for Thelamon And cast him into prison so to shun That which the Fates decreed should be dun Remembring not the speare with steeled head Nor yet the flag thereon with azure fild With fishes on 't which in the seas do feed Nor Circes faire who in her hand it held Which signifi'd nought but hostility Nor yet the Crowne and regall dignity Of one that raign'd within an Isle that stands In middest of the sea that should be hee Who gainst his will should slay him with his hands And execute thereby the iust decree Of God the which Ulisses thought not on But onely did suspect Prince Thelaemon Whom he then held close prisner in a tower And to prevent all other meanes what s'ere He never ceast to muse thereon each hower And at the last grew thereof in such feare That he did cause a Castle to be made And built of Marble stone the which he had Devised in such sort that there was none Like vnto it in all the world throughout For strength and had no gates in it but one To enter in the same and round about A ditch most deepe and broad on every side Did compasse it Wherein he did abide And closely kept himselfe from sight of all The world but those which on him did attend And ever held a watch vpon the wall Both day and night most strictly to the end That no man should so hardy be to venter Without his leaue into the same to enter Vnlesse it were those that therein did lie Now as the storie vnto vs doth tell Ulisses had a Sonne begotten by Queene Circes who in valor did excell So much that he was comp'rable to none In all that land whose name was Thelagon Borne in an jsle among the furious rage Of foming seas that compast it about Who at that time attained had to th'age Of twenty fiue yeares old who stood in doubt What man did him beget or who should be His father whome he longed much to see And having great desire the same to know He fell before his mother on his knee And did intreat her earnestly to show The truth to him who might his father bee And what he was where he then did dwell But she long time by no meanes would it tell But put him off and fed him with delay Till when she saw she could not be at rest For him that did torment her every day And would not cease till he had his request She shewd him that Vlisses was his sire And where he dwelt who with most great desire To see him tooke his leaue of her with speed And told her that he straight frō thence would go But when the Queene perceau'd he had decreed To go to seeke Vlisses and that no Perswasion in the world could him withhold From doing it her heart it waxed cold And in her breast she felt exceeding paine And when she saw he would by no meanes stay She prayed him to come with speed againe Home vnto her And so the selfe same day He put to sea and saild so long till he He arriued where he did desire to be And when he was within Achaia land He never ceast to ride from place to place And rested not till he did vnderstand Where king Vlisses royall Pallace was Which when he knew he made no more aboad But speedily vnto the Court he road Whereas the king within his Castle stayd And early on a Munday morning came Vnto the gate and draw-bridge where he prayd The Porter who at that time kept the fame To giue him leaue a word or two to speake Vnto the king who to him gaue a cheake And churlishly did thrust him from the gate And proudly said he should not enter in And with some other speeches told him that He must be gone whereat he did begin To be in such a rage that there with all He did vpon the Porter fiercely fall And furiously did take him by the beard And gaue him such a blow that there with all He fell dead on the bridge which when they heard That were within they issued and did fall On him but he so hotely them withstood And fought with such a fierce surious mood That many of them cleane ore the bridge he cast And when as more vpon him issued forth And on all sides began t'assaile him fast He did begin to be exceeding wroth And with his sword about him made such way That he therewith did fifteene of them slay And fought so long that he was out of breath And scarce could hold himselfe vpright so that Sore wounded he expected nought but death Wherewith Vlisses came vnto the gate And when vpon the bridge he did espie His men on heaps dead on the same to lie Sore mou'd thereat he tooke a dart in hand And there with all in furious wise did throw At Thelagon who then did leaning stand Vpon his sword but it did light too low And hurt him not at all but Thelagon Straight stooped down laying hands theron Did throw it at Vlisses in great hast And there with all did strike him such a blow Into the breast that through his ribs it past And gaue him his deaths wound but did not know That 't was the king nor that he so had slaine His father deare who then could not sustaine Himselfe vpright but to the ground did slide With pale and deadly face and so he lay Amongst his men that stood on either side And busie were to beare him thence away Supposing that he verily was dead But sodainly he lifted vp his head And having still a perfect memory He cald to mind the vision he did see And how that he was told assuredly That one of his ner'st kinsmen should be hee That with a dart of life should him bereaue And for because ●● could not well conceaue Who it should be He bad his men to bring The young man that before the gate then stood With speed to him without once offering To wrong him for so sheading of their blood And when that he was brought into the place Whereas he lay he look't him in the face And marking well his countenance began To aske him for what cause he did come thither And what occasion moved him as than T' assaile his guard that he and they together Had fought and he had slaine them so whereby Himselfe sore wounded was and like to die To whom with courage bold he spake and sayd The onely cause why I came hither was To see the King but by the