tooke all that they found in their houses and slew so manie ere it was day that they had slaine more then twentie thousand They pilled and robbed the Temples and the cry arose to be horrible of them that they slew When the king Priamus heard the cry hee knew anon that Eneas and Anthenor had betraied him he arose then hastily and went into his temple of Apollo that was within his Pallace as he that had no more trust nor hope of his life and kneeled before the high altar Cassandra fled on the other side as one that had been out of her witte into the temple of Minerue weeping and demeaning great sorrowe and the other noble women abode still in the Pallace in weepinges and in teares When it came to the morrow the Greekes by the conduct of Eneas and of Anthenor that were open traytours vnto their Citie and also to their king and Lord came and entered into the Pallace of Ilion where they found no defence put to death all them that they found Then Pirrhus entred into the temple of Apollo found there the king Priamus abiding his death then he ranne vpon him with a naked sword in sight of Eneas and Anthenor that guided him he slew there the king Priamus before the high altar which was all be-bled with his bloud The queene Hecuba and Polixene fled and wist not whether to go and it happened that she met with Eneas and then said Hecuba to him in a great furie Ha a felon traitour from whence is come to thee so great crueltie that thou hast brought with thee them that haue slaine the king Priamus that hath done to thee so much good and hath set thee in magnificence and also hast betraied the countrey where thou were borne and the citie that thou oughtest to keepe at the least let it suffise thée and refraine thee now of thine intent and haue pitie of this vnhappie Polixene to the end that among so many euilles as thou hast done thou maiest haue grace to haue done one good deede as for to saue her from death before the Greekes slea her Eneas mooued with Pitie receiued Polixene in his guard and put her in a secret place Among these things king Thelamon set in the temple of Minerue in kéeping Andromeda the wife of Hector Cassandra whom he found there in Ilion and set the cittie on fire in all places and brent al the noble cittie except onely the houses of the traitors which were kept and reserued When the cittie of Troy was all brent king Agamemnon assembled al the most noble of Gréece in the temple of Minerue and when they were all assembled he required them of two things one was that they should hold their faith and trueth to the traitours the other that they should take good aduise to part the prey of the cittie The answer of the Gréekes was such that they would hold their faith to the traitors as for the first point and as to the second euery man should bring all the prey in common and there to part to ech man after his merite and desert Then spake Thelamon and said they should burne Helen for whom so much hurt and euill was come and that so many woorthy kings princes had died for And there was a great murmure hereupon that with great paine Agamemnon Vlysses and Menelaus might saue her But Vlysses with his faire spéech saide to them so much of diuerse things that they were content that Helene should haue no harme And then Agamemnon did so much to all the other that for his reward the daughter of king Priamus Cassandra was deliuered vnto him Whilest that the Gréekes held yet their parliament there came to them Eneas and Anthenor and aduertised them howe Helenus had alway blamed the Troyans of the enterprise that they made against the Gréekes and counselled them to put the body of Achilles in sepulture which they woulde haue giuen to the houndes and besought them therefore that they would saue his life and it was agréed and accorded to them And then Andromeda and Helenus intreated for the two sonnes of Hector which were saued albeit that Pirrhus was there against and debated it a litle but in the end hee agreed it and so the children were saued After this vproare they ordeined that all the noble women that were escaped from death should go whither they would freely or dwell there still if it pleased them And after these thinges done they purposed to depart from Troy but a great tempest beganne to arise that time that endured a moneth whole before they might go to the sea Then demaunded the Greeks of Calcas the cause of this trouble that endured so long and hee aunswered that the puissances infernals were not yet appeased for the effusion of the bloud of Achilles that was shed in the temple of Apollo for the loue of Polixene and for to appease the Gods it behooued to sacrifice Polixene for whom Achilles died Then Pirrhus enquired diligently where Polixene was become that was cause of the death of his father for there was no tidings whither she was aliue or dead Agamemnon demanded of Anthenor which said to him that he knew not where she was wherof he lied not and yet for to make an end of all his euilles he enquired so much that Polixene was found in prison in an olde auncient tower whereas she was put in and then he went thither and drew her out by force by her armes and presented her vnto the king Agamemnon which anon sent her to Pirrhus the which sent her to the sepulture of Achilles for to be slaine and as they led her there was no king nor prince but that he had great sorrow for to see so faire a figure of a woman to be lost and without that she had deserued it and they had deliuered her from the hand of Pirrhus if Calcas had not been that said alway that the tempest should not cease vnto the time that she were dead When the faire Polixene was before the sepulture of Achilles she excused her verie humbly of the death of Achilles and said that shee was much wroth and sory of his death and that the kinges and princes of Greece suffered her to die against iustice and without fault or trespasse yet that she had leauer haue the death then to liue with them that had taken away and slain al her friends And when shee had finished her wordes Pirrhus smote her with his sword in sight of the queene her mother and slew her cruelly and cut her all in peeces and cast them all about the sepulture of his father When Hecuba the queene sawe thus her faire daughter slaine shee fell downe in a â—woone and after went out of her wiâ— and became mad and beganne to runne as a vacabond and all enraged and assailed with her teeth and with her nailes all that she might come by and casted stones and and hurt many of
for as much as they intended vnto vices that hold of earthly things Of these daughters one was named Medusa the other Euriale and the third Senno Medusa that was the eldest of all the other succéeded in the Empire and in the Realme And the Poets say that 〈◊〉 had the head of a Serpent giuing by this to vnderstand that shee was wonderfully wife and subtill After the death of King Porcus this Medusa gouerned mightly her Realme and maintained pyâ—â—es and men of warre and in hir beginning she occupied and haunted the sea of Europe at pleasure and with right great triumph And landing on a day at the port of Athens shee sent vnto king Neptune to require him that he would grant vnto her that she might enter into his Citie for to worship in the temple of the goddesse Pallas which was newly made Neptune did great honour vnto the Messengers of Medusa and accorded vnto her that shee should enter into his Citie and into the Temple vpon condition that she should haue none with her saue her damosels Whan Medusa heard the aunswere of king Neptune she concluded that shée would go into the temple where of was a great talke And she was accompanied with many Damosels so richly arayed that it was a gallant sight for to sée She entred into the Temple and into the citie and there she turned into stones not onely the men that beheld her but also the women and among all other especially a Quéene that was named Ida. By this it is to be vnderstood that this Medusa was of so excellent beautie and was so passing rich that all they that beheld her gaue themselues ouer wholly to couet her beautie and her riches And therefore write the poets that they were turned into stones For they that dispose theÌ„selues and giue them to the delightes of this worlde be lykened and compared vnto harde stones whereof maye no good come Thus then Medusa entring into Athens conuerted and turned manye men into stones in so much that Neptunus heard these tydings and desiring to sée thys Quéene hée went into the Temple where shée was in contemplation And hée hadde not long behelde her when hée felte himselfe so desirous of her and of her loue that hée sayde to himselfe that shée shoulde be his wife and that shée shoulde neuer escape him This Medusa was long space in contemplation during which Neptune desired her beautie more and more and his heart gaue him that he should obtaine his purpose And anon after that his heart had thus chéered him he a little paused considering the excellencie of her griefe and thought trauersed and arose in his minde that constrayned him to say these wordes that follow Alas in what matter in what sorrowe and in what right great and enflaming payne be they that be burning in loue by long space of time that I alreadye beginne to finde mée in so manye sighes and paynes that I wot not howe I maye in time come vnto this Ladye for to require her to be my wife She is shining in all beautie and in right aboundaunt riches This is it that I lacke She beholdeth me otherwhiles in her prayers it maye happen so well that loue may turne her heart for to make aliance betwixt her and me And what is this men say that loue hurteth no man but if it be by his eyes If the eyes be not made for to sée I will saye that my desire shall hap well Where am I where I am put me out Where is my hart where is my desire I know not what I thinke my thought may be abused and my abuse may well be reuersed myne eyes peraduenture thinke they see that they sée not Mine eares imagine to heare and yet they be deafe I finde my selfe in a great perplexity and very ataynder and yet more in a superfluous errour more then any man may haue For when I sée this Ladye more excellent then all other in beautie and riches reason telleth me that she is not come hither for me and when I behold that shée is alone without men in my Cittie who shall againe saye my will I will require her to be my wife after that she hath doone her deuotion and if shée accord to my request my labour shall doo well And if she gainsay and withstand it then I must vse force and authoritye royall Thus when Neptune came to this conclusion Medusâ— arose from her contemplation and looked right fayre Neptune went to her and did her reuerence and after prayd her that she would go to his royall pallace for to refresh her Medusa thanked him of his curtesie and sayde that she might not well tarye there at that time When Neptune vnderstoode that she was to returne without staying longer in his house nor in his Cittie hée was sore displeased in his heart yet hée helde her in parle and drewe her a parte and sayde vnto her chaunging coloure Madame I am sorye that ye refuse to take harbor in my house I am king of this Cittie the goddes haue not giuen to mée so great happe that I haue yet any wife any Lady or damosel it is so now happened that the gods and fortune haue enspired you to come hither Certes it is so that your right high beautie hath prepared the eye of my heart and hath made me so desirous of you that I giue vnto you heart body and goods and all that a louer may giue vnto his loue and Ladie or any king may giue Wherefore I pray you that ye will go vnto my pallace to the end that I may haue communication more secretly there and tell you of the right great loue that I haue to you Anon as Medusa vnderstood the requests of the king shee began to frowne and not willing to bee otherwise intreated she answered to him Syr king if it were so that mine heart desired acquaintance and communication with one man more then with another in truth if I so found me disposed I would holde my selfe right happie finding my selfe in the grace of your eyes but the matter goeth with me far otherwise I loue men as much one as another I haue a purpose to abide and continue in my virginity Ye be a king you haue giuen to me safe conduct for to performe my pilgrimage I desire you that ye holde you content and that ye beare your selfe in such wise as if yee had neuer seene me Madame saide Neptune how shall I do that ye say when my heart is all giuen vnto you Sir answered Medusa it behoueth first to know and after that to loue I haue tolde you here that I haue a purpose to abide a virgine what may it profit you to say that ye haue giuen me your heart these be but lost words Dame saide Neptune the Diamond shineth not till it be polished ye were neuer peraduenture desired nor requested of loue before now wherefore ye haue no more loue to one man then to another Therefore
and would liue there of booties rapin and theft After he bethought himselfe that he would goe to king Pricus of Calidonie which was his cousin for to haue company to leade his wife with that he had chosen and that he would aske and demand in mariage one of his daughters With this conclusion he departed from the mount Auentin and tooke the way vnto Calidony going apace til he came thither Some say that Calidony is the countrey that we call Calabrie When Cacus was come to Calidonie king Prycus receiued him as it apperteined to a king forasmuch as he knew him and was of his linage and after demanded him of his tidings Cacus began to sigh when he saw that he must tell his mishappe and then told him and recounted from the beginning to the end howe Hercules had taken from him his realmes and how he hadde been besieged and how hee was escaped And forasmuch said he as I dare not abide in mine owne countrey I am come hither vnto you for refuge and to tell and count my sorrowes And I haue intention to holde mee on the mount Auentin in a Caue that is there vntill that time mine enemie Hercules shall depart from mine heritage and I will keepe mee there so secret that no man in the world shall haue knowledge thereof to the end that Hercules know it not forasmuch as he hath me in great hate and he hath more greater hap and fortune in armes then I haue And if hee knew that I were in any place I am certaine that hee woulde come thither for to destroy mee This considered I haue chosen this caue for to hide me as I haue said but forsomuch as I haue more sorrowe in feacute eling then my taste requireth it is so that the eyes of a man being in great trouble reioyce in the visage and fight of a woman for a woman is a gladnesse and comfort of a man Wherefore I require you and pray you that ye will giue mee to wife one of your daughters And if it please you so to doe certes ye shall doe to me great pleasure and the most friendship that I may haue for this present time The king Pricus answered and saide Cacus ye be come and descended of high gentlenesse and haue great lordship and seignory in Hesperie If fortune were against you this day your highnesse ought not therefore the worse to be esteemed At this day I haue foure daughters of whom the one is named Yo le Take whom it pleaseth you except Yo le for I will not yet marry her And if yee haue any will to make any army against Hercules tell it me plainly and I will succour you as a true friend Cacus was right well content with the aunswere of the king and thanked him saying that he would make no army for this season but hee woulde passe his time in the caue like as he had purposed and concluded Then the thrée daughters of king Pricus were sent for and Cacus choose one of them which hee wedded and after lay with her and abode there two daies At the end of two daies he would depart and tooke leaue of the king The king would haue deliuered vnto him tenne knightes and tenne Squires for to haue brought him on his way but he refused them and would none Then hee woulde haue deliuered to him certaine ladies and damsels but of all them he took none saue the two sisters of his wife which would by force go with him Thus then he departed from Calidonie accompanied with thrée sisters He was alway sorrowfull and pensiue and from that time forth thus being in impatience for his mishappe and casting out of his royaltie he beganne to runne out and bathed his axe in the bloud of the men women and children that he mette and put them al to death c. Cacus beganne to exercise the déeds of furie and of tyrannie as he was going vnto the mount Auentin Anon as he was come he entered into the caue the best wife he could with his wiues and the most secretly And of this place he made a nest of theft and a pit of sinnes For the first night that he had lodged his wiues he went into the village that stood there fast by beheld the fairest house where into he entered by a window that was open and slew all them that were therein and after tooke all the goodes asmuch as hee might beare vppon his shoulders and bare them into the caue wheras were his wiues CHAP. XXV ¶ How Cacus stole away the oxen and kine belonging to Hercules and how Hercules fought with him therefore and slew him IN the morning Cacus found a right great stone of marble which hee tooke and bare it vnto his caue and made therewith his dore The most part of that time Cacus held him in his caue and went neuer out but when he would doe harme or euill When hee went into the field as is said he slew al thē that he met He robbed euery man he defloured women hee burnt houses and townes and shortly spoiled and did so much harme in Italy that they that passed in the coūtrey supposed it to be destroied by the Gods and could not knowe whereof nor from whence came these persecutions that Cacus made vpon them For to returne then to our talke of Hercules he came vnto the citie of king Euander in the time that Cacus bedewed Italy with bloud of men and filled his caue with continuall stollen goodes After the comming of Hercules and of his men of armes his beefes or oxen were brought into the citie because the king Euander shoulde see them The king tooke great pleasure to behold and sée them for they were high and passing faire After that the king had séene them Hercules demanded of him whither hee might send for to pastour them for that night In trueth Sir saide Euander if yee will followe my councell yée shall let them abide in this Citie and not send them into the fieldes Wherefore said Hercules Euander aunswered and saide forasmuch as when we send out our beastes we knowe not where they become They haue beene stollen and driuen away and wee cannot knowe who be the robbers our seruauntes béen murdred the houses be burnt the people that should labour in the field be slaine the women and maidens bee violated and put to shame and wee cannot remedie it For wee cannot haue knowledge of the authours or doers thereof Wherefore some men say will auouch it that they be the Gods that thus punish vs for our sinnes Wherefore I pray you let your beasts abide in this citie to the end that they be not stollen Sir said Hercules ye recount and tel to me a great maruell I beleeue well that those things that ye say be very true But this notwithstanding since that the Gods haue saued them vnto this day they will keepe them yet if it please them For if they will haue them
then anon rent off In bickering he receiued many a stroke and alway he defended himselfe without displaying of his power and of his strength as he that awaited for the tidings of the assault that was nigh The affray was great in the hall and in the citie on al partes the Calidoniens ranne to the pallace for to assaile Hercules King Pricus made him ready came with other vnto this fray Then was Hercules assailed fiercely but this assault was déere to the king for to his welcome Hercules came to the tabernacle that stoode vppon foure great barres of yron whereof hee tooke the one and beat downe the tabernacle After he lifted vp his arme with the bar and smote the king Pricus so vnmeasurably vpon the â—oâ— of his helmet that notwithstanding his strong harnesse and armours he all to beat him downe to the earth and smote him so sore broken and bruised that he fell downe dead betwéene his two porters At this time the crie arose great among the Calidonians Not alonely there but also in the citie for hee that kept the watch sounded to armes forasmuch as the Greeks assailed hastily the walles Calidony was then terribly troubled and the Calidonians wist not where to turne them whether to Hercules or to the assault All was full of heades armed aswell in the pallace as vppon the walles After this that Hercules had slaine the king Pricus he beganne to smite vppon his enemies and his strokes were great at ech stroke he slew two or three so as shortly he bare himselfe there a knightly that in little while hee couered all the pauement of the pallace with dead bodies of the Calidonians lying one vpon another without that any man might dammage his armor The Calidonians were of great courage and had great shame for that they might not ouercome Hercules that alone had done vpon them so great an exploit They assailed him with great courage and cast vpon him darts sharpe iauelines His armes and his shoulders bare all and he did so great things with his barre and gaue so great strokes that none of them might resist his strength The poore Calidonians came thither with great courage and desire for to reuenge the death of their king Hercules put so many to death that hee wist not where to set his foote but it must be vpon Calidonians Before the gate of the pallace was a pitifull noise of wéepings of cries that women and children made In the end when the Calidonians knew and perceiued the vertue the strength of Hercules and that they laboured in vaine they ceassed to assaile him and fled Then Hercules issued out of the pallace with his barre all couered with bloud Assoone as the Calidonians saw him they set vpon him passing furiously and assailed him anew they cast stones and darts vpon him they shotte arrowes on him aboundantly as they that were purueyed and awaited for his passage In this assault Hercules had much to suffer yet after receiuing moe strokes then canne be numbred he passed the watch that awaited to haue staine him and rested neuer till he came vnto the gate The Calidonians ranne then after him as men without dread of death and mightily swollen with pride and ire beganne on anew to smite vppon his shoulders and vpon his backe When Hercules saw that he turned his face vppon his euill willers and smote vppon them with his barre on the right side and on the left side so lustily that he died his barre with newe bloud and maugre his enemies he beat them downe and all to bruised them before him He made them then to recule and go backe more then fourtie pases and after came to the gate And the Calidonians pursued him againe but ere they came vpon him he all to brake bruised and to frushed the lockes and the wickets and doores of the gate and the Greekes assailed him with all their power and beate downe the draw bridge After he called the assailants and they came vnto him and with little resistance they entred the citie which was at that time with great slaughter of the Calidonians that would not yéeld themselues nor put themselues to mercy vntill the time that they saw their stréets and houses full of dead bodies c. CHAP. XXVIII ¶ How Hercules was enamoured on Yo le the daughter of king Pricus and how he required her of loue and how she accorded vnto him BY this maner was king Pricus slaine and his city taken by Hercules After the slaughter when the Calidoniens had huÌ„bled themselues Hercules and Theseus went to the pallace they came thither so fitly that they found the daughters of king Pricus with their ladies and gentlewomeÌ„ séeking the king among the dead bodies There were so manie dead bodies that they could not finde nor know him that they sought Hercules at his comming beganne to behold one and other and especially among al other hee cast his eie vppon Yo le the daughter of the king forasmuch as she was excellently glistering in beautie that in all the world was none like vnto her When hee had a little beheld her by a secret commaundement of loue hee drewe him vnto her wéening for to haue comforted her Anon as the right desolate gentlewoman saw Hercules approching vnto her she trembled for dread and fled vnto her chamber the ladies and the gentlewomen followed her and among them so did Hercules What shall I say hee entered into the chamber where she was and sate downe by her She thought to haue risen for to haue gone out of the way but he held her by her clothes and said vnto her Lady ye may not flie my companie Yo le spake then and said O miserable tyraunt what séekest thou me nowe for to trouble mee more Thou hast slaine my father let that suffice thee Madame answered Hercules if the king Pricus be dead it is reason that he be not much bewailed nor wept for he thinking for to auenge the death of the tyraunt Cacus came not long since for to assaile me in Italy saying that I had vnrightfully and without cause slaine him In maintaining the contrary I fought with him vppon this quarrell the battaile was not ended nor put to vtterance at that time for he withdrew himselfe with his people and came into this citie and I haue pursued him hastily albeit I coulde not ouertake him When I saw that I laide my siege about this citie he would not come to fight the battaile during my siege wherefore I haue this day willed to haue an end Fortune hath béen on my side and hath put you in my power Certes it must néedes be that without remedie ye be my lady and my loue for in séeing your singular beauty loue hath constrained me to be yours Then I pray you as affectuously as I may or can that yee cease your sorrow and that ye receiue mee as your friend and loue The more ye weep
daughter was named Cassandra and was a right noble Virgine adorned and learned with Sciences and knew thinges that were for to come And the third was named Polixena that was the fairest daughter and the best formed that was knowne in all the worlde Yet aboue these children heretofore rehearsed king Priamus had thirtie bastard sonnes by diuers women that were valiant knightes noble and hardy When then king Priamus was in a straunge Countrey hee was occupied and verie much imploied in the sense and profession of warre the Queene and her children were there with him The tidinges and newes came to him that the king Laomedon his father was slaine his Citie was destroied and his noble men were put to death their daughters brought in seruitude and also his sister Exione At these sorrowfull tidinges hee was greatly gréeued and wept aboundantly and made 〈◊〉 lamentations And anon incontinent her left his siege and finished his warre and returned hastily 〈…〉 and when hee found it so destroied he begâ—â—â— to make the most â—â—row of the world that 〈…〉 And after he had 〈…〉 sell to make againe the 〈◊〉 Then he beganne to â—â—â—â—â—ie the citie so great and so strong that he neuer ought to doubt his enemies did close it with right high walles and with great Towers of Marble The citie was so great that the circâ—â—se was 〈…〉 iourney And at that time in all the world was none so great nor noâ—e so faire nor so excellently compassed In this Citie were sixe principall gates of which the one was named Dardane the second Timbria the thâ—â—â— Helias the fourth Chetas the 〈◊〉 Troyen and the 〈◊〉 Antenorides These gates were right great and faâ—re and of strong defence And there were in the citie rich â—â—â—ces without number the fairest that euer were and the fairest houses rich and well compassed Also there were in many partes of the citie diuers faire places and pleasant for the citizens to sport and play in In this Citie were men of all Craftes and Marchauntes that went and came from all the partes of the world In the middle of the citie ranne a great riuer named Paucus which bare shippes and did bring great profite and solace vnto the inhabitantes When the Citie was thus made the king Priamus did cause to come all the people and inhabitauntes of the countrey there aboutes and made them dwell in the citie And there came so many that there was neuer 〈◊〉 â—â—ter furnished with people and with noble men and â—â—â—â—ns then it was There were found many gaâ—â—es and 〈…〉 richest Pallaces and strongest that euer was in all the world And it was of height fiue hundred pases besides the height of the Towers whereof was great plentie and so high that it séemed to them that sawe them from farre they raught vnto the heauen And in this riche pallace the king Priamus did make the richest hall that was at that time in the worlde within which was his rich Throne and the table whereupon hee did eate and held his estate among his Lordes and Barons and all that longed thereto was of gold and of siluer of pretious stones and of Iuorie In this hall at one corner was an altar of golde and pretious stones which was consecrated in the name and worship of Iupiter their God to which altar went men vp twentie degrees or steppes And vpon the altar was the Image of Iupiter of fifteene foote of height all beset and and arraied with pretious stones For in that God Iupiter was all the hope and trust of the king Priamus for to hold his raigne long and in all prosperitie c. When he sawe that he hadde so faire a Citie so strong and so well peopled and with that so rich of goodes hee beganne to take some displeasure at the wrongs that the Greekes had done vnto him and thought long howe hée might reuenge him Then hée assembled on a certaine day all his Barons and helde a riche Court. At this Court Hector his eldest sonne was not for hee was in the parties of Pannony on the affaires and certain works of his father forasmuch as Pannonie was subiect vnto the king Priamus When king Priamus saw all his folke assembled and gathered before him hee beganne to speake saying in this manner O men and true friends that bée partners of my great iniuries to mée done by the Greekes for so little a cause or trespasse Yée knowe howe the Greeks by their pride haue come into this countrey and haue slaine cruelly your parentes and friendes and also mine And how they haue taken and ledde away and holde in seruitude Exione my sister that is so faire and noble and yet they holde her as a common woman Ye knowe wel how they haue beaten downe and destroied this Citie ouerthrowne the walles the Pallaces and houses vnto the foundations and haue borne away the great riches whereof the Citie was full And for these things I think it should be reason that by the helpe of the Gods who resist those that bée insolent and proud wee altogither by a common accord shoulde take vengeance of these iniuries Ye know what Citie wee haue and howe it is peopled with good men of arms and fighters and garnished with all maner of goodes and riches Also ye know well the alliances that wee haue with many right great Lords that with good wil wil help vs if néede hee Wherefore me séemeth that it shoulde bée good for vs to reuenge vs of this shame But yet forasmuch as the aduentures of the warres be right doubtfull and daungerous and that no man knoweth what may come thereof albeit that the iniurie be great and that they hold my sister in so great dishonour yet will I not begin the warre But first if yée thinke good I will send of the most sage and prudent men that I haue to pray and require them that they render and yéeld againe my sister Exione and I will be content to pardon all the other iniuries c. When the king hadde thus finished his wordes all allowed and praised his aduise and it séemed to them good And then the king Priamus immediately called one of his Princes named Anthenor and earnestly desired him and vsed courteous and gentle perswasions that hée woulde enterprise this ambassage forthwith into Greece And Athenor with all humilitie aunswered him that hee was alwaies readie to doe his good pleasure Then was there a ship made ready and all that belongeth and was conuenient to bring Anthenor into Greece He entered into the shippe and his men and sailed so long that they arriued at the porte of Thessaly whereas was then by aduenture the king Peleus that receiued right ioyfully enough Anthenor and demaunded of him wherefore hee was come into those partes Anthenor answered to him in this maner Sir said he I am a messenger of the king Priamus that hath sent mee to you and hath commanded me to say to you and other that he is
well remembred of the great iniuries that yee and other haue done to him that for so little cause or occasion haue slaine his father destroied his citie and his people some dead and some in seruitude And yet that is worse to holde his sister foully as a concubin and yet at least he ought to haue wedded her And forasmuch as yée be a man of great witte and discretion the king my lord wisheth you and warneth you that from henceforth yee cease the rage and the great slaunders that may come for this cause that all good men ought to eschewe to their power that his sister be safely deliuered again to him and he will pardon the residue and wil hold it as a thing that neuer had happened c. When the king Peleus had heard Anthenor so speak hee chafed with him anon in great anger and ire and beganne to blame the king Priamus and said that his wit was light And after menaced Anthenor and commaunded him that he should go anon out of his land for if hee tarried long there hée woulde flea him with great tormentes Anthenor taried not long after but entered into his shippe without taking leaue of king Peleus and sailed so farre by the sea that he arriued at Salamine where the king Thelamon soiourned Then Anthenor went vnto him and declared to him the cause of his comming in this maner Sir said hee the king Priamus requesteth effectuously your noblenesse that his sister Exione whom ye holde in your seruice so foully ye would restore vnto him For it is not fitting nor seemly vnto your glorie nor renowne to vse so the daughter and sister of a king and that is issued of a more noble ligne then yée bée And in case that ye will restore to him his sister hee will hold all thinges as not done as well the damages as the dishonours that by you and other haue beene done vnto him When the king Thelamon hadde heard Anthenor so speake hee beganne to waxe passing angry and aunswered to him right fiersly saying My friend saide hee whatsoeuer thou bee I haue much maruaile of the simplenesse of thy king to whom I beare none amitie neyther he to mee And therefore I ought not to hearken vnto his praier nor request Thy king ought to knowe that I and other haue béen there for to reuenge an iniurie that his father Laomedon did late to some of our friendes And forasmuche as I then entered first into the citie of Troy with great trauaile effusion of my bloud Exione of whom thou speakest which is right faire was giuen vnto mée for the guerdon of my victorie for to do with her my will And forsomuch as shee is so well to my pleasure as shée that is of great beautie and replenished with all Sciences it is not to me so light a thing to render and deliuer againe a thing that is so faire and delightfull which I haue conquered with so great paine and daunger But thou shalt say to thy king that hée may neuer recouer her but by the point of the sword but as for me I repute thée for a foole that euer wouldest enterprise this message wherein lieth thy great perill for thou art come among people that vehemently hate thée and thy like therefore go thy way hastily out of this countrey For if thou abide any more here I will make thée die by cruell and hateful death c. When Anthenor heard Thelamon so speake hee entered right hastily into his ship and sailed so farre that hée arriued in Thessalie where the king Castor and the king Polux his brother soiourned Hée went a shore spéedily from his shippe and declared his message like as hée had done to the other And the king answered to him in great yre and said to him thus Friend what that thou art I will that thou knowe that wée thinke not to haue iniuried the king Priamus without cause for it is so that the king Laomedon his father then beganne the folly wherefore he was slaine For he wronged first certaine of the Nobles of Greece and therefore wee desire more the euill will of thy king Priamus then his good loue or peace And certes it séemeth well that he had not thée in anie good reckoning when hée sent thee hither to doe this message in this countrey wherefore I wishe thée see well that thou abide not here long for if thou go not incontinent thou shalt die villanously Then Anthenor departed without leaue and entered into his shippe and sailed till hee came to Pilon where the duke Nestor soiourned with a great company of noble men Anthenor went vnto him and saide that hee was messenger of the king Priamus and tolde and counted to him his message in such wise as hee hadde saide to the other before And if the other were angry this Nestor chafed in himselfe more against Anthenor and said to him Ha ha vile varlet who made thee so hardie for to say such thinges before me Certes if it were not that my noblenesse refraine me I woulde anon cause thy tongue to be plucked out of thy head and in despite of thy king I would by force of horse cause to draw thy members one from an other Go thy way hastily out of my sight or by my Gods I will cause to bee done all that I haue heere said c. Then Anthenor was all abashed at the horrible words of Duke Nestor and doubting the furie of his tyrannie returned vnto the Sea and sette him on his returne to Troy ward And hee hadde not been long on the Sea when a great tempest arose and the aire began to waxe darke and to raine and to thunder right maruellously and there rose great windes contrary and waxed thicke and horrible mistie and his shippe was borne on the waues one time high and another time lowe in great perill and there was not a man in the saide shippe but supposed to die and that made not speciall promises and vowes to their Gods and in these perilles were they three dayes and on the fourth day the tempest ceased and and the aire waxed all cléere and became peaceable Then they comforted themselues and sayled so farre that they came to the port of Troy and went straite to their Temples to giue then thankes to their Gods for that they hadde escaped so manie perilles as they hadde been in And after Anthenor went with a great companie of noble men before the king Priamus and when all the Barons were assembled and all the sonnes of the king present then Anthenor tolde all by order what hee had done in Gréece like as it is contained heretofore At these tidinges was king Priamus sore troubled and greeued for the opprobrious tauntes that they had offered to his messenger in Greece And then he had no more hope nor trust to recouer his sister CHAP. II. Howe the king Priamus assembled all his barons for to know whom hee might send into Greece for
and helde his peace and spake not of a great while and so did all the other Then arose vppe on his féete Troylus the yoongest sonne of king Priamus and beganne to speake in this manner O noble men and hardy how be ye abashed for the wordes of this coward priest here Is it not the custome of Priestes for to dread the battailes by pusillanimitie and for to loue good chéere and pleasures to fill their bellies with good wines and with good meats who is he that beléeueth that any man may know the things to come vnlesse the gods do shew it him by reuelation It is but follie for to tarie vpon this or to beléeue such things If Helenus be afrayd let him go into the Temple and sing the diuine Seruice and let the other take reuenge of their iniuries by strength and force of armes O right deare father and lord wherefore art thou so troubled for these wordes send thy shippes into Gréece and thy knights wise and hardie that may make requitall to the Gréekes for their iniuries that they haue done vnto vs. All they that heard Troylus thus speake allowed him saying that hee had very well spoken And thus they finished their parlement and went to dinner After dinner the king Priamus called Paris and Deiphebus and commaunded them expresly that they should goe into the parties of Pannonie hastily to fetch and assemble knightes wise and hardie for to take with them to Gréece And then that same day Paris and Deiphebus departed from the citie of Troy for to performe and accomplish the will of their father The day following the king assembled to counsel al the citizens of the citie of Troy and sayd vnto them after this maner O my louing friendes and true citizens ye all doe know notoriously howe the Gréeks by their pride and insolencie haue done to vs great wrongs and innumerable dammages as it is very well knowen in the al whole world And ye know also how they holde Exione my sister in seruitude wherefore I liue in great sorrow and also ye be remembred howe I sent Anthenor into Gréece that hath nothing done wherefore my sorrowe is doubled And forasmuch as by yron hee cured the woundes insanable I haue purposed to sende Paris my sonne with men of armes and puissance into Gréece for to inuade and assaile our enemies by strength and for to do them great damages and for to assay if they might take any noble ladie of Gréece and to send her into the city and that by the commutation of her I might get againe my sister Exione And forsomuch as I will not begin this thing but that it may come to your knowledge first I pray you that you say to mee your aduise for without you I will not procéed further therein forasmuch as it toucheth you all as well as me When the king had thus finished his spéeches and that ech man held himselfe silent a great while then stood vp a knight named Pantheus that was the sonne of Deuphrobe the Phylosopher and sayde O right noble king as I am your true seruant and vassaile I will declare to you my aduice in this matter also truely as a vassaile and subiect is bound to counsell his lord Ye haue had wel in knowledge Deuphrobe the great Phylosopher my father that liued whole and sounde more then nine score and tenne yeres and was so wise in Phylosophy that he knew the science of things to come hereafter he sayd vnto me many times and affirmed for trueth that if Paris your sonne went into Gréece for to take any noble ladie by violence that this noble citie should be destroyed and burnt vnto ashes by the Gréeks and that ye and all yours should be slaine cruelly And therfore right sage and wise king pleaseth if your noblenesse to heare my wordes and beléeue that the wise men haue sayd and be perswaded in that thing that ye may not loose by if ye leaue it whereof great sorrowes may ensue if ye perseuere in opinion Wherefore wil ye séeke to intrap the good estates of your rest and put your tranquillitie vnder the dangerous aduentures of fortune Leaue this and disswade your selfe if it please you from this folly and finish and end your life in rest happily and suffer not Paris to goe into Gréece in Armes And if ye will algase send ye another then Paris At these wordes of Pantheus grewe and arose great murmuring of the hearers Some reprooued the prophesies of Deuphrobe the Philosopher and some helde it for mockerie and a fable and they were of the greatest number insomuch that by the consent of the more part Paris was appointed for to go into Gréece with men of armes and the parliament finished each man went home into his house and to his place When this conclusion was known of Cassandra daughter of king Priamus she began to make so great sorrow as if she had been foolish or out of her right mind began to cry on high saying Ha ha right noble Citie of Troy what Faierie hath mooued thee to bee brought to such perils for which thou shalt in short times be beaten downe and thy high Towers be ouerthrown destroied vnto the ground Ha ha queene Hecuba for what sinne hast thou deserued the death of thy children which shal be cruell and horrible wherefore with holdest not thou Paris from going into Gréece which shal be cause of this euill aduenture And when she had so cried she went vnto her father the king and with weeping drowned in teares praied him that he woulde be perswaded for to leaue off his enterprise saying that she wist by her science the great euils and harmes that were comming by this meane But neither for the disswasions of Hector neither admonition nor warning of Cassandra the king woulde not change his purpose nor for Helenus his son nor Pantheus c. CHAP. III. ¶ Howe Paris and Deyphebus Eneas Anthenor and Polidamus were sent into Greece and howe they rauished Helene out of the temple of Venus with manie prisoners and richesse and brought them to Troy where Paris espoused the said Helene AT the entry of the moneth of May when the earth is attyred and adorned with diuers sloures Paris and Deiphebus returned from Panonie and brought with them thrée thousand knightes right hardy and wise Then they made readie two and twentie great shippes and charged and laide in them all that was conuenient for them Then the king Priamus called Eneas Anthenor and Polidamas that was the sonne of Anthenor and praied them and commaunded that they shoulde go into Greece with Paris and Deyphebus and they offered themselues to go with a good will And when they were all ready and assembled for to go into their shippes the king Priamus spake to them in this maner It needeth not to vse many wordes for yee knowe well enough for what cause I send you into Greece and howe well that I haue
she on a day called her deare sonne Saturne with Titan and other of the Countrey and there rehearsed and saide vnto them that her yong sonne Saturne should succéede and haue the heritages of her husband Titan hearing the will of his mother redoubled his sorrow it caused him to wéepe great plentie of teares and knéeled too fore his mother humbly and saide in in this wise Mother I am right infortunate when ye will that my right patrimonie be put from me and that naturally me ought to haue by right should be giuen from me and yet because that I am not so wel formed of members as my brother Saturne is which sorrow is to me passing noyous ye wil put from me my fortune and byrth which ye may not do by lawfull reason I am your first sonne ye haue nourished me with the substance of your blood as your childe borne in your bellie nine Moneths Also I am he that first dwelled and inhabited your feminine chambers none tofore me tooke there any seisin when I tooke that then ye gaue mée your due loue and sorted to me the succession of your heritages Then whence cometh this that ye nowe subuert and destroy that nature hath once ioyned giuen me euery mother is bounden to holde the conseruation of the right of her child Alas mother will ye make me bastard fro my right am I a bastard was not Vranus my father am not I he that ye were so glad for what time ye felt first that I was conceiued in the lawfull bed of my father your husband am I not be that ye bare and gaue mee sucke of your breastes and oftentimes kissed me that is to say in my tender dayes what tyme my members were soft and tender Ha mother acquit you ayeinst me as ye beholden and bounden by right and knowledge ye that I am Titan and for as much as I am lesse and not so well adressed as my brother Saturne so much yée ought the more desire my promotion and furthering When dame Vesca heard her sonne Titan speake so sadly and profoundly she had pittie on him yet the pitie was not of so high vertue that might surmount the great loue that was rooted betwéene her and Saturne and then she sayde to Titan her sonne Titan my sonne I denie not that thou tookest thy substance betwéene my sides and were brought into this world and know verily that I loue thée intirely and that I desire thy weale but it is so cleare and euident in euery mans sight that for the default loathlinesse and abhomination of thy members thou art not a man sufficient to defend thy fathers heritage with great labour and paine for if it happen that one man would make warre thou were not able to resist him what wouldest thou that I should do thy brother hath the loue of al the people for his beautie and his vertuous maners and euery man holdeth him in reuerence and thée in derision and scorne Be thou content thou shalt lacke nothing and if thou lacke speake to me and I shall remedie it but speake neuer no more to mee for the heritage for Saturne shall obtaine it by the fauour of his wisedome méekenesse and benignitie and also because the common sort iudgeth him and séeth that hee shall once bee the man whose life shall shine gloriously Titan was sort troubled of the words of his mother and he began to chaunge colour and waxe red hauing suspition to Saturne that hee had contriued this matter against him whereupon he drew him apart to him and saide Saturne the enuie that thou hast to raigne aboue me hath now ingendred in my heart thy mortall mischiefe whereof the hate shall endure vnto the mortall separation of thy life and of mine and of my children Thou knowest well that I am the eldest son of our father Vranus how art thou so hardy and presumptuous to inhaunce thy selfe aboue me by conspired imagination I will that thou knowe verily that like as thou hast conspired in my temporal domage semblably I shall conspire to thy eternal domage hurt And name me from henceforth thy mortall enemie When Saturne heard these burning and enflamed menasses of his brother Titan he excused himselfe and answered that he neuer thought in his life to come to the succession of their father nor neuer had imagined nor conspired it Then Vesca their mother Cibell and Ceres tooke the wordes fro Saturne and saide to Titan that his threatning to Saturne was for naught for he should raigne and be Lord and maister Titan full of felonie and more angrie then hée was too fore said plainly that he would not suffer it Saturne had a great part of the people that assisted him and gaue him fauour And Titan also had other on his side which began to murmure the one partie agaynst the other All the compapanie was sore troubled and began to thrust in and enployed them to cease the noyse and to accord Titan notwithstanding it was hard to doe for alway he would haue runne vpon Saturne if he had not béene hold and letted alway In the ende the wise men shewed Titan by great reason that he was the more féeble and that Saturne was more in the fauour of the people and that he would modere himselfe a little and sayde that he should agrée and graunt the raigne to Saturne by condition that if hee married he should be bound to put to death all his children males that should be begotten of his séede if he any had for the wele of both parties Vesca with her daughter and the auncient wise people accorded to Titan this condition and laboured so to Saturne that they brought them to the Temple of their god Mars that was in the citie of Oson whereof was Lord a mightie man called Milliseus and that afore the image of the god Mars Saturne swore that if him happed to marry and that hee had any children males hee would slea them all thus was Titan content that his brother shuld enioy the land of Crete the peace was made betwéen them both CHAP. II. ¶ How Saturne was crowned first King of Crete and how he found first diuers sciences wherefore the people held him in great honour as a God AFter the treatie made of the peace of Titan and Saturne Titan saw in himselfe that hee might not worshipfully abide and dwell being vnder his yonger brother had leuer go and search his aduentures in other places then to be thral to his yonger brother Hee tooke his wife his children and friendes and departed at all aduenture into diuers places where he found fortune so good and happy that by armes and strength he made himselfe king of many diuerse Realmes which hee departed vnto his chlldren and commised and ordained certaine espies to espie and waite if his brother Saturne married himselfe and if his wife brought foorth men children and whether hée put them to death During these saide things Saturne
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
they iudged him to be but dead alowing his hardines that to them séemed was too great One and other spake of this matter Perseus armed him ioyously When he was armed he came to Andromeda and kiss her taking leaue of her and sayd fayre mayde praye ye vnto the goddes for your champion that for your loue submitteth himselfe vnto the perill of death to the ende that by your onely meane I maye come vnto the enioying of loue and that we togither maye be ioyned in maryage which I buye at the price of my life Noble Knight aunswered the mayde I am more beholding to you then to all my kinsmen and fréendes Knowe ye that if my prayers may obtayne of the goddes ye shall returne safe from this enterpryse Then Perseus wente before the stone and Andromeda knéeled with great humilitie with both her knées vpon the earth in calling on her gods to help her champion and there were many matrones vpon the banke of the Sea that for compassion put them in contemplation and by this example of them all the Siriens beganne to pray for the prosperitie of the Knight excepting onely the king Phineus which prayed for his death And that for this cause for as much as before the iudgement giuen on Andromeda hée had fianced and betrothed him to her So had he wished that the monster had deuoured Perseus to the ende that the mariage of him and of her might haue béene ended What shall I say more When Perseus had so put himselfe foorth by the stone he looked towarde the sea and helde in his hande a good and passing strong sworde and he had not long behelde the situation and taken leasure to sée the place when there sprang out of a swalow or depth of the sea a monster so great and so horrible and so dreadfull that it séemed that he had béene made for to destroy all the worlde hee was rough and went on foure féete like a beast and his forme was so disfigured that none wist whereto he might be likened When then the Syriens sawe him put his head out of the déepe there was none so well assured but he trembled for feare And many were so afrayed that they fled into their houses and reentred into their Citie This notwithstanding Perseus as soone as he sawe him rise vp he came to him as hardie and right well assured and smote him with the poynt of his sworde so full vpon the right eye that on that side he made him blinde whereof the monster felt so great paine that he came out of the Sea with open mouth and thought to haue swallowed Perseus And Perseus went backe a little and put his sworde betwéene his iawes into his throate so farre foorth that he could not draw it out againe and so of force it abode in his throate more then foure foote At the second stroke the monster made a maruaslous crie lifting vp his head and wéening to haue cast out the péece of the sworde which abode in his throate but it would not bée Alwaye the monster assayled Perseus and wéend to haue swalowed him into his throate and Perseus alwaye stroke at him with his sword and put him at defence and smote alway at his throte and about nigh his other eye and so well intended the worke that after he had giuen him many woundes he made him blynde on the left eye like as hée did on the right eye And then as the monster went héere and there and made many walkes without séeing or knowing where he went pursuing his enemy Perseus gaue him manye woundes searching his heart and at the last he founde it And finallye he bestirred him so that he pearsed the heart with which stroke he made him to fall downe dead CHAP. XXXVI ¶ How Phineus would haue had Andromeda and how Perseus answered him that she should be his wife PAssing ioyous and astonied were the Syryens when they sawe the good fortun of Perseus and sayd one to an other that such a knight ought to be praysed aboue al other men The king Amon tooke great pleasure to sée his dealing séeing the monster labouring in his death hée went downe to him embracing him and said Sir the gods gouerne thy fortune and since they haue receyued thée in their fauour and grace there is none that may anoy thée in a good houre were thou héere arriued demaunde what thou wilt and I will cause thée to haue it Syr aunswered Perseus I haue preserued from death the Damosel I desire none other thing but her O valiant Knight sayde Phineus that was there awaighting thou doost much gloryfye thy selfe for thou hast gotten in a halfe day more honor then an other knight shal get in an hundred yeare And greatly thou oughtest to be commended But beware that the beautie of this mayd deceiue thée not know thou that I haue betrothed her and by right she ought to be my wife Many dayes bee gon and expyred since that in the presence of our bishop we promised to take each other in mariage This misfortune is after come to her thou haste reléeued her and wouldst therefore haue her The beginning is fayre but the ende is foule And if it so happe that thou do me wrong I let thée know that I will not suffer it for in this coūtrey I am a King haue great puissance al the glory that thou hast gotten shal be héere quenched Wherefore I praye thée that thou forbeare in this case and that thou suffer me to take that is mine and take thou that that belongeth to thée During these wordes Perseus looked towardes the Sea and saw from farre his galyes comming the one after the other directing them towarde this porte Whereof he hadde right great ioy and sayde vnto Phyneus King I make no doubt that thy power is great in this countrey but knowe thou right well that I knowe no man liuing that shall cause me to leaue that belongeth to me When I came hither I found this mayde condemned vnto death At that time shée was all abandoned to the death I haue saued her and I saye to thée that shée is mine and thou oughtest to haue no regard to any promise that she hath made to thée or to any other And so I haue intention that she shal be my wife And if thou wilt Combate and fight for her assemble thy power and make thée ready in thy battaile Lo héere come my galies readye for to receiue thée and although I haue not people ynough yet I haue in my cofers the most parte of the treasors of Medusa for to send for men of armes in al places where I may get them When Phineus considered this answer and knew that hée was the Knight that hadde vanquished Medusa whereof the renoume was greate and ran through out the whole worlde hée coulde none otherwise aunswere to Perseus but that hee might do his pleasure All the kinsmen of Andromeda were angrie with Phineus for his
the companye of Pryamus and wist not where he was become c. At this enterméeting and skirmish Laomedon was out of the prease and refreshed him When he heard saye that his sonne Priamus was taken he was therefore passing sorowfull and had so great paine that the sweat came to his heart and from thence vnto all his members wherefore he went himselfe againe to battell halfe out of his mind the battell was then fell and enuenomed and there was most hard fighting But for to augment and increase the ouer-great sorrow of this Laomedon he found that his folke had the worse and losse and litle fought On the other side hée saw the horions and strokes of the Greekes so great and so vnmeasurable that his men were brought out of ranke and the arayes broken and charged with so heauy stookes of the heauy swords that they went and turned backe and began to flie and then when it came to the discomfiture Laomedon abode not with the last but entred againe into his Citie as hastily as he might The Greekes followed the Troyans eagerly and so nigh that they entred in with them with great effusion of blood Hercules was the first that wa◠the gate and as for the Greekes he was porter and put in all them that were of his knowledge Many Troyans passed by the cutting of the sword and many fled away by the fields and bushes When Laomedon saw that by force his Citie was taken and put in the hands and gouernance of the Greekes right sore discomforted and all in despaire he tooke his daughter Exione and Antigone and his most precious iewels and gemmes and fled away priuily thinking that his enemies woulde make there a right great destruction and pilling as they did For when Hercules had put his men within the Citie he let his men robbe and pill Thus the Troyans were persecuted The chanels were tempred with their blood The houses were beaten downe and the great riches were put into prayes and of all the goodes of the Citie there were left nothing whole but the pallace of Ilion whither the ladies and the maides were withdrawne Hercules would in no wise destroy this pallace forasmuch as the ladies made to him a request for to spare it At this prise Hercules sought long Laomedon in the pallace of Ilion and in all places of the citie but he could heare no tydings of him wherefore he was sore displeasant and when he had beaten downe the walles that had béene made with the money of the gods he departed thence and returned into Grece with great glorie And in this wise was Troy destroyed the first time Wherefore I will thus now make an ende of this first booke and will begin the second booke where shall be shewed how Troy was reedified how it was destroied the second time And how Priarnus raysed it and made it againe In continuing the noble labours of Hercules nowe new begun c. Thus endeth the first booke of the collection of the gathering togither of the histories of Troy The Table of the first Booke of the Collection of the Hystorie of Troy THe beginning of this Booke sheweth the genealogie of Saturne and of the couenant and promise that he made to his brother Titan and how he tooke in hand mortall warre against Iupiter his owne sonne Cap. 1. Pag. 1 How Saturne was crowned first king of Crete and how he found diuerse sciences wherefore the people helde him in great honour as a god cap. 2. pag. 6 How Saturne went to Delphos and had answere how hee should haue a sonne that should chase him out of his realm and how he maried him to his sister Sibell cap. 3. pag. 9 How Saturne had commaunded to slea Iupiter that was new borne and howe his mother Sibell sent him to king Meliseus where he was nourished cap 4. pa. 17 ¶ How after the death of King Corinthus of Corinth his two sons Dardanus and Iasius stroue which of them should haue the Kingdome and Dardanus slew his brother Iasius by treason wherefore he must departe out of the country Chap. 5. Page 21 Of the great warre that was mooued betweene the Pelagiens and the Epiriens and how King Lycaon of Pelage was destroyed by Iupiter because of a man put to him to hostage which king Licaon did roste Chap. 6. pa. 25. Howe Iupiter after the discomfiture of king Lycaon transformed himself in guise of a religious womā of the goddesse Diana for the loue of Calisto daughter of the sayd Licaon and did with her his will Chap. 7. pa 33. How Calisto for asmuch as she was with childe the goddesse Diana putte her out of the order of her companye Chap. 8. pa. 40. Howe Titan assayled by warre his Brother Saturne for asmuch as hee had not put to death all his children males Chap. 9. pag. 43. How Iupiter with ayde of King Meliseus of Egipt deliuered Saturne his father and Sibil his mother out of the prison of Titan and slew Titan in battaile Chap. 10. pa. 51. How Iupiter vanquished Titan in the field and cast him in the riuer Chap. 11. pa. 58 How Iupiter and Saturne reconciled them togither and how Iupiter by commaundement of his father went for to destroy the king Apollo of Paphos and of the medicine of Esculapius Chap. 12. pa. 59 How Iupiter with great ioy espoused his sister Iuno and how the King Saturne began warre against Iupiter his sonne Chap. 13. pa. 63 How they of Crete when they had heard the commaundement of Saturne were sore troubled and greeued and how they rose mooued themselues against Iupiter his sonne Chap. 14. pa. 66 Howe King Saturne with all his great hoste came before the citie of Arcadia against Iupiter c. chap. 15. page 68 How Iupiter sent his ambassadours to his father Saturne c. chap. 16. pa. 70 Howe Iupiter vanquished Saturne his father in battaile c. chap. 17. pa. 74 How Acrisius had a daughter named Danae the which he did put in a tower chap. 18. pa. 79 How Iupiter in the guise of a messenger brought vnto the towre of Dardane iewels c. chap. 19. pa. 83. How Iupiter in the guise of a messenger with many iewels came againe c. chap. 20. pa. 88 How Iupiter came from his chamber by night and lay in the tower of Dardane c. chap 21. pa. 97 How the king Tantalus of Frigie assayled by battaile the king Troos c. chap 22. pa. 102 How the king Troos chaced in battaile the king Tātalus c. chap. 23. pa. 106 How Saturne by the ayd of Ganimedes and of the Troyans returned into Crete c. chap. 24. pa. 111 How Iupiter againe discomfited king Saturne in battaile and Saturne was put to flight by the sea Chap. 25. pa. 117 How Iupiter after he had sacrificed the Eagle pursued the Troyans c. chap. 26. pa. 120 How the king Troos and Ilion his sonne made great sorrowe for Ganimedes
and also they had so much damage that all thinges went against them And then Gerion cuÌ„sidering that he might not but lose and that fortune was an enemy vnto him he did sound a retrait and so left the battaile CHAP. XX. ¶ How Gerion assailed Hercules the second time before Megidda and how Hercules slewe his brethren and vanquished in his battailes constrained Gerion to flie c. WHen Hercules saw his enimies busie to withdraw them he sounded the retrait and forasmuch as it was nigh night and also because he had enclosed the Gallies of Gerion in such wise that they might not returne into his Citie without passing by him When the two armies were withdrawn Gerion in the darkest of al the night shipped went into the sea and went into the Citie of Valeritia whereof one of his brethren was king put him there in safetie in purpose to make the greatest army that he could to come vpoÌ„ Hercules Hercules after the retrait ankred his Gallies vpon the riuer of Gaudiana and passed there that night On the morrow when he saw that Gerion and his folke were fled were not vpon the sea within kenning he rowed vp into the city of Megidda There he tooke land and assailed fiercely the city The assault was eagre and sharp and the Megiddans defended themselues but they were so disfurnished of men of war that they might not hold it out but opened the towne to the Greekes and yeelded them al to the will of Hercules Thus was Hercules lord maister of the principal city that Gerion had he entred into it and the Greeks with him There had they good daieâ—â— the city was well prouided with vittaile Since they departed out of Greece they found no where so good fortune What shal I say Hercules held him there a space of time searching in what place he might finde Gerion During these things he went vnto the temple for to thank the gods In this temple were many Sepultures garnished with right faire maruellous histories Among all other there was one passing riche for the remembrance of Gerion was there as of a king of fine gold and he was enuironed with 30 kings whose heads were smitteÌ„ off Hercules abode at this sepulture and demaunded of the Citizens wherefore serued the statues images so rich A citizen said to him that there were the sepultures of the noble men of their realm and that the king Gerion had brought vp that custome to make these Sepultures for to haue remembrance of them that were valiant in arms Furthermore said that same man as soone as in this countrey a man hath put a noble maÌ„ to death then he doth to make a remeÌ„brance of that dead man on his sepulture And forasmuch as king Gerion in his time hath slain 30 kings he hath caused this sepulture to be made which you see meaning to be buried here in the end of his daies When Hercules heard this that the Citizen said he answered that he held himselfe happy that he had escaped the sword of such a tyrant that put so many kings to death and made his Orisons his praiers vnto the gods After this he returned to the pallace and there came vnto him the messenger of king Gerion that by the power of his maister commanded him to void the city and the realm or els to make good watch Hercules answered that he was entred into the realm also into the citie with strength of armes and that he would not go out therof vntil the time that one had taken from him his sword and arms by force of arms or vntil the time that he put the countrey in obeysance The messenger returned from Megidda with this answere vnto Gerion and told him what Hercules had answered him Gerion was with his two brethren they tooke the words of Hercules impatiently and sware that they would auenge them of him To make short worke they went to the sea with a great army of men of armes They rowed and sailed with all the strength they might vnto Megidda the winde and fortune suffered them in few daies to come and arriue at the port of Megidda And Hercules was aduertised of their comming who suffered theÌ„ to take land and let them rest that day that they came there they were fiftie thousand men At that time that they came a land it was late When they sawe that the Greekes made no defence at their landing they said one to another that they durst not come and fight with them And weening all to haue wonne aduantage they thereupon concluded that on the morrowe they woulde assaile the Citie right early Vppon this conclusion Gerion and his brethren purueied them of things appertaining to the assault and menaced greatly Hercules and his Greeks for to slea them villanously Hercules and his Greekes were then in Megidda thinking on their affaires not only in the intention for to defend them from their enemies but for to issue out the next day following and for to assaile them by battaile assoone as the night were passed Then a little before the sun rising on the morrow Hercules made two battails In the first hee put a thousand fighting men and enterprised to conduct them In the second hee put the residue of his armie and made Theseus captain of them After this when he hadde right well trained his people and set them in a right good order he admonished them to doe well their deuoire and had in minde to say to them certain things but he might not finish his spéech for that same time Gerion and his brethren their folk made their approches to assaile the citie and made so great a hurly burly and noise that all about it redounded c. When Hercules heard this vproare he did prepare opeÌ„ the gate for to behold sée what new thing was there And at the issuing out he saw his enemies that hasted them to come to the forts and walles with ladders and other Engines fit and necessary to make an assault Then hee began to laugh in himselfe and bad his men to follow him and he went straightway forth for to begin the skirmish And assoone as the porter had opened the gates Hercules marched vnto the Hesperiens bringing his club with him WheÌ„ Gerion saw Hercules come from far he knew him by his skin of the Lyon and by his club and shewed him to his brethren that maruelled of him because he came alone vpon them Luther is our mortal aduersary said Gerion he is full of pride and setteth little by vs Let vs assaile him al three and destroy him it is time al the gold of the world shal not saue him Hercules with these wordes came so nigh the three giantes that he might well speake vnto them and cried vnto them and saide yee euill tyrants lay downe your engines apperteining to assault it is now no time to assaile the citie but it behooueth you to dispose you
bloud of their brethren and for to haue worshippe of the battell And they sayde that they were infortunate séeing they might not ouercome one man alone nor match him In fighting they helped and comforted ech other and had all good courage But what profited them the great number of brethren and what auailed them their couragious strokes when they were approching their death Hercules was alway Hercules he reioiced much in the plentie of his enemies hee comforted himselfe in fortune fortune helped him hee did marueiles on all sides well could he fight and well defended he himselfe all that hee did was well done all that other did and indeuoured to do was nought worth notwithstanding that they were mighty and hardy But the lucke and good hap of Hercules was not to bee broken ne his clubbe coulde not bee foyled but hee triumphed and more was his puissance to susteine the furies of his aduersaries then their might was to charge him with their strokes O marueilous strength and might of a man His puissance was not of a man but of an elephant his skin of the lion séemed that it had bene tempered with quicke and hard stéele his body séemed more constant against the cutting swordes of all his ill willers then is an anuill against the strokes of many hammers or great sledges There was no stroke of his enemie that grieued him he tooke great pleasure in the battell séeing himselfe among so many giants He stil greatly reioyced and there was nothing grieuing him but the declining of the day which began to faile At this houre when the Sun withheld her rayes and turned into the West Hercules would make an end and spéede his battell The giants began to cease for to smite for from the morning vnto the euening they had fought without any ceasing and Hercules behaued himselfe in such wise smiting vppon one and other being about him harde and sharpely that it befell so that of some hée ouerthrew and brake helmets and heads and of other he brake armes and sides maruellously and gaue so many great strokes that finally he beat downe and to bruised them all except Nestor which fled away when he saw the discomfiture And therein did he wisely for all his brethren were there slaine by the hand of Hercules c. When they of Cremona sawe their Lordes dead they had soone made an end of their weeping and sorrowe for they had béene to them hard and troublesome At the end of this battell they assembled to councell when they sawe that Hercules had woonne the battaile and concluded together that they would yéeld themselues to Hercules and put themselues to his mercy With this conclusion they issued out of the gates in a great number and came vnto Hercules which was the conquerour of his enemies first they knéeled before him downe to the ground secondly they prayed and required of him mercy and thirdly they surrendered vnto him their city and their goods and sayd to him they woulde holde him for their lord during their liues Hercules that was pitifull and gentle vnto them that were méeke and humbled themselues receiued the Cremonians into his grace and made them to rise stand vp and after sent for them of his hoste When they were come he brought them into Cremona where great ioy was made vnto them for they were glad of the death of the giants And there was no man nor woman nor childe that thanked not the gods By this maner was Hercules king of Cremona and inriched with a new title of victory The first night that he entred into the city he rested him and his people and then were they well refreshed and right well feasted and serued with vitaile On the morrow he did cause to bring into the citie the bodies of the giants that were dead and did bury them worshipfully And after he founded vpon them a very great tower and high and vpon the tower he set xi images or statues of metall after the fashion of the giants that he had slaine in remembrance of his victorie After the edification of this tower Hercules left in Cremona folke for to gouerne them and departed thence for to goe further forth into the countrey He studied alway and was neuer idle he studied so much that he could make the fire artificiall aswell as Cacus and founde the remedies against the same What by armes and by his science he gate a very great glory and praising in Italie He went into many places and ouer all where he came or went men did him honour and reuerence What shall I make long processe with great good aduenture he went so farre that he came to a citie standing nigh the mount Auentin where reigned a king named Euander which receiued him solemnly It is to be noted that when Cacus fled from Monchayo as is sayd vnto this mount hée came into Italie all displeasant to haue lost his seignorie Then hee gaue leaue to depart from him to all his seruants and all despaired alone he went to the mount Auentin in an euening where he was constrained to withdraw himselfe for he doubted much Hercules When he was come aboue on this hill he found there a great caue and there he went in without supper and then he began to be discomforted greatly bitterly said Alas now am I exiled banished out of all my seignories lordships Now haue I no succour nor comfort of person I dare not name me king where I was wont by my name to make kings to trēble alas al is turned become vpside down I haue nothing to eat nor wote not where to lodge vnlesse it be with the beasts O poore king where so any man so vnhappy as I I am so infortunate and vnhappie that I dare not be séene nor knowen With these wordes he layd him downe vpon the bare ground and layed a stone vnder his head and with great paine and griefe fell asléepe which dured not long for his veines were strongly stirred his heart was not quiet and his body was right euilly susteined Anon he awoke went out of the caue for to looke if it were nigh day for the night troubled him and was to him too long But when he was come into the ayre he saw no day appeare nor starres nor moone shine but he found it all darke cloudy and thicke and saw all the region of the aire couered with clouds whereat he was greatly vexed and grieued Then he went into the caue againe not into the déepest but at the mouth thereof and there sorrowful and pensiue abode without any more sléeping till it was day When the day appeared Cacus issued out of the caue and went vp vnto the top of the hill and beganne to beholde and sée the countrey about The countrey séemed to him good and faire for to liue there After great pensiuenes and many thoughts he concluded in himselfe that he would abide there vnto the time that his fortune ceased
to get againe his sister Exione And howe Hector answered and of his good councell and how Paris declared to his father the visions and the promise of the Goddesse Venus c. WHen the king Priamus was thus acertained of the hate of the Greekes and by no farre meanes hee coulde recouer his sister hee was mooued with great ire and thought that hee would send a great Nauy into Greece for to hurt and damage the Greckes Alas king Priamus tell me what misaduenture is this that hath giuen to thée so great hardinesse of courage for to cast out thy selfe from thy wealth and rest Why mayest not thou refraine the first moouinges of thy courage albeit that it was not in thy puissance yet thou oughtest to haue and take good councell and aduise and to haue in thy minde that men say commonly Some man thinketh to reuenge his sorrow and he increaseth it It had been a more sure thing to thee to haue remembred the prouerbe that saith that hee that sitteth well let him not mooue Or els hee that is well at his ease let him keep therein All things may bée suffered saue wealth a man that goeth vpon plaine ground hath nothing to stumble at In this maner the aforesaid king Priamus thought long and after hee assembled on a day all his noble men in his pallace of Ilion and saide vnto them Ye know how by your councell Anthenor was sent into Greece for to recouer my sister Exione that by fair meanes Ye doe verie well know also howe that hee is returned and come backe and also what wronges and opprobries he hath found And me seemeth that the Gréeks make little account of the iniuries that they haue done vnto vs at the least they by their wordes repent them not but yet they menace vs more strongly then euer they did God forbid that euer it shoulde come vnto vs like as they menace vs. But I pray the gods to giue vs power to auenge vs to their losse And as for me me seemeth that we be more puissant and strong then they are and also we haue the most surest citie and the best furnished in the world and also we haue of great lordes verie great plentie alied to vs for to helpe and ayde vs at our need and I thinke for conclusion that we haue well the puissance for to dammage and hurt our enemies in many maners and valour to defend vs from them And so should it be good for to beginne to shew to them what puissance we haue to grieue them withall If ye thinke it good we will send our men secretly that shall do to them great dammage ere that they shall be readie for to defend themselues And for that ye ought euery one to employ your selues to take vengeance of these iniuries and that yee haue no doubt for any thing inasmuch as they had the first victorie for it happeneth often times that the conquerours be vanquished of them that were vanquished c. Then all they that were present allowed the aduise of the king and offered euery man by himselfe to employ themselues to the same with all the power they coulde whereat the king Priamus had great ioy And after that he had giuen them thankes he let euery man depart and go home to their owne houses excepting onely his sonnes legitimate and the bastardes whom hee held in his pallace and tolde to them his complaint of the Greekes with weeping teares in this maner My sonnes ye haue well in your memorie the death of your Grandfather the seruitude of your Aunt Exione that they holde by your life in manner of a common woman And you be so puissant me seemeth that reason should instruct you for to employ your selfe to reuenge this great iniurie and shame And if this mooue you not thereto yet yee ought to doe it to satisfie my will and pleasure for I am ready to die for sorrow and anguish which ye ought be bound for to remedie to your power that haue caused you so wel to be nourished and brought forth And thou Hector my right déere sonne that art the eldest of thy brethren the most wise and the most strong I pray thee first that thou enterprise to put in execution this my will And that thou be duke and prince of thy brethrē in this work and all the other will obey gladly vnto thee And in like maner shall all they doe of this realme for the great prowesse that they know in thée And know that from this day forth I discharge me of all this worke and put it vpon thée that art the most strong and mightie to maintain battels for I am auncient and olde and may not from henceforth helpe my selfe so well as I was wont to doe c. To these wordes aunswered Hector right soberly and sweetly saying my father and my right déere and Soueraigne Lord there is none of all your sonnes but that it séemeth to him a thing humane to desire vengeaunce of these iniuries and to vs that be of high noblenesse a litle iniurie ought to be great As it is so that the qualitie of the person groweth and diminisheth so ought the qualitie of the iniurie And if wee be desirous and haue appetite to take vengeance of our iniuries we forsake not nor leaue therein the nature of men for in like manner doe and vse the dumbe beastes to boo and nature it selfe teacheth and guideth them thereto My right déere Lord and father there is none of all your sonnes that ought more to desire the vengeaunce of the iniurie and death of our Lord and graundfather then I that am the eldest But I will if it please you that yée consider in this enterprise not only the beginning but also the middle and the end to what perill wee may come héereafter for otherwhile little profite some things well begunne that come to an euill end Then me thinketh that it is much more allowable for a man to absteine him for to beginne thinges whereof the endes bee dangerous and when of may come more euill men good for any thing is not said to be fortunate or happie vntill the time that it come vnto a good end I say not these thinges for anie euill meaning or cowardise but only to the end that ye beginne not a thing and specially that thing that yee haue in your heart to put in practise but that ye first be well counselled Ye knowe well that all Affricke and Europe bee subiectes vnto the Greekes How be they furnished with knights worthy hardy and rich right maruellous Cortes at this day the force and strength of vs here is not to be compared vnto them in force nor in valiance Wherefore if we begin the warre against them wee might lightly come to a mischieuous and shamefull end We that bee in so great rest and ease amongst our selues what shall we seeke for to trouble our prosperitie and welfare Exione is not of so high
cause for to auenge mee of the wronges that the Greekes haue done vnto vs But the principall cause is to recouer my sister Exione that liueth in so great thraldome And for to doe so yee ought to employ you wherefore I pray you and admonish you that ye bend all your endeuour and diligence that I may recouer my sister And be ye certaine if ye haue want of neede or succour I will succour you with so great a strength that the Greekes shal not be able to beare And I will that in this voiage ye hold Paris my sonne Duke and conductor of this battaile of Eneas and Anthenor After these wordes Paris and all the other tooke leaue of the king and entered into their shippes and hoysed vp sailes and recommended them to the guiding of Iupiter and Venus and sailed so farre by the deepe Sea that they arriuing in the partes of Greece in coasting the countrey it happened them on a daie that they mette a shippe in the which was one of the greatest kinges of Greece named Menelaus that went vnto the Citie of Epyre vnto the duke Nestor that had sent for him This Menelaus was brother of Agamēnon and was married vnto the quéene Helene that was the fairest Ladie in the world that men knew of in her time and she was sister of king Castor and Pollux that dwelled then togither in the citie of Samestare and nourishing with thē Hermione their néece daughter of the said Helene Menelaus made a little crosse his shippe and to turne out of the right way and so the one did not knowe the other And the Troyans sailed so farre that they arriued at the Isle of Cithar in Gréece and there they ancred their shippes and went a land In this I le was a temple of Venus passing auncient and of great beautie full of all richesse for the inhabitantes also of the countrey had their deuotion specially vnto Venus the Goddesse and kept and solemnized her feastes each yeare and shée gaue to them aunsweres of their demaundes Then when the Troyans were arriued they hallowed the most principall feast of Venus and for this cause were there assembled men and women of the countrey there about that made great cheere c. When Paris knew this feast he tooke his best clothes and did them on also the best faring and cleanliest men that he hadde and he went into the temple and entered therin by faire and pleasaunt maner and made his oblation and offering of golde and siluer with great liberalitie Then was Paris much beholden on all sides of them the were there for his beautie a for hee was one of the fairest knightes of the worlde and was so richly and so queintly clothed and docked that it gaue great pleasure vnto all them that behelde him and euery man desired to know what he was and whence hee came And they demaunded of the Troyans that told them that it was Paris sonne of king Priamus of Troy that was come into Greece by the commaundement of his father for to require amiably that they woulde render and yéeld againe Exione his sister that they had giuen to king Thelamon So farre went the tidinges of the comming of these Troyans and of their beautie and riche clothing that the queene Helene heard speake thereof and then alter the custome of women she had great desire to know by experience if it were trueth that she heard speake of and disposed her to go vnto the temple vnder the colour of deuotion for to accomplish her desire O howe great folly is it vnto honest women to will go oftentimes vnto the feastes and sportes of yong people that little or nothing doe there but muse and deuise howe they may come to their desire and care not what mischiefe may followe in body and in soule The ship should neuer perish if it abode alway in the porte and were not sent out into perils of the Sea It is a good thing and a pretious iewell to haue a good woman that holdeth her honestly in her house O howe great damage came vnto the Greekes and to the Troyans of this Citie that Helene went so lightly to see the Troyans that ought not so to doe and specially in the absence of her husband But as it is the custome of women to bee wilfull to bring their desire to the end Helene incontinent did make readie horse and all that was conuenient for to go vnto the temple and she did them to vnderstand that shée went for deuotion for this temple was not farre from the place where shee dwelled When all was readie and shee clothed in habite royall she rode with her company vnto the Isle of Cythar and entered into a vessell that brought her nigh to the temple where shee was receiued with great worship of them of the countrey as their Ladie Shee entered into the Temple right stately and made there her deuotions and her oblations with right great liberalitie c. When Paris knewe that the queene Helene that was wife of king Menelaus one of the most noble kings of Greece was come vnto this temple hée arraied him in the most gentlemanliest wise that hee coulde and his company and went into the temple for he had long time before heard speake of her great brauery And then as hée was come and sawe her hee was greatly surprised with her loue and beganne earnestly to beholde her and to desire to sée the fashion of her body that was so faire and well shapen in all thinges and in such wise that it seemed properly to them that sawe her that nature hadde made her to be beholden and séen for in her was nothing but that it serued to manifest all the beautie that might be found in a woman Wherefore Paris might not forbeare to beholde her saying in himselfe that he hadde neuer séene nor heard tell of any so faire and so well formed And as hee beheld her in likewise shee beheld him as many times and oft and her seemed that he was more fairer a great deale then hadde béen reported to her and still she saide in her selfe that shee neuer sawe man of so great beautie nor that pleased her so well to beholde and so she left all her deuotion and all other thoughts and gaue no héede nor respect to any thing saue onely for to beholde Paris When Paris knewe and sawe this hee had great ioy and beheld her sweetly more and more and she him By which sight they shewed enough of their desires the one to the other and thought diuerse times by what occasion they might speake togither And so long they beheld each other that by likelihoode Helene made a token or signe to Paris that hée approched to her and anon Paris sate downe beside her whiles that the people plaied in the temple and spake vnto her with a soft voice right sweetly and shee to him and declared each to other how they were surprised with the loue of the
in the middle a Lion of gules and albeit that he was the last that issued out of his house or of the city yet passed hee alway all the battels and came and put himselfe before in the first battell The women that were in the citie and all the other went vpon the walles for to behold the battailes There were the daughters of the king with the queene Helene that had great doubt diuers imaginations in her selfe Whiles that Hector had ordeined his battels the king Agamemnon was not idle but ordeined right earely of his people sixe and twentie battels He put in the first battell Patroclus with his people with them the folke of Achilles which was not that day in the battell for his wounds that he had and did stay to heale them in his tent Thie Patroclus was a noble duke and rich and loued so much Achilles that they were both of one alliance In the second battell was the king Menon and the king Idumeus with three thousand knights and there was the duke of Athens with all his people The third battell lead the king Achalaphis and his sonne Phinenus with their people The fourth battell lead the king Archelaus and the king Prothenor his brother and with him was Securidan the right strong knight with all the people of Boecie The fift battaile lead the king Menelaus with all his people of Sparte The sixt battaile lead the king Epistropus and the king Celidus with all their people The seuenth battaile lead Thelamon Aiax with all his people of Salamine and he hadde foure Earles with him that is to wit Thesus Amphymacus Dorius and Polidarius The eight lead the king Thoas The ninth lead Aiax Aleus The tenth lead the king Philotus The eleuenth the king Idumeus the king Neron The twelfth the duke Nestor the thirtéenth lead the king Exiones The fourtéenth the king Vlisses The fifteenth the king Humerus In the sixteenth were the folke of Prothesilaus much despairing to auenge the death of their Lord. The seuentéenth lead the king Polidarius and the king Machaon The eighttéenth the king of Rhodes The nineteenth the king Sampitus and the king Lidorus The twentieth the king Geripulus The one and twentieth the king Phylotâ—tes of Larisse The two and twentieth Diomedes The thrée twentieth the king Oeneus of Cypres The foure and twentith the king Prothalus The fiue and twentith the king Carpenor The six and twentith the last battaile lead king Agamemnon emperor of al the host When all the battels were set in order on the one side and on the other and there was nothing to do but to méet then aduaunced him Hector all the first and Partroclus came against him as fast as his horse might runne and smote him so strongly with his speare on his shield that he pearsed it thorowe out but more harme did it not Then Hector assailed Patroclus with his sworde and gaue him so great a stroke vpon his head that he cleft it in two pieces and Patroclus fell downe dead to the ground When Hector sawe him dead hee coueted his armes for they were right trimme and rich and lighted downe off his horse for to take them but the king Menon came vpon him with three thousand good knights for to defend the king Patroclus against Hector sayd to him thus Ha ha woolfe rauishing and insatiable certes it behooueth to séeke thy praye in some other place for here gettest thou none And then they assailed on all sides and woulde haue taken from him Galathee his horse But Hector by his prowesse remounted woulde they or not and meant to haue auenged him on king Menon but the king Glaucion and the king Thesus and Archilogus his sonne came with three thousande fighting men And then Hector layed on and beat downe all afore him and the first that hee met hee gaue so great a stroke that hee slew him and after him many more he beat downe and flew Thus beganne the battell on both sides and Hector came againe to the bodie of Patroclus for to haue his armes but the king Idumeus of Crete came against him with two thousand fighting men and the king Menon that had alwayes his eyes to Hector letted him and was so in the way that Hector might not haue his armes that hee most earnestly desired and suffered great paine forasmuch as he was on foot but he enforced him with all his courage and beganne to slay man and horse and to smite off heads legges féete and armes and slew fiftéene of the strongest that assailed him In this meane while the king Menon tooke the body of Patroclus before him and bare it vnto his tent As the Greekes contended to greeue Hector and to take away his horse there was among theÌ„ a strong knight named Creâ— de la plerre that gréeued him most then one of the seruauntes of Hector addressed him against this Creon and gaue him so great a stroke with his speare that he smote him downe dead to the earth and after he smote downe another and cried to the Troyans right loud that they should come and succour Hector With this crie came first Securabor one of the bastard brethren of Hector and thrusted into the greatest prease so fiersly that he came vpon them that most greeued Hector who had slaine more then thirtie of them and did so much bestirre him that by force he made the Greekes to recule and then was Hector remounted vpon his horse and thrusted in among them by great fiercenesse and slew great plentie of them for displeasure that hee might not haue the armes of Patroclus Then hee met with none but he slew him or beate him downe hurt and each man made him way and dreaded him c. Then came to the battaile Menesteus the duke of Athens and came and ioyned him to the battaile whereas Troylus was who did maruailes and hadde with him the king Sampitus the king Machaon and the king Alcanus Then began fierse battailes Menesteus addressed him against Troylus and there fought against him with so great force that he beate him downe of his horse in the great prease of the folke and Menesteus laboured with all his strength insomuch that hee tooke him and led him toward their tentes with a great companie of knightes Then Miseres of Troy cried to the Troyans that Troylus was prisoner and that they shoulde be dishonoured if they suffered him to be lead away Then the king Alcanus tooke his speare that was right strong and addressed him vnto them that held Troylus and smote the first downe to the earth and smote another and sore wounded him and did so much by the aide of his men that Troylus was reskewed and set againe vpon his horse and also by the helpe of king Sampitus that came on with al his people he gaue so great a stroke to Menesteus ouerthwart that if he had not been well armed he had been slaine And then cried
together their gold and siluer and put it in the Temple of Minerua to kéepe vnto the time that it was all collected it pleased them to offer and make sacrifice to their god Apollo and when they had slaine many beasts for their sacrifice and had put them vppon the Altare and had set fire vnto them for to burne them it happened that there came two very straunge maruailes the first was that the fire woulde not kindle nor burne for they beganne to make the fire more than tenne times and alwayes it quenched and might neuer burne the sacrifice The second myracle or maruell was when they had appointed the entrailes of the beasts for their sacrifice a great Eagle descended from the ayre crying greately and tooke with his féete the saide entrailes and bare them into the shippes of the Gréekes Of these two things were the Troyans sore abashed dismayed said that the gods were wroth with them Then demaunded they of Cassandra what these thinges signified and shée saide vnto them that the god Apollo was wroth with them for the effusion of the bloud of Achilles that was shedde wherewithall his Temple was defiled and violated this is the first and ye must goe fetch fire at the sepulture of Achilles and light your sacrifice therewith then will it quench no more and they did so and the sacrifice burnt cleare and for the second myracle she said to them that for certaine treason was made of the Cittie with the Gréekes When the Gréekes heard of these myracles they demaunded of Calcas what it signified and hee aunswered that the yéelding of the Cittie shoulde come shortely Amongest these things Calcas and Crisis the Priest counselled the Gréekes that they should make a great horse of brasse and that must be so great as might hold within it a thousand knights armed and they saide vnto them that it was the pleasure of the gods This horse was made by a passing wise maister as Appius was whose name was Sinon and hee made it so subtilly that no man might perceiue nor sée entrie nor issue but within it was easie to them that were closed therein for to issue when they would c. When the horse was fully made and the thousand knights therein by the counsel of Crisis they prayed the king Priamus that he woulde suffer this horse to enter into the cittie and that it might be set in the temple of Pallas forasmuch as they saide that they had made it in the honour of Pallas for a vowe that they had made for restitution of the Palladium which they had caused to be taken out of the same temple c. Among these things the Princes that were yet in Troy when they saw that the king had so fowly and so shamefully treated with the Gréekes they went out of Troy and tooke their men with them and the king Philomenus led no more but two hundred and fifty men and thréescore maidens of Amazonne that were left of a thousand that came with the Quéene Penthesilea and carried the bodie of her with them and trauelled so long that in the ende they came vnto their owne Countrey Then came the day that the Gréekes should sweare the peace fainedly vpon the plaine field vpon the sanctuaries King Priamus issued out of the cittie and his people and sware there each partie to holde the peace firmely from thence foorth on and Diomedes swore first for the Gréekes after when they had broken the peace that they had treated with Anthenor of that thing that they concluded after therefore they maintained that they were not forsworne by that colour as the prouerb sayth He that sweareth by a cautele or maliciously he by malice forsweareth himself After that Diomedes sware likewise all the kings and princes of Gréece and then the king Priamus and the Troyans swore in good faith as they that knew nothing of the great treason and after their othes thus made king Priamus deliuered Helene to Menelaus her husband and prayed him and other kings and princes of Gréece that they would pardon Helen without suffering to be done to her any iniury or hurt and they promised him fainedly that they would doe to her no wrong Then prayed the Gréekes that they might set the horse of brasse within the Temple of Pallas for the restitution of Palladium to the end that the goddesse Pallas might be to them friendly in their returne And as the king Priamus answered not therto Eneas and Anthenor said to him that it should be wel done and that it should be honour to the cittie Howbeit the king Priamus accorded it with euill will Then the Greekes receiued the golde and siluer and the wheate that was promised them and sent it and put into their shippes After these things they went all in maner of procession and in deuotion with their priests and beganne with strength of cordes to draw the horse of brasse vnto before the gate of the citie and forasmuch as by the gate it might not enter into the cittie it was so great therefore they brake the wall of the city in length and height in such wise as it entred within the towne the Troyans receiued it with great ioy but the custome of Fortune is such that great ioy endeth in heauinesse and in sorrow The Troyans made ioy of this horse wherein was closed their death and they knew nothing of it In this horse was a subtile man named Sinon that bare the keies of the horse for to open it When the Troyans were a sleepe and rested them in the night forthwith they issued out of the horse and gaue a token of fire to them that were in the fieldes to the end that they should come into the Citie for to put it all to destruction The same day the Greekes fained to go vnto Tenedon and said that they would receiue Helene and sette her in safetie because that the people should not run vpon her for the great euilles and hurtes that were fallen for her and thus they departed from the porte of Troy with their sailes drawne vp and came before the sunne going downe to Tenedon Then had the Troyans great ioy when they sawe the Greekes depart and they supped that euening with great gladnesse and the Greekes so soone as they were come to Tenedon they armed them in the euening and went stilly priuily toward Troy When the Troyans had well supped they wēt to bed for to sleepe Then Sinon opened the horse and went out and light this fire and shewed it to them that were without and anon without delay they that were in a waite entered into the Citie by the gate that was broken for to bring in the horse of brasse And the thousand knightes issued out and where they found the Troyans they slew them in their houses where they slept as they that thought nothing Thus entred the Greekes into the Citie and slewe men women and children without sparing of any and