pleasure Then Saturne gaue the aunswere to the Messenger of Titan and sayde vnto him if Titan returned not within two houres that hee would come and take the battell agaynst him With this aunswere the Messenger returned to Titan and tolde him the intention of Saturne Titan swore then that hee woulde neuer turne backewarde till hee had attended and abiden the battaile Saturne was a man of great valour and hie will When the Messenger of Titan was departed hee made sownd to Armes at which sownd the young and olde armed them and made them readie What shall I make long processe in short tyme they were readie at the poynt and when Saturne sawe that his enemyes made no semblance to mooue hee went and ascended into his Chayre for in this tyme the Kings went to battaile in Chayres After hée issued out of his Cittie and raunged his people about him and anon after hee caused them to march agaynst his brother Titan c. As soone as the Titanoys saw the Saturniens come they were right glad and made themselues the greatest chéere of the world and moued themselues ioyously against them and with a great crie they had great shéelds of trée maces pollares and guisarmes of strange fashions and they were all on foote except Titan and his sons which as kings had their Curres and Chayres in which they were brought and carryed not by the force of horse but by the puissaunce of men They approched so nigh that they came to fighting and began to fall to worke then the archers of king Saturne began to draw and shoote and made the Tytanoys to stay and stand as long as their shot dured and slew and hurt many of them When the shot failed the Tytanoys that had great sorrow for to be so serued of the Saturnyens ordered themselues again and swore the one to the other that they wold be auenged and came forth and fought hand to hand in which they bestirred them so eagerly that for the noyse and dinne that their axes and guisarmes smote vppon their shieldes it séemed as it had béene thunder At the encountering then the battaile was right fell Lichaon Egeon Ceon Tiphon Encheladus were in the first front there was many a shield broken with the weight of clubs and polaxes and many heades broken Ceon and Tiphon at the beginning maintained themselues right valiantly and conducted their folke all within the battaile by the rigour of their strokes insomuch that whom they met of the Saturniens they beate them downe By their well doing they were knowen and doubted of their enemies insomuch that Saturn made his chaire to be led out of the way for the great bruit and noyse that they made about him There was great effusion of bloud for the Tytanoys did what they could to haue endured in their bruit and crie and the Saturniens with Saturne laboured for to abate it and breake it And so the comming of Saturne was cause of prowesse vpon prowesse and and of many one dead and they intended one and other so busily to their worke that the most part of the day they fought so that none might glorie for victorie nor be troubled for discomfiture But in the end when the Tytanoys sawe the sunne decline as couetous of glorie and of worshippe at one crie that Titan made vpon Saturne Lichaon and Egeon with many other enclosed about him he being from his company his chaire broken by force of polaxes and gaue him many wounds and finally they tooke him and brought many of the Saturnyens to death and ouerthrew them in discomfiture And that worse is they were so discouraged when they vnderstoode that Saturne was taken that they lost the vigors and strength of their hearts and the might of their armes turned their backs and fled all so out of order that the Titanoys entred with them into the Citie and tooke it and wanne it without any resistance beating downe the people with great murther of men women and of small children At this time men might sée the Ladies and Matrones of Crete take the dust and cast it into the ayre and runne by the stréetes nowe here and now there all without kerchiefes with theyr haire hanging about their heades casting away their attyre and their little Children crying after them The wise men of the Towne séemed out of their wittes and the Citie was so troubled that they might not be more Among all other Cibell Vesca and Ceres made great sorrow likewise without ceasing for Titan that neuer loued them came then into the pallace and put in prison Saturne and his wife and swore they should neuer depart thence till they had put to death all their sonnes that were come of them And furthermore Titan did cause himselfe to be crowned king of Crete So auailed not the infinite praiers and orisons that Dame Vesca made to Titan in the compassion of her sonne Saturne and of Cibell for theyr deliuerance nor the fayre speaking of Ceres nor the teares mooued of charitie were of no value The more praiers that they made vnto Titan the more found they him vncourteous fellon and hard hearted Hee did execute and put to death all them that helde or were appertaining to the partie of Saturne and by the space of foure dayes vexed and troubled Crete in robbing and shedding the bloud of the Citizens and he persecuted not onely the men but â—o women and children and tooke theyr goods and departes among them that helde on his partie When Vesca sawe all these things happen in the Citie and that her sonne Titan gouerned him so maliciouslie and alway woorse and woorse without any compassion on the people shée came to the prison where Saturne and Cibell were and said to them with a mouth voyding dolorous sighes Alas my children what will ye do What shall become of you How shall ye be saued The land of Crete is not only drowned by the teares and wéeping of your best friendes but with their blood and with the blood of their wiues and children And the heart of Titan is so terrible hard and indured that ye shall die here in miserable paine or ye must put your sonnes to death Since it is so it is better that they be put to death and that ye send to séeke them when for your life is none other remedie The anger of Cibell was right aspre and sharpe to heare the sorrowfull tydings insomuch that her heart fayled so as Saturne and her mother thought she would haue dyed When she was come againe to her selfe she cryed and said Ha my mother what say ye to vs Haue we so great paine for to kéepe our children and that wee should this houre abandon them to the death Shall I vse treason to my children that begin to flourish in right cleare fame That shall neuer be if it please the goddes I had leauer die Iupiter my sonne hath a great name and hath wonne the loue of the Pelagiens
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
do to him what he may And thus began the dolorous battaile of Saturne and Iupiter There was the father agaynst the sonne and the sonne agaynst the father There lost nature her fayre and commendable properties The father sought to spill the blood that hee had engendred and promised great giftes vnto them that might take him The battaile was rigorous and hard and then wrought and fought well Iupiter and Archas and aboue all the noble Iupiter imployed so hardilie his Swoorde tempered with stéele that hée smote downe Shéeldes and Helmes and cut off heades and armes and there was no man might resist his prowesse inuincible Hée made to tremble the most hardiest that were there hée made retyre and to go abacke them that had aduaunced themselues more then they had power and vertue to maintaine Hee brake the wings of the battaile and in their most strength he met and encountred manie times Saturne his father and it was well in his power and puyssaunce to gréeue him but though that Saturne layde on him and gaue him great strokes and grieuous horions yet he would neuer smile againe but sayde to him oft tymes Alas my father wherefore séekest thou the effusion of my blood I am thy sonne and thy seruaunt Thou hast no cause to persecute mée I will not lay my hand vppon thée but beware and put no affiance in the Archadiens for if they may haue and get thée in their power thou shalt find in them little pitie nor mercie c. Saturne notwithstanding these fayre wordes woulde neuer refrayne his yre but smote euer vpon Iupiter as fiercely as he mought Iupiter of all his strokes tooke no héede and set little thereby and albeit that he had occasion to fight and smite his father alway he turned his strokes and had no consciens to occupy his sharp sword vpon them of Crete yet somtimes he so laied on that euery stroke without fault was died with newe bloode And this he did meaning to shewe Saturne that he fought against him in vaine and that to him was nothing impossible All these things nothing dismaied Saturne The cry was great aboute Iupiter the armes were greatly exercysed the ground was all couered with the effusion of bloud and the deade bodies lay one vpon an other beheaded and smitten in péeces O right hard and sore battaile Saturne was so intangled in his obstinacie that the bloud of his men wetting his armes by the course of the large woūds that Iupiter made vnto them might not moderate his yre nor heate And his eyes were so blynde in his yre that he sawe not his right euydente dammage nor how he sought the proper meane by which he was put out of his Realme that he doubted and against which he intended to make resistance and eschewe it with his might CHAP. XVII ¶ How Iupiter vanquished in the battaile against Saturne his father and Saturne fled by the sea IN this battayle Iupiter saued oftentimes Saturne among the Swoordes of the Arcadiens and did good against euill many of them of Crete fought against heart knowing that Saturne had begoon and was cause of the warre and notwithstanding they put theyr hands to worke yet the faynte hartednes that they had among them was cause of the losse of a right great number of people They doubted Iupiter and had no power to withstande and fight so well as they woulde haue done if they had felt the quarrell good and by this maner was the batteldemeaned to the great preiudice of the Saturniens Iupiter submitted himselfe to his father and often times cried in his eare that hee should withdraw him or the battaile would be worse or be lost Hee withstoode his stroakes a great while waiting that hee would conforme and conuert himselfe from his euill opinion But then at last when Iupiter tooke héede and sawe that he would in no wise heare him he opened and displayed his valour and the great might of his armes and of his sword and made such affray vpon his aduersaries breaking their helmes and hewing their harnesse not in manner of a man hauing all day sustained the feare of great stroakes and conflicts of the Saturniens but in the manner of a Champion fresh and newe of whome the strokes redoubled Thus then it séemed vnto the Saturniens that in multiplying of the horions and stroakes the strength and puissance of Iupiter beganne to reuiue and grow His well dooing and valliance gaue vnto the Archadiens strength vppon strength and vnto his enemies great losse of bloud and also of life There was the ground bedewed with newe bloud There were dead bodies couered with new dead men There was the chaire of Saturne smitten into péeces Saturne helde a long while the battaile as long as his might would endure and in no wyse would flée But in conclusion whan his men sawe that the warre went with them alway from euill into worse they beganne to retire and turned the backe and fled and then Saturne turned and fled in likewise Then they were followed in the chase so sharpely and deadly that some were slaine in the way and some saued themselues nowe heere and nowe there And among all other Saturne was so nigh pursued by Archas and some of the Archadiens that he had no leisure to returne into Crete but was driuen by force till he came vnto a port of the sea that was thereby where he saued himselfe by meane of a shippe that hee there found and there hee went vnto the sea with some of them that fled so sore gréeued and pensife that hee might not speake c. Thus this battaile ended of the father and the sonne When Archas saw that Saturne was saued in the sea hée returned to Iupiter his father and assembled againe his people and tolde them these tydings and also he assembled his councell for to wete what Iupiter should do And they of the councell were all of the opinion that Iupiter should go into Crete and that they would make him king saying that the gods had shewed clearely that they would that he should succéede as king in the Realme which his father was fled from for as much as they had then no head To this counsaile accorded Iupiter and went to Crete by space of time where hee was receiued for king for the citizens durst not gainesay it for as much as they wist not where Saturne was become And although Cibell and Vesca made great sorrow for the misfortune of Saturne yet they turned their sorrow into gladnes at the coronation of Iupiter and sent for Iuno And then began Iupiter to reigne in distributing and departing vnto the Archadiens the treasures of his father whereof they had great ioy and gladnesse and for this cause say the Poets that Iupiter gelded and cast his genitoyre into the sea of whom was engendred Venus That is to say that he cast the treators of his father into the bellies of his men whereof engendred all voluptuousnesse which
on the front of them well arayed and proued for to fight for the prosperitie of your land we wil do your request When Medusa heard the good will of her captaine to whom consented al the other she was right ioyous and concluded with them that she with al her puissance would beset and assaile theyr enemies at midnight in hope to come vppon them vnwares This conclusion was thought good vnto all and each man withdrew for to take their rest and for to make readie his harnesse Medusa slept not much this night as shee that had the heart alway great and sore charged with gréedie desire of vengeance and at midnight then she sounded to armes and made them to be ready and furnished Shée tooke her banners that were right rich and her men were diligent inough to arme thē for in that art they were well instructed And when they were readye and assembled before the Pallace royall Medusa and her Sisters issued out of the gate in rich estate and giuing good morrow to her folke with as little noyse as she could she diuided them into two companies whereof she made one company to depart by one of the gates of the Citie and she her selfe conducted the other by the gate that was against the port or hauen c. At this time the aire was pure and cleare and the starres twinckled and anon the Moone shone and put away the darkenesse of the night according to her celestiall office When Medusa was in the field she went along by the sea shore and supposed to haue taken Perseus and his folke but she failed for as soone as shee issued out of her Citie it was perceiued of the watchmen of the hoste of Perseus and they signified their comming to Perseus and his men that slept in their harnesse And thus when she approched vnto her enemies and had supposed to haue distressed them she founde them readie furnished and trained in good order of battaile wherewith there arose a right great crie of both parties and with this crie there grew a great skirmish so eager and fierce that it was néede vnto all to put foorth their prowesses and their strengths There was many a man cast downe dead vpon the sand There many a sword died red with bloud Then beganne the second battaile of Medusa making a great noyse in ioyning of the battaile and then had they of Naples a strong partie for to maister c. In this tempest Perseus gaue himselfe to no rest he had alway his eyes open his eares bent to heare his armes ready to smite hee was quicke in his greene youth his sword flashed and cut desperately he smote no man nor shield but he all to brake it and slewe all downe right Medusa that alway put her in the most strength and affayres and most prease by mightie great courage for to entertaine and to holde together her men séeing often times the practises and the noble feates of armes of her enemie Perseus had great sorrow for with his onely valour he held the Apuliens in estate and ray and there was none that might resist his strength or at least that had might to resist him This thing turned to great displeasure vnto Medusa yet she corrected this displeasure and vsed her prowesse the best wise she might Shée did great hurt to her enemies and smote downe here and there so valiantly that she séemed much better to be a man then a woman and better became her to brandish a sword then to spinne or turne a spindle CHAP. XXXII ¶ Howe Perseus in this battaile slewe the mightie sister of Medusa and vanquished her in the battaile THis skirmish then dured long with great beating down of men of arms and knights the enuie that Medusa had at the wel doing of Perseus gaue to her armes more force strength then nature had giuen her Shée was full of malice and yet she could kéepe her well from the sword of Perseus And alway she was enuironed with the best men she had What should I make long talke they fought in this fashion vnto the day before that any wist to whom he should ascribe the victorie but euen as the sunne began to spread and shew his beames and raies in semplable wise Perseus began to shew the raies of his prudence brandished his sword And seeing on the one side the baner royall he thronged into the prease and drew to that part casting men downe dead on the sands moe then an hundred This baner was square foure foote made of crimsen satin and in the middes was an image painted whereof the body was a figure and fashion of a woman and the head was of a serpent Medusa was neuer far from this baner for shée drewe her alway thither for reskew When Perseus was come thither with a great companie of his folke hee cryed Perseus Perseus And lifting his sword that was tempered with blood from one ende to the other it happened that the first stroke that hee gaue in this place fell vpon one of the sisters of Medusa so terribly that she fell downe dead with a great wound beginning on her head and going downe to her stomacke Then they of Naples smote on the Hesperiens with all their force Then smote Perseus endlong and ouerthwart on the right side and on the left side his strokes were so mortall that they afrayed not onely the most féeble of his enemies but all the most strongest and also the most couragious Medusa Great was the slaughter and being at that point Medusa enforced her power to withstand the great force of Perseus This notwithstang she that afore times had ouercome many men was then ouercome and hauing late the greatest courage and the heart more fierce than any man shée was vanquished with despayre by the onely chiualrous dealing of Perseus that had brokē her banner that had smitten her men in péeces partlie slaine with his sword partly fled And he had not onely made redde his sworde and right hand with her blood but the sea by small gutters was made red with warme blood through which Medusa lost her ferocitie all her presumption all her strength and al her vigour so euill went the game on her side that when she had séene her banner destroyed when she had séene the most victorious of her knights confounded by sight and when she saw her men of armes leaue the battaile and flie before Perseus as before the image of death Finally she saw all her puissance turne into destruction generall whereof the ende was that each man gaue it ouer and euery man that might saue himselfe saued him by caues and bushes here one and there another so sore afrayde that it was a pitious thing to heare their cries and many saued them in the Citie and many were slaine in the flying by Perseus and his men CHAP. XXXIII ¶ How Perseus conquered Medusa and her Citie and smote off her head And how hee went to fight
to the other with great noyse of Trumpettes and Labours that the Archers and Crosse bowes beganne the battaile after that that Hercules hadde summond Laomedon to pay him that he had promised him and that Laomedon had made refusall thereto The Greekes were furnished with stronger Bowes and shotte then the Troyans were and by that meane they slewe abundaunce of their enemyes and especially Hercules bare him so well with fortie Arrowes that hée himselfe shotte one after another that hée slewe fortie of his enemyes such as hée would choose without fayling Hercules was at that time the best archer and the most sure at marke that was in all Greece also in al the world He and his men as is said cast many of the Troyans to the ground by the shot When the shot fayled Hercules deliuered his bowe vnto Philotes that bare his harnesse and tooke a strong sword and sure When it came to swordes and breaking and foyning with speares Hercules that was alway in the first front leapt against the king Laomedon that was departed from his hoste afore all other for as much as hee rode vppon one of the horses that hee had promised to Hercules And running one against the other as swiftly as they had flowen in the aire met and smote each other so sore that their speares brake in péeces which sprang about them Hercules passed forth and smote among the Troyans and Laomedon in like wise entred into the host of the Greeks they beganne to handle their swords and to hewe each vpon his enemies Then arose there a maruailous noyse they that had speares and shields employed them for to ioyne battaile The fight was great the strokes were hard the battaile was generall for of the one partie the other many men were distressed and beaten notwithstanding that the Greekes were most boystrous and most hard in armes and more valiant then the Troyans and better helde them together then they of the battaile of king Laomedon Hercules wrought and bestirred him fast with his sword that hee had conquered from Philotes At euery stroke and euerie step he killed a Troyan and smote of their heads and armes in great aboundance that it séemed that they that hee touched had not béene armed Laomedon was busie on the one side and fained not but bare him right well vpon his horse and ran from ranke to ranke among the Greekes he rested not but conducted his people knightly and his people were great in number he set vppon his enimies so eagerly that hee inclosed them and then was the murther and slaughter so great that on al sides a man shoulde not haue seene anything but bloud and heads and armes flie in the place and the field When Theseus and Amphitrion beheld the battaile of Hercules so enclosed with the Troyans they bethought them and came to his help ere he had néed At their coming they made a right great vprore they thrusted couched their swords vpon the Troyans which were too far forward and ioyned to them with such prowesse that they smote downe the most stable and strong and went so farre among them that they made them that were so farre come to retire againe and go backe by force and strength In this going backe and reculing the host of Laomedon was all afraide and abashed The thrée swords of Hercules of Theseus and Amphitrion were séene brandishing aboue all other in wel doing and in short space they began to vanquish and ouercome their enemies and would haue brought them to the foyle shame Then that the yong Pryamus with his thirty thousand appeared to come to the assault making so great a noyse that al the ground trembled and gaue a maruailous sound and they that were vpon the walles and edifices of Troy made withall a great crie Hercules Theseus and Amphitrion beholding Pryamus coming and the puissance of Troy set their people in aray and in battaile order went with a great traine of Greekes against them for to withstand their enterprises Theseus was the first that spied Pryamus who set and couched his spears against him and he came with a great courage mounted vpon the second horse of king Laomedon his father and charged with so great might vpon Theseus that he bare him to the ground turned vp side down bruising him vpon his shield Theseus reléeued him being right angrie at this fall and entred among the Troyans smyting and hewing on them with his sword in such furie that he smote off the heads of more then thirtie Troyans ere hee ceased The bruit and noyse was great about him The Troyans would haue reuenged them of his sword but their power was not so great they had worke inough to saue themselues many Greekes came in the aide and helpe of Theseus and then they began to renew the battaile At this time and at this skirmish Hercules and Amphitrion were nothing idle they were on one side and Theseus on the other at méeting there was many a man hurt and slaine Priamus did maruailes vnto the Greeks at the beginning he bare him so valiantlye among his enemyes that he found no man that did him any harme or annoy He made his sword for to tast stronglye the blood of his aduersaries then as he was in this case he heard about Hercules a right hie and a great pearsing crye of his people crying Troye Troye in dispayre to haue preuailed And then Pryamus wéening to haue holpen and to smite downe dead all them that were before him ran vnto the reskew to his maladuenture for as soone as he was come before Hercules and Hercules sawe him so on horsebacke he remembred him that it was he that had ouerthrowen Theseus to the grounde and said that he would auenge him and lifting vp his sword he smote Pryamus so fiercelye vpon his helme that he was all astonied and that his sword slid down on his horse neck and entred in so farre that there fel downe both Pryamus and the horse When Pryamus was so ouerthrowne horse and man and also so astonied that he wist not where he was Hercules was aduertised that it was Priamus sonne of the king Laomedon and then had pitie of him and tooke him prisoner and did send him out of the battaile The Troyans séeing this were sore and grieuously troubled and for the reskew of him they indeuoured themselues and were encouraged so terribly that Hercules might not sustayne al the rigour of the battaile and that the Greekes were constrayned to loose place The King Creon then displayed his banner and his battaile and in likewise did Euristeus and they put them in two winges one on the right side and the other on the left side and they came running in vppon the Troyans with so great noyse and so great tempest that all the Troyans felt well their coming for at that time they wist not where to turne them They were smitten before and behinde so sore that they lost
the cittie Theseus that abode and taryed at this gate as is sayd greatly reioyced when he sawe Hercules come againe with Proserpina he arose and went against them and saluted the ladye and presented to Hercules a chayne of a diamond yron that he had founde at the gate and many prysoners bounde that Cerberus had bound withall Hercules vnbounde the prysoners and tooke the Chayne and bound Cerberus with all And when hee had buryed Pyrothus he departed from this hell and tooke his waye with Proserpina Theseus and Cerberus and without great adoo for to speake of made so his iourney that hee arriued there in Thessalonica and deliuered Proserpina to the quéene Ceres and to Hypodamia he presented Cerberus rehearsing to her and the Ladyes how he had slain Pyrothus Hypodamia had so great sorow for the death of Pyrothus that for to recount and tell it is not possible All they of Thessalie likewise made great mourning and sorrowe and sore bewayled their lord What shall I say for to reuenge his death Hypodamia did cause to binde Cerberus to a stake in the theater of the Cittie and there young and olde tormented and vexed him thrée dayes long continually drawing him by the bearde and spitting at him in the vysage and after slew him inhumainly and horriblye And then when Hercules and Theseus Ceres and Proserpina had taryed there a certayne space of time in comforting Hypodamia they tooke leaue togither and Hercules went accompanyed with Theseus towarde the cittie of Thebes But of him I wil now leaue talke and wil come to speake of the aduentures of Lyncus CHAP. VII ¶ How Andromeda deliuered Lycaon from his enimies and how he slew in battaile the king Creon and tooke the citie of Thebes c. WHen Philotes hadde receyued into his guard and kéeping Lyncus and Hercules was gone to the succours of Theseus and Pyrothus as before is sayd the mariners tooke theyr ship and went to the sea and sayled all that day with-out finding of any aduēture But on the morrow betime in the morning fortune that alwaye turneth without anye resting brought to them a great shippe that drewe his course vnto the same place that they came from Of this shippe or galley was Captayne and chéefe Andromedas King of Calcide This Andromedas was Cousen vnto Lyncus When he hadde espyed the shippe where Lyncus was in he made to rowe his gallie abroade and said that he would know what people were therein In approching the ship of Thebes Lincus beheld the gallie of Andromeda and knew it by the signes and flags that it bare In this knowledge Andromeda spake and demanded of the marriners to whom the shippe belonged Anon as Lincus saw and heard Andromeda hée brake the answere of the marriners and cryed to him all on high Andromeda lo héere thy friend Lincus If thou giue me no succour and helpe thou maist loose a great friend in me for I am a prisoner and Hercules hath sent me into Thebes Andromeda hearing Lincus had great anger for he loued well Lincus and called to them that brought him and said to them that they were all come vnto their death And also that they were vnder his ward Philotes and his folke were furnished with their armes and harnesse and made them all readie for to defend themselues and with little talke they of Calcide assayled Philotes and Philotes and his folke employed them at their defence The battaile was great and hard but the ill fortune and mishappe turned in such wise vppon the fellowes of Philotes that they were all slaine and dead Andromeda had two hundred men in his companie all robbers and théeues on the sea These théeues and robbers smote hard and fiercely vppon Philotes and all to hewed his armes striking and giuing to him many wounds and hée buried manie of them in the sea But their strong resistance profited them but little for in the ende he was taken and bound and Lincus was deliuered and vnbound from the bonds of Hercules Lincus had great ioy of his deliuerance he then thanked his good friend Andromeda After this he tolde him how he was taken and how Hercules had dissipated and destroyed the Centaures And among other he named many of his friends that were dead whereof Andromeda had so great ire and such displeasure that he sware incontinently that he would auenge it And that as Hercules had slaine his friend in like wise he would destroy his cousins and kinsmen Lincus tooke great pleasure to vnderstand the oath of Andromeda which would auenge the death of his kinsmen He said to him that Hercules was gone into hell And after demanded him how he would auenge him vpon the friends of Hercules and thereupon they were long thinking In the end when they had long taken aduice Andromeda concluded that hée would go assaile the Cittie of Thebes and if hée might gette it by assault hee would slea the king Creon and all them of his bloud With this conclusion came thither all the gallies of Andromeda which followed in whom he had eight thousand fighting men Andromeda made them to returne toward Thebes and as hastily as hee might hee entred into the Realme wasting and destroying the countrey by fire and by sword so terribly that the tidings came vnto the king Creon When the king Creon knewe the comming of the King Andromeda and that without defiance he made him warre he sounded to armes and assembled a great companie and knowing that Andromeda was come into a certaine place hee issued out of Thebes all armed and brought his people vpon his enemies that had great ioy of of their comming And then they sette them in order against them in such wise that they came to smiting of strokes The crie and noyse was great on both sides speares swords darts guisarmes arrowes and polaxes were put forth and sette a worke Many Nobles were were beaten downe and dead Lincus and Andromeda fought mortally the King Creon and Amphitrion fayled not there was bloud aboundance shed on the one side and on the other And the battaile was so cruell and sharpe then that in little while after Andromeda and his people gatte and wanne vppon them of Thebes and constrained them to retire and for to go backe whereof the king Creon had right great sorrow and wéening for to haue put his men againe in aray put himselfe in the greatest prease of the battaile where he fought mortally and made so great a slaughter and beating downe of his enemies that Lincus and Andromeda heard of the skirmish and then they came togither And as Lincus sawe the king Creon do maruailes of armes hee gaue him thrée strokes one after another and with the fourth stroke he all to brake his helme from his head and slew him whereof they of Thebes were sore afraide and disparred so that they were put to discomfiture and fled which flying Amphitrion might not remedie albeit that he was strong and of great courage
vnto armes with great courage and assayled all about the men of Lyncus There was a terrible battaile and many people gathered togither men women against their enemies In a little while all the citie was troubled When Hercules had put to death al them that he found in the close of his pallace excepting Lincus whom he put in the guard and kéeping of the Quéene Iuno and of many Gentlewomen that came vnto him then hée sprang into the stréetes and shewed his sword and smote downe right on all sides in skirmishing so mortally with the men of Lincus all about where he might finde them that by the helpe of them of Thebes he made them all to passe the sharpenesse and cutting of his sword And then was Thebes all glad and Hercules returned into the pallace vnto the place where the ladies kept Lincus Then Hercules sent for to breake vppe the doore of the chamber where Megara was in for as much as they could not finde the keyes for they that kept her were dead Megara then full of gladnesse came vnto her lord Hercules rose vp to her and would haue embraced her and kist her But Lincus that thought on nothing but for to do euill by the secret perswasion of Iuno turned him from it saying Hercules let be my concubine I haue taken my fleshly desires with her she is of mine acquaintance and the most luxurious ladie that euer I was acquainted withall When Megara heard the right great iniurie and wrong that the traitor charged hir with she fel backward for anger being furious without saying of any word Hercules was al full of anger and hote and full of great ire wéening that Lincus had said truth so he smote off the head of Lincus and with the same sword that he had slaine the traitor with he put to death Megara who was with childe Howbeit the Cronicles of Spaine tell that Hercules slew not his wife but that he put her into a religious house that he ordained in Thebes in the temple of Diana renouncing her companie and there it is saide that this was the first religion that euer was in Thebes These things accomplished in the one manner and in the other Hercules went forthwith and tooke out of prison Amphitrion and Philotes and departed from thence al angrie and sore gréeued so that at that time and long after he spake not and went his way at all aduenture accompanied with Theseus and Philotes with the great bewailing of them of Thebes which then after his departing crowned ouer them Layus the sonne of King Agenor of Assirie for as much as he had wedded the daughter of the king Creon named Iocasta CHAP. IX ¶ How Hercules put to death the King Laomedon and destroyed Troy the second time HErcules Theseus and Philotes departed from Thebes and went into many diuers lands séeking their aduentures And passing by Licie where Hercules was made king on a day they came into Miâ—imidonie vnto the pallace of the King Eson where Iason was which had enterprised for to saile to the I le of Colchos and made his things readie When Hercules had béene feasted of Iason and of Duke Peleus and that he knew of the enterprise that Iason would go and conquer the fléece of Gold hee vowed and promised that hee would accompanie him And if fortune would be with him he would aduenture to bring his enterprise vnto an end What shall I make long processe Iason and Hercules made readie a right good ship and went to the sea and renewed not their victuall till they came to the Port of Troy And then they renewed 〈◊〉 them at the port for the king Laomedon was then in Troy which had fortified maruailously the Cittie againe and knowing that there was landed at his Port a shippe full of Gréekes hee sent downe a man that commanded them rudely that they should departe thence and that he was enemie to the Gréekes Iason as Captaine of the armie answered coueteously the messenger of King Laomedon and prayed him that hee might haue victuals for his money The messenger answered him that hee should haue none there vnlesse they gat it with the sword Then Hercules might no longer tarie but sware to the Troyan that if he might returne from the voyage that he had enterprised that hee would yet once againe destroy Troy and that he would not leaue one stone vppon another With this conclusion Hercules and Iason departed from Troy by fortune they were brought to the port of Lemnos whereof was a woman Ladie and Quéene named Hypsyphyle which waxed amorous of Iason as it is conteined in the historie of Iason In this port of Lemnos Hercules was aduertised that thereby was a king named Phyneus which suffered himselfe to be goueruerned by an auaricious woman Phyneus had béene married to another woman before and had by her two sonnes These two sonnes were vnrightfully by their stepmother put to exile For to say the verie truth his second wife was so corrupted with auarice that she tooke from the King his riches and held greater state then he When Hercules had knowledge thereof hee went and spake to king Phyneus and to the Quéene and shewed to them their vices in so good maner and fashion that the two children were called back from their exile and that the king held his estate royall Then returned Hercules into Lemnos and tooke the sea with Iason and went into the â—â—e of Colâ—os where Iason by the learning and industrie of Medea conquered the shéepe with the fléece of gold which he bare with him into Gréece Then Hercules recommended greatlye Iason among his parentes and fréendes and told them of the right great vnkindnesse of the king Laomedon and how that hée hadde sworne for to destroye Troye for the rigor that the king Laomedon had doone vnto them They swore all togither with Hercules the destruction of Troye and concluded the day of theyr departure and after made ready theyr shippes and all that was necessary for them And then Hercules helde so well his couenant in theyr army that at the day concluded among them they entred into the sea and did so much trauaile that they landed at the porte of Troye with so great an host that Laomedon durst not forbid them the Porte Iason was at that tyme in a farre straunge countrey Hercules had with him many noble men And among all other there were with him the king Thelamon Aiax the duke Nâ—stor Castor Pollux Theseus and many kings and dukes At the landing of this porte which was of strong entrie Hercules that nothing doubted his enimies made to sownd and blowe vp trumpets and labours and made so great a noyse and stirre that the walles of Troy and of the Pallace redounded thereof and that Laomedon séeing out of one of his windowes the hoste of his enimies was a right great while in a thought whither he might go to battaile against them or no. It happened to
cause them to march and the Calcedonians and Gréekes so sped them on an after dinner that they came and found their enemies and approched them so nigh that there was nothing to do but to smite and lay on Hercules had made two battailes one and the first with his people and the other with the Calcedonians When they came to the poynt to méete Hercules went to the Calcedonians and in the presence of the king sayde to them Lo héere yee may sée your enemies that sette little by you for they be come into your Lordshippe to assayle you I pray you that the great outrage of them abate not nor minish your courage Ye ought herein to haue the fiercenesse of a Lion the puissance of an Elephant and bée gréedie as a Griffon for to deliuer you without ende from the enmitie of king Achelous in kéeping your countrey your dominion your honour your treasures your wiues your children and that more is your liues Be ye then studious to doe well be ye inflamed with desire of vengeance be ye couetous to get worship and glorie If ye shew not your selues valiant at this time ye may not haue any thing but beggerie or seruitude to death for your enemies will doe vnto you all the euill of the world if they haue victory ouer you These wordes wrought in the hearts of the Calcedonians and gaue to them courage marueilously And all they with one right good will desired the battell When Hercules had finished his exhortation hee went to the battell for it was come to the point to fight Then were there great cries on the one side and on the other tabors trumpets clarions harnesse and weapons began to sound knights began to stirre at the entrie of the battell Hercules and the Greeks shot and drewe largely vpon their enemies and made Achelous all abashed forasmuch as hee hoped not to haue founde so great resistance with the Calcedonians Then they cast their eyes vpon the banner of Hercules and seeing the great Lion that was painted therein they began to imagine that there might be Hercules of whom was spoken thorowout all the world for his vertues and his strength When they were thus imagining the shot failed with great slaughter of them of the partie of Achelous When the shot was so failed Hercules tooke his sword went vp and downe among them of Achaie that were in thâ— first front of the battell of Achelous and there made an hole so great that the Calcedonians the Iconians wan vpon them at the first ioyning and made the other partie to recule and goe backe whereof Achelous had great sorrow and hee tooke to him twentie knights which were chosen and came ranged with them there where Hercules scattered and brake the battell of the Achaians There hee approoued his courage lustily This strong giant and his horsemen so valiantly fought that the Gréekes entring taried and abode and also Hercules for they died their swoordes and the earth with their bloud and beat downe many Iconians And there was the strife so great that men might sée nothing els but heades and armes flie into the fielde Hercules smote no stroke but it cost to Achelous the death of a man Achelous in like maner stroke for stroke smote down one of his enemies The residue of their folke did the best they could now before now behinde and yet might neuer the Achayans confound and put backe their aduersaries howbeit they were alway foure against one and the Iconians were in great number and they had alway fresh people and new In this maner the two puissaunces fought together more then foure houres Loue wrought sore there in Hercules and in Achelous both two made their swordes to flourish couered with bloud They met oft times and smote ech other but neuer durst Achelous abide before the sworde of Hercules for the horible strokes that hee sawe Hercules giue but he put him in the prease assoone as hée had smitten him or had angred him In this battaile Hercules did wonders and maruailes Oeneus tooke a great pleasure to beholde him and the Achayans had therein displeasure for they that saw him were no more assured to escape the death then he that faâ—leth the sword in his necke in the hand of a tyrant There receiued no manne a stroke of him but he abode in the place he made so great a slaughter that no man can well write it In the end king Oeneus with all his Calcedonians came to the battaile in his comming the Achayans receiued losse vpon losse and perill vpon perill The king Oeneus made many of his enemies to die Hercules shewed his puissance more and more by his well doing he put the Achayans all out of aray and after vnto flight and the losse of the field turned greatly vnto the damage of king Achelous for Hercules chased him shamefully into his shippes and made him to loose twelue thousand Achayans c. CHAP. XVI ¶ How Hercules put to the worst king Achelous and how he espoused Deianira AFter this victorie when Hercules sawe that the king Achelous saued himselfe by the sea he called the king Oeneus sayd to him that he would pursue his enemie that he would deliuer the world of him and after tooke an hundred of his chosen men and tooke leaue of the king Oeneus and went to the sea following after Achelous recommending him to Gorge to Deianira In this night Oeneus after the departing of Hercules returned into Calcedonie and tolde his wife and his daughters the high prowesse that Hercules had done in the battaile and how he had chased his enemies and how he was gone after with two hundred men The ladies Gorge and Deianara were right ioyous of the victorie but it grieued them sore that Hercules with so litle a company pursued Achelous and aboue all other Deianira was greatly vexed and grieued at the enterprise of Hercules so sore that she went into her chamber and was constrained to wéepe and not to haue ioy in heart vntill the returne of Hercules For to returne vnto the purpose touching Hercules when he was put to the pursuit of Achelous as is sayd he entred into his realme and followed him so nigh that hee was constrained to withdrawe himselfe in a right strong castle standing by the sea Hercules besieged Achelous in this castle When Achelous sawe that Hercules pursued him with so little a companie as with two hundred men onely hee called his friendes and his leaders of menne and among other things tolde them that it was a shame for them to suffer themselues to be besieged with so little a number of people They answered that he had sayd trueth and concluded that the same houre they woulde issue out and raise breake the siege and foorthwith they sounded to armes with short counsell It was not long after that they issued out of the castle but Hercules espied them and knewe that they came to the battell
and she was the fairest mayde that was in her time and the best formed Many mo were within the towne and without during the fiege but these were the principall greatest of name And therfore Dares declareth the fashion of them and rehearseth not of the other CHAP. V. ¶ How the kinges dukes earles and Barons of Greece assembled al with their nauie before the citie of Athens for to come to Troy and how many shippes each man brought vnto the helpe of the king Menelaus WHen it came vnto the end of February that the winter was passed the kings and princes of all the prouinces of Greece assembled them togither at the porte of Athens for to go to Troy It is not in the remembraunce of any man since the beginning of the worlde that so many shippes and knights were assembled as there were at that time For first Agamemnon that was chiefe and prince of all the hoste of the Greekes brought from his realme of Michmas an hundred shippes full of armed knightes The king Menelaus his brother brought from his realme of Sparta fortie shippes Archelaus and Prothenor from the realme of Boecie fiftie shippes The Duke Ascalapus and the Earle Helmius from the prouince of Orconemy thirtie shippes The king Epistrophus and the king Sedius from the realme of Focide thirtie shippes and in his companie were the Duke Theuter Duke Amphimacus the Earle Polixene and the Earle Thebus and many other noble men The auncient duke Nestor for his prouince of Pilon fiftie shippes The king Thoas of Tholy fiftie ships The king Doxunois fiftie shippes The king Thelamon Thyleus sixe and thirtie shippes Polibetes and Amphimacus from his prouince of Calidonie two and thirtie shippes The king Idumeus and the king Mereon of Crete foure score and two shippes The king Vlisses of Trace two and fiftie shippes The Duke Tynelus from his Citie of Friges twelue shippes Prothocathus and Prothesilaus the dukes of Philaca brought with them two and fiftie shippes Collesis brought foure twentie ships from the realms of Cresome and then brought king Machaon and the king Pollydris his sonne three and thirtie shippes Achilles brought from his noble Citie of Phaces two and twentie shippes The king Thephalus brought from Rhodes two and thirtie shippes Eruphilus from Orchomenie two and fiftie shippes The duke Anthipus and the duke Amphimacus of Rusticane thirteene shippes The king Polibetes of Rithe and the duke Lopins his brother in lawe that hadde wedded his sister threescore and two shippes The king Diomedes of Arges foure score and two shippes and hadde in his companie Thelamus and Eurialus the king Poliphebus nine shippes the king Fureus thirteene shippes the king Prothoylus of Chemenense two and fiftie shippes The king Carpenor of Carpadie two and fiftie shippes Theorius of Breisse foure and twentie shippes The summe of kinges and dukes that were come thither were sixtie and nine And there assembled at the Port of Athens twelue hundred and foure and twentie shippes without comprising the ships of duke Palamedes the sonne of king Naulus that came after on with his estate as shall be saide hereafter c. CHAP. VI. ¶ How the Greekes sent Achilles vnto Delphos to the God Apollo for to know the end of their warre and howe hee found Calchas sent from the Troyans that went with him to Athens WHen the king and the Princes were thus assembled at the Port of Athens the king Agamemnon that was chiefe of all the hoste and taught alway to conduct this hoste orderly assembled vnto the counsell on a plaine without the Citie all the noble men of their hoste And when they were all assembled about him in seates that he had made he said to them in this maner O yee noble men that by one will and minde bee heere assembled in this hoste with so great puissance yee knewe verie well that it is not in the remembraunce of any man that he sawe euer so many noble men assembled for to achieue any worke nor so manie young knightes and actiue in armes for to assail◠their enemies Is not he then out of his minde that presumeth to raise himselfe against vs and to begin warre verily I doubt not but one of an hundred that is in this companie is sufficient enough to bring this worke to an end for which we be all assembled It is well knowne to each of you the great iniuries and the great damages that the Troyans haue done to vs wherefore wee haue iust cause to take vengeance by force of armes to the end that from henceforth they nor any other enterprise neuer against vs in any maner for if we should suffer such iniuries by dissimulation they might yet greeue vs more then they haue done And it is not the custome of the noble men of Gréece to let passe such wrongs in dissimulation therfore it shuld be to vs great shame that be so many and that haue assembled so great strength to dissemble in this quarrell and yet that more is there is no nation in the worlde but that breadeth our puissance saue onelie these foolishe people of Troy that by euil counsell haue mooued them against vs and also haue enterprised war vpon vs as first the king Laomedon that iniuried some of our people for little occasion wherefore hee receiued death for his reward and his citie was destroied and his people slaine and soone brought in seruitude where they he yet Certes it is not so difficile and hard to vs that hée more puissant to take vengeance on the Troians as it was to foure Princes of lesse puissance that came to get the better of them Forsomuch then as the Troyans knowe verily that we be assembled for to go vppon them and that they be strongly furnished with men of arms against our comming and of all such thinges as behooueth them for to defend them with it seemeth me good if it please you that ere wee depart from this port heere wée send into the Isle of Delphos our speciall messengers for to haue answere of our God Apollo of this that wee wil doe and enterprise Then was there none but hee allowed and approoued the wordes of Agamemnon and chose incontinent Achilles and Patroclus for to go into this I le to heare the answere of Apollo and anon they departed and went and came soone thither for the saide Isle is as it were in the middest of the Iles of Ciclades where Locana Enfanta Apollo and Diana be And there was a rich temple in the which the God of the Paynims was worshipped and gaue aunswere to the people of such things as they demaunded of him This Ile was first called Delos that is as much to say in Greeke as manifestation forasmuch as in this I le the Paynims sawe first the sun and the moone after the deluge and therefore they supposed that they hadde been borne there of their mother for Apollo is the Sunne and Diana is the Moone in their languag◠Some
all ye kings princes and barons wee ought to render and yeeld thanks to the gods humbly and with deuout heart that our right hard enemie Hector hath suffered to be slaine by the hand of Achilles For as long as he was aliue we had neuer any hope to haue come to the better hand of our enemies What may the Troyans from hencefoorth hope or trust for but onely for their owne ouerthrow and we may in short time hope for the victorie vpon them And for as much as Achilles is grieuously hurt and may not goe to battell if ye thinke good whiles that yee maybe healed and the other also that be hurt of whom we haue many and also for to burie the dead bodies we will send to the king Priamus for to haue truce for two moneths The counsell seemed good to them and they sent anon to the king Priamus for truce and hee accorded it to them for two moneths During this truce Palamedes murmured againe at the seignorie of Agamemnon and as they were on a day all together Palamedes spake of this matter the king Agamemnon answered to him as sage in the presence of all the other and sayd vnto him Palamedes weenest thou that I haue great ioy of the seignorie that was giuen vnto me at the beginning and haue occupied to this present time for that it was not at my request neither haue I none auaile nor profit thereby but I haue great charge and breake many sléepes therefore to the end that by my negligence our hoste goe not to decline nor disworship and certes if had well suffised me to haue beene vnder the gouernment of another and I feare no man that may accuse mee that for any euill or negligence I haue failed in any thing And if thou gauest not thy consent vnto mine election thou needest not to dismay thereof for thou werest not as yet at that time come with the other but it was two yeeres after ere thou camest And therefore if wee shoulde haue abiden thy comming wee had beene at the Port of Athens And forasmuch as thou shalt not thinke that I haue ioy or pleasure of this office and am desirous to haue this honour I am content that another be chosen and am readie to giue consent with the most voices When Agamemnon had thus spoken there was no further procéeding that day in this matter And then at euen Agamemnon did make it to bee cried in all the hoste that ech man should be on the morrow betimes before his tent at the Parlement When it came to the morning that they were all assembled Agamemnon said to them My brethren and friends I haue had vnto this time the charge of this worke with great trauaile for to conduct it well in such wise that by the sufferance of the Gods I haue brought it vnto honor vnto this time And forasmuch as it is not lawfull that an Vniuersitie be ruled alway by one maister but that euery mā employ him to the best to his power and forsomuch as I haue conducted this hoste long time I will that wee doe choose another that may conduct it discreetly When Agamemnon had finished his wordes his saying pleased to euerie man and they chose Palamedes to bée their duke and gouernour and then hee went vnto his Tent. Achilles that lay sicke of his woundes was angry at the deposing of Agamemnon and said before al them that would heare it that Palamedes was nothing like vnto Agamemnon in witte and in discretion and that they ought not to change him for Palamedes but forasmuch as the people had consented he abode thereby also c. CHAP. XIX ¶ How the king Priamus issued to battaile for to auenge vpon the Greekes the death of his sonne Hector and of the prowesses that he did and of the anniuersary of the said Hector in which Achilles was surprised with the loue of Polixena the daughter of king Priamus in such wise that he might endure no rest WHen the the two monthes of the truce were past the king Priamus desiring to auenge the death of his sonne Hector ordeined with his owne person his battailes and sette in each battaile good conductors and hee himselfe went and lead with him fiue and twentie thousand of good knightes chosen of the best And Dares saith in his booke that there issued out of Troy that day an hundred and fiftie thousand men Deyphebus was the foremost and then Parie and after him came the king Priamus and Troylus Eneas Menon and Polidamas they went vnto the Tentes of the Greekes Palamedes had ordained his battailes Then began the battel great and mortall The king Priamus smote downe Palamedes in his comming and after smote vnto the greatest prease of the Greekes and slew many of them and beat them downe and did so much in armes in that day that with great paine woulde beleeue that a man so ancient and old might doe that he did that day The king Sarpedon of Troy assailed king Neoptolemus that was a passing strong knight and king Sarpedon was borne to the earth that defended him valiantly and gaue so great a stroke vnto king Neoptolemus that made him a great wound in his thigh Then came to the battaile the king of Perse that remounted the king Sarpedon with the aide of his folke Menelaus and the duke of Athens assailed the king of Perse and inclosed him and his people among them and slew the king of Perse and made the Troyans to recule by force there did the king Sarpedon great and woonderous matters of armes The king Priamus and his bastard sonnes that then followed him ceased not to slea the Greekes and there was none that day that did so much in armes as did the king Priamus for his sorrow his ire made his strength to grow Then the Greekes aduised them to take the way by which the Troyans should returne vnto their citie and they went thither in great number And when the Troyans reculed for to go into that place they found themselues in the middle of their enemies Then began mortall battel and there came vpon them the king Priamus with a great number of fighting men by a wing and Paris came crossing them with a great plentie of good fighters and he had great store of archers that slew many of the Greekes and hurted them and they did so well that by force the Greekes were driuen to recule to their Tentes And the Troyans reentered into their Citie and the king Priamus had the losse and worst of this battaile He sent to the Greekes to demaund truce and they agreed and accorded to him but we finde not howe long this truce endured c. Among these thinges the king Priamus did cause to cary by land the body of the king of Perse for to be buried in his countrey then was the weeping and sorrow great in Troy and in especiall of Paris that loued him exceedingly During this truce the anniuersary of
he had promised and sworne The children of Titan the one was Lycaon that at this time was no loÌ„ger wolf nor king of Arcadia another had to name Tiphon and was king of Sycilie and of Cipres the thyrd was called Briarius and was king of Nericos the fourth was named Ceon and was king of the I le of Cea the fifth was named Egeon king of the Sea Egee and of the I le desart and the sixt was named Eperion king of Plipheros When they had heard the will of their father that had purueyed them all these Realmes that hee had conquered after his departing out of Crete they desiring to please him and coueting the recoueraunce of their auncient heritages that were then of great renowme sayde to him as by one voyce that they were readie to accomplish his good pleasure and to go into Crete with armed hande and sware that they should constraine Saturne to séeke and fetch his sonnes and persecute them with his hand vnto death The olde Titan had in his heart great ioy when he behelde the frée and great courages of his sonnes And there they promised and sware togither that they all should imploy them to the recoueraunce of their heritages After which communication they ordayned in such wise that they gathered them togither at the port of Sicill and sent vnto their Lordships to assemble men of Armes and of warre They went and made such diligence and so exployted that there were assembled great armour and harnesse and much people at the sayd port And when the day was come they so desired to labour this matter that they departed from Sicill with a great host and tooke the Sea and so made their iourneys with good spéede that in fewe dayes they sayled vnto Crete at the port arriued and tooke land And then entring fiercely into the land they destroyed and wasted all afore them so cruelly and continued in their warre so mortally that they came vnto the Citie of Crete where King Saturne dwelled and was resident and then Saturne was aduertised of their comming and discent And Titan that might no further passe without battaile or assault sent to Saturne a letter whereof the tenour followeth O Saturne glutted with worldly he â—our and couetous of glorie for as much as thou art occupter of the seignorie that by right belongeth to me Titan thy Lord and elder brother furthermore because thou art falsâ—ie periured for thy wife hath diuerse men children that thou hast not put to death in like wise as thou wert bound knowe that I am come to take possession of thy kingdome not appertaining to thee but to me Wherefore come to mercie and méeke thy selfe to grace Or else make thée sure of thy person for if it be possible for me I will come and haue reason of thée When Saturne had read this letter as a man all amazed sent for his wife Cibell and tooke her apart and adiured and charged her to say the truth and tell him what shee had done with his children With this charge the poore Ladie chaunged colour and séeing that she was constrayned to say the truth shée saide Sir thou knowest that I am a woman the heart of a woman naturally doth workes of pitie Had not I béene in nature an abhominable monster if I should haue deuoured with my hande the children of my wombe where is that mother that will murther her children Certes my hand was neuer man-slear nor neuer shall be I haue erred against thy commaundement in the fauour of nature and since it must néedes be so I had leuer to bee murthered then a murtherer and to be named pitious then cruell for murther is crueltie appertaining to vnreasonable beastes and to tyrants and pitie is naturally appertaining to a woman And therefore I confesse to haue borne thrée sonnes conceyued of thy séede which I haue caused to bee nourished secretly but demaund me no further for where they bée they shall liue as long as it pleaseth fortune will Titan or not and there is no death whereof any woman may bée tormented with that shall make the places to bée discouered where they be Saturne hearing these wordes of his wife was so astonished that hée wist not what to aunswere Notwithstanding for the better he assembled all the wise men of his Citie and to them said My brethren and friends what is best to be done Titan my brother hath begunne warre in this Realme my wife hath confessed that shee hath receiued of mee three Sonnes which shee hath nourished in a straunge lande vnder the colour that I shoulde not flea them Titan assayleth mee What shall wee do Syr aunswered the wise men where force is enhaunced by ouer great presumption there must bee policie to conduct wiselie and to put the hande to withstande it Thou hast a strong Citie and fulfilled with great people thou art wise for to gouerne them put thy selfe in armes and take no regarde to the quarell of Titan. A man is not woorthie to bee a King but if it be in his vertue and gentle manners Crete was neuer Realme but nowe Titan hath béene all his lyfe inclined to vyces and is all wrapped in sinne in which purpose hee séeketh to come to thy Crowne If hee extoll himselfe thou must debase and put him downe This is the remedie helpe thy selfe and we shall helpe thee He that flyeth causeth his enemies to chase him Thus nowe it may not be eschewed but wee must withstande and assault our enemie and that couragiouslie For what a man may do this day let him not put it ouer till to morrow Arme thée then well and surely and assayle from thy Citie thine enemies If thou so do thou shewest thy courage to bée aduaunced greatly and not lightly to bée ouercome by any and so thou mayest abate somewhat their pride and presumption If thou behaue otherwise thy selfe and let them take their rest that shall bee matter and cause for to encourage them vpon which they will waxe proud hoping to come to their purpose which shall bee to thée more harming then auaylable For courage and hope oft tymes men say make men to attaine to become conquerours great and hie Notwithstanding thou art king thy will be accomplished and fulfilled Saturne aunswered and sayd Brethren and friends it were great shame to vs and our Citie if we suffered it to bée dissipate and destroyed It is of force that the warre be begunne and open and euerie man dispose him to saue his worship Titan assayleth mine honour and requireth my dishonour Since it must bée that of this matter the armes and warre bée iudges wee shall arme vs this houre and pursue the intertainment of the right good aduenture of Fortune that shall come to vs. And my heart telleth mee that as sodainlie as our enemies bee entered into this lande as sodainlie wee shall make them to go and issue out agayne With this answere all the wise and noble men of Crete tooke great
fiercenesse of Licaon that had Iupiter long time in hatred forasmuch as he had taken from him his Lordship Iupiter followed so eagerly to put Titan to foyle that he brake his Chayre into péeces by the helpe â—â— the Epiriens and with the sword that he smote off his arms he departed the life from the bodie of the vnhappie Titan by a mortall stroke that he gaue vnto his heart 〈◊〉 then bent he his indeuour and prowesse to persecute Licaâ—◠〈◊〉 Egeon that had giuen to him many strokes and 〈◊〉 and he smote with his sword vpon the head of Licaon so fiercely that the sword went to his heart wherat Egeon had so great sorrow and dread that he fled and saued him from the skirmish in which skirmish the Titaâ—ois so vnmeasurably had the woorst that all were put to death and to fight in the fields some here and some there one of the sonnes of Titâ—â— named Tiphon séeing the discomfiture came vnto Iupiter and sayd Iupiter â—e here thine enemie flie not after them that flie it shall be vnto thee more honourable to fight against me that defieth thée then to run after the fugitiâ—es Neuer yet was I found fléeing before mine enemies nor yet will I. Thou hast slaine Titan my father and my brother is slain and vanquished by force and strength and so it behoueth that this Realme must be thine or mine and now let vs sée who shall do best if I may I will vanquish thée and if I ouercome thée certainly thou shalt not â—is by glaiâ—e nor sworde but by the water of the â—ood that runneth all redde and dyed by the blood of my kinne to the end that thou drinke of the blood that thou hast made runne out of their bodyes whereof I have great sorrow and griefe for by the course of nature I ought to take displeasure and annoy thereof and also to turne to great dispight the displeasure that thou hast done to me c. CHAP. XI ¶ How Iupiter vanquished in the field Tiphon and cast him in the Riuer c. THis Tiphon was great and full of presumption and pride when he had saide all that say on his heart Iupiter that had then beheld vnderstood him answered to him vassaile hast thou no knowledge what reason and right the gods fortune haue done for me Thou art strong of members and there procéed from thy heart words more outragious then wise and forasmuch as thou demandest battel thou art welcom make thée ready shortly and do the best that thou canst and hast thee for the cause requireth it With this word Tiphon smote Iupiter so rudly vpon the head of his shield that hee dare away a great â—â—arter made Iupiter to sloupe with the right leg There were by many Epiriens that séeing Iupiter so smitten râ—â— and come for to rescue him but Iupiter would not suffer them that they should helpe him in any case but bad Meliseus and Aâ—chas that they should follow the chase of them that fled And thou he began to assaâ—â— Tiphon by great vertue â—â—â—ce in such wise that he gaue him many wounds in his body and thus began the battell of Tiphon and Iupiter they were both strong and able in the craft of armes they charged one vpon that other â—olorously and eagerly It is no néed that I declare how many strokes the one gaue vnto the other but I must tel how Iupiter so fought and smote his enemie that he tooke from him his sword shéeld and when he was in that point he charged him vpoÌ„ his shoulders by forre of his arms and bare him to the riuer that was all died with the bloud of dead men and there he made him die miserably casting him into the flood with the head downeward for asmuch as he had menaced Iupiter with such a death What shal I saye more of this battaile after the death of Typhon Iupiter weÌ„t agayne to the pursuit of his enemies vntill the sunne began to decline into the west and foâ—â—owed on by great slaughter but in processe of time when he saw that Titan and the more people were so feeble and so dispersed by the fieldes that they might neuer arise againe he sownded the retrayte and assembled his folke in the best wise he might and after he tooke the right way to the Citie hauing great ioye and eâ—â—â—tation of his victorie And he had not taryed long but that foure Cytizens of Crete came vnto him and to tolde him that al they of the party of Titan were fled and that they had taken out of prison his father CHAP. XII ¶ How Iupiter and Saturne reconcyled themselues together and how Iupiter by commaundement of his father weâ—â—â—â—â— to destroy the King Apollo of Paphos and of the â—edicine of Esculapius c. IVpiter receyued these Citizens and their tydings in right great gâ—aâ—â—es and desiring with all his heart to be with his father and mother did so much spéed him that he 〈◊〉 into Crete Saturne and Cibel with Vâ—â—â—â— were at the gaâ—e which receyued him honourably and brought him vnto the Palâ—ato where he was 〈◊〉 with the king Meâ—â—â— and Aâ—â—â—â— in 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—n that it might be no better At the comming of Iupiter many teares were wept for ioy by dame Cibell and Vesca Cibell kist and beclipt often times her sonne And all they of the countrie came thither into the pallace for to feast and worship Iupiter and also they gaue him many great gifts And it is not to be forgotten how Saturne reconciled himself vnto him and gaue him a state as to his sonne During these things the body of Titan was searched among the dead bodies by the commandement of Saturne and there was made for him his obsequie solemne as it appertaineth to a king and likewise vnto his sonnes that were found dead in the battaile All the sonnes of Titan were not perished and dead in the battaile for among all other Iopetus and Briareus were left aliue and fled That is to say Briareus was fled into an I le of Greece named Nericos and Iopetus fled into a part of Libie where be inhabited And he had with him thrée sonnes that he had by his wife whreof the eldest was named Athlas the second had his name Hesperus and the third named himselfe Prometheus Athlas dwelled in Libie and Hesperus reigned in Spaigne and were both vanquished by Hercules as it shall be saide in the second booke For to hold on our purpose when Saturne and Iupiter had doone the obsequies of the Titanoys tidings came to Iupiter that Apollo king of Paphos had taken part with them that fled from the battel of the Titanoy This said Apollo had made aliances with Saturne and was sonne of Iupiter of Artique When Iupiter and Saturne heard these tidings anon Saturn required Iupiter that be would take vengeance on Apollo that was his allie and that he would destroy his enemies At the request of Saturne Iupiter enterprised the
be succoured when it should come to strokes graunted the request of his two sonnes and tooke vnto them twelue thousand of fighting men Ilion and Ganimedes thanked the King Troos their father and tooke leaue of him and wente foorth with their fighting men in such wise that they were a mile before the battaile of the King And so the King Troos followed the battayle of his two sonnes Ilion and Ganimedes And he had riders betwéene both appoynted for to reporte to the king Troos when his sonnes had found Tantalus theyr enemie and also the two noble sonnes had before them their diuerse espyes and watchers that were sent out into diuerse places to sée and to discouer the state the puissaunce and the order of theyr enemies which founde them aboute the euening and anon after they returned vnto Ilion and Ganimedes and bad them to make chéere and that they had séene the enemies of Troye in a certaine place that they named and that there they had séene them lodged and that they might well be numbred by estimation about xxx thousand fighting men Of these tidings had the Troyans great ioye it was that time about midnight and they were lodged in the ende of a valley Ilion and Ganimedes anon the same houre assembled all the noble men of their companie and tolde them what the espies had reported and demanded of them counsell All were of opinion that they should suffer their Hoste rest yet a good houre and after that they should breake their fast a little and lightly to the ende to haue the better and longer their breath and also to be the more couragious and to cause them to be the better awaked and this done they should departe for to go assaile their enemies This opinion séemed good vnto the fiue sonnes of the king And they signified their intencion by the riders vnto their father Troos. After this they withdrew them to take a little their rest and gaue charge to them that kept the watch to awake them when they sawe their time and so they had but little rested when they were awaked and called and that each man should take his armes and follow on The Troyans obeyed and knewe well it was time to make readie spéedily They were neuer so ioyous as they were when they knew they should go to battaile They eate and drunke temperately all with one good will they garnished them with their armes and shewed the one to the other how they would fight in the battaile and confound their enemies and menaced them of an euill conflict with them At this houre the Moone shone right cléere by which shining and light Ilion and Ganimedes put their people in aray in faire order When they had tooke the short refection they beganne to march toward them and put themselues before all other they came so nigh by Moone light and by their guides that they were heard of them that kept the watch of their enemies that they sought the which fled vnto the tents of king Tantalus and awoke him and tolde him the the Troyans were come to assaile him and that they had séene them in great number But Tantalus beléeued not lightly his watch and deferred his arising more then néede was He had not long abiden but the Troyans came vpon his hoste and laide loade vpon the Frigiens so vnmeasurably that the redounding of their strokes came and fell into the eares of Tantalus which arose and sprang on his féete terribly affraide With this affraie were awaked all the Frigiens in generall some by mortall woundes and some by their cries and some hurt gréeuously In comming on thus the Troyans damaged greatly their enemies and the more because many of them were not furnished with their armes which were smitten downe by the swords of the Troyans and they were beaten downe maimed mortally and wallowing in their bloud This notwithstanding though that the comming on of the Troyans was sharpe and that Ilion and Ganimedes approued themselues sharply in their worke Tantalus and his sonne Pelops gathered their people that withdrew them about their tent and there mustred them together and then when they founde them in number sufficient for to enter into battaile Tantalus cried Frigie Frigie and after he did cause to march his people against the Troyens that beate downe all before them in the place where they were arriued and then beganne the noyse to be great For on all sides were cryes made and at the ioyning the skirmish was horrible that it séemed that the world should ende in the same place Ganimedes and Pelops encountred together and full of great courages they fought together so sore and hard that a great while by the wounds that were séene vppon their heads and vpon their armes they were like the one to slea the other and the one had slaine the other had not Tantalus and Ilion haue béene by For Tantalus smote vpon Ganimedes and Ilion smote Pelops and the Troyans and Frigiens medled the one with the other And there began the slaughter and murther and there was fighting as champions shewing each man his vertue and his prowesse so strongly for as much as they saw the Moone go down and decline And yet was not the day come when they founde in the morning the place all couered with bloodie heades armes and of men dead but the number of the Frigiens that there were put to the worst was much greater number ten against one then of them of Troy What shall I say as long as the moone gaue his light there was no fault on the one side nor on the other each man did his part The moone gat her into a darke cloud and anon it was darke then the middle began to cease fighting the retrait was cried The Frigiens withdrew them at the cry of Tātalus And the Troians at the cry of Ilion Ganimedes And there was none but would had gladly abiden the end of this skirmish and fight CHAP. XXIII ¶ Howe the king Troos chased in battell the king Tantalus and how the king Saturne came by sea sailing to the port of Troos how the king Troos receiued him worshipfully AFter this foresaid battaile when Tantalus was withdrawen hee beganne to cast his eyes vppon his people which were all on a hill for to wit how they were of number and howe they had borne themselues and how much people he had lost and he went all about them with his son Pelops and him séemed well that his power was made lesse than hee had thought whereof hee had in his heart a right great and sharpe displeasure and visiting his host in this fashion the day began to arise and in the dawning two things appeared and came to the knowledge of the people of Tantalus one was the great losse of his people and the other was the battaile with King Troos that they saw from farre discouered and approach Certes when Tantalus considered his euident damage and sawe
that the King Troos made to him and he thanked him of so hie and ample offers and at the coming out of his shippe he b◠〈◊〉 him in his armes and kist his hande What shall I saye the King Troos brought him into his Pallace with all his men and feasted them as it appertayned for the loue of Saturne In likewise the people being aduertised of Saturne that it was he that found the maner of labouring of the earth of melting of metals and of sayling and rowing by Sea made so greate and plentifull feast at his comming that they coulde no more doo At that time during this feasting when Saturne felt him in the grace of the Troyans on a daye he called Troos and his two sonnes and addressed his words to them saying Lordes of Troye ye haue doone so much for me that I maye neuer deserue it but as I haue sayde to you my sonne is enhaunsed and lift vp aboue me and hath taken from me my Realme I intreate you as much as I may that ye will councell me what thing is most conuenient for me to doo And how I shall suffer and beare the iniury doon to me c. My brother aunswered the King Troos this is against nature for a sonne himselfe to rebell against his Father the sinne and crime is foule and worthy of reprehension for euery sonne is bounden by all lawes to serue worship dread and obey his Father And it is not reason that any man should approoue or hold with a sonne disobeysant Your sonne is in this condition cursed and right euill and I am of the opinion that ye shal not acquite you well vnlesse you do to your power to maister and ouercome his euill maners And to the end ye shall not excuse your euident harmes and losses when ye will I will deliuer you my sonne Ganimedes accompanied with twentie thousand Troyans that shall succour you vnto the death Or they shall sette you agayne in your royall tribunall Saturne was all recomforted when he knewe the loue that the King Troos shewed to him and after many thankes concluded that he would returne into Crete with Ganimedes and would begin againe the pitious warre of him and of his sonne And following this conclusion from thenceforth on he did cause 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—int the shipping of Troye and all things apperteyning and gathered togither men of armes with great puissance by the introduction of Ganimedes And when all the assembly had mustred and were gathered togither he tooke leaue of the king Troos and of Ilion and went to the sea and shipped all his manie and knowing the situations of the countreys by the seas he directed his hoste into the Sea Egee where as was Egeus sonne of Titan the greate pyrate which durst not haue to doo with them in no wise and from this sea of Egee he trauailed so much by diuerse iourneys that he came and arriued at the first porte and hauen of Crete CHAP. XXIIII ¶ How Saturne by the ayde of Ganimedes and of the Troyans returned into Crete to fight against Iupiter where he was ouercome and vanquished and Ganimedes taken AT that houre when Saturne arriued in Crete the sunne was turned into the west and on the heauen begaÌ„ to appeare the stars Saturne knewe the port and tooke land hoping to enter the country secretly and went a little way and there lodged his people in a place coÌ„uenieÌ„t made theÌ„ rest eate and drinke by the space of foure houres and then hée awooke the host and made the Troians arme them and enter into the Realme But they were not farre gone but anon after the sunne rysing and approaching a straight passage the espies and scowrers came vnto Saturne and Ganimedes hastily and tolde them that they had séene the King Iupiter right strongly accompanied which kept the passage Vpon this place it is to wit that when Iupiter was departed from Danae and from the Tower of Dardan and was come into Crete desiring to accomplish his promise to Danae hee did cause to assemble his men of warre concluding in himselfe that faithfully he would go fetch the fayre Danae and bring her into his Countrey by force of armes What shall I say more His armie was all readie and came the same night where on the morrow he hoped to haue departed but as hée was in his bed that night in his Citie of Parthenie tidings came to him of the arryuing of the Troyans Wherefore he was constrained by force to change his purpose of which he was right sorie and maruailous passing heauie This notwithstanding suddenly as these tydings were freshly brought vnto him he arose and tooke his men of armes that he had assembled and hastily brought them vnto the straight whereof aboue is written and there abode his enemies as wise well aduised And it is not to be forgotten that in this armie among his men was the king of Molosse which had late found the industrie and craft to tame and breake horses for to be ridden and to ride them And there was come he and his men to serue the king Iupiter for his good renowme accompanied with an hundred men that ran as the winde And for this cause they were called Centaures and these Centaures were so terrible and cruell that they doubted not the puissance of King nor of none other whatsoeuer they were For then to returne to the matter alreadie begun when Saturne knewe that the passage was kept and that Iupiter was then aduertised of his coÌ„ming he caused his host to stay and sayde vnto them My children it behooueth that this morning ye so do in Crete your deuoir not onely in mustring and shewing your courages but aboue all that ye bee redoubted and dread like the thunder Assure year selues of your quarrell Iupiter mine enemie is heere where he abydeth our comming to the battaile ordained if we will come to the ende of our enterprise it is necessarie that we draw thither Let me heare what ye will say Then thus answered Ganimedes we be come into Crete for to correct your sonne and to set you againe in your throne We will do that we may do by our power and fight fréely without doubting or feare And vnto the ende that no reproch be layde vnto vs I will sende and summon your sonne first or any swoorde be drawne or stroke smitten to the ende that he yéelde him vnto your obeysaunce and that he come and amende his misdéedes And then Ganimedes did call forth his Troians by consent of Saturne and set them in order of battaile and when he had so done he sent one of his auncient knights a noble man vnto Iupiter and gaue him charge to make the summons such as is sayde before The Troyan departed from the host at the commaundement of Ganimedes and did so much that hee was presented before Iupiter and said to him Iupiter thou oughtest to know that euery sonne oweth obeysance vnto his father thou dost
contrarie to these things and shewest that thou art not son of a king but of perdition for thou despisest thy father In stead of reuerence thou hast him in hate and thou makest him warre where thou shouldest hold him in loue and thou puttest him to great dishonor thy selfe where thou art hold and bounden to do him worship O Iupiter who shall giue thée absolution of thy life dwelling in venome Who shall excuse thy sinne Thou art enemie of thy father The case is so grieuous that there is no mercie ne excusation vnlesse it procéede from the naturall clementie of thy father Beholde Iupiter beholde the ende of thine insurrection All lawe positiue and all lawe written condemne thée vnto death and curse and anathematise thée It is great pittie thou art a goodly yong man Know that thy reigne may not long dure and that thou shalt more sharply be punished then thou wéenest peraduenture at this this time For Ganimedes one of the sonnes of Troy is hereby in the helpe of Saturne thy father with twenty thousand sighting men which summoneth thée by me that thou returne into the mercie of thy father and yéeld him his realme all excuses set apart Messenger aunswered Iupiter if I were such one as ye say with iust reason ye and other might giue sentence and condemnation vpon mee I were then guiltie for both parties And I trow if Ganimedes of whome ye haue spoken had heard my my excuse hée would not bee mine enemie I aunswere you that I loue my father Saturne in as much as hee is my father But I say to you on the other part that he hath oft tymes sought to put me to death hée shewing himselfe my mortall aduersarie and not father For euery father naturally loueth his sonne and for that regarde I will kéepe me from him as from mine enemie And will well that the Troyans knowe that if they come and assayle mee I will defende mee with all my puissance c. With this aunswere returned the saide Troian vnto Saturne and Ganimedes and sayd vnto them what he had found Saturne and Ganimedes swore then the death of Iupiter and approched so nigh the strait that they came within a bow shot the one nigh vnto the other and from as farre as they sawe each one nigh vnto the other they made great cryes and showtes Iupiter had set his puissaunce in two wings whereof hee was chiefe in the formost and Ixion and his Centaures were gouernours of the second When Iupiter had séene that there was no way but for to skirmish he said he would begin the battaile and after that he had encouraged his people he pricked his horse foorth and then happened and befell a maruaylous thing For from the high clouds aboue came downe an Eagle vpon his head and after beganne to flie about him making him ioy and théere and departed not nor left him during the battaile By the flying of this Eagle Iupiter and the people tooke in them an hope of good successe And Saturne and the Troians fell in a feare and doubt that could not come out of their conceits What shall I say more when Iupiter sawe the dooing of the Eagle he had a great ioy in his heart and as a man well assured in his bodie he entred among the Archers of the Troyans that shot thicke at him and running as a tempest passed by their arrowes and tarried not for resistance of shot till he came among the men of armes of the Troyans The Troyans had neuer séene man on horse backe before and when they saw Iupiter they had thought it had béene halfe a man and halfe a horse and there were some that fled at his comming and some abode and fought valliantly against him thus began the battaile of that day They of Crete followed Iupiter with a great noyse of Tabors and clarions and began to skirmish with the Troyans they did their best on both sides Iupiter bare to the ground many Troyans and well employed his horse on which he rode Ganimedes and Saturne on the other side failed not Alway Iupiter proued himselfe in armes the most expert aboue all other And abandoned his body and life vnto the fight of his enemies and there was no man that durst haue to do with him or abide him but he was slain and put vnderfoote by the cutting and smiting of his sword Cruell and fierce was this battaile The Troyans were without feare and did great prowesses and manly by the the leading of Saturne and of Ganimedes Saturne met Iupiter often times as he that sought great strokes but Iupiter that knew him well would neuer abide him saying that he would neuer set hand on his person but eschewed and fled his death vnto his power This notwithstanding hee sought the death of his helpers and made no sparing of their harnesse ne armor of leather of their heades ne of their liues of yong nor of old of valiant nor of hardy it was to him all one he yéelded neither to one side nor to other for stroke of sword of mace ne of guisarme Yet he had oft remembrance of the faire Danae and desiring to be quit of his enemies for to go about her deliuerance like as he had promised vnto her he smote off heads and arms Vnto him was nothing impossible At euery stroke he dyed his sword with new blood and the Eagle did flée alway about him now low now hie Wherfore the Troians had great despite in thēselues Ganimedes the noble Troyan was of little stature Yet notwithstanding he was of more greater courage then any other vigorouslie he fought agaynst them of Crete as hee that mynded nothing but to get worshippe and honour What shall I say they fought thus togither in this poynt from the morning till the euening without that any of both parties obtayned any winning or losse and then Saturne withdrew his people on the one side and Iupiter returned with the King Ixion and the Centaures and still followed him alwayes the Eagle and sate vppon his Tent which was made of boughes and greene rushes For at that time Tents and Pauillions of cloath were not had nor vsed howbéeit the making of linnen cloath and of cloath of Golde and Silke was founde afore this tyme. In this night they of Troy and they of Crete made great cheare in theyr Tentes and lodgings and disposed them to beginne againe on the morrowe the labour of armes hoping all to haue the better and victorie The hurt men were dressed and the harnesse broken was made again and amended they spake largely of the prowesses of one and other but principally they helde theyr speaches of the Eagle and spake so much of him that Iupiter that same night tooke a péece of Crimson Satten containing a yard and a halfe square and made therein the resemblaunce of an Eagle of Golde and set it on a Speare and made a banner saying that he would beare that banner in all battailes euer after
Ganimedes they yéelded vnto armes their deuoirs They did worshipfully deale with their bodies vnto their puissance without ende They wrought and fought with their enemies making their swords red in the bloud of the Cretians They followed with great force in such wise that they fought all that day otherwile afore and sometime behinde And it was so in the ende that when the sunne began to go downe Ganimedes thinking on his great losse and desiring to recouer his worship tooke a terrible and mighty axe and enflamed with right noble courage fought about the baner of the Eagle of gold where was the most strength and smote downe on the one side and other so vnmeasurasurably that his axe changed colour and he cried with an high voyce Troy Troy Iupiter had alway an eye on the banner When he heard the crie of Ganimedes and saw his behauiour he knew him whereof he had great ioy for he sought no man but him he gaue ouer the place where he was in and ioyously adressed him vnto him and saide O valiant Troyan thou hast shewed thy prowesse all the day and now thou manifestest and shewest thy selfe by great feats of armes and of great shouts Thou art onely he that I séeke among the valiants of Troy not onely that I presume to be more valiant in armes then thou but for as much as thou art he that hast assailed Crete and that I haue pursued thee hither Thou hast assailed and fought with me army against armie and nowe let vs fight body against body and he take it that may get it Ganimedes with this word lifted vp his axe and casting his eyes on Iupiter and thinking of that he had heard made him this answere Happie and fortunate king of Crete I know nowe that thou art worthy to haue grace of fortune and that thou art more wise then strong Thou séest that fortune is with thée neuerthelesse now thou enhaunsest not thy selfe aboue me I allow and prayse thée in as much as thou dost worship and honour to thine enemie and dispraisest him not but imaginest that hee hath courage at his heart know thou that thou dost thy selfe honour and worship For to disprayse and blame another man no man ought to aduance himselfe I would that it pleased the gods that thy father Saturn which is wandering on the sea were now here for it is mine intent that by his helpe we would haue reason of thée and I will come thereto if it be for me possible for I should be satisfied for all my hurts and losses if I might conquer and ouercome thée And without mo words Ganimedes let flie his axe and smote on Iupiter Iupiter couered him with his shield which was smitten in two peeces by the cutting of the axe and then Iupiter bestirred himselfe who all that day had abstained and spared from fight and the feats of armes and commanded his folke that they should let him alone with Ganimedes for as much as he was alone And nowe he defended himselfe against the axe of Ganimedes and be laboured him with his sword the most best wise that to him was possible Thus began the battaile of the two champions of Crede and of Troy They were both right expert to do the feats of armes their cries were high and fierce they smote each other fiercely eagerly the fire sprang out of their helmes by the might of their strokes But when fortune was on the part of Iupiter what might Ganimedes do His strokes were great and hee gaue vnto Ganimedes many wounds and indéede tooke away his axe by the meane of a great wound that he had in the right arme might haue put him to death if he would But for to make short processe when he had taken his weapon from him he had pitie on him and saued his life and caused him to be kept by foure Centaureâ—â— Anon after it began to waxe dark for the night tooke froÌ„ the day his light wherefore it behoued them to take their rest and leaue off fighting And so the Troyans withdrew them into theyr Citie and they of Crete vnto the port of the sea CHAP. XXVII ¶ How the King Troos and Ilion his son made great sorrow for Ganimedes for they wist not where he was becom And how Iupiter went to the sea for to go to Argos WHen Troos and Ilion were withdrawen they abode at the gate vnto the time that all the Troyans were come againe into the Citie as they that knew not where Ganimedes was become whome they sore desired to haue found All they that were in the battaile of the Troyans were entred and there was no man that coulde tell the King Troos where his sonne Ganimedes was or whether he was aliue or dead And when hée sawe that he hadde no more men left in the fielde he returned into his Pallace sorrowing and greatlye vexed and sent for them that were come againe from Crete and enquired of them of all the tydings and what they hadde doone with his sonne As touching his sonne they aunswered that in the euening hée was in the prease among his enemyes but they wist not what was become of him And as touching the tydings of Crete they tolde him how they had spedde in theyr Iourney against them and how the Eagle appeared vnto Iupiter and how they were ouercome by the strength of the centaures And how they wist not where Saturne was become These tydings gaue vnto the king Troos sorrowe vppon sorrowe and to Ilion also And the teares fell downe from theyr eyes and in speciall Ilion wept sore bewayling his brother in this manner Alas my brother alas Ganimedes where is become the glorie of Troye by the vnfortunate and vnhappy Saturne which hath failed there in thy néede At the least if thou hadst come againe we togither would haue doon our best to haue bin aueÌ„ged of this losse We would haue assayed our bodies by fraternall loue for to haue recouered thine honour How is it art thou perished by venturing what hard gréefe and sorrowe is thée befallen for to say all thy misaduenture and mishap is too preiudicial vnto the house of Troy Ilion faire sonne answered Troos for one aduersitie it behoueth not to be abashed in the warre in any wise but to haue firme courage War giueth this day victory to one and on the morne taketh it away and giueth it to another and so putteth each out A vertuous and a manly maÌ„ vnto his death ought not to be afraide If Ganimedes he dead in the battaile or if he be taken what remedy it is then expedient eyther to auenge his death or to succour him but our enemyes be in little number we will to morrow fight with them againe and let the gods doo their willes of vs. And if I faile herein I shall be quite discouraged Ilion and the nobles of Troy comforted them with these words of king Troos and confirmed his resolution for to go on the morne
the assaulte they hadde great shieldes and large wherwith they couered them They dreaded no stroke of glayne ne sworde nor of stones they putte themselues into the myddest of the porte and there they gaue the assaulte where manye were deade on the one parte and on the other there were plentye of fighters in such wise that at the entrye there were manye Apuliens ouerthrowne and put backe for they were then hote and eager but after this when they hadde gotten lande Perseus and Danaus beganne to smyte so vnmeasurably vpon the Lybiens that they beate them downe without remedye nowe heere nowe there at the right side and at the left side all made red with theyr bloud Also Perseus gaue so great a stroke with his sword vnto Athlas that purposed to haue come and broken the rankes that neuer after Athlas had no hope nor durst not come among the strokes albeit that he was great strong and puissant Too much couetous of victorye were Perseus and Danaus and they of Naples the Libiens had not béene accustomed to finde so fierce and mortall armes as them of Perseus The king Athlas wist not what to saye he encouraged his people the best wise he could This notwithstanding hée sawe them beaten downe of his enimies without number and without measure and sawe further that they of Naples wan alway And when he had séene all this and also beheld that these men had vanquished the Quéene Medusa he iudged in himselfe that he was not puissant ynough to resist their strength and that the hardines of this battaile shoulde be to him more damageous then auailable so sounded he the retraite and fled not into his citie but into a right hie mountaine that was thereby and therefore say the poets that Athlas by the sight of the heade of Medusa was turned into a Mountaine And from thenceforth was this hill called Athlas and yet endureth the name vnto this daye And for as much as Athlas saued him there among the stones he foūded afterward a castele there where he dwelled vntil time of Hercules CHAP. XXXIIII ¶ How Perseus turned the king Athlas into a stone and how the Queen Auria wife of king Pricus waxed amorous of the Knight Bellerophon that refused her wherfore after he had much payne WHen Perseus and Danaus sawe Athlas and all his folke putte to flight first hée chased them vnto the Mountaine where they were turned into stones dying with their bloud the caues bushes wayes pathes And secondly when they hadde put them vnto vtter foyle as much as they coulde they drewe to the Citie whereof the gates were not shut nor kept with any man and entring in they found none but a little number of matrones and yong children which made a terrible great lamentation All the yong men and women were fled vnto the fields and had abandoned the Citie with their folke and goods When Perseus and Dardanus were within and sawe that it was abandoned to them and their people they tooke all that they founde and passed that night with great ioy gladnes making great cheare and thanking their goddes of their victorie that they had giuen to them And on the morrow Perseus made to be beaten downe the gates of this Citie after he commanded that euerie man should take his spoyle and when they were laden with all Perseus and Danaus went to the sea into their gallies and sailed forth leauing Athlas in the mountaine where he gaue him vnto the studie of Astronomie In this time Iupiter made aliance with king Troos by the meanes of Ganimedes and in signe of loue and friendship he gaue vnto Ilion a picture of gold which was set in the palace of Ilion as it shall be saide in the third booke And it was not long after that king Troos came to the course and end of his raigne and his obsequie was halowed and kept solemnely at Troy in great aboundance of teares And then Ilion was crowned king of the Citie where hee liued in ampliation and increasing of his seigniorie and lordship and wedded a noble Ladie of the citie of whom he receiued a son named Laomedon And for as much as I finde not that Ilion did any thing after his coronation nor made other thing saue that he finished and made his pallace I will speake henceforth of Laomedon his sonne that raigned after him And héere I will leaue the noble déeds of this Ili on and yet ere I write of Laomedon I will persue my matter of Perseus And for to come thereto I will recount an historye that fell after that Perseus had turned king Athlas into a mountaine In this time then that Perseus began to giue his life vnto right worthie déedes and works of noble fame Acrisius Grandfather of this Perseus and naturall father of Danae was put out of his kingdome and Realme and all the seignorie of Argos by a conspiration that Prycus his brother made against him And there was left vnto Acrisius of all his Realme no more but onely the tower of Dardain wherto he fled for refuge This Acrisius and Prycus were naturall sons of Abas lawfull sonne of Linceus that was only left aliue of the fiftie sonnes of Egistus by the mercie of his wife Hypermnestra daughter of Danaus Pricus then hauing vsurped from his brother Acrisius the seignorie of the Realme of Argos had a wife named Aurea that was so brought vp that of custome she had no delight but to liue in voluptuousnesse And on a day shée beheld among her seruants one so comely a knight that nature had nothing forgotten in him touching his bodie of whom she was enamoured Shee was yong and her husband Pricus was ancient in his demeanure conditions and much lesse desired carnall concupiscence then his wife did though they were both right neare one age This knight thus beloued hadde to name Bellerophon When Aurea had begunne to loue this knight she solicited him with her eyes and with her countenances drawing him to delight and fleshly lust But the true knight that had his heart firme and stable which perceiued well her countenance dissimuled and fained that he was blinde in this part And in the ende when the Ladie sawe that by countenance nor signe amorous that she shewed he employed him not once for to please her but fled her companie in the most euill wise that she might shee intended to turne her loue into hate and her faire countenances into fierce malice so enuenimed that for to make him die shée accused him before her husband the king Pricus saying that he would haue enforced her wherefore she required iustice instantly At this accusation made Bellerophon was present and being sore abashed and astonished at the beginning but hearing the Ladie speake at length he cleared himselfe and excused him saying Madame neuer please it vnto the gods that for to couer mine honour I do discouer the disworship and fault of another Let neuer man
aduance himselfe by defaming another This knowing I will say the truth and if there bee any man that may worthily prooue this against me and ouercome me no blessing to my heart I will stand to the iudgement of all noble men that haue knowne my behauiour Alas ladie from whence is come this abusion for to charge me that I should haue willed to enforce you when or in what place was it doone or where be the witnesses of the crie that ye made at the affray where be the prooues that shall say that euer in my life I was with you alone It giueth me maruaile from what heart departed this dishonour that ye note in me and for what cause it is imagined against me for I will well that all the world know that I haue serued you truely and loyally and that I neuer thought dishonour vnto you nor vnto the king to whom I pray that he will take and make information vpon my liuing and to vnderstand in like wise yours And if it can be prooued and appeare that I haue trespassed that I may be punished but I pray also if I be founde innocent that I may haue spéedy absolution Syr said the Ladie that strongly was obstinate in her errour I make me partie against him If then I accuse him it is truth it ought not to demand witnesses of his follie In this case I am worth two witnesses for all the world knoweth that when an ill man will dishonour a woman he calleth no witnesses nor no prooues thereto but doth his damnable will the most secretly that in him is possible And so wéened Bellerophon to haue doone with mée wherefore I require sentence and iudgement of him With these wordes Pricus assembled his Councell and it was iudged that the ladie shoulde bee beléeued and that Bellerophon should bee culpable of death Then spake Pricus to Bellerophon and said Faire sonne thou knowest and hast found that I haue loued and nourished thée louingly thou vnderstandest the accusation of thy Ladie the case is so foule that it may not be purged by denying For if it were so the euill boyes and had fellowes would all day dishonour as many of our women as they could find In this case the Ladyes haue a prerogatiue for to be beléeued and néede not to bring forth witnesses And forasmuch as thy mistres hath vanquished thée and required iudgement of thy trespasse thou art condemned to die But forasmuch as before this time I haue had great loue vnto thée and that I knowe thée a valiant man of thy bodie I will mittigate and attemper this sentence in this wise that thou shalt go fight agaynst the Chymere of Sicill and if thou mayst ouercome and maister her I giue thée thy life and giue thée plaine absolution of all vpon condition that neuer after thou renue nor rehearse this trespasse Sir answered Bellerophon sith that fortune consents that I be attainted of any infelicitie and that the priuiledge of the Ladies take place and go aboue reason I had much leuer to be vanquished by wrong cause and euil then by iust and good cause and thanke you of the moderation of your iudgement and make vow here in your presence that in all haste I will go into Sicil to proue me against the Chimere and will sée if fortune will helpe me to get againe the life which she hath made me lose by your iudgement Then the noble knight departed and tooke leaue of the king of the ladies and damosels tooke also his armours and goods and made couenant and bargained with certaine marriners to bring him to Sicill When they were agréed he went to the sea with little companie and was euill at ease at his heart when hee sawe that Fortune was to him so contrarie yet hee comforted him selfe in his good quarrell and sayling on a daye on the Sea of Hellesponte his Marryners looked into the West and sawe come a right great floate of Shippes of warre which discomforted them so sorrowfully that it was wonder and they awooke Bellerophon that at that time slept and saide that they were but dead and cast away Bellerophon comforted his marriners the best wise hee could and told them that discomfort could not helpe them and as he was thus speaking a gallie of aduantage went out afore his fellowes and flying on the sea like vnto a bird adressed her vnto the ship wherein was Bellerophon and aborded it And who that will demaund what the name was of the gallie and what men were therin I wil say to them that this was Pegase and that Perseus was within it As soone as he might speake to the marriners that caried Bellerophon to Sicyll hee asked and demanded them what they were and into what region they would go When Bellerophon heard Perseus speake hee behelde his behauiour and countenance and iudged in himselfe that he was of a good house and said to him Certes sir I haue much great ioy for that I sée the ship and marriners be so well adressed and in so good readinesse as yours be for ye séeme well a knight of a noble house and therefore I tell you my case afterthat ye haue made your asking First then where ye enquired what we bee knowe ye that in Argos wee haue taken our birth And as to the second I answere you that we haue a purpose to go straight into Sicill to the which I am constrained by the rigour of a mortall iudgement cast vppon mee at the instance of a Ladye called Aurea that vniustly and vntruely hath complained vppon mee saying that I would haue enforced her This Ladye that I speake of is wife to king Prycus which newly and of late hath banished and exiled his Brother Acrisius out of his Realme and this King for to please and satisfie the accusations of his wife hath condemned mée to be put to death yet for the good and the acceptable seruice that I haue doone to him hée hath graunted me to liue if so it please the goddes that I may by possibilitie vanquish and ouercome a Chimere that is in Sicill vnto the which I go for to assay mee So I pray you that in our misfortune we be not let by you neither by none of your companie Valiant knight answered Perseus as it is true that the heart of a noble man taketh pitie and compassion in the distresse and passion of his equall the weighing of your case hath pearced mine heart with a charitable mercie and pitie by which yée may surely vnderstand not to haue by vs any hinderance during your infortunate life And for as much as the hearts of them that would be induced at calling to the déedes of Armes singularly delyte them in aduentures of great woorth and weight to get credite by I will accompanie you for two causes The first is to expose my selfe to the disputation and destruction of the Chimere if it happen that you ouercome her not which I suppose yée can not
And the second is that after the Chimere be vanquished I may be guided by you vnto the Realme of Argos For from nowe forth I will be enemie vnto the King Pricus for the sake of the father of my mother the King Acrisius And for to let you haue more greater knowledge of this matter I tell you that I am sonne to Danae that verie same sonne that was conceyued in the tower Dardan of the séede of Iupiter and that same in person that king Acrisius made cast into the sea But this notwithstanding I shall take no vengeaunce on his demerites but for the honour of the blood and of the wombe of whom I am issued I shall succour and ayde him and pray you that ye will be my fellowe and brother in armes and that ye will come into my Galley and send home againe your marriners into their countreys if it please you When Bellerophon heard the good wordes and aunswere of Perseus he made alliances with him and entred into his Galley and gaue leaue to his marriners and accompanied with him Perseus and Danaus that for loue of him took their way into Sicil where they arriued in space of time and tooke land and that same day Bellerophon armed him desiring to finde the Chimer and tooke leaue of Perseus in such wise as he that put him in perill of death The Ports write that this Chimere had the head of a Lion the wombe of a goate and the taile of a serpent but for truth it was a mountaine inhabitable that had in height aboue a passing great caue of Lions and in the middle of the hill it was full of goates And at the foote beneath it was enuironed and set round about with serpents These lions and serpents were passing damageable and noyous vnto the countrey about and nigh When Bellerophon then saw the mountaine he went thither and Perseus and Danaus followed him They had not long marched when they sawe and behelde more then a thousand little Serpents with many great Dragons of whome some came about Bellerophon and cast out theyr venime and the other passed foorth and came running vppon Perseus and Danaus which hadde promised to Bellerophon that they would there doo no déeds nor enterprise of arms but if it were by constraint and in defending their bodies Anon as these thrée valiant knights sawe these cursed beasts they tooke their swords and smote vpon them and be headed many of them but with this they had great paine and trauaile for these beasts were cruell and full of pride and hardened them eagerly to them and if they had not béene well prouided with abillements of warre they had there sooner haue found death then life Bellerophon went alway afore and smote downe right and headed and smote into péeces many Perseus nor his Brother Danaus fought not but with the beasts onely that came vppon them When Bellerophon had a little ceased the fight and battaile against this vermin and had found it more sharpe and more biting for the point of his sword was made terribly blunt with smiting against their hard scales and skinnes then there leapt downe and out of their holes the goates and the lions and came downe for to assaile the the knight in so great number that hee was all enuironed with them c. Some of these beastes escaped from him and came to Perseus and gaue him his hands full to employ his strength and prowesse the Lions leapt about the necke of Bellerophon sometime in such number that in no part he might be seene Yet by his abilitie he could well saue himselfe but he had neuer escaped there came so much venome vpon him there and beasts and on Perseus and Danaus which so fiercely assayled them and if hee had not woonne a rocke vpon which he gat vp with great paine and right great sweate of his bodie For to go vpon this rocke there was but one straight way Then compassed him the Lions and with them the other beasts which stayed on the way of the rocke and at the foote roring and making great noyse about him so that Perseus and Danaus had none other hope for the knight but that it had béene his last day for he had so many beasts about him that it was likely that the edge and cutting of his sword might not long endure without it had béen worne or broken Then the Lions when they might not touch his bodie bote the stones and did teare them with their clawes the serpents flew vp into the aire and lifted vp theyr bodies vpon their tayles and cast fire and smoke out of their throtes vnto the rocke And the most hardest of the Lions one after another trained themselues in battell against him and shewed their téeth receyuing his strokes sore set And they fled not but abode as beasts familiar and sore couetous of mans blood in whō raigned excéeding great fiercenes as much as in any wild beast of the world at that time Hard and maruailous was the battaile as Perseus and Danaus beheld and thought in what fashion they might succour Bellerophon The noble knight defended him to his power and séeking howe he might saue him from this perill he cast his eyes vpon a great stone that hanged ouer the way of the rocke wherevpon he was mounted and then he thought if he might make that stone to fall downe that hée should flea the most part of the beasts Then he beganne a little and a little to wag the stone and to séeke the ioyntures that held it and so much laboured that in the end he made it fall vpon the lions serpents and goates in such wise as in the falling he made all the rocke to tremble and feared in generall these vnhappie beasts so that they were there all bruised like as the thunder had come vpon them and yet that more is with the tumbling downe it made the rocke that Bellorophon stood on so shake that he tumbled downe thereon and was so astonied that hee wist not whether it was day or night The stone was great and brought downe many stones with him Perseus and Danaus thought at the beginning that all the mountaines had tumbled downe and were not well assured in themselues This notwithstanding they beheld plainely the end and séeing after the noise of the tempest that their fellow lay vpright all along vpon the rocke they supposed that he had béene dead Then they made great sorrow and were displeasant and approched the rocke where they found the beasts lying vnder the stones dead and they went vpon the mountaine and then knew that Bellerophon was not dead whereof they recouered great ioy and ceasing their sorrow they tooke the knight betwéene their armes and Perseus demaunded him how it stood with him and how he felt himselfe CHAP. XXXV ¶ How Perseus vanquished the monster of the sea and exposed himself against him for the loue of Andromeda c. PErseus and Danaus awaited gladly the aunswer of
follie and made him so ashamed that he departed thence and went into the Citie After they went to beholde the monster and then came sayling and rowing the Apuliens vnto the port and being come they brought Perseus and Andromeda into Ioppe with great triumph and yet that more is Perseus and Andromeda espoused each other that same day and lay togither And the solemnitie of theyr wedding endured fiftéene dayes During this time the Syriens came to the port dayly for to sée and behold this monster Plinius rehearseth that of this monster was borne to Rome a bone of fortie foote long so great as an Oliphant Let them then that read this hystorie search how great and huge this monster was when onely one of his bones was so great The Romanes for a great maruaile haue and kéepe that bone What shall I say more At the ende and expiration of this feast of the wedding of Perseus and Andromeda Perseus took leaue of the Syriens and furnished his Gallies with vittailes and departed from Ioppe and went to the sea leading with him his wife Andromeda And fortune was to him so good that in a little time he passed the seas of Syrie and came to lande at the port and hauen of Thebes Where he was receyued courteously of King Creon that then reigned a yong childe CHAP. XXXVII ¶ Howe Perseus reestablished in his Realme the king Acrisius and how he slue the King by euill aduenture IN Thebes there refreshed them these Apuliens and made alliance with the king after they departed from thence and tooke their way by land toward Argos vnder and by the conduct of Bellerephon that then was whole healed of his foote who knew wel the country When Bellerophon had guided them so nigh Argos that in an houre they might runne before the gates he signified it vnto Perseus and then Perseus made his host to tarrie in a Valley and sent Danaus vnto the King Pricus to summon him that hee should yéelde the Realme vnto the King Acrisius Danaus went to Argos and accomplished the summons The king Pricus answered to him that he was king and that he woulde holde that hée helde and menaced Perseus vnto the death if he departed not the Countrey hastily Danaus returned vnto the host of Perseus with this aunswere and made to him the report Perseus then hoped that king Pricus would come to him and giue him battaile and had thereof right great ioy and pleasure for hee desired nothing in the world more then to bée in armes and for to be the better able to withstand his fo he ordayned that night that he would depart his battaile in thrée whereof hee gaue charge of the first battaile to Bellerophon which require and desired of him the â—award with right great instance and he himselfe held the second battaile And to Danaus he betooke the third and thus when he began to set forth Bellerophon on his way he had not far gone when he saw from far the king Pricus that knew of theyr coming by his espyes and had set his battaile in good order BellerophoÌ„ had with him but two thousand fighting men When the king Pricus sawe him come with so little a company he supposed that it had bin Perseus and thought to haue had all woon before hand by aduantage and made his people to set against them by which within short space began a cruell and hard battaile And of this battaile was Pricus right ioyous at the assembly and well imployed his armes and his sword and did meruails but at that time he supposed by force to haue abidden victoryous and conqueror of his enimies he caste his eyes toward Thebes and sawe Perseus and his battaile that discouered and shewed himselfe wherein his fortune was such that in the beholding the head of Medusa which he bare painted in his sheelde of cristall he and all his folke in a momente were turned all into stones That is to saye that he and all his meanie hadde lost their strengthes and courages and that they might no more lifte theyr swordes then might the statues or images And that Prycus fled and all they that coulde fled some into the cittie and some into the fieldes at all aduenture Perseus daigned not to followe the chase because of theyr poore case And thus Prycus escaped the death and abandoned and gaue ouer the country and went with them that fled into Calidonie where he was afterward put to death by Hercules And Perseus went into the citie of Argos whereof the gates were open and without any men that made any defence When he was in the citie he made an edict charging vpon paine of death that none be so hardy to vse any force nor violence there After that he sente to séeke his grandfather Acrisius and told him who he was and so deliuered to him again his citie and his realme Of this curtesie Acrisius held himselfe greatly beholden vnto Perseus and asked him enquired of his daughter Danae and of theyr aduentures Perseus tolde him all that he knewe and then Acrisius was right sore displeasante at that hard vsage that he had doone and for to amende all hée adopted Perseus to his sonne and gaue him the full power to gouerne the citie and himselfe with drewe him into the towre of Dardane and then sent againe vnto Naples Dardanus his brother with whome went Bellerophon and hee gaue vnto them and to their companye great treasors at theyr departing Perseus sente manye Arigiens into Licie and made them to inhabite the countrey And thus abode Perseus in Argos with his wife Andromeda of whome hée gat many children That is to wéete Sthelenus Blache Demon Erictreus and Gorgophon which all became men and tooke wiues yet reigning the King Acrisius And among all other Gorgophon had one wife of whome hée hadde two sonnes Alceus and Electrion Alceus engendred Amphitrion and Electrion engendred Alcumena of whome came Hercules What shall I make long processe of the factes and of the generations of this Perseus He gouerned passing well the realme and loued much the King Acrisius But there fell an hard fortune vnto him in the ende for as he went on a night alone vnto the towre of Dardane to visit the king the garders and kéepers of the Tower knewe him not and fell vpon him and hurte him When he felte him smitten hée put himselfe to defence The noyse waxed great the king heard the noise he came running downe for to parte the fray thrusted into the prease in suche wise that Perseus knewe him not and with his sword hee so smote him that he slew him and all the people with him and anon after when he came in and founde him dead he remembred and thought he hadde put him to death after the prognostication of the goddes and made great sorrowe and did ordeyne his obsequie right solemnlye And at this obsequy happened for to be there Iupiter and his sonne Vulcan which at
they of Thebes had alwaye so good fortune that in the ende they of Thellipolye yéelded them in all poyntes to the will of king Creon and thus when the king of Thebes had ouercome and subdued the citie he returned vnto his countrey with great ioy c. When Amphitrion sawe that their enimies were ouercome and that there was no more perill he had great desire to go sée his wife Alcumena and for to hast him the more sooner to bee with her he departed from the hoste with leaue of the king accompanyed with an Esquire onely When king Iupiter sawe Amphitrion so departe vpon his waye he began to thinke and aduise him of a great subtilty for to come to his intent And he departed from the hoste with Ganimedes onely and as soone as hée was in the fielde on the waye they two being togither Iupiter entred into conference with Ganimedes and sayd to him Ganimedes I haue great affiance in you and more then in any man that liueth wherefore I will tell you priuily a thing secrete which I shall accomplish as I hope And ye must holde and kéepe it secret Truth it is that I am amorous terribly of dame Alcumena By no meane in the world I maye yet forget her nor put her from my desire She knoweth not the payne that for her loue aboundeth in me for I neuer was so hardie to discouer to her my case nor neuer durst shewe it to her for as much as I knowe her wise chaste and vertuous This considered thinking on this thing I féele and finde me full of troubles and confesse my follye for I am in a manner in dispayre nowe inasmuch as I had supposed to haue founde the like answere of loue in Alcumena But the sodaine departing of Amphitrion yet giueth me in a maner an hope for at the time that I sawe him departe from the hoste for to go sée his wife accompanyed with his Esquire I imagined that in all haste I would go vnto Arciancie by a more néere and shorter waye For I know the passage long since and that I would transfigure my selfe into the forme of Amphitrion and you into the forme of his Esquire for to go vnto Alcumena and to make her vnderstande that I were Amphitrion Ganimedes vpon this intention and purpose I am come on the way to go thither with you we must néedes win vpon Amphitrion this waye a night and daye and therefore lette vs go now merylye Mée thinketh that loue shall helpe me and when Alcumena shall sée me transformed into the shape of Amphitriō and you as his Esquire shée shal not be so wise to perceiue mine enchauntment Ganimedes hearkened right diligently to the wil and purpose of Iupiter and promised that he wold imploy him in this affaire as much as in him was possible and so they rode with good will and great desire the readiest way and in riding and going Iupiter went about his enchauntments and sped him so that he arriued in an euening at the Castell of Arciancie When he was there arriued he transfigured himselfe and Ganimedes in such wise as he had before purposed and then at the same houre that Alcumena slept and that each man was a bed they came to the Castell and so knocked at the gate that they awooke the porter The porter came to the windowe and looked downe beneath and sawe Iupiter and Ganimedes by the moon light him thought and séemed that it was Amphitrion and his esquire wherfore he opened the gate and receyued him in such wise as he would haue done his Lord Amphitrion After he brought him vnto the doore of the chamber wher Alcumena slept and awooke her saying that her lord was come After he returned to kéepe the gate by commaundement of Iupiter and Alcumena opened her Chamber vnto Iupiter which entered in with great ioy and at the entrie into this chamber Iupiter and Alcumena tooke each other in armes and kissed Alcumena thinking that it had béen Amphrition and when they were so beclipt eache in others armes Alcumena demaunded him from whence he came Iupiter answered and sayde he came from Thellepolys and that after the giuing ouer of the towne yéelding of their enemies he departed from the host for the loue of her accompanied onely with his esquier to come hastily to her Then Alcumena was wel content at the wordes of Iupiter and asked him if hee would eate or drinke Iupiter answered that he would nothing but go to bed with her What shall I say more hee lay with her and had that he desired the King Iupiter had neuer so great ioy in himselfe And going to bedward he had Ganimedes that he should go to the Chamber doore and abide there without And so Ganimedes departed from the Chamber and Iupiter approched to Alcumena with great loue and so cōplaised her in loue as much as his power might extend In this wise and by this fashion came Iupiter vnto the secrets and ioy of loue so that to acquaynt himselfe with this lady him séemed expedient for to enchant all them that dwell in the place And then he slept with Alcumena and after he arose and came to Ganimedes which kept the watch at the doore and tolde him that for to do this matter secretly he must enchant all them of that place in such wise that they should not awake vntill the comming of Amphitrion And he willed that he should go to the gate to waite if Amphitrion came And if it happen he said that he came by the day light I shall deliuer to you a powder that ye shall cast in the ayre agaynst him and this powder hath such vertue that it shall kéepe Amphitrion from approching this place as long as the day endureth And then when it is night and he knocke at the gate ye shall come to me and wee will open the gate and bring him to his wife and after that we will returne from hence The King Iupiter with these wordes wrought in his science and made his charmes and sorceries in such wise that all they that were in the place might not awake without a remedie agaynst his inchantment When hee had so done hee transformed Ganimedes into the likenesse of a Porter and appoynted him to kéepe the gate After hee returned into the Chamber of Alcumena and shut fast the windowes that no light might come in And after he went to bed and lay with the Ladie and awooke her and there spent all the residue of the night and all the day following taking his pleasure with her so long that he begate on her a right fayre sonne conceyued vnder the raigne of the best constellation of heauen In the ende when king Iupiter had béene with her a night and a day about the houre when the Sunne goeth downe into the West and that him séemed that Amphitrion should come he made by his science Alcumena for to sléepe After he rose vp and made himselfe in the form of
Of this euill aduenture Thebes was right hastily aduertised Megara was gone vp vpon one of the high towers of the pallace and sawe and beheld the battaile and from that place she saw them of Thebes slaine without remedie and also turne their backs The sight of the beating downe of the king her father and the view of the slaughter of other made her to crie out and said Fortune Fortune what mischiefe is héere where is Hercules Alas where hast thou brought him Alas that he is not héere to defend the countrey of his natiuitie and for to kéepe his wife farre from annoy and for to put his hand and shoulders for to beare the great acts and deedes of this battaile When shee had saide this she fell in a swoune and so lay a great while Neuerthelesse the king Andromeda and Lincus followed so hastily them of Thebes that they entred the Citie with them And for as much as the Thebans were without head and put out of aray and that Amphitrion had so many wounds vpon him that all the members failed at this worke the vnhappie Lincus and Andromeda tooke the Citie and flewe all them that might beare armes except Amphitrion whome they found not in the heate After they went vp into the pallace and there they found Megara and Amphitrion in great desolation with many ladies and gentlewomen As soone then as Lincus had espied Megara she was so faire and pleasant that he became amorous of her and came to her and sayd Ladie wéepe no more Hercules the bastard sonne of Iupiter is gone into hell and there he is dead Ye haue béene wife of a man gotten in adulterie from henceforth ye shall be fellow and wife of a man legitimate and borne in lawfull mariage for I will wed you and will do you more good and pleasure then euer yee had Megara answered false traytour wéenest thou that I be so foolish as to giue fayth and credite to the words of the homicide of my father and to the enemie of my lord Hercules Knowe thou that I am his wife and that I will neuer haue other husband but him he is no bastard but sonne of my Lorde Amphitrion and the most noble man that is in all the world Ladie aunswered Lincus I am king of this Citie ye be now at my commaundement will ye or will ye not I shall do my will with you but I will put it in respite and in my sufferance till to morrowe After these wordes Lincus sent Megara into a Tower and made her to bée kept there After he sent Philotes into a lowe prison and finding there in bondage and miserie Priamus the sonne of king Laomedon he had pitie of him and sent him againe to Troy where hée was after receyued with great ioy of the Troyans c. CHAP. VIII ¶ How Hercules entered into Thebes in vnknowne habite and how he put to death the Giant Lincus and his complices and his wife Megara c. BY the sword of Lincus then and of Andromeda Thebes was troubled dolorously Lincus exercised there many tyrannies and wickednesses In this misfortune Andromeda departed and went to do his businesse leauing there Lincus with foure hundred men of warre for to kéepe the citie and to hold it in his obeysance Thus was taken vengeance of the Centaures In the time of this reuenge the Quéene Iuno came into Thebes and had great ioy when shee found it in desolation and full of widowes and orphelins and in the enemyes handes of Hercules then were great the teares and lamentations of Megara Amphitrion was nigh her who vnderstoode all her gréefes and comforted her Lincus came many tymes vnto her into the prison and requested her swéetly to haue her loue and that in the fayrest maner he could Yet his swéete and fayre wordes auayled not for hée found her constant and firme and alway kéeping inviolable her chastitie and gaue him many vertuous aunsweres whereof foloweth one which was the last and this Lincus thou hast now thy hand strong and hast conquered Thebes Fortune and ill hap hath giuen vnto thée the tyranny whereby thou hast enriched thy selfe with vices Thou hast furthermore the power for to commit on mée murther but thy power nor thy sinnes be not so strong nor of such might for to make my vertue to bow in two folde Megara alway bewailed Hercules she lamented so much on a day that shee became all rauished and in a traunce And that same day Hercules that was departed from Thessalonica a good while before made so his iourneys that hée entred into the realme of Thebes accompanied with many noble men And entring into these coasts hée found the countrey all destroyed And he had not gone farre when it was tolde him how Lincus was Lord of Thebes and how he had slaine in battaile the king Creon and had imprisoned Megara c. When Hercules had receyued these tydings he was replenished with great anger and sayd that he would auenge him if he might Then he clad him aboue his armors with a mantle and disguised himselfe as much as he might when he had so done he left there his fellowes and entred himselfe into Thebes vnknowne and passed through the gate and bare him so well that the Porters let him passe foorth and in likewise entred into the Pallace At the entry of the Pallace a souldiour came to Hercules and demaunded of him what he sought there Hercules cast away his mantel a farre and took his sword that was strong and without any worde hee gaue so great a stroke to the souldiour that was not armed that he cleft his head from the highest part downe to the ground Many other souldiours that were there séeing the stroke cried and béeing afrayed ran to their axes and clubs and some were of them that put forth themselues for to take Hercules but Hercules smote off their heads and beat them downe and then began to arise a great vprore and so great a noyse that Lincus heard it And thinking it had béene his porters that quarrelled hée came running downe all vnarmed for to make peace As soone as Hercules perceyued and saw him comming out of the hall he drew vnto him with his sword readie drawne in his hand crying Hercules Hercules and smote him so that he cut off the right arme and with the stroke he fell downe to the ground And after he smote vpon one and other that had no helmes on their heades nor habergions on theyr backes and then they knewe that it was Hercules Hée slew them so thicke that with the bloud that ranne downe was made a right great rushing as if it had béene a riuer Among these things the gentlewomen of Megara issued out of the pallace and went into the stréetes crying with high and cleere voyce that Hercules was come againe and that hee had slaine Lincus With these cryes all the Citie was mooued the good men olde and yong the widowes wiues and maides ranne
to enter into battell The battell is ready beginne at me and I at you and let vs sight together till more come With these words he lifted his club and discharged the stroke so sore vppon one of the thrée brethren that he cast his shielde before the stroke and all astonied he bare him to the earth When Gerion his other brother sawe their brother so borne downe and beaten they smote with their swords vpon Hercules with great fury and so imployed their strength that they brake part of his armes With these two strokes of their swords Hercules receiued more then an hundred dartes vppon his body howbeit the swordes nor the darts were not so hard tempered that they could pearce enter ne hurt the armes of Hercules ne Hercules left not to worke with his clubbe but he it lift vp on high at that time and strak it vpon the second brother of Gerion so lustily that downe from the top of the helme he all to crushed and bruised him smote him downe to the ground like as an hard and great rockâ— had fallen on his head c. Gerion was all afrayde for to sée so great a stroke and with a wonderfull angry and fierce heate he layde vpon Hercules and gaue him so great a stroke vpon the helme with his sword that he made the fire spring out but the helme was so hard that the sword might not enter Then was Hercules enuironed with his enemies and was smitten in many a place vpon his body The Hesperians desired sore to sée their swordes and glaiues red with the bloud of Hercules but Hercules put himselfe to defence ioyous for that he might employ his strength vpon them And when he prooued him thus vpon one and other and would suffer none come néerer then his arme and clubbe might reach and that his enemies more and more came about him Malion that was nephew to Vlisses issued out of Megidda with a thousand men of the army of Hercules And séeing so great a company of people about Hercules and was assured that he fought there hee and his people addressed themselues thitherward making so great a crie and setting on so valiantly that in bearing downe all afore them they came and founde Hercules that he had slaine more then sixe hundred of his enemies and that he feared yet nothing They that bare ladders and other engines were constrained to cast them downe to the ground and to goe to the battell The battell was there grieuous and hard and there were many knightes slaine Gerion bestirred himselfe terribly His brother that was first beaten after that he was borne out of the prease came vnto the field againe and in his comming he made a great roome among the Gréeks he was strong and puissant and bare a right heauie guisarme the edge of which was thrée great foot long he did maruailes with this guisarme and beate downe so many of the Gréekes that the noise arose greatly about him And this noyse came to the eares of Hercules Then left Hercules them that he fought with and drew to the noise that procéeded by the cause of the giant Assoone as he saw the giant that deall with the Gréekes as he would he was not well content with that guisarme and hee lifted vp his clubbe and smote the giant vpon the shoulder employing his strength in such maner that the shoulder and the side hee all to brake and bare him downe to the grounde not fully dead but in worse estate then dead for he might not relieue himselfe and must néedes die vnder the féet of the men of armes right miserably At this time Theseus and Hispâ—n with the residue of the Gréekes came vnto the battell right ioyfully and finding their enemies without ray and without conclud they skirmished among them fiercely and slewe so many that all the place was couered Hispan and Theseus cloâ— the heads of many knights vnto the téeth they 〈◊〉 right expect in the feats of armes At their comming they made their enemies to retire and wanne vpon them with so good fortune that by their meanes and well doing Gerion lost mo then thirty thousand men In shorte time the battaile was such about Hercules that his enemies wist not where to saue them And Gerion being aduertised of the death of the second brother turned his backe and fled vnto the sea blowing his horne When the Hesperiens heard the horne anon they endeuoured sodainly to commit themselues to flight and they that might saue themselues saued them without delay Hercules Theseus and Hispan with about twelue hundred Greekes followed them swiftly they entered into some of their ships and pursued Gerion but they had not marriners so ready as the other had wherefore they were a little letted Howbeit as farre as they might see Hercules pursued them onely with his twelue hundred men CHAP. XXI ¶ How Hercules pursued Gerion and howe hee went and vanquished him and put him to the death at the port of the Corogne THus hauing finished the battaile for this day to the great damage and dishonour of Gerion and all to the honour and profite of Hercules Malion abode in Megidda by the ordinaunce of Hercules for to keepe the Greekes that abode there and for to take the spoile of their enemies Hercules on the other side sailed and rowed after Gerion Gerion perceiued him and was sore afraid and fled all that euer he might The flight dured three daies Gerion had good mariners who kept them warily from bording of the ship of Hercules And they sayled by the sea Mediterrane from coast to coast from floud to floud nowe before and nowe behinde But the end was such that on the fourth day they were constrained to abide Hercules at the battaile vppon the sea or descend to land at the Corongne in Galicia For to flie alway the death whereof they were in doubt they left the sea and tooke the land at a port imagining that they should well defend them against Hercules for they were ten against one Anon as they had taken land at the port of the Corongne they tooke and tramed them about the port for to defeÌ„d the sea which was strong for to take And then Gerion warned his men saying loe nowheere is the houre or the day that wee must die or ouercome our enemies in Fortune hath done to vs the worst she can She was woont to make all strangers to tremble before our swordes Nowe shee maketh vs to tremble before a right little number of people Alas what shame is this truely the shame is great and wee ought to haue right great reproofe so to do Since we be at this point there is no way but to auenge this shame If we aueÌ„ge vs at this time we shall recouer our worship and honour In our vsage lieth right good hope for fortune hath brought vs into a very good port and me seemeth that shee wâ—ll raise vs againe and make vs conquerours of
fighting by the space of 4. houres and had receiued vpon his arms so many strokes that no man could number them This notwithstanding hee fledde not at all from Gerion but came to him ioyfully and fought against him with so great force that all they that saw it maruelled and after many strokes smitten of Gerion and Hercules Hercules smote him one stroke so great that he al to brused Gerion and beate out the braines of his head and smote the helme vppon his shoulders so that he fell down dead among the dead men in such wise mangled that he abode there dead CHAP. XXII ¶ How Hercules founded the Citie of Corogne vppon the tombe of Gerion SVch was the end of the vnhappy life of Gerion the tyrant he died in like wise as the two brethren did by the club of Hercules When the Hesperiens saw him brought to that passe as for to taste the bitter morsel of death all left their armes All they bewailed sorrowfully the death of Gerion and fell all in despaire So that one staied still to be slaine other fled by desartes by mountaines by the bankes of the Sea and turned all backe in discomfiture When Hercules had espied them so disraied he thanked the Goddes and began for to pursue his enemies The pursuite dured vnto the Euen The Greekes filled the fieldes the mountaines and the waies by the Sea with the bloud of them that fled When the night was come Hercules and the Greeks withdrew them into the Gallies and did eate and drinke such as they had and made ioyfull cheere The hurt men were remembred and comforted with the victory and spoile The wearie men forgat the labour that they had done They rested them after their trauaile passed the night ouer When it was day on the morrow Hercules issued out of his galley And beholding the porte him seemed that a citie should stand well there and said that he would make one there and concluded to begin it Hee sent vnto all places where he wist that any people were thereaboutes and gaue to each man in knowledge that hee was minded to make a citie there and that the first person that woulde come to put hand thereto shoulde haue the gouernment thereof This thing was knowne in all Galicia Manie came thither but a woman named Corogne was the first that came And therefore Hercules gaue vnto her the ruling therof and made to begin the citie and named it Corogne in remembraunce of the victory that hee had there Vpon the body of Gerion he founded a towre and by his art composed and made a lampe burning continually day and night without putting of any thing thereto Which burned afterward by the space of 300. yere Moreouer vpon the pinacle or top of the towre hee made an image of copper looking into the sea and gaue him in his hand a looking glasse hauing such vertue that if it happened that any men of warre were on the sea meaning to doe anie harme to the city sodainly their army and their comming should appeare in this said looking glasse and that dured vnto the time of Nabuchodonozor who being aduertised of the propertie of the glasse filled his gallies with white things greene bowes and leaues that it seemed a wood and in the looking glasse appeared none other thing but a wood Whereby the Corogniens not knowing of any other thing then their glasse shewed to them furnished not them with men of armes like as they had been accustomed to do when their enemies came And thus Nabuchodonozor tooke the citie in a morning and destroied the looking glasse and the lampe When this towre was made Hercules caused then to come thither all the maids of the countrey willed them to make a solemne feast in remēbrance of the death of Gerion After he departed vnto Megidda where were presented to him 100. oxen of the fairest CHAP. XXIII ¶ How Hercules assailed the king Cacus and had battaile against him and ouercame him and how Cacus began to tyrannise in Italy c. AFter this conquest as Hercules intended to people and inhabite this new country tidinges came to him that in the Citie of Cartagene a king giant raigned named Cacus which was passing euil ful of tyranny and had slaine by his cursed dealing the kings of Aragon and of Nauarre their wiues and their children and possessed their seignories and also held in subiection all the countrey of Italy Hercules receiued right ioyously these tidinges and said that by the pleasure of the Gods hee will assay if hee may take vengeance of the death of the kinges of Arragon and of Nauarre Then he disposed him vnto this work and hauing an appetite to correct the king Cacus as soone as his armie might be ready he went vnto the realme of Castile whereas was the king Cacus in the cittie of Cartagene that stood beside a mountaine named Monachaio And hee passed by many realmes that did him obeisance for his vertuous renowme but when hee came to approche to Cartagene the king Cacus came against him without obeysance and in armes for he had been aduertised of his comming And as hee entred into the frontiers hee sent vnto him one of his knights that said to him these words that follow Hercules thou open tyraunt that hast thine heart greater then thy body and that wouldest assaile the heauens for to conquer them if the Gods had giuen thee winges for to flie as the birdes haue If thou seeke peace and loue vnto the king Cacus thy equall in condition and fortune I salute thee in his name and if thou come otherwise to him as his enemy I defie thée in his name And in no wise be thou so hardy as to enter into his countrey And if thou enter know thou that thou shalt find in Cacus and in the Castiliens so hard an encounter that from thy euill aduenture shall no man of thy company bée quit c. Knight aunswered Hercules whatsoeuer you bee you shewe not that you haue the heart of a noble man For it is a shame to all men and especially to a noble man to missay or speake euill of another man Ye haue called me an open tyrant and also ye haue compared mee vnto the tyrant Cacus I answere you to this article that I am no tyrant but a destroier of tyrantes and therefore yee shall returne againe vnto Cacus and signifie to him that I haue intention for to shew what hate I haue vnto tyrantes and that within few daies he may prooue vpon me the hard encounter whereof I haue now receiued the menaces With this aunswere the Castilien departed from the presence of Hercules and returned vnto the king Cacus and tolde him worde for worde what Hercules had saide to him When Cacus had heard all this he was abashed notwithstanding that hee was a strong Giant and a puissant and that he had neuer found a man stronger then he was himselfe for the renowme of
Hercules was then so great through the vniuersall worlde that the most strong and the most assured in armes and most fortunate doubted him and trembled hearing him speake of his deedes Howbeit Cacus tooke câ—urage in himself and in passing ouer abashment in the pâ—esence of his nobles he said Blessed be these next hasty daies that nature and fortune shal bring to vs for to make the proofe of our force and strength Nowe it behoueth that Castile and Sicille shew the force of their armes for to defend the king Cacus from the clawes of his enemies and it is of necessitie likewise that the king Cacus for his people display and put forth the vttermost of his strength Now go we on my brethren and friends wee be come to the warre The Greeks come vpon Castile without any quarrell let vs go against them and fight for our countrey the birdes fight one against the other for their nests and the dumbe beastes for their caues Nature leadeth them so for to doe If we haue the same nature the time is come that we ought to shew it c. When the Castiliens and the Aragonnoys that were there heard Cacus so speake they praised greatly his courage and answered all with one voice that they were ready to assaile their enemies With this answere the king did dislodge his hoast that he had there in the fieldes and went forth against Hercules the straitest way that hee could The king Cacus then went on the way desiring sore to finde Hercules Hercules on the other side came then against Cacus They went so long the one against the other that soone after they sawe each other nigh a place where Hercules founded after a citie which was named Terracene Assoone as they sawe each other they began to make great ioy and to make shoutes and cries After they trained them in order of battaile and marched the one against the other so hotely and sharply that they filled the aire in short space with shot of arrowes casting of stones and of dartes At the beginning of this battaile the Castiliens bare them valiantly and there were many of their part slaine more by hardinesse then for dread For they put themselues too farre forth And they doubted not the shot of the Greekes that shot on them so sore and so thicke that al the ground was made red with their bloud And the Castiliens which were so farre gone and sore chafed were driuen to resorte backe againe to their fellowes When king Cacus sawe his folke so sore bestead and heard that they reculed from the shotte of the Gréekes he hadde great sorrow in his heart and wist not what to doe for to entertaine and holde his battaile Some fledde and other reculed and went backe and other fell downe to the earth dead or sore hurt The battaile dured long in this point alway to the sorrow of king Cacus But in the end the shot of the Gréekes failed and the Castilians with Cacus recouered new strength in such sort that they came to fight hand to hand with swordes and that they shed and spread largely the bloud of them of Tyre and of Ancone which were in the first front of the battaile of Hercules The noise arose great there there were many shields broken and skinnes of Lyons cut in peeces There as Cacus approched it seemed that the tempest was he was great strong and fierce and outragious in smiting eche of his strokes was the death of a Greeke In the end hee did so much that the cries of them that were about him mounted so high in the aire that the Castiliens had well weend to haue woon all and beganne to make ioy for their good fortune in chasing the Greeks to the death but euen in like wise as a right cleere day is other while trobled by a darke black cloud so by the alone comming of Hercules that came then to the skirmish all their ioy was troubled and turned into mortal losse For the deadly arm of Hercules layd about him then so terribly that hee beate downe the Castiliens like as a mower with a sithe cutteth downe the grasse in a medowe When Cacus sawe Hercules so foundre and beate downe his men all the bloud in him chaunged Then his bloud so mooued as a couragious man he presented himself before the front of Hercules and smote him with his sword so sore and hard that he cleft his shield in two partes The Castiliens seeing the shield of Hercules flie by peeces thought anon that Cacus had slaine and put to death Hercules and then made a cry for ioy but it dureâ— not long for Hercules lift vp his armes with his club and smote Cacus vppon the top of his helme with such strength that it seemed to Cacus that he saw an hundred thousand candles or that he had been smitten down with the greatest rock of Spaine This notwithstaÌ„ding Cacus abode standing in his place and chalenged Hercules to death and smote him with all his might At this assailing the Castiliens hoping in the fortune of Cacus al they assailed Hercules Hercules was gone so farre among his enemies that he was alone from all his company When hee heard that Cacus threatned him to death and sawe that the Castiliens assailed him came to him from al sides he had his heart all filled with solace and abandoned the thicknesse and hardnesse of his skinne of the lion to the swordes of them all without reuenging him saue only against Cacus Thus began the battaile betweene Hercules and Cacus the strokes were great and fearefull without measure Cacus fought in the spirite of a tyraunt chafed and desired sore to ouercome Hercules for to tyrannise and triumph ouer him Hercules fought in a vertuous heart founded and nourished in vertue and as an enemy of vice hee assailed this vitious king Both two were great fearce and strong of great courage But certes when they hadde both tasted enough each other at length the strokes of Hercules were so great and so forcible that the shoulders of Cacus nor his head might not beare nor had the might to sustaine them So the end was such that after their battaile had dured two houres Cacus left him for hee might no more suffer him but fled and went his way c. When Hercules saw that Cacus fled hee meant not to follow after This notwithstanding for to haue the victory in this battell hee began to hew on the Castiliens Arragonoys and such other as he might finde for he left no man aliue before him yong nor old féeble nor strong Hispan the other of his side made their feates of armes to flourish and shine The battel was sharp for then the Greeks doubled redoubled their strokes and slew manie of their enemies In the end when Cacus had taken his breth he put him again into the middle at one side where his folk fled made theÌ„ to tary smiting and beating the Gréekes more terribly
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
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
he set his men in aray after hee went alone before vnto his enemies as he that doubted of nothing When Achelous saw him come he began to make a great sigh and cried vnto his people vpon him saying that it was he with the clubbe that had chased him out of Calcedonie and promised great giftes vnto them that best belaboured him with strokes But when his folke knew that it was Hercules they made curtesie ech to other for to go before and trembling as the leafe on the tree they durst not abide the weight of the clubbe but without smiting of any stroke turned their backs and fled vnto the castle Achelous séeing the behauior of his folke and the dread and feare that they had of Hercules wéened that he should haue died for sorrow so he went and entred againe with them into the castle And Hercules returned with his people laughing at the poore dealing of his enemies Hercules beganne then to thinke on Deianira and Achelous beganne to imagine how hee might annoy the Calcedonians hee had there one of his captaines that sayde vnto him Sir yee know well that your strength may not compare vnto the strength of your enemies we be tenne against one but that may nothing helpe vs for alonely the clubbe of the mighty giant that is with them is enough for to bury vs all and also for to destroy your realme Consider ye then since it is so that open puissance and plaine strength may not be vsed at this time it is expedient to imagine some subtiltie for to gréeue the Calcedonians and it is mine aduice that there shall be made a great flaming light in the sea such as I shall well deuise so as by that meanes they that haue besieged vs may be deceiued lightly This flaming light must be by night and it shall be great and forcible we will make it secretly assoone as our enemies shal see it they wil leape out of their tentes and will goe vnto the sea for to see the marueile peraduenture without any armes for they dreade nor feare vs not and then wee will set on them and shall finde them vnfurnished and vnpurueyed of their armes consequently it may ensue that of them all we shall make a notable riddance c. When Achelous heard this counsell it seemed to him good and hee would that it were put in effect in such wise as he had deuised The deuiser did make an hundred torches which were finished in fifteene dayes During these fifteene dayes Hercules assailed many times the castle where Achelous was in but he might neuer do any thing thereto for the fortresse stood vpon the sea and in a strong countrey and might not bee gotten by assault and Achelous might haue no succours from no part for betwéene this castle and Achaye was a great countrey When the fifteene dayes were passed and the torches were made on a night when it was peaceable from winde storme they that carried the torches issued out of the castle foure of them vnto the hauen where was left but one little boat which was on groūd and had not in long time afore bene put to the sea And if ye demand where the shippes were become that Achelous brought to this port I say to you that Hercules had caused to take them and sent them into the sea to the intent that Achelous should not escape him nor take away the shippes by night The Achayans then came to this litle boat lying on the ground and plied them that they brought it aflote on the Sea as secretly as they could and entred therein with all that to them was necessary And the king Achelous put himselfe in ambushment with a thousande of his men in a place nigh whereas him seemed that the Calcedonians woulde goe out for to see the light that should be made Then when they that were in the sea knewe that it was time to light their torches they set them a fire and put them round about the mast wherein were made as many holes as was torches And so as they had imagined they did Anon the knights that kept the watch of the host of Hercules sawe it and sore marueiling at this light awoke Hercules and his fellowes and shewed them the light Assoone as Hercules saw the brightnesse of the torches he would knowe what it was and then he approched the bancke of the sea and his company with him and had not béene long there when the king Achelous did cause to light an hundred torches that hee had prouided and after he issued out of his ambushment with his thousand men and ranne vpon Hercules and assailed him and all his men fiercely But when Hercules sawe them discouer themselues he set his people in order in the best maner he might by the light of the starres and receiued his enemies couragiously where began a right dolorous battaile for the one smote on the other very felonously and there were many wounded and dead The skirmish was great Achelous thought to skirmish but he was skirmished with himselfe vnto the effusion of his bloud for Hercules among all other smote him on the helme that he foundred and gaue him a wound on his head that the bloud gushed out and moreouer hee tooke him and deliuered him to twelue of his men to kéepe There were great cries and great aboundance of strokes of swordes Then were the torches quenched and put out by the force of the smiting of the Achayans which desired greatly to rescue their king and so they abandoned their liues in the heat But when their torches were quenched a litle and a litle they began to coole them and withdraw them for they sawe nothing at all When they were withdrawen Hercules assembled his folke and sayd to them that he would goe assay if he might take the castle in this trouble and that they shoulde followe him hardily and fiercely and anon after when he sawe his enemies returne vnto the castle he ranne after and stayed them and put himselfe in the thickest of them and smiting with his club on the right side and on the left side he made a right large place and way And by this way he lead his people vnto the gate of the castle where he entered with them that fled and there made so great a slaughter of his enemies that with litle resistance that same night he put to death twelue hundred and the other fled into the citie of Patrace from whence they were In this battell and in the battell that had béene in Calcedonie all the men of Achaye were slaine except about a foure hundred which saued themselues by flying for Achelous had taken all his men with him his countrey and his citie Patrace was all destroyed When Hercules had taken the castle afterward he went into the countrey and into the citie of Patrace and entering into all places without any resistance he set ouer this realme into the hande of king Oeneus and he
must passe by his realme And then the king Naulus did crie in all his realme that men shoulde make great fires euery night vpon the mountains that stood by the sea side And this did he to the end that when the Greekes shoulde see the fire by night they shoulde come thither weening to finde good hauen and if they came they should find hard rocks and mountaines of sand And so they shoulde not escape without death It was thus done as Naulus had deuised there were nigh two hundreth ships of the Gréeks broken against the rocks and all they that were therein were drowned When the other shippes that followed them heard the noyse of the shippes that so were broken and the câ—â—e of them that were drowned they turned on the other boord and made to seawarde and saued themselues Of them that escaped were Agamemnon Menelaus Diomedes and some other that shall bee named hereafter Cetus that otherwise was called Pellus had great sorrow when hee knew that Agamemnon was escaped and then he thought long how he might auenge himself When hee was come home and was ariued in his owne land he wrote a letter to Clitemnestra the wife of Agamemnon and this letter conteined that for certaine Agamemnon her husbande had espoused one of the daughters of king Priamus and that he loued her greatly and brought her with him into his countrey for to make her Quéene and to put out Clitemnestra or to slay her and therefore Cetus aduertised her to the end that she might prouide for her selfe Clitemnestra anon beléeued these letters and thanked Cetus enough and thought that she would auenge her of her husband This Clitemnestra in the absence of her husband loued a man named Egistus by whom she had a daughter named Erigona she loued more her loue Egistus then euer shee did her husband though he was come of lowe bloud But it is the custom of a woman that doth amisse to take one to her of lesse value than her husband is Shée had treated with Egistus that the first night that Agamemnon shoulde lie with her he should runne vpon him and slea him This thing was done in like manner as shée had purposed and Agamemnon was slaine and laide in the earth and anone after Clytemnestra tooke to husband her loue Egistus king of Michmas Agamemnon thus slaine had a sonne of this Clytemnestra that was named Horestes a yong childe which Calcibus his cousine had in kéeping and tooke him from his mother to the end that she should not slea him and after sent him to the king of Créete Idumeus that was his vncle And he had great ioy of him and so had his wife Tharasis also that loued him as much as Clytemnestra her daughter that had no more children but her and she was a faire yong maide Thus as Cetus had written to Clytemnestra the wife of Agamemnon in like manner he wrote to the wife of Diomedes named Egée who was daughter of the king Polimites of Arsimens and sister of Assandrus that returned from Troy with Diomedes his brother in lawe So it happened in their returning that they went into the land of king Thelephus which was euil content and went against them with a great company of men of armes and assailed them and they defended them strongly And Assandrus slew many of the knightes of Thelephus wherof he had great sorrow and was angry and tooke a great speare addressed him against Assandrus with so great force that he smote him to the earth and slew him Diomedes to auenge the death of his brother in law slewe many knightes of Thelephus and recouered the bodie of Assandrus with great trouble and paine and bare it into his shippe Thus died Assandrus but it was not so reported to Egée his siâ—ter but it was tolde her that Diomedes her husband had slaine him to haue all the seignorie of Archimens whereof Assandrus had the one halfe against his sister Egée Of these tidings and of them that Cetus had written Egée was angry with Diomedes her husband wrought so with her people that they promised her they would no more receiue Diomedes for their lord Thus when Diomedes returned his wife ne his folk would receiue him but banished him out of the countrey of Archimens for euer Then happened he to arriue in Salamine where king Theuter brother of king Thelamon was This king heard say that Diomedes was culpable of the death of his brother with Vlysses wherevpon he commaunded that Diomedes shoulde be taken But Diomedes hearing thereof fledde thence King Demophon and king Athamas being arriued in their landes were banished by semblable manner Then arriued they in the land of Duke Nestor which receiued them with great ioy These two kings purposed to goe into their lands with men of armes and take vengeance on their people But Duke Nestor blamed them thereof and counselled them that they should first send to them to admonish them to receiue them for their Lords and promise to them great franchises and liberties Thus did they as Nestor had counselled them and it was not long after but that their people receiued them as aforesaid While Eneas abode in Troy to repaire his shippes he indured many assaults of his neighbours that would haue taken as a prey all the remnant of the Troyans And forasmuch as he might not abide there longer then his terme assigned vnto him by the Gréekes he assembled the Troyans and councelled them that they should send and séeke Diomedes to be their king and said vnto them he would come willingly forasmuch as he was driuen out of his countrey and he was both wise and valiant So they sent for to séeke Diomedes and found him who came foorthwith and found the Troyans besieged by their neighbour nations Eneas then prepared to the battel in which Diomedes bare himselfe so valiantly that he tooke away prisoners and hanged many as théeues In the fift battell he behaued himselfe so that he gat the vpper hand altogither of his ennemies and conquered them all so as there were none of his neighbours that durst assaile the Troyans During these things the nauie of Eneas was ready wherevpon he tooke shipping with Anchises his father and being at sea they resolued to go and seeke an habitation where the gods and fortune would assigne During their aduentures at sea many perils happened and rouing at randon this way and that way they sayled by Hellespont and thence passing arriued at Tuskane in Italie from whence sayling they came to Carthage and thence againe to Italie The storie whereof who lift to peruse let him reade Virgil. When Egea the wife of Diomedes knew that the Troyans had intertained Diomedes and that he had discomfited their ennemies shée doubted that Diomedes would also take vengeaunce on her Then she councelled with her people and by their aduise she sent for him to come vnto her who came with a good will and had
good intertainement In like manner did sundry Lordes that had béene exiled returne againe to their wiues and houses and enioyed their olde seigniories as many as had escaped the daunger of the sea CHAP. XXIX How Horestes sonne of King Agamemnon cruelly auenged himselfe of the death of his father And how king Vlysses after sundry perillous aduentures returned to his Country and kingdome THen Horestes the sonne of king Agamemnon who was twenty and foure yeares of age and had béene brought vp vnder king Idumeus was by the said Idumeus made knight at whose knighting was great feasting and sport Then Horestes prayed him that he would helpe him with his people to be auenged of the death of his father and to recouer his land againe Whereupon Idumeus deliuered to him a thousand armed men wise and hardie And Horestes gathered out of other places an other thousand so passing toward Michmas he went by Trasim where Forensis was Lorde and gouernour of whome he gat a hundred souldiers this did Forensis for the hatred that he bare to Egistus forasmuch as the saide Egistus hauing espoused his daughter forsooke her for the loue of Clitemnestra So he ioynd with Horestes to make war against Egistus This expedition was taken in hand at the beginning of the moneth of Mate When they came before Michmas those that kept the cittie would not yéelde it He then besieged it round for Horestes had aunswere from the gods that hée should be auenged of his mother with his owne handes albeit that she was fast closed within that fortified cittie Egistus was not al this time within the citie but was gone to procure aide and succours of men of warre from other places against the comming of Horestes his enemy by the instigation of his wife Clytemnestra When Horestes vnderstoode thereof he layed a great ambush of armed men to surprise Egistus in his return and therewith also layed fresh and hote assaults daily to the citie which being not wel fortified was by Horestes taken after fiftéene dayes siege who appointing his men to kéepe due watch and warde that none should goe out nor in at the gates went himselfe to the pallace royall where he tooke his mother committing her to safe prison and caused them to be apprehended that were any waâ— guiltie of the death of his father and that had rebelled against him The same day returned Egistus with his new aides thinking to haue gone vnto the rescue of the ciâ—ie but by the way he was taken by the ambush of Horestes who slew all his men and carried him to Horestes with his hands bound behind him On the morrowe after Horestes caused his mother Clytemnestra to bee brought before him starke naked with her handes bounde whome as soone as euer hee sawe hee ranne at her with his naked sworde and first hee cutte off her twoo pappes and after slew her and caused her body to be drawen into the fieldes and there to be left for dogges and the birds of the ayre to deuoure Then he made Egistus to be taken and stripped and to be drawen naked thorough the citie and after to be hanged And in like sort dealt he with those that were found to haue béene culpable of his fathers death This vengeance tooke Horestes for the death of good king Agamemnon his father Menelaus after sundry great perilles by sea at length arriued in Créete hauing with him Helene his wife who hearing of the death of his brother and how cruelly Horestes had putte his owne mother to the death was sore displeased with his nephew At that same time came to Menelaus all the greatest Lordes and Nobles of Gréece for whose sake all the Gréekes had suffered so much trouble and vexation From Créete Menelaus sailed to Michmas and tolde Horestes that he was not woorthy to be king or gouernour for that he had so cruelly put to death his owne mother Whereuppon Menelaus assembled at Athens all the chiefe nobles of Gréece to the end to depriue Horestes of his raigne and gouernement for the tyrannous murthering of his mother Horestes excused himselfe thereof saying the gods had appointed him to doe that which hee hadde done At this the duke of Athens rose vp and offered to bée champion in maintaining Horestes his cause gainst any that would withstand it by combate or otherwise which challenge of his being by no man accepted Horestes was iudged guiltlesse and was suffered still to enioy his kingdome But vpon this quarrell Horestes conceiued such mortall hatred against Menelaus his vncle that hée afterward bare great euill wil to him Notwithstanding king Idumeus came within a while to Michmas and so reconciled them each to other that Horestes tooke to wife Hermione the daughter of king Menelaus and of Helen Whereat Erigone the daughter of Egistus and of Clytemnestra had so great sorrow that she hanged herselfe being gréeued that Horestes prospered so well During these affaires Vlysses came into Créete with two Marchants shippes for he had lost all his own shippes and the chiefe of his goodes by rouers or pirates at the sea After which losse hée arriued by mishappe within the countrey of king Thelamon where he lost the residue of his goodes and they of the countrey would haue hanged him had it not béene that by his witte and cunning he escaped their handes After that hée arriued in the countrey of king Manlus who hated him for the death of his sonne Palamedes yet there he so handled the matter by his wit and industrie that he got out of their handes also In the end comming againe into Créete he was friendly intertained by king Idumeus who wondered to sée him in so poore a case demaunding him of all his aduentures and how he had sped since his departing from Troy To al which Vlysses replied shewing how many and howe great perilles he had passed by sea and how he had lost all his men and goodes that he brought with him from Troy King Idumeus had pittie on him when he heard these things and gaue him honourable and bountifull entertainement for as long as he would stay with him When he would néeds depart to returne into his owne countrey Idumeus gaue him two ships furnished with all things necessarie for his voyage and riches with him great plenty requesting him that hée would take his way homeward by the Countrey of king Alcinous to whome he should be very welcome c. Thus Vlysses departing from Créete came vnto king Kingdome But upon this quarrel Horestes conceived such mortal hatred against Menelaus his Vnkle that he afterwards bare great euil will to him Notwithstanding King Idumeus came within a while to Michmas and reconciled them each to other that Horestes took to wife Hermione the daughter of King Menelaus and of Helen Whereat Erigone the daughter of Egistus and of Clytemnestra had great sorrow that she hanged her self being grieved that Horestes prospered so well During these affairs Ulisses came into Creete with