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
he approched the mount and went vnto the place where him séemed that he hadde heard the kine and was there full three houres seeking if hee could finde any hole or caue or way to passe by But howbeit that hee passed many times by the entry of the caue hee could neuer perceiue it Some said that the noise and bleating that they had heard of the kine was come by illusion The other said that Hercules lost his labour and trauell and praied him to leaue to séeke any more for they thought them not recouerable In the end when Hercules had heard one other and saw that hee might not come to the end of his desire in a great anger he tooke in both armes a great tree that grewe there and shooke it three times with so great force that at the third time he ouerthrew it root and all in such wise that the roote that came out of the earth made a very great large hole so déepe that the bottome of the caue was séene plainly When Hercules sawe the great hole that the roote of the tree had made hee was right ioyfull and glad and said truely it is here that the great théefe dwelleth I must sée if he be heere and what marchantes inhabite in this place In saying these wordes Hercules bowed downe his head and beheld on the one side of the caue where hee saw Cacus Assoone as he saw the theefe he knew him anon whereof he was more ioyous than he was before and called to him Cacus I see thee thou hast before this time troubled the realmes of Hesperie with innumerable trespasses and great sins that thou didst commit openly and manifestly This was the cause of the destruction of thy seignory Now thou troublest the Italians with tyrannies secret and vnknowne I know thy life Thou maiest not denie it nor gainsay it It behooueth that thou die therefore and that I make the Italians franke and free from thine horrible and odious thefts O cursed man if thy crownes thy Diademes thy Scepters thy renowns thy royall men might not maintaine thee Why then and wherefore art thou wrapped here still in sinnes and amendest not for all thy punishment that thou hast suffered but yet still in the steed and place that thou shouldest dispose thee to that that appertaineth to a king and a prince thou hast been a theefe In steed to doe iustice thou hast been a murderer and a putter in of fire to burne villages and houses And where thou shouldest haue kept and saued womē thou hast defloured them and done them villany O caitife king without coniuring or pining of thee Certes I see well that thou art hee that the Italians know not and that thou hast persecuted thē Thy malice hath been great and thy subtiltie seeing that this day thou wert neuer bewraied and hast done great mischiefe But thy cunning is not so great nor hast not thou so hid thée but thou art right nigh peril for thou shalt yeeld to me againe my Oxen. And to conclude thou shalt put mee to death or thou shalt die by my hand and thou shalt not escape by running nor by thy subtile shiftes When Cacus vnderstood this sentence he was exceedingly afraid neuerthelesse he lifted vp his head and seeing that he was found by Hercules the onely man of the world that he most hated he said to him Alas Hercules a man all corrupted with couetousnesse what cursed fortune hath made thee to draw out the tree whereof the profound and déepe rootes hath couered the secret abode of king Cacus late reigning but nowe depriued from reigning and banished from all worldly prosperitie Suffiseth it not to thee that I may haue the vse of my natural forces to liue by when thou hast taken al away from me and that I am forced to liue of robbery and spoile whereof the blame and fault ought to redound vpon thee Why sufferest thou not me to liue and drawe forth the residue of my poore life among the stones among the rockes and among the wormes of the earth Consider nowe what thou hast done to this king and seeke him no more Thou hast hurte and greeued him enough Hercules answered Cacus In the déepest of thy depthes of wretchednesse and miseries thy demerites wil accuse thee and I am right sory and greeued to sée a king in so wofull and shamefull estate but seeing thou canst not beautifie thy dayes passed or present with one onely good deed what remedie thou hast dayly exercised tyranny as well in prosperitie as in aduersitie I wote well that thou art the newe persecuter of the Italians and that thy hand is all foule with their bloud I séeke thée not nor the Italians can say nothing of thee And for asmuch as they complaine not of thee hauing cause to their preiudice this tree hath spoken for them and by his rootes hee hath discouered thine ambush So behoueth it that thou choose whether thou wilt come and fight with me here in the aire at large or els that I come and assaile thée there within For if it be to me possible I will deliuer the world from thy tyrannies c. By this answere Cacus knew that there was no respite for his life Then he intended to saue him as he had done aforetime and made by his crafte so great a smoke and fume that it séemed to come out of the hole that the tree had made as it had ben a very pitte of hell And this fume was mingled with flames burning as it was maruaile For all this fume Hercules left not Cacus but leapt into the Caue in the middle of the flames and fume as he that was maister of the craft and was quickly purueied of remedies that thereto appertained and went in lustily and assailed Cacus in such wise as he felt no fume nor let and then hee gaue him so great a stroke vpon the helme with his clubbe that he made him to hit his head against the walles of the caue Cacus with the receiuing of this stroke let the fume disgorge out of his stomacke seeing that by that maner he could not escape and tooke his huge great axe that stood by him for to defend him with Hercules suffered him to take his axe Cacus smote vpon him for the caue was not large they fought long therein Vnto the reskewe of Cacus came the thrée sisters that made great sorrowe and did cast stones vppon Hercules in great aboundaunce and wept bitterly These three damsels loued very wel Cacus Hercules and Cacus fought more then a long houre without ceasing At the end of the houre they were both so sore chafed that they must needes rest them Then Cacus tooke in himselfe a great pride for he was strong of body and him séemed when he had rested that Hercules was not so strong as hee had been afore times that he might neuer vanquish him forasmuch as he had not ouercome at the beginning By this presumption hee
sorrowfull wordes accomplished Hercules tooke his clubbe and cast it in the fire that was made readie for to make his sacrifice After hee gaue to Philotes his bowe and his arrowes and then hee praied him that he would recommend him to Yo le and to his friendes and then feeling that his life had no longer for to soiourne hee tooke leaue of Phylotes and then as all burnt and sodden hee laide him downe in the fire lifting his handes his eies vnto the heauen and there consummated the course of his glorious life WheÌ„ Phylotes saw the end of his maister Hercules hee burnt his body to ashes and kept those ashes in intention to beare them to the temple that the king Euander had caused to make After he departed from thence and returned into Licia greatly discomforted and with a great fountain of teares he recounted to Yo le and to his friends the pitious death of Hercules No man could recount the great sorow that Yo le made and they of Licia as well the studentes as rurall people All the world fell in teares in sighes and in bewailinges for his deathe So muche abounded Yo le in teares and weepinges that her heart was as drowned and forthwith departed her soule from the body by the bitter water of her wéeping Eche body cursed and spake shame of Deianira Finally Deianira aduertised by the fellow of Lycas of the mischiefe that was come by the shirt she fell in despaire and made many bewailinges and among all other she saide What haue I done Alas what haue I done The most notable man of men shining among the clerkes hee that trauersed the straunge coastes of the earth and hell hee that bodily conuersed among men and spiritually among the sun the moone and the starres and that sustained the circumference of the heauens is dead by my cause by my fault and without my fault He is dead by my fault for I haue sent to him the shirt that hath giuen to him the taste of death But this is without my fault for I knew nothing of the poison O mortall poison By me is he depriued of his life of whom I loued the life asmuch as I did mine owne Hee that bodily dwelled among the men heere on earth and spiritually aboue with the sunne the moone and celestiall bodies He that was the fountaine of Science by whom the Atheniens arrowsed and bedewed their wits and skils hee that made the monsters of the sea to tremble in their abismes and swallowes and destroied the monsters of hell He confounded the monsters of the earth the tyrantes hee corrected the insolent and proud he humbled and meeked The humble and meeke he enhaunsed and exalted He that made no treasour but of vertue he that subdued al the nations of the world and conquered theÌ„ with his club and he that if he had would by ambition of seignorie might haue attained to be king of the East of the West of the South and of the North of the seas and of the mountaines of all these hee might haue named him king and Lord by good right if hee had would Alas alas what am I owne â—â— all vnhappy time when so high and so mighty a prince is dead by my simplenesse he was the glorie of men There was neuer to him none like nor neuer shal be Ought I to liue after him Nay certes that shall I neuer doe For to the end that among the Ladies I be not shewed nor pointed with the finger and that I fall not into strangers handes for to bee punished forasmuch as I haue deserued shame and blame by this death I wil doe the vengeance on my selfe And with that she tooke a knife and saying I feele my selfe and knowe that I am innocent of the death of my Lord Hercules with the point of the knife she ended her desperate life Whereat Phylotes was all abashed and so were all they of Gréece that long wept and bewailed Hercules and his death And they of Athens bewailed him excéedingly some for his science and other for his vertues whereof I will now cease speaking beseeching her that is cause of this translation out of French into this simple and rude English that is to wit my right redoubted lady Margaret by the grace of God Duchesse of Burgoine and of Brabant Sister to my soueraigne Lord the king of England and of Fraunce c. that she wil receiue my rude labour acceptably and in good liking Thus endeth the second booke of the Collection of histories of Troy Which bookes were late translated into French out of Latine by the labour of the venerable person Raoulle Feure priest as afore is said and by me vnfit and vnworthy translated into this rude English by the commandement of my saide redoubted Lady Duchesse of Burgoine And forasmuch as I suppose the saide two books haue not been had before this time in our English language therfore I had the better wil to accomplish this said worke which worke was begunne in Bruges and continued in Gaunt and finished in Colein in the time of the troublous world and of the great diuisions béeing and reigning aswell in the realmes of England and Fraunce as in all other places vniuersally through the worlde that is to wit the yeare of our Lord a thousand foure hundred seuentie and one And as for the third booke which treateth of the generall and last destruction of Troy It needeth not to translate it into English forasmuch as that worshipfull and religious man Iohn Lidgate moonk of Burie did translate it but late after whose worke I feare to take vpon me that am not worthy to beare this penner and inke-horne after him to meddle at all in that worke But yet forasmuche as I am bound to obey and please my said ladies good grace and also that his worke is in rime and as farre as I knowe it is not had in prose in our tongue and also peraduenture hee translated it after some other authour then this is and forasmuch as diuers men bee of diuers desires some to reade in rime meeter and some in prose and also because that I haue now good leisure being in Coleine and hauing none other thing to doe at this time to eschew idlenesse mother of all vices I haue deliberated in my selfe for the contemplation of my said redoubted Lady to take this labour in hand by the sufferance and helpe of almightie God whom I meekly beseeche to giue me grace to accomplish it to the pleasure of her that that is causer thereof and that she receiue it in gree of me her faithfull true and most humble seruant c. The end of the second Booke ⧠The table for the second bookâ— of the Collection of the historoyes of Troy HOwe Hercules fought against threâ— Lyons in the forrest of Nemee and how he slew them and tooke their skin 〈◊〉 Chap. 1. pag. â—45 How Iuno sent Hercules into Egypt 〈◊〉 to bee slaine of the
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
legat once twice thrice that thou yéelde this Cicâ—io vnto his Father King Saturnâ— and that as hastely as thou hast entred therein likewise that thou depart◠〈◊〉 do aunswered Tytan thou tellest me tydings that be full of pleasures and obâ—â—ltation by the which I knowe by thy wordes that Saturne hath a sonne yet liâ—ring nor by this meane I sée clearely and so seeth all the world that by good and iust quarell I am made king of this 〈…〉 Iupiter thy father knew that I doubt him not nor set nothing at all by his comming and also that I will nothing do after his commaundement Titan sayd Archas for asmuch as thou abidest in this will I will no more at this time trouble thee Make good watch Iupiter is héereby that tarieth for none otherwise but answer from thée for 〈◊〉 his indeuour to recouer this Citie With this word departed Archas from the presence of Titan and returned againe vnto his father When Iupiter heard the answer of Titan he was full of gladnes for he desired nothing but for to be in armes and concluded with his people this on the 〈◊〉 we he would assault the citie in case that 〈◊〉 furnished on him to battaile Aâ—on were there 〈…〉 and leaues and tabernacles the Oâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the Aâ—tadiens and the Epiriens laye vpon the agré verâ—â—le and made their hoste to watche Titan was then in Crete And it is to wit when Archas was departed 〈◊〉 his presence he assembled all his sonnes 〈…〉 these 〈◊〉 which were to the pleasant and agréeable 〈◊〉 For they desired nothing but strife and debate and assured themselues to haue victory of Iupiter as well as they had of Saturne In the same houre they sente foure spies to espie the nuÌ„ber of their enimies 〈◊〉 made ready their harnesse these spies wente so faâ—re that the sawe the host of Iupiter maâ—â— their report to Titan of yâ— place where his enimies were and of what number of people they were After the report of the said spies Titan coÌ„cluded for asmuch as his enemie were but a 〈◊〉 from the Citie that there shuld make them readie and go to battaile against them on the moste early The night passed fast and the â—ay came oâ— and then aboue the sunne rising Titan mounted vppon his â—haire that was right riâ—h and made his Titanoys to range in battaile and left an hundred within the Citie for to kéepe it from Rebellion or from treason and tooke all the other â—â—th him vnder his conduct and of his sonneâ— and his espies c. Iupiter that was not idle had the same houre set all his men in orâ—er and had then brought all his folke into a faire plaine hoping of battaile And this Titan had not farre ridden but the sawe the hoste or Iupiter for this plaine was at discâ—uer 〈◊〉 sides and as farre as each might sée other each of them full of ioy enforced him to make shouts and cries and with great courage they marched the one against the other vnto the ioyning and smiting of stroakes Then Iupiter 〈◊〉 himselfe in the front of the battaile and 〈◊〉 his bow in his hand and his 〈◊〉 by his side by his sâ—â—ting began a 〈◊〉 that was right fierce for on the 〈◊〉 and the other there were right good archers and many â—aâ—ters of polished stones that failed neuer and that 〈◊〉 the cause of the death of many When the shot and casting of stones failed they began to go together 〈…〉 and then began of mortall fighting hand to hand that was so 〈◊〉 that the breaking of the speares and the this fâ—es 〈…〉 welles of Crete and 〈◊〉 to the cares of 〈◊〉 and of Cibell at the noyse whereof they began to reioyn for they had a good hope that Iupiter would obtaine the victorie against Titan. This 〈◊〉 Vesca weâ—â—â— vpper vppon a high Tower that shee might sée into the flée 〈◊〉 and there shée same the fighting of the battaile Thâ—â— haâ—â—â— Iupiter his 〈◊〉 in his â—ne hand and his shâ—â—ke in the other and with his sword hâ—e smote into the thickest of his Enemies and with his shield hee saued himselfe from their â—â—â—ies And with one stroke of his sword he diuided the bodye of Enceladus one of the sonnes of Titan and cast him on the ground at the féete of the Titanoys that were right sory for the death of their felow Iupiter assayled them right sharply and one cried slea slea but he that so cryed was slaine anon by the hands of Iupiter that destroyed the blood of his aduersaries He was strong fierce young and boystrous and of high enterprise He defended him vigorously as a Lyon mightily as an Olephant and egerly as a Tiger and intended not onely vnto the defence of his body but to saue and reskew all them that were in peril vnder his charge he did meruailous things on all sides the noyse and bruit doubled and redoubled about him The Titanoys began to be ouerthrowen by great routes one fell on his shoulders an other on his shéelde and he charged so sore vpon them that his strokes might not be sustained of men they were so strong and puissant c. This battell was cruell and hardye at beginning for both the two parties there were many of the Titanoys of Arcadiens and of the Epiriens hurt dead and cast vnder foote Archas was there accompanied with fiftie Arcadiens appointed vnto the guard of his body for asmuch as he was younge and yet he made and put himselfe to the armes Meliseus fayled not nor Titan Lycaon Egeon on the other side also eche man did his best that he might I cannot say how many men lay dead on the grounde us how oftentimes the one set vpon the other but ye shall vnderstand that there was none comparable vnto Iupiter in strength in leading his men nor in prowes there was nothing to him impossible He ouercame the ouercommers he flewe the flears he smote downe the smyters he put himselfe so farre foorth and in so many places in the battayle of the Tytanoys that in a straight he came and found Tytan in his chaire that ouerthrew the Epiriens with stones and round plumettes that he cast on them and cryed Titan Titan for as much as he thought that he fought well When Iupiter knewe that Titan was there he drewe towarde him and as Titan aduaunced his arme for to smite vpon an Epirien Iupiter lifted vp his sword and charged so sore vpon his arme that he smote it off and departed it from his body whereof he had great ioy and cried Iupiter Iupiter and Titan so hurt had great sorrow that he fell downe within his Chaire At this time the Epiriens began to courage themselues and the Titanoys were discouraged Licaon and Egeon were there fast by where they saw their fathers arme flie into the field then they began to assaile Iupiter as men dispayred and so began a new combate where much blood was spilled But notwithstanding the
a right great assemblie of men of armes and there was no man that could tell the cause wherefore CHAP. XV. ¶ How King Saturne with all his great host came before the Citie of Arcadia against Iupiter his sonne IT is to be thought that Iupiter had his heart right displeasant when he had receyued these tydings from his mother Cibel and although that she warned him by supposing as she that wist not verilye the will of the king yet when he considered that he was not sent for vnto his armie he doubted him and departed thence and sayd to his wife Iuno that he would go vnto Arcadia concluding in himselfe that by this meane he should sée the behauiour of his father and to what place he imployed his armie But he was not farre on his waye when he rested vpon a mountayne and looked behinde him that he sawe the Cittie of Partheny that anon was euyroned and full of the men of armes of king Saturne that gaue to him a great proofe of the aduertisement of his mother And for to sée what waye he bent his course he taryed still on the mountayne hauing his eyes alwayes vnto the Cittie And anon he sawe his father Saturne mounte into his Chayre and all his armye issue out at the same gate where he came from and tooke the same waye that he had taken And that gaue him verilye to vnderstand and knowe that his father sought him And so he departed from this mountaine and went to Arcadia and told vnto his sonne and to the Arcadiens the cause wherefore he was come and prayed them that they would furnish him with good armours to the ende he might defend their Citie if néede were c. The Arcadiens at the request of Iupiter made ready their armes and their citie and sent out espies vpon the way And anon after they were come from the Pallaice the espies affirmed to Iupiter and Archas that they had séene the champaine countrey and the wayes of Arcadia all full of men of armes Anon there was proclaimed in the Citie in the name of theyr soueraigne Lord Iupiter that euerie man should make good watch and kéepe his ward With this crye the Arcadiens armed them with helmets and armes of leather and went vpon the the walles and towers hauing in theyr handes Axes Swordes Guyfarmes Glayues and Maces And they had not long taried there when they sawe come from farre two men of Crete which came to the gate and asked of the porters if Iupiter were within The porter when he vnderstood what they asked answered them that Iupiter was in the Cittie and if they hadde to doo with him they should finde him in the Pallace where he passed the time with his sonne Archas and that hée was newly come vnto the towne to visit him When they of Crete heard this they were sore troubled for they sought him that they would not finde Notwithstanding they went in and passed foorth vp to the Pallace and there finding Iupiter with the nobles of Arcadia after the reuerence made one of them spake and sayde Syr we séeke thée and we haue no will to finde thée for wée come against our will to execute a commission by the which maye sooner come ruine trouble then peace to Crete and vs. Saturne thy father commaundeth thée that thou alone come speake with him he hath sought thée in all the places of Partheny His daughter Iuno thy wife not thinking euill hath ascertayned him that thou art come hither Hée is come after thée in armes and we knowe not what he thinketh to doo for was neuer so angry nor sorrowfull nor so fierce as he is now We be his seruauntes force hath constrayned vs in his obeysance and for this cause wil we thée to appeare in person before him this same houre all excusations set a part When Iupiter had considered and well pondered in his minde the adiournement or summons with his eyes full of teares hée made â—â—s aunswere and sayde thus I maruell of the right straunge demeanour of my father and peraduenture it is not without great cause His Realme is in peace I haue put and set him againe in his Realme he putteth himselfe in armes without my knowledge and nowe he sendeth for me that I shoulde alone come speake with him that is too straunge a thing vnto mee And hée behaueth himselfe not as hee ought to do for men ought to prayse them that haue deserued it and be of value I haue auayled him as much as his Realme is woorth and hee hath other tymes sent for mee to make warre I wote not nowe what euill will he hath or may haue to mee But here he is come with his armie where he hath nothing to do And being come he demaundeth nothing but me alonely All things considered and weighed I haue no reason for to obey his commaundement notwithstanding that hee is my Father forasmuch as the suspition is too much apparaunt But I am content if hee haue to do with mee to serue him and to come to him vppon condition that I shall bee accompanyed with all my friends that I can get and none otherwise The two Commissaryes with this worde returned vnto Saturne and tolde him the intention of Iupiter Saturne tooke right impaciently the aunswere of Iupiter and approached vnto Archadie and besieged it with great oathes making his auowe vnto his goddes that if hee may haue Iupiter hee with his handes would make sacrifice of him And then hee sent for his moste wise men and willed them that in fell menaces they should go summon the King Archas and the Archadiens to yéelde and deliuer him Iupiter declaring openlie and plainly that hee was more his enemie than his sonne The wise men departed from the Hoste at the commaundement of Saturne and did well theyr deuoier to summon the Archadians and sayde to the King and people of Archadie we bee come vnto you forasmuch as yee sustayne Iupiter whome the King Saturne holdeth for his enemy telling you if ye deliuer him vnto Saturne ye shall bee his friendes and if not hee doeth you to wit that ye doe kéepe you with good watch and warde for hee hath not in the worlde whom hee reputeth greater enemies than you c. By this commaundement knewe Iupiter that it was hée himselfe for whom Saturne made his armie The Archadiens assembled to councell without Iupiter and spake of this matter and made aunswere to the wise men of Crete howe they were bounden to serue Iupiter and howe they woulde kéepe him and liue and die with him agaynst all men aboue all other When the wise men had their aunswere they returned vnto Saturne and tolde him the aunswere of the Archadiens Anon hastilie sore chafed and enflaming with great yre hee commaunded that the Citie shoulde bée assayled Anon went to Armes they of Crete in such wise that they approched the walles and fortes And when the Archadiens sawe their enemies approch anon they sounded
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
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
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
one and of the other and reasoned how they might come to the end of their desire And when they had spoken enough of their hote lâ—â—e Paris tooke leaue of her and issued out of the temple hee and his companie and Helene sent after him her eyes as farre as the might When Paris was come to his shippe he called to him the most noble and greatest of his companie and saide to him in this maner My friendes yee knowe well wherefore the king my father hath sent vs vnto Greece that is to wit for to recouer Exione his sister and if we may not recouer her that we should doe damage vnto the Gréeks We may not recouer Exione for shee is in ouer strong an hand and also it shoulde bée to our great daunger and damage since it is so that the king Thelamon that holdeth her and loueth her heartily is more puissant then we and is in his owne proper heritage Wée be nothing so puissant for to take in Greece any noble Citie the countrey is so full of people and of manie valiant folke Then mée séemeth good that the faire gift and notable that the Gods haue sent vnto vs we refuse not Wée sée in this I le come to that feast the most greatest citizens and the temple replenished with the most noble women of this prouince and also the queene Helene that is lady of this countrey and wife of king Menelaus This temple is also full of all riches if wee might take them aliue that bée in the Temple and bring them prisoners with vs and take the Gods that there bee of golde and of siluer wée shall haue conquered a great gaine and so may get other riches that wee may go fetch in some other places If ye thinke good I am of the opinion that now this night wée will enter into the temple all armed and â—ée will take men and women and all that we shall find and bring into our shippes and principally Helene for if wée may bring her into Troy the king Priamus may lightly enough haue againe his sister Exione for her therefore aduise you speedily what is best to bee done whiles the matter is hot and before they escape vs. Some of them blamed this thing and some allowed it and finally they concluded after manie councels that they would doe as Paris had deuised Now it hapned that when the night was come the Moone was nigh gone downe the Troyans armed them in the most secret wise that they coulde and left some of them for to keepe their shippes and the other went priuily vnto the Temple and entered therein so armed as they were and with little defence tooke all them that they found in the temple and all the riches that were therein And Paris with his owne hand tooke Helene and them of her companie and brought into their ships all the best and put them in sure guard and after returned to the bootie Then beganne the noyse passing great within the temple of the prisoners and of some that had leauer suffer to be slaine then for to bee taken prisoners The noise was heard farre in suche wise that they of the castle that stoode thereby heard it and incontinent they arose and armed them and came to assaile the Troyans as valiaunt as they were Then beganne the skirmish right fierse and mortall but the Troyans that were foure against one slew manie of them and the other fled and retired into their castle and then the Troyans tooke as much as they coulde finde of goodes and bare it vnto their shippes and entered into them and hoised vp their sailes and sailed so long that on the 7. day they came and ariued at the port of Troy their ships ful of good prisoners and of good riches and they abode at the port of Tenedon that was but 3 mile froÌ„ Troy and there were receiued with ioy And then Paris sent a proper messenger vnto his father the king Priamus to let him haue knowledge of his comming and of all that that hee had done in Gréece Of these tidings the king was greatly reioysed and commaunded in all the Citie to make a feast solemnly for these tidinges c. Whiles that Helene was with the other prisoners in the ship of Paris shée made great sorrow and ceassed not to wéepe nor to bewaile with great sighes her husband her brethren her daughter her countrey and her friends and was in so great sorrow that she left to eat and drink And Paris comforted her the most sweetly that he coulde but shee might not suffer to forbeare wéeping and then Paris said to her in this maner How Lady Wherefore make ye this sorrowe day and night without rest What man or woman is it that might long endure and suffer this Know not ye that this sorrow hurteth your health Yes verily lady yée make too much thereof Wherefore from henceforth I pray you to leaue and take rest for in this realme yée shall lacke nothing and no more shall those prisoners that yée will haue recommended and ye shal be the most renowmed lady of this Realme and the most riche and your meanie that bee héere shall want nothing To these wordes aunswered Helene to Paris in this manner I knowe well said thee that will I or I will not I must needs do as yée will since that I am your prisoner and if any good bee done to me and to the prisoners I hope the Gods shall thanke and reward them that so doe Ha ha saide Paris doubt you not for mee I will doe to you and them all that shall please you to commaund And then he took her by the hand and brought her into a more secret place and saide vnto her Madame thinke yee forasmuch as it hath pleased the Gods for to suffer you to bee brought by mée into this prouince and kingdome that yée be lost and vndone and that ye shall not bée more rich and more honoured then ye haue béen and that the Realme of Troy is not more riche then the Realme of Achay yes verily that it is Thinke yee that I will maintaine you dishonestly certes nay but will take you to my wife and so shall ye be more honoured then ye haue béene with your husband and more praised for your husband is not issued out of so noble a house as I am nor so valiant nor he loued you neuer so well as I will doe Therefore cease yée from henceforth to make such sorrow and beleeue me of this that I haue said to you Ha ha said shee who can abstaine her from making of sorrowe being in the state that I am in alas this case happened me neuer before but since it must be none otherwise sore vexed and greeued I will doe that thing which ye require of me forasmuch as I haue no abilitie to resist it Thus was Helene recomforted a little and Paris did please her to the vttermost of his power c. When the morrow
was so hurt that the truncheon of her speare abode within his bodie wherefore the crie arose greatly among the Greekes and they ranne vpon Penthesilea with great strength and brake the lase of her helme and then Pirrhus that in his great furie tooke none heede to his wound set not thereby that hee had the truncheon in his body but assailed strongly Penthesilea that had then her helme broken and shee weend to haue smitten him but Pirrhus raught her first gaue her so great a stroke with his sworde that hee cutte her arme off by the body whereof the saide Penthesilea fell downe dead to the earth and Pirrhus that was not yet content smote the body and cut it in two peeces and anon for the great effusion of bloud that ran from his wound he fell downe as dead among his people and they tooke him vp layed him vpon his shield and bare him into his tent Then the maidens of Penthesilea for to reuenge the death of their Quéene smote in among the Mirmidones by great furie and slew many and hurt but it profited but little to the Troyans as they that were but a few against a great multitude of Gréeks And so there were slaine of them of Troy that day in the battell more then tenne thousande men and the other withdrewe themselues into the citie for to saue themselues and shut closed fast their gates and had no more intention to issue out to battell against their enemies c. CHAP. XXV ¶ How Anthenor and Eneas spake together among them for to deliuer the citie vnto the Greeks by treason and did it vnder colour of peace and howe the king Priamus gainsayd them with some of his bastards by great and rude words THe Troyans had very great sorrowe when they sawe them in this distresse for they had no more hope to haue any succours from any place and they endeuoured to nothing but to keepe well their citie and to furnish them well with bitaile for they feared nor dreaded nought of any assault Among these things the Gréeks would haue cast to the dogs the bodie of Penthesilea forasmuch as she had slaine so many noble men of Gréece but Pirrus gainsayde it for the honour and credit of noblenesse and finally they concluded that they would cast it in a pond that was nie the citie Anchises with his sonne Eneas and Anthenor with his sonne Polidamas went to counsell together for to aduise them how they might haue their liues saued against the Gréekes and their goodes and rather than they woulde faile heereof they woulde betray the Citie Then they concluded that they shoulde speake vnto king Priamus and counsell him to take a peace and appointment with the Gréekes in restoring of Helene to her husband and the damages that Paris did in the I le of Citharis O if the king Priamus had beene so happy to haue doone this and had pleased the Gréekes at the beginning he had saued his life and his wifes life and the life of all his children and had saued all the Citie and the cittizens and had eschewed all the mischiefes that came to them afterward Therefore say men in a Prouerb that the concorde or peace soone taken is good for it is an hard thing to reappease such manner dammages to him that hath aduantage of the warre For with great paine would the Gréekes haue beene content that were thē at the better hand with these offers forasmuch as they had suffered so many hurtes and damages before Troy for them séemed well that they were at the point for to destroy the Citie and all the inhabitantes But the aforenamed traitours spake not of this matter but to the end that vnder colour of peace they might betray the citie if otherwise they might not saue their liues Then they went before the king Priamus and Amphimacus one of his bastard sonnes and spake there of this matter before many noble men of the Citie and aboue as king Priamus had heard them speake of purchasing of peace with the Gréekes he thought that they spake this thing by great fury and beganne to laugh saying to them that he would be aduised and take counsell first and then they spake vnto him in this manner If thou wilt heare our counsell vpon this thing marke what we shall say and if it please thée not vse the counsell of other The king saide that hee woulde well heare their counsell and would wéete what séemed them good saying vnto them What séemeth you good Then spake Anthenor saying King you may not dissemble but that you and yours be compassed with your ennemies who béene héere by your citie desiring your death and destruction and ye may not issue out there are more than fiftie kings that desire nothing but to destroy this Cittie and you and all them that dwell therein yée may no longer resist them neyther dare ye no more open your gates and thus we let vs then be inclosed héerein We ought of two euill things choose the lesse euill and therefore for to haue peace with the Gréekes if ye séeme good we will render Helene to Menelaus her husband since that Paris is dead and also restore the damage that Paris did doe to them in Gréece rather than we will suffer our selues to be put to the death c. At these wordes arose vp Amphymacus one of the bastard sonnes of king Priamus and reprooued egerly the wordes of Anthenor and saide vnto him what trust or hope may my Lorde my father and wée haue in thée since that thou oughtest to haue firme goodwill vnto him and to this citie and we sée that thus recreant thou oughtest to liue and die with vs and thou counsellest vs now to make peace with the Gréekes to our great dishonour and shame Truely before that the king shall doe that there shall die twenty thousand menne the thing that thou counsellest the king commeth of treason Many other iniurious wordes said Amphimacus to Anthenor and Eneas beganne to interrupt him saying Yée know well that we may not from hencefoorth goe to battell against the Gréekes and we dare no more open our gates wherefore it behoueth vs to finde meanes to haue peace with them Then the king Priamus with great ire saide to Anthenor and to Eneas haue yée not shame in your selues to speake so to mée Yée make me die with sorrow for all that I haue done hitherto I haue done it by your counsel Anthenor at thy return fro Gréece whither I sent thée to require my sister counselledst thou not me that I shoulde send Paris into Gréece for to endammage the Greekes And I had neuer taken vpon me for to haue mooued war against them had not thy false counsell beene which moued me to send thither And thou Eneas alas when I sent thee with Paris into Greece wast not thou principall of the counsell that Paris should rauish Helene and bring her into this realme and thou helpedst
that his enemies because of the succours that came to them were stronger then he was he found not in the resolution of his enterprise but dispaire and shamefull end and all discomforted he called his sonne and his principal friendes and demaunded them what was best to do They counselled him that hee should labour to saue himselfe and saide to him if he abode and attended the Troyans that would be cause of his destruction and of all them that were left of his people When Tantalus vnderstood this and knew that hee was desperate and nigh his shamefull ende and flight and aboue that that he might not extinguish and put downe the name of Troy hee tooke himselfe by the beard that was long and impatiently said smiting himselfe with his fist O cursed enuie thou didst promise mee of late to put Troy vnder my féete and hast made me to rise presumptuously against her Nowe sée I well the contrarie and that by mee Troy shall flourish and that more is by my cause her name shall growe and shall be enchaunsed and that all kings shall tremble before her in my sight and beholding O false traiterours fortune accursed be thou that I euer beléeued on thée These words finished hee saide to his son and to other of his councell that they should cause his people to withdraw a little and a little At last he commaunded that each man should saue himselfe and then they put them all to flight Ilion and Ganimedes tooke héede and ranne after and chased them out of the territories of Troy with great occison and slaughter of the people of the Frigiens And after that they had chased them they said that they had doone them shame inough and left worke and returned and came anon and met the king Troos their father that followed them which had great ioy when hée saw that they had quit them so well vpon his enemies by the good conduct of his two sonnes The ioy then that Troos made Ilion and Ganimedes after the battaile was great and of good loue Troos brought them again vnto Troy with great worship The Troyans men and women receiued them worshipfully blessed the womb that had borne them and the breasts that gaue them sucke These were two noble sons of the King of whom the names were borne into all the Marches there aboutes with so great a bruit and noyse that not onelie the neighbours of Troos came to make alliaunce with King Troos and the Troyans but there came also Kings of many far Countreys of the East which could not magnifie inough the puissance of the king and of the citie of Troy c. In these dayes when Troy shewed the rayes of her puissance and noblenesse through the vniuersall world Saturne late king of Crete sayled by the seas with little companie not as king and possessor of the realme but as banished and dispurueyed of all land and countrey so poore that he had no place to withdraw him to nor wist not whither to go but onely by desarts and by the depth of the sea When he had béene in this poynt a great while thinking without end how he might persecute his son Iupiter fortune brought him into the sea of Hellespont and then beholding about him he espyed and sawe Troy which was a Citie passing fayre and rich and of marueylous greatnesse And then what for to take him a little rest as for to put away his melancholie and for to reuittaile his shippe and people hee sayled and rowed into the Citie and landed at the port When the Troyans had seene the shippe of Saturne that was better and more of value then all the shippes that they had euer séene the maisters of the ships of Troy went hastily vnto the King Troos and said Sir bee of good cheare and make readie your house I assure you that there is come right now vnto your port the most rich ship that euer was séene on the sea and me séemeth this considered that in so noble a ship must be some noble or great earthly Lord that commeth vnto you c. Anon as king Troos heard these tidings of the maister mariner he desired to sée so fayre a shippe and accompanied with his two sonnes went for to sée at the port and to feast them of the straunge shippe This king Troos was courteous and honourable When he came vnto the port he found that Saturne made readie his shippe and disposed him for to go vnto the citie And séeing the ship he maruailed much for the vtensils that were within were richly made furthermore Saturne his companions were armed and had no mariners He beheld their behauiour at his comming and knew that they were men of warre right well in point so he thought in himselfe at the beginning for to arme himselfe and to send for the Troyans But afterward when hee had séene their little number and that no ship followed nor came after these strangers from the coast he changed his purpose viewed and approched vnto the ship and called Saturne that most best was arayed aboue the other and asked him what he sought both he and his fellows and from what nation they were and whence they came from And Saturne answered to him and saide Sir albeit I know not at what port I am arriued for as much as my heart giueth me that ye be courteous of your nature I will not hide nor couer any thing touching your request I was late king of Crete named Saturne now I am but Saturne for my sonne hath put me out sorrowfully so that of all the riches of all my people and all my goods temporall there is nothing left me but this onely ship that ye may sée Wherefore I pray you and require that it please you to direct mee to some Lord of this countrey to the end that I may require licence and leaue to enter into his lordship and to take that that shall be necessarie competently to the life of me and of my companie When king Troos heard the case of Saturne comprised in briefe words he saide to him by compassion King Saturne yee be welcome into the house of Troos in troth I haue great gréefe in my selfe of your first anoyance for your glorious renowme and for the goodnesse that is in you as often times I haue heard it recounted But with this anoyance two things gladde and ioye my heart the one procéeding of the accomplishment of desire for I haue desired manye dayes for to sée you and this desire is now accomplished in me and the other procéedeth of hope and in this part I saye to you that I king of this countrey haue intention to comfort and to councell you to my power and also to giue you so good ayde that ye shall correcte your sonne and shall punishe his personne in suche wise as it shall appertayne for his offence Saturne began to sighe and to take a lyttle comforte of the greate proffer and good chéere