she on a day called her deare sonne Saturne with Titan and other of the Countrey and there rehearsed and saide vnto them that her yong sonne Saturne should succéede and haue the heritages of her husband Titan hearing the will of his mother redoubled his sorrow it caused him to wéepe great plentie of teares and knéeled too fore his mother humbly and saide in in this wise Mother I am right infortunate when ye will that my right patrimonie be put from me and that naturally me ought to haue by right should be giuen from me and yet because that I am not so wel formed of members as my brother Saturne is which sorrow is to me passing noyous ye wil put from me my fortune and byrth which ye may not do by lawfull reason I am your first sonne ye haue nourished me with the substance of your blood as your childe borne in your bellie nine Moneths Also I am he that first dwelled and inhabited your feminine chambers none tofore me tooke there any seisin when I tooke that then ye gaue mée your due loue and sorted to me the succession of your heritages Then whence cometh this that ye nowe subuert and destroy that nature hath once ioyned giuen me euery mother is bounden to holde the conseruation of the right of her child Alas mother will ye make me bastard fro my right am I a bastard was not Vranus my father am not I he that ye were so glad for what time ye felt first that I was conceiued in the lawfull bed of my father your husband am I not be that ye bare and gaue mee sucke of your breastes and oftentimes kissed me that is to say in my tender dayes what tyme my members were soft and tender Ha mother acquit you ayeinst me as ye beholden and bounden by right and knowledge ye that I am Titan and for as much as I am lesse and not so well adressed as my brother Saturne so much yée ought the more desire my promotion and furthering When dame Vesca heard her sonne Titan speake so sadly and profoundly she had pittie on him yet the pitie was not of so high vertue that might surmount the great loue that was rooted betwéene her and Saturne and then she sayde to Titan her sonne Titan my sonne I denie not that thou tookest thy substance betwéene my sides and were brought into this world and know verily that I loue thée intirely and that I desire thy weale but it is so cleare and euident in euery mans sight that for the default loathlinesse and abhomination of thy members thou art not a man sufficient to defend thy fathers heritage with great labour and paine for if it happen that one man would make warre thou were not able to resist him what wouldest thou that I should do thy brother hath the loue of al the people for his beautie and his vertuous maners and euery man holdeth him in reuerence and thée in derision and scorne Be thou content thou shalt lacke nothing and if thou lacke speake to me and I shall remedie it but speake neuer no more to mee for the heritage for Saturne shall obtaine it by the fauour of his wisedome méekenesse and benignitie and also because the common sort iudgeth him and séeth that hee shall once bee the man whose life shall shine gloriously Titan was sort troubled of the words of his mother and he began to chaunge colour and waxe red hauing suspition to Saturne that hee had contriued this matter against him whereupon he drew him apart to him and saide Saturne the enuie that thou hast to raigne aboue me hath now ingendred in my heart thy mortall mischiefe whereof the hate shall endure vnto the mortall separation of thy life and of mine and of my children Thou knowest well that I am the eldest son of our father Vranus how art thou so hardy and presumptuous to inhaunce thy selfe aboue me by conspired imagination I will that thou knowe verily that like as thou hast conspired in my temporal domage semblably I shall conspire to thy eternal domage hurt And name me from henceforth thy mortall enemie When Saturne heard these burning and enflamed menasses of his brother Titan he excused himselfe and answered that he neuer thought in his life to come to the succession of their father nor neuer had imagined nor conspired it Then Vesca their mother Cibell and Ceres tooke the wordes fro Saturne and saide to Titan that his threatning to Saturne was for naught for he should raigne and be Lord and maister Titan full of felonie and more angrie then hée was too fore said plainly that he would not suffer it Saturne had a great part of the people that assisted him and gaue him fauour And Titan also had other on his side which began to murmure the one partie agaynst the other All the compapanie was sore troubled and began to thrust in and enployed them to cease the noyse and to accord Titan notwithstanding it was hard to doe for alway he would haue runne vpon Saturne if he had not béene hold and letted alway In the ende the wise men shewed Titan by great reason that he was the more féeble and that Saturne was more in the fauour of the people and that he would modere himselfe a little and sayde that he should agrée and graunt the raigne to Saturne by condition that if hee married he should be bound to put to death all his children males that should be begotten of his séede if he any had for the wele of both parties Vesca with her daughter and the auncient wise people accorded to Titan this condition and laboured so to Saturne that they brought them to the Temple of their god Mars that was in the citie of Oson whereof was Lord a mightie man called Milliseus and that afore the image of the god Mars Saturne swore that if him happed to marry and that hee had any children males hee would slea them all thus was Titan content that his brother shuld enioy the land of Crete the peace was made betwéen them both CHAP. II. ¶ How Saturne was crowned first King of Crete and how he found first diuers sciences wherefore the people held him in great honour as a God AFter the treatie made of the peace of Titan and Saturne Titan saw in himselfe that hee might not worshipfully abide and dwell being vnder his yonger brother had leuer go and search his aduentures in other places then to be thral to his yonger brother Hee tooke his wife his children and friendes and departed at all aduenture into diuers places where he found fortune so good and happy that by armes and strength he made himselfe king of many diuerse Realmes which hee departed vnto his chlldren and commised and ordained certaine espies to espie and waite if his brother Saturne married himselfe and if his wife brought foorth men children and whether hée put them to death During these saide things Saturne
is so doone the best way ought to be taken we counsell thée that thou leaue this Pallace and finde manner to issue out and wee shall follow thée and go with thée and search our aduentures in other lands for it shall be great paine by possibilitie euer to content and appease this people For it is so that the Corinthians be terrible to all men that they haue inhate and in despight Dardanus hearing these wordes beganne to sigh and considering that hee must depart from his Citie by his misdéede fault and desert hee smote himselfe on the brest and saide Ha fortune vnstedfast what is mee befall My hands be foule and filthie with the bloud of my lawfull brother The insurrcetion and the rebellion of my people hanging before mine eies it is force that I flée for to saue my life and purpose to liue of rauin and theft What mischance what euill happe is this Since it is so I yéeld me fugitise and shall go my way at all aduentures be it When the friendes of Dardanus had vnderstoode that hee was concluded and purposed to saue his life they ioyned to him and appointed togither that the next morning in the first breaking of the day they would departe from the Pallace and take the aduenture to passe by their enemies saying that if they might escape they would go to the riuage of the sea and take the kings barge And all they sware to helpe and companie each other vnto the death The night passed the day appeared and then Dardanus that had not rested that night to his pleasure but had watched with his armed men and were readie to take the aduenture that the gods and fortune would giue and send them issued out of the pallace and found the most part of his enemies asleepe he thrusted among the villaines and passed forth with little resistance that notwithstanding the waking Corinthians he came to his royall ship and tooke the sea and saued himselfe whereof the Corinthians had great sorrow When Dardanus sawe that he was so quit of the fauour of the Corinthians he went sailing by the sea and landed first at the port of the Citie of Samos being in Thrace there vitailed him and went to sea againe and arriued in Asia in a quarter where the land was ioyning to the sea of Hellespont And finding this land right good and fruitful for to enhabite he made there his habitation and there set the first stone of a right great citie that he beganne and after finished This Citie was that time named Dardane after the name of Dardanus but afterward it was called Troy Dardanus peopled and filled his Citie with men and women which he gate by swéetenesse and faire promises And the other part he conquered by force theft and pillage He made himselfe king of Dardane and ditched the Cittie about with great ditches After lōg time he passed out of this world and left a sonne of his wife Candama that was second king of Dardane This king was named Erutonius and raigned seauen yeare in augmenting and encreasing his Citie and people and at last came to the ende of his yeares And there reigned after him Troos his sonne This Troos was the third king of Dardane and was a strong man fierce and hardy in armes and increased greatly his seignoury and his Crowne insomuch as the Dardanians said that there was no king but Troyes and named them Troians And thus was Troy enhaunced more then all the Realmes of Greece so highly that the king Tantalus of Frigie had great enuie and gaue his heart and courage how he might anull and put downe the name of Troy that was his neighbour And began to assay to bring it downe as heereafter shall be said CHAP. VI. ¶ Of the great warre that was moued betweene the Pelagiens and Epiriens and how king Licaon of Pelagy was destroyed by Iupiter because of a man put to him to hostage which king Licaon did rost THe wise and subtill Virgine Minerue as saint Austen rehearseth shewed her selfe in this time by the stang or riuer called Triton by the greatnesse and subtiltie of her engine for she found the manner to forge and make armes And to this purpose Ouide rehearseth that she had foughten against a Giant named Pallas and slewe him by the flood of Triton In the same time that the armes were founden and the sciences of Minerue where practised by all the world a fierce discention engendred betwéene the Epiriens and the Pelagiens that after were named Archadians And héereof maketh mention Boccace in the fourth booke of the genealogy of gods Among the Pelagians raigned that time a king named Licaon eldest sonne of Titan. The Epiriens then enterprised vppon the Pelagiens and so made that a right great noyse arose and sourded For which cause they assailed each other by feats of armes so felonious and asyre that both parties suffered many foule mortall shoures When the wise men of Epire saw this warre so dissolute and that they of their partie had iniustly and vnrightfully vndertaken and begunne this warre they knowledged their fault and went to the king Lycaon bearing branches of Oliue in signification of peace and loue and him required that he would condiscend to accord and peace of both peoples Lycaon considering that his people had as much lost as woonne by this discention and that the battailes were perillous accorded to the Epitiens the peace by condition that they should deliuer him one of their most noble men such as he would demaūd for to be his seruant a space of time in token that they had vnrightfully engendred this discention The Epiriens consented to this condition and deliuered to king Lycaon in seruitude the most noble man among them and thus ended the warre The tearme and the time drewe ouer that the Epirien serued king Lycaon his due tyme and then when the time was expired the Epiriens assembled them togither and by deliberation of councell sent an Ambassade to Lycaon for to treate the deliuerance of the Epirien These Ambassadours departed from Epire and came to Pelage and shewed to the king howe their man had serued as long as hee was bound and required him that he would render and deliuer him and ratifie the peace to the ende that euer after that they might bee the more friends togither When Lycaon that was hardie of courage fierce and euill vnto all men and also vnto his owne people vnderstoode the wordes and requestes of the Epiriens hée had great sorrow and anger in himselfe and sayde to them with his mouth thinking contrarie with his heart that on the morrow hee would feast them and haue them to dinner and then he would doo like as they had demaunded With these wordes the Epiriens departed ioyously fro the presence of King Lycaon and on the morrow they came to the feast that was richlie ordayned and made for them in great plentiousnesse which was right fayre at the beginning and in
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
spoused and wedded Cibell his sister after their vsage and she was the first Quéene of Crete He liuing with her payed in this wise the due debt of marriage that at the ende of nine moneths Cibell had a sonne which Saturne did put to death acquiting himselfe of the oath that he had made vnto his brother Titan. And of this Boccace maketh no mention But they lay togither againe And Cibell conceyued then of the séede of Saturne another sonne with a daughter that by space of time appeared great in the mothers belly In the time when the lawe of nature was in his vigour and strength the men marryed with their sisters And in especiall the Painims if they were not content and had suffisance of one wife they might take mo without reproch When Saturne knewe that his wife was with childe the second time the death of his first sonne came before him and he said in himselfe that he would that his wife had béen harren Then he began to be full of diuerse fantasies of forthoughts and desired to know what should befall of the fruit of the wombe of Cibell He went himselfe forth to the I le of Delphos vnto the Oracle of the god Apollo that gaue answer to the people that demaunded of things that should after fall and happen And then when hee had done his sacrifice and made his praier the Priest of the Temple put him into a perelos vnder the altar of the forsayd Idol and there he heard a great whirling wind that troubled him and all his wit and vnderstanding that he was in maner of a spasme or a sowns by which he fel to the ground and after that when he arose him thought that the god Aprllo appeared vnto him with a dreadfull face and saide thus to him Saturne what moueth thée to will to knowe thine euill destinie thou hast ingendred a sonne that shal take from thée the diademe of Crete and shall banish thée out of thy realme shall be without phere aboue all people the most fortunate man that euer was borne in Grece After these wordes Saturne came againe to himselfe and remembred him of his euill prophecie that touched the bottom of his heart and so sore anoyed and right pensife hee went out of the Oracle with a troubled hart and all bare of gladnesse and all oppressed and enuironed with wanhops came to his folke and departed thence and went to ship and when he was in his ship hée hung downe his head which he helde not vp till he came to Crete And when he had his head so enclined he beganne to thinke and bee penâ—â—fe And after many right sorrowfull fighs engendred in the roote of Melancholy said in this wise Alas Saturne your king what auaileth me the dignitie to be the first king of Crete what profited me these diuine reuerences or what good doo mee my science when I féele me in putting backe of fortune O fortune soone turning fraile and variable and plying to euery wind like a roster at least stay that the whéele that turneth without ende may speake to me Saturne that inuenter and finder of the coÌ„mon weale And if thou wilt not lende me thy cleare and laughing visage at least lende me thy large eares Thou hast giuen mée triumph and glorie of Crowne and now thou sufferest me to fall from this great worship he gods witnesse it And what is this thou hast consented to my prospertie and now conspirest my mendicitie my fall and shamefull â—nde and intendest that I shall bee named the vnhappie Saturne If all my life hath béene nourished in happinesse and the ende vnhappie and wofull I shall bee called and sayde vnhappie and all my happie fortunes and blisses shall turne more to reproach and shame then to praysing or to anie worship O fortune in what thing haue I offended haue I foughten agaynst thée or haue I done any follie against the magnificence of the goddes Haue I rebelled or offended the aires the worlds the heauens the planets the sâ—â—e the moone the earths the seas what haue I doone or trespast tell me O my God where art thou Hast thou ennie to me be 〈◊〉 I haue béene in the Oracle of the aforesaide God Apollâ— he hath shewed vnto me the ruine of my 〈◊〉 she 〈◊〉 â—hing and breaking of my Dyademe the 〈…〉 the clearenesse of my raigne the enhaunsing 〈…〉 and the putting me out of my Realme that shall or â—eade of his insurrection Alas what remedy to this great sorrow that I haue I haue slaine one of my sonnes wherefore I haue great and bitter sorrow and haue concluded in my selfe that neuer hereafter I will so cruelly spill the life of my children for to die with them After this conclusion I must of very force and sore against my will returne and continue in my first vnnaturall crueltie For if my sonne that nowe is in the wombe of my wife be suffered to liue he shall exile mée and put me out of my Realme and downe off my throne which shall be to me right hard and gréeuous to beare and suffer patiently And therfore it is better to slea him Alas and if I slea him then it séemeth me I should resist the will of the gods which peraduenture will raise him againe and that should be worse for then I should not onely be called an homicide and mansâ—ear but an vnnaturall murtherer not of a Giant nor of a strange man of another land but of a right little childe issued of my proper â—eines bones and flesh That after the Pronostication of the gods is pre-elect and chosen to be the greatest Lord of Greece and soueraigne of all the kings in his time Saturne thus féeling him in great sorrow and trouble and alway worse and worse as afore is said beganne to change his colour and waxe pale full of melancholy and of fantasies and could not appease his vnfortune His most priuie men and they that were most familiar with him durst not approch vnto him but séeing his sorowfull maner they were discomforted in his desolatioÌ„ sorrowful with his sorrow and angry with his anger He was in short time so greatly perturbed and impressed with so eager impresson of sorrow that his face was like vnto Ashes or as he had bee dead alway and after many thoughts he opened his mouth and spake softly thus I slea my selfe by melancholy and am a man greatly abused I haue made an oath vnto my brother Titan that I shal put all my children male to death that shal come of my flesh Peraduenture the gods wold not suffer that I shal be forsworne and haue let me haue knowledge by my god Apollo that my wife hath conceiued a sonne that shall put me out of my Realme to the end that I should slea him forasmuch as I had concluded in my selfe to haue broken mine oath and haue spared the liues of my children And since it is so I shall no longer spare them if it happen
Iupiter oftentimes wished him with his fayre Danae and thought that his long tarying would be irksome vnto her When that the two days were past the day folowing at thrée of the clock they of Crete and they of Troye began to méete togither vpon the sea They of Troye were in great sorrow and they of Crete in great ioye At this time Saturne was not with the Troyans as he that durst not returne with them for his shame that was befallen and was all discomfit in himselfe and in dispayre and passed by the waues of the sea drawing into the East When Ganimedes had espyed the shippes of Crete from far he supposed first that it had bin Saturne and taryed a while at ancre but in processe of time when Ganimedes sawe the shippes coming by great force néere and sawe the banner of the king Iupiter appeare by which he vnderstood verily that it was Iupiter and his enimies and not Saturne that he abode for Then was Ganimedes sore troubled and called his companies and shewed them the banner with the golden Egle and asked them what was best to doo They aunswered to him and sayd that Saturne had abandoned them and giuen ouer and that they ought not to abide and tarry but onelye euery man to saue himselfe Ganimedes would fayne haue abidden the battayle for to proue if they were as fortunate and happye on the sea as they were on land but when he knewe the minde of the Troyans that desired nothing but rest he made to weigh vp ancres and sayle foorth fléeing and withdrawing from them of Crete as much as in them was possible Iupiter and his Centaures then séeing the Troyans lying at ancre began to furnish and fit them with theyr harnesse and when they sawe theyr enimies take vp theyr ancres they began to shoute and folowe The pursuit was strong and dure◠thrée dayes and thrée nightes and in the morning of the fourth daye Ganimedes and his company espying land and that was Troye that they sawe they drewe to the porte with great ioy but that soone was entremedled with sorrow For when they had taken land they behelde and sawe that theyr enemies followed them and came to the porte all prouided and readie to battaile This shame and losse smote vnto the heart of Ganimedes in such facion that he cryed and sayde in this wise vnto his men My brethren and my fellowes fortune hath doon to vs a grace by which we be brought and conducted hither but this grace is to vs little proffit as we may plainly conceyue Lo heare is the King Iupiter which hath doone to vs great shame for to chase vs into our owne territorye and what shame will it be to him that will now flie and more ouer who is he that nowe will not holde the brydle by the téeth now behoueth not to flie but nowe it behoueth for to fight It is méete and necessarie for to reuenge his losses and his bloud and for to recouer worship We be in our owne countrey if we reuenge vs not we shall come into perpetuall dishonour Of succour we cannot faile for now the Troyans be vpon the walles and go vppon the high Edifices of the Citie that beholde our landing And some there be that make them readie to welcome vs. And who that now is not well couragious neuer fare he well let euery man enforce the vertue of his strength For as for me for to be hewen in péeces I will no more flee I pray you that ye take courage and abide with me Two things happened whiles he spake and vttered these spéeches vnto his people the Troyans were aduertised of the coming of their men and of the following and landing of their aduersaries and they disposed them to resist and withstand them And Iupiter and his men approched the port and with that Ganimedes left warning his fellowes and ran vnto the port holding in his hand a strong speare his companie tooke example by his right high courage and followed him Then began both the parties to make their cries that went vp into the aire Iupiter and his Centaures inforced them to take land Ganimedes and the Troyans inforced them to defend and to put them from the land Great and sore strokes were giuen many of them were perished in the sea And many there were that their bloud was shed on the land But Iupiter that had no fellow in the place gat land in a little space and sustained the fiercenesse of the skirmish by helpe of some of the Centaures so that he made Ganimedes to retire backe to his fellowes and so exployted by the hewing of his sharpe sword that he made all his men to take land and had lightly put Ganimedes and his men to the foyle if out of Troy had not come the king Troos and Ilion with a great multitude of people that ranne vnto the reskewe and helpe of the hardie and valiant Ganimedes who for to saue his men offered and put his bodie to incredible trauell and labour The King Troos and Ilion then made a sallie out of Troy in right fayre order and exposed them to beare a part in the trauaile of theyr blood Iupiter with Ixion and the Centaures left then them that he estéemed vanquished and ouercome and directed their forces against king Troos and Ilion and them that followed them notwithstanding that they had béene féebled by the ayre and béeing on the sea which did them little good The Centaures were great and huge and strong as oliphants hardy as lions and eager as Tigers At this time the weather was fayre and cleare the sunne shone faire when they began to skirmish it was a fayre thing to sée the bickerings and a great noyse to heare the cries there was many a speare broken and many an arrow shot and many a staffe and guisarme shiuered helms inogh frushed and many skins of Lions Beares Horses smitten and torne in péeces Troos and Ilion were right asper and fierce in the reskew of Ganimedes Iupiter and Ixion were valiant and desirous to get honour and so fought and layde on the Troyans on the right side and on the left side that before them was no resistance nor order holden c. The Banner of the Eagle of Golde was alway in the most strength of the battaile The King Troos that had neuer séene Banner vsed in battaile was greatlie amaruayled what it should signifie and oft tymes did what hée could to fight agaynst them that helde it and woulde faine haue put it downe and smitten it into péeces but alway he found there so great strokes and so wel laid on that hée was faine to go as farre backe as he came nigh Hee was valiaunt of his bodie and well knewe the Arte of warre Iupiter approoued him many times and often and fought with him in many places and noted him in his minde for a notable man there was in him no feare ne dreade nor also in his sonnes Ilion and
to Argos and betooke Danae in kéeping to other women and commaunded them vpon paine of death that they should tell him if she were or happened to be deliuered of childe or no. Within a certaine tyme when Danae sawe her in this case shée began to fall into wéeping The king Acrisius from this day forth came euery day to knowe how she did She wept without ceasing shée spake not but vnto her heart and shée bewayled her loue and complayned on Fortune sorrowfully But when she had laboured long in these wéepings and that her faire eyes were made great and red about fiftéene dayes before the time of her childing the beganne to remember the cause why she was put into the Tower And that the gods had prognosticated that she should haue a sonne that should bée king of Argos In this remembrance she was comforted a little and when the time came that nine months was expired she brought forth a passing faire sonne which the Ladyes and women receiued and named him Perseus And after that signified it vnto the king But at the birth of this childe she excused and put out of blame all the damosels and saide that they were all innocents of her fact Anon then as the king Acrisius knew the veritie of his Daughter and that she had a faire sonne he had in his heart more of sorrow then of ioy and condemned her to death indéede and commanded two of his mariners that they should take the mother and her childe and put them in a little Boate them both alone and that they should carrie them farre into the high sea that after should neuer man sée them nor haue knowledge of them The mariners durst not refuse the commaundement of the King but by his commandement they went vnto the Tower Dardane and tooke Danae and her sonne Perseus and said vnto the damosell al that that they had charge to do praying her humbly that shee would pardon them And this was about midnight when Danae vnderstood that shee should bée cast into the sea and her sonne with her Yet she had hope to escape this perill by the meane of the fortune of her son This notwithstanding the teares ran downe from her eyes and wéeping tenderly she tooke her leaue of the ladies and damosels that had her in kéeping and they let her be caried vpon the sea making complaint pitious bewailings When the mariners had brought hir vpon the sea they left her in a litle boat put in her lap Perseus her faire son And as hastily as they might they conducted her into the déepe sea without meate or drinke and without sterne or gouernaile and gaue her ouer to all windes Then was there many a teare wept among the mariners and Danae and Perseus the young childe The marriners bewailed with great compassion that they had to sée such a Damosell abandoned to perill of death Danae wept in considering the rigour of her father and the fault that Iupiter had done to her and also for the perill which she might not resist and Perseus wept for the blowing of the winde and for the grosse ayre of the sea that his tendernesse might not well suffer to endure In this fashion the Matrones returned to Argos and the right discomforted Damosell Danae went forth vpon the waues of the sea at the agréement and will of the windes The waues were right fearefull and lifted themselues into the ayre as Mountaynes the windes blewe by great stormes the little Boate was borne and cast vpon the waues and oftentymes Danae looked and supposed to haue perished but shée had alway hope in Fortune And so well it happened that in this aduersitie and trouble shée was cast into the Sea of Apulia or Naples And there shée was found by aduenture of a Fisher that for pitie and charitie tooke her into his Shippe and her sonne and brought her on lande forasmuch as hee sawe it was great néede At this time the noble Danae was as a deade bodie and halfe gone when the marriner had brought her a land the tooke a ring of gold that she ware on her finger and gaue it vnto the good man praying him that he would bring her into some house where shee might warme and cherish her with her childe for he was nigh dead for colde and was all in a traunce The marriner tooke the Golde Ring and brought the Damosell and the little childe into his house and made them a good fire and brought them meate and drinke As soone as Perseus felt the ayre of the fyre his heart came to him againe and he began to laugh on his mother When shee sawe that all her sorrowes turned to nought and she tooke hope of good fortune She then made ready and arayed her son and her colour came againe she did eate and drinke What shall I say the fisher behelde her and then séeing in her so much beautie that the like to her he sawe neuer none he went vnto the court of the king of Naples and tolde him his aduenture praysing so certaynly her beautie that the King sent hastely for to fetch her This King was named Pilonus and was sonne to the auncient Iupiter And when Danae was come before him sodaynlye he waxed amorous of her and demaunded her name her countrey and the cause why she was aduentured on the sea At beginning she excused her selfe of al these things vnwilling to tell all and began to wéepe When the King sawe that he comforted her and said to her that he would take her to his wife for her beautie and spake so fayre to her and so graciously that she tolde him al her life how she was daughter of the king Acrisius and how she was shutte in the tower and how Iupiter had deceyued her and how her father hadde put her in the sea What shall I say more when the King Pilonus heard all these fortunes of the damosell he had pitie on her and wedded her with great honour and did put to nurse Perseus and gat on her a sonne which was named Danaus but of this matter I will cease and turne again to the history of Iupiter c. CHAP. XXIX ¶ How Iupiter returning from Troy by sea encountred the great theefe Egeon which he fought with and ouercame and of the tidings that hee had of Danae whereof hee was passing sorrowfull WHen Iupiter was departed from Troy as afore is said he made his mariners to saile and row with all diligence for to withdraw from the port and for to approch Crete for he knew well that the time of his promise made to Danae was expired and that displeased him greatly that he might not amēd it His mariners did all that they could do by the space of a day naturall but the day being past there rose a tempest in the sea so terrible and out of measure that it bare many ships with their furniture vnder water brake their sternes and helmes and drowned all the
to haue this victory ouer his enemy and that it was no néede to make pursuit after the vnhappie théeues Iupiter accorded to the same and entred againe into his ship with Ganimedes and Egeon and after made his mariners to take their course againe And alway he had in his memorie Danae It néedeth not to make long talke of these trauels and iourneyes and other aduentures Hée was a yeare long sayling by the sea and in the ende of the yeare he arriued in his Realme and there found foure hundred horses which they of Crete presented him to his welcome The Quéene Iuno his wife made great chéere for shée loued him with all her heart wherefore shee feasted him and them that presented to him the horses And hee put in prison Egeon and let Ganimedes go frée where hee would they loued then together euer after as two brethren When Iupiter had beene there thrée dayes hée tooke foure hundred of his men of the most puissant and made them Gentlemen and after made them Knights giuing to each of them one of his Horses and taught them and infourmed them the feates of armes after the discipline of Ixion and the Centaures And when they had doone this hee assembled a thousand Pietons or foote men and two hundred Archers and with the companie of them and of the Centaures and of the Knights hée departed from Crete fiftéene dayes after his returne and sent not for Pluto nor for Neptune and tooke his way vnto the Cittie of Argos meaning to haue taken away the fayre Danae But he had not farre gone when he encountred and met one of the Citizens of Argos a gentleman and worshipfull that recounted and tolde to him all the life of Danae for as much as hee demanded of him tidings And assured him on his life that the king Acrisius had set her on the sea for as much as she had brought forth a little sonne against his commandement When Iupiter heard the case and the misfortune of Danae he began to sorrow and sigh sore the sweate came into his face and teares into his eyes he called Ganimedes and Ixion and tolde them that his voyage was broken and that the king Acrisius had cast her into the sea for whom he made this armie Ganimedes and Ixion comforted him the best wise they could brought him again to Crete he helde him there solitarily a whyle and lay by his wife Iuno and Iuno and her Aunt Ceres made him good chéere oftentimes And so oft came Seres that once she asked the cause of his sorrowe He behelde the beautie of her for that she was alone he vsed the matter so that he had to doo with her and knewe her fleshly and that she conceiued of his séede a daughter and after he determined in his minde that he would go into Sicill and conquer the countrey delighting alwaye to occupie himselfe in feates of armes and taking leaue of the King Ixion and of the Centaures his shipping was made ready and he went to the sea and came into Sicill and conquered it vnto the I le of Lemnos And when he had so doone he went into Italy and came into the house of King Ianus which receyued him and made him great chéere and tolde him that his father Saturne was come newly for to dwel there by and that he was singularly loued of al the people for as much as he taught them to labour the vines and to sow corne Al the bloud chaunged in Iupiter when he hearde that Ianus spake to him of his father Saturne neuerthelesse he went for to sée him and sawe him and founde his Father making and founding a newe Cittie in the place where now stand the Capitoll of Roome And in such wise hée submitted him to his Father that Saturne tooke him to his grace and made peace with him and also accorded to him that he shoulde enioy from thenceforth his realme of Crete At the accord and making of this peace were the King Ianus and the King Euander and they dwelled the one nighe the other that is to wete Ianus in a Cittie called Laurence and Euander in a Cittie being nigh the mounte Auentin and so was there the king Italus of Syracuse that made in this time a newe Cittie named Albe vpon the riuer of Tybre All these kings made great chéere for the agréement of the father and the sonne And thus Iupiter abiding there he acquainted himself with the wife of king Euander named Nicostrate for asmuch as she was right expert in the science of nigromancie and in charmes and sorceries And of hir he learned this science Iupiter after this tooke leaue of her and of his father Saturne and of his neighbours and left there Saturne that was married againe vnto a woman called Philiris by whom he had a sonne called Picus that was father of king Famus husband of the quéene Fatua of whom Hercules was amorous as it shal be said in the second booke and returned into Crete and there found that his wife was deliuered of his sonne Vulcan and that his beloued Aunt Seres was deliuered of a daughter named Proserpina Wherof Iuno was right euill pleased and content and complained to Iupiter of the dishonour that he had done to her But Iupiter set nought thereby but laughed and was more ioyous of his daughter then of his sonne For his daughter was maruailous faire and Vulcan his sonne was foule and crooke-backed Notwithstanding for to liue in peace with Iuno he married Seres to another man named Siccam and gaue to them the Realme of Sicill and the Citie of Siracuse and sent them to dwell there with Proserpina And it was not long after that but hee sent his sonne Vulcan into the I le of Lemnos whom he betooke to be gouerned by thrée men named Berrotes Seropes and Pyragmon and kept him so well that he came to age and that he was a man of right noble minde and learned all sciences in especiall Nigromancie Geomancie and Pyromancie and made many meruailous things that be past credit to speake wherefore I will tarie now of him and of Iupiter And will treate of his sonne Perseus for as much of him came Alcumena CHAP. XXX ¶ How the Queene Medusa came to Athens to worship in the temple of the goddesse Pallas And how the king Neptunus waxed amorous of her and how she deceiued him IN this time when Iupiter dwelled peaceably king of Crete and that his sonne Vulcan waxed great and learned the craft of Nigromancie in the land of Hesperye there passed out of the world a king named Porcus a man of right great valour which the Hesperiens called god of the sea of Spaine anciently named Hesperie as is said This king left thrée daughters that had not but one eye as the Poets say that is to say their principall care was for the vanities of the worlde and therefore they were called Gorgons that is to say studious or louers of the earth
him that as he was thus pensiue he beheld toward the market place and sawe there more then thirtie thousand armed men which enflamed his hearte in such wise that he went and did arme him and all his thoughtes and pensiuenesse put a parte came to his people whome he warned and desired to doo their part and deuoyr And after himself trusting in fortune issued out into the fielde in order of battayle with good conduct and although he supposed that Hercules was in the army landed at the Port whom he doubted he marched vnto his enemies which ioyed at his comming And then beganne the Troyans and the Gréekes a right hote skirmish with so great murther and manslaughter that at the ioyning there was many a man hurte Hercules fayled not to smite and trouble his enemies he cast his eies on high and saw the banner royall of Troy he fought and smote downe on the right side and on the left side and with his club he smote downe vnmeasurably that he came to the banner and finding there Laomedon that did maruailes of armes vpon the Gréekes he smote him with his club often times vpon his helme in such wise as he might not saue himselfe and that he pearced his club within his head and braine and with one stroke he slew him among plentie of Gréekes lying dead on the sea sand ending there his miserable life After hee smote vpon them that bare the banner and rent the banner and then were the Troyans all discomforted and cryed Let vs flie let vs flie And with this crie that was impetuous they beganne to retyre and go backe vnto the Citie wéening to saue themselues But the Gréekes spoyled them with the poynts of their swords and cuttings of their sharpe glaines so mortally that in sleaing and killing the most parte fell dead like as the tempest had runne among them They tooke the Cittie so troubled with the death of the King Laomedon that there was none or right little defence among them In entring into the gate of Troy Thelamon was the first man and Hercules was the second and then Hercules founde well the hée did right high chiualries Priamus was not at that time in Troy but he was gone into the East by the commaundement of King Laomedon after his returne from Thebes What shall I say fortune hauing cast downe the King Laomedon as is sayde by the strong hand of Hercules Besides that he put into Troy Hercules and his people which brought them all to the â—ewing of theyr swords They entred into Ilion and pilled it and after did trie hauocke vpon all the treasures of Troy In likewise they tooke Exiona the daughter of the King whom Hercules gaue vnto Thelamon requiring him to take her forasmuch as he was the first that entred the Citie And when they had taken all that they found good in Troy for a finall vengeance Hercules heat downe the Towers and buildings and put the fyre therein in such wise that there abode not a stone vppon an other c. CHAP. X. ¶ Howe Hercules and Affer assayled by battaile the Giant Antheon and how they vanquished him in battalle the first time AFter this generall destruction of Troy when the Gréekes were departed and Hercules had left them the Gréekes returned into Grece with great glorie and Hercules went by the Sea séeking his aduentures accompanied with Theseus and Philotes and it happened him that as he arriued at the port of Alexandria he found in this port a great armie When the Captaine of the armie saw him come to ankre he knew by the ensignes of Hercules that it was Hercules and for that he had heard him recommended aboue all maner men whatsoeuer they were then hee came vnto him all full of ioy and sayd to him Lord of noblenesse and treasure of vertue among the people most mightie and among the kings most resplendant in all glorious vertue I salute you and request you that I may be your seruaunt and friend And thus saying he was on his knées before Hercules and in signe of humilitie he kissed the earth When Hercules saw the salutation and the maner of the doing of this man he tooke him by the hand and lifting him vp froÌ„ the ground saluted him and after demaunded of him his name and to whom that army belonged that he sawe there He answered him that he was named Affer sonne of Madiane the sonne of Abraham and that in that army was none other captayne nor chéefe but himselfe and that the Egyptians had ordeyned him duke and leader of this hoste for to go into Libie for to destroye the countrey in vengeance of the euill and harmes that the tyraunt Busyre that was of Lybie hadde doone to them in suche wyse as hee well knew When Hercules had vnderstood the name and the affayres of Affer he tooke him for his fréend and sayd to him that he would accompanye him to conquer Libie After he thanked him and brought him into a right rich ship where he feasted him as much as to him was possible They had not long abiden there but they went vnto the sea with great gladnesse for the Egyptians were so ioyous and gladde to haue Hercules with them that they thought and beléeued verily that there might no mishappe nor euill come to them Hercules found in the said ship of Affer the wife and also the daughter of Affer This daughter had to name Echée she was the most faire gentlewoman of all the world and yong and fresh By the daily sight of her Hercules became amorous of her and required her to be his wife Echée answered that of her selfe she might not accord to his demand but she said if fortune giue mee so great a grace that I might be your wife I should haue more cause to thanke the gods then any wife liuing Hercules was right well content with the Damosell and by her perswasion called Affer and required him that hée woulde giue to him his Daughter to bee his Wife Affer thanked Hercules for that hée vouchedsafe to demaund his daughter he that was the most excellent of nobles and sayd to him that he should take her and doo with her his will and pleasure Hercules espowsed and wedded Echee by the consent of Affer and they lay togither paying the due debte of mariage in such wise that Echee conceyued of the séede of Hercules What shall I make long processe Hercules and Affer sayled so long that they found the porte of Lybye where nowe standeth Carthage and there they arriued and tooke land in a night which was cléere and after they entred hastely into the countrey and beséeged the Cittie of Lybie without resistance or gaynsaying In this Cittie was then a great giant named Antheon great aboue measure aboue other giants the most strong and the most conquering that was in all the partes of Europe and Libie Cirene Trypoly Mountaynes and all the Iles enhabited in these countries vnto the
withhold my hand from smiting vppon thee and assay if thou be as subtill in armes as thou art subtill in language Poore foole said the serpent which was full of pride knowest not thou that by my part serpentine I haue infected all this countrey and I wil this day drinke thy bloud and deuour thy body wherefore make good watch and kéep thee well Without mo wordes Hercules enhaunsed his sworde for to haue smitten his aduersary but he could not so soon haste him but the serpent gaue him first two strokes one with his sword and the other with his taile wherewith he had almost smitten him down to the ground Yet Hercules abode standing with his sword that he had lifted vp he smote the monster vpon the helme with such strength that he al to frushed the helme and made him a wound in his head At this stroke that the Serpent felt he was full of furie and with his sword smote Hercules the second time vpon the helme with so great might that the sparkles and the fire flew out and the helme was broken Hercules that neuer before hadde receiued so great a stroke promised him that he would reuenge it and smote him right angerly Their strokes were great and deadly they smote eche other 〈◊〉 and they were both two of great courage But when fortune had enough cherished them both she turned against the Serpent so earnestly that after many strokes Hercules smote his sharp sword within the helme into his head and bare him downe dead vnto the earth Hercules had great ioy when he sawe the monster put to the foile he went for to fetch the king of Lerna with Deianira and his folke and brought them for to see the monster When he hadde shewed them the monster hée made a great fire and burned it and made sacrifice vnto the goddes And by the fire hee consumed the monster Hydre Wherefore there were giuen to him great and right high praises and thanks And he was brought to the Citie of Lerne with great glory of Ladies and of gentlewomen which conueied him vnto the kings pallace singing melodiously Deianira theÌ„ ioyed greatly in the triumphant victorie of her noble husband When Hercules had abidden there a while he departed and went to Athens where Theseus receiued him gloriously Then Hercules and Athlas held schoole in Athens forasmuch as they of Athens were quicke of capacitie and of wit and gaue themselues all to learn science and there they were a great while introducing and enforming them of Athens in philosophy and in astronomie And especially in astronomie Atlas profited in such wise that the students said that he sustained and bare the heauen on his shoulders O noble vertuous man When Hercules had spent some time there and studied so long that his doctrine had giuen light vnto the Athenians hee departed from thence with great bemoning and brought his wife vnto the citie of Licie And then hee was so greatly renowmed that from all the realmes of Greece there came dayly to him noble men and other for to profit in vertue in noblenesse in honour in armes in philosophy in astronomie and in all other perfection c. CHAP. XIX ¶ How Hercules went into Spaine and howe hee fought in the Sea against king Gerion and vanquished him and how he tooke the citie of Megidda and entred therein IN the time that Hercules flourished in vertue and that his name was borne from realme to realme by glorious renowme as the Chronicles of Spaine rehearse there was a king of the Citie of Megidda that standeth vppon the riuer of Gaudian which began to make his name to haue a great report by many bad misdeedes and tyrannies that no man coulde tell the third part This tyrant had to name Gerion he was king of Andalosâ—e and Destremadure and also of the mountains of Galicia and of Portingale The Poets faine of this tyrant that he had three heades forasmuch as he had two brethren great giantes the which were all of one nature and of one complexion and they were so vnited togither that al that the one would the other would and they were neuer in discord Gerion was the worst of them all Hee did cause to be made a temple in the Citie of Megidda and ordained that all they that were noble shoulde there haue their image and sepulture and that men shoulde make there the remembrances of al the men of name that he should flea to the end that there should be a memory of them in time comming What shall I say of his deedes he his brethren tyrannized not alonely vpon the strangers but also vpon his neighbours and had pittie on no man in such wise that he gat him an euil name and that the Affricanes whom they persecuted more then any other went for to complaine to Hercules by the commandement of Afer as to the soueraigne destroyer of tyrantes and of monsters and praied and required him greatly that hee woulde deliuer them out of this tribulation When Hercules vnderstoode the complaint of the Affricanes and was aduertised of the tyrannie that Gerion and his brethren vsed He enterprised for to go into Hesperie and promised to the Affricans that they shoulde haue right shortly lidings of him And after asked them of the state of king Afer And when they had tolde all that they knew they returned with great ioy into their countrey Hercules from thenceforth disposed him for to go into Hesperie wherefore his wife Deianira made great sorrow The renowne of this voiage was anonne spred in all the countrey In short time there came more men of armes into Licâ—e for to serue Hercules then he sent for he was so good bountifull and wise and also valiant and so free that he gaue a way all his spoiles wherefore euery man woulde follow him and good cause why for no man followed him nor serued him but that hee rewarded and enriched him in al wealth and worthinesse When then his army was readie hee tooke leaue of his wife Deianira and departed out of the realme of Licie Manie a teare was shed at his departing as well of Deianira as of his schollers that learned of him Theseus and Hispan Athlas and Philotes were with him During this voiage he studied oft times with Athlas and was neuer idle without doing somewhat that ought to be remembred Hee ariued in Affricke where hee found Afer which receiued him worshipfully From Affricke Hercules passed by the strait of Gybaltar and went into the Gades that now we call Galicia and peopled the countrey forasmuch as he found there good land and deliuered this people for to gouerne vnto a noble man named Phylistines This Phylistines as Bocace rehearseth in the genealogie of goddes was son of Phenis king of Phenycia And this Phenis was sonne of king Agenor son of king Belus Philistines then raigned in Galicia and was after named the Priest of Hercules forasmuch as when Hercules had vanquished
the tyrants of Hesperie he fouÌ„ded there a temple which he held after in great reuerence Alway as Hercules peopled and inhabited this land hee did cause to bee made pillers or columnes high and maruellous great and set them vpon the sea and vppon euery piller or columne hee did make an image of hard stone in the semblance and likenesse of a knight like vnto Hercules all clad with the skin of a Lion And there was one of the images that held a table wherein was written with letters of gold Passe no further for to seeke land ne go for to conquer further any realms in the West for thou shalt find no more land c. The noble Hercules went then into the countrey whereas standeth now the citie of Siuil which was not then founded and found by his science that there shoulde be builded a citie of great renowme wherefore in memorie thereof he set vp in that place a pillar of hard stones and thereupon set an image holding in his hand written that said That there should be made one of the greatest Cities in the world This land of Galicia appertained to Gerion But then when Hercules had made this pillar aboue-said and set it whereas now standeth Siuill hee had a great will for to begin to build the citie for the couÌ„tray was passing good commodious But Athlas by the science of astronomy counselled him contrary shewing him by certaine signes that it was destinie that another should make the citie And therefore nigh the piller he did make a columne of white marble vpon which stoode the image of Hercules great rich that held one hand against the East wherin was written Here hath been Hercules And with the other hand he shewed the writing that the other image held These thinges accomplished Hercules departed from thence and left to inhabite and keepe the countrey eight hundred men of his of the countrey of Scithia that were strong and expert in armes and with good wil they abode there because the countrey was plentifull Then went Hercules by the banks of the sea into the last and furthermost part of Europe and sailed so farre that he entred into the riuer of Guadiana whereas the tyrant Gerion dwelled and abode in the Citie of Megidda The same time that Hercules entered into the riuer Gerion went vp to the top of an high towre where he might see all about the countrey for to espie if any person came vppon whom he might exrecise his tyrannie He had not bin long there when he beheld the riuer and saw the army of Hercules And seeing this armie he had great ioy for him seemed well that in all haste hee shoulde subdue and ouercome them Without other delay hee assembled his complices and sownded to armes Within a little while all his men that were ready and furnished with arms came vnto him for to know what he would when Gerion was all armed and ready for to go and enter into the battaile he declared to his people his intention after he entred into his gallies as hastily as he might and went from Megidda approching toward the Gréeks Thus rowing forth it hapned him that he met a little boat And from as farre as he sawe it come hee went against it and arested it In this boat were no mo then two mariners Hispan Gerion then called Hispan and demanded of him whither hee went what he was Certes sir answered Hispan I am a Greeke haue intention to go to the king Gerion that is nowe in his city of Megidda for to dispatch a message that I am charged with Messenger sayd the king if yée séeke Gerion yee néed for to go no further forth for I am he whom ye speake vnto Sir answered Hispan since that you be he to whom my message apperteineth I let you haue knowledge in the name of the vertuous Hercules that he is an enemy to your vices and for to correct your great and abominable trespasses and sinnes hée is come into your dominion Messenger answered Gerion how is Hercules so presumptuous as for to come vpoÌ„ me to take vpon him to correct my vices he wote litle with whom he hath to do go to him and tell him that he shall not be let to find me but it shall be too soone for his health and that I will feast him in such wise ere he escape mée as I haue béene accustomed to feast strangers Hispan departed with these words and returned vnto Hercules as hastily as he might and tolde him worde for word what Gerion had sayd vnto him and moreouer hée sayd that he would méete with him right soone all prepared and ready for to begin the battell When Hispan had finished his message the gallies of king Gerion appeared and were séene from farre Hercules and the Gréekes had great ioy and began a right great shouting in sounding trumpets fifes and tabours Gerion and his folke séeing and hearing their enemies they likewise beganne to shoute and to make a marueilous great noyse The aire was then filled with a right great and ioyfull noise In this vprore and outragious noyse the two hostes approched eche other At the approching was not spared darts nor round stones nor arrowes They of Hesperie had great aboundance of daries which they vsed and cast on the Gréekes as it had béene raine The cries redoubled on the one side and on the other so that there were many dead and hurt They were all men of warre ech man bare him valiantly and among all other Hercules hauing the bowe in hand slew as many of his enâ—mies as he shot arrowes The shot dured long When it failed they fought hand to hand Then beganne the battaile to be eagre and hard Gerion shewed himselfe a man boystrous and well expert in armes and put to death many Greekes but for one that he slew Hercules slew ten of the Hesperiens c. At the encounter that the Gallies made there were many hurt and strokes giuen Hercules tooke his clubbe and in smiting one of the Galies that thought to haue grapled and borded his galley hee strooke with so great force that he made it to cleaue asunder and that the water came in so sodainly that the most part of them that were in that galley were drowned and perished without stroke smiting After this Hercules came to another galley and there did he maruailes of armes all they that he raught with his club were dead or sore hurt Some he smote the braines out of the head and of other hee brake legges and armes It seemed to thunder with him hee did so bestir him that eche man fled from him and there was no man that withstoode him or durst abide him When hee sawe this hee put himselfe forth to exploite great affaires He leapt from gally to gally and made so great slaughters that his people by his good example abounded in valour of courage and puissance and the Hesperiens diminished lessened
well remembred of the great iniuries that yee and other haue done to him that for so little cause or occasion haue slaine his father destroied his citie and his people some dead and some in seruitude And yet that is worse to holde his sister foully as a concubin and yet at least he ought to haue wedded her And forasmuch as yée be a man of great witte and discretion the king my lord wisheth you and warneth you that from henceforth yee cease the rage and the great slaunders that may come for this cause that all good men ought to eschewe to their power that his sister be safely deliuered again to him and he will pardon the residue and wil hold it as a thing that neuer had happened c. When the king Peleus had heard Anthenor so speak hee chafed with him anon in great anger and ire and beganne to blame the king Priamus and said that his wit was light And after menaced Anthenor and commaunded him that he should go anon out of his land for if hee tarried long there hée woulde flea him with great tormentes Anthenor taried not long after but entered into his shippe without taking leaue of king Peleus and sailed so farre by the sea that he arriued at Salamine where the king Thelamon soiourned Then Anthenor went vnto him and declared to him the cause of his comming in this maner Sir said hee the king Priamus requesteth effectuously your noblenesse that his sister Exione whom ye holde in your seruice so foully ye would restore vnto him For it is not fitting nor seemly vnto your glorie nor renowne to vse so the daughter and sister of a king and that is issued of a more noble ligne then yée bée And in case that ye will restore to him his sister hee will hold all thinges as not done as well the damages as the dishonours that by you and other haue beene done vnto him When the king Thelamon hadde heard Anthenor so speake hee beganne to waxe passing angry and aunswered to him right fiersly saying My friend saide hee whatsoeuer thou bee I haue much maruaile of the simplenesse of thy king to whom I beare none amitie neyther he to mee And therefore I ought not to hearken vnto his praier nor request Thy king ought to knowe that I and other haue béen there for to reuenge an iniurie that his father Laomedon did late to some of our friendes And forasmuche as I then entered first into the citie of Troy with great trauaile effusion of my bloud Exione of whom thou speakest which is right faire was giuen vnto mée for the guerdon of my victorie for to do with her my will And forsomuch as shee is so well to my pleasure as shée that is of great beautie and replenished with all Sciences it is not to me so light a thing to render and deliuer againe a thing that is so faire and delightfull which I haue conquered with so great paine and daunger But thou shalt say to thy king that hée may neuer recouer her but by the point of the sword but as for me I repute thée for a foole that euer wouldest enterprise this message wherein lieth thy great perill for thou art come among people that vehemently hate thée and thy like therefore go thy way hastily out of this countrey For if thou abide any more here I will make thée die by cruell and hateful death c. When Anthenor heard Thelamon so speake hee entered right hastily into his ship and sailed so farre that hée arriued in Thessalie where the king Castor and the king Polux his brother soiourned Hée went a shore spéedily from his shippe and declared his message like as hée had done to the other And the king answered to him in great yre and said to him thus Friend what that thou art I will that thou knowe that wée thinke not to haue iniuried the king Priamus without cause for it is so that the king Laomedon his father then beganne the folly wherefore he was slaine For he wronged first certaine of the Nobles of Greece and therefore wee desire more the euill will of thy king Priamus then his good loue or peace And certes it séemeth well that he had not thée in anie good reckoning when hée sent thee hither to doe this message in this countrey wherefore I wishe thée see well that thou abide not here long for if thou go not incontinent thou shalt die villanously Then Anthenor departed without leaue and entered into his shippe and sailed till hee came to Pilon where the duke Nestor soiourned with a great company of noble men Anthenor went vnto him and saide that hee was messenger of the king Priamus and tolde and counted to him his message in such wise as hee hadde saide to the other before And if the other were angry this Nestor chafed in himselfe more against Anthenor and said to him Ha ha vile varlet who made thee so hardie for to say such thinges before me Certes if it were not that my noblenesse refraine me I woulde anon cause thy tongue to be plucked out of thy head and in despite of thy king I would by force of horse cause to draw thy members one from an other Go thy way hastily out of my sight or by my Gods I will cause to bee done all that I haue heere said c. Then Anthenor was all abashed at the horrible words of Duke Nestor and doubting the furie of his tyrannie returned vnto the Sea and sette him on his returne to Troy ward And hee hadde not been long on the Sea when a great tempest arose and the aire began to waxe darke and to raine and to thunder right maruellously and there rose great windes contrary and waxed thicke and horrible mistie and his shippe was borne on the waues one time high and another time lowe in great perill and there was not a man in the saide shippe but supposed to die and that made not speciall promises and vowes to their Gods and in these perilles were they three dayes and on the fourth day the tempest ceased and and the aire waxed all cléere and became peaceable Then they comforted themselues and sayled so farre that they came to the port of Troy and went straite to their Temples to giue then thankes to their Gods for that they hadde escaped so manie perilles as they hadde been in And after Anthenor went with a great companie of noble men before the king Priamus and when all the Barons were assembled and all the sonnes of the king present then Anthenor tolde all by order what hee had done in Gréece like as it is contained heretofore At these tidinges was king Priamus sore troubled and greeued for the opprobrious tauntes that they had offered to his messenger in Greece And then he had no more hope nor trust to recouer his sister CHAP. II. Howe the king Priamus assembled all his barons for to know whom hee might send into Greece for
art that giueth him counsell to do villanie Then Vlisses brake the words of Diomedes right wisely and prayed him to hold his peace and after saide to king Priamus we haue vnderstood all that thou hast saide and wil go and report it vnto our princes And incontinent they went tooke their horses and returned vnto their host where they found many assembled before the king Agamemnon and tolde to them the aunswere of king Priamus whereof they had great maruell and conferred long together for the well ordering of their affaires since they were acertained of the warre of the Troyans CHAP. IX ¶ How Agamemnon assembled to counsell the Greeks for to haue vittailes And how they sent Achilles and Telephus vnto the realme of Messe where they slewe the King Theutran in battell And hovve Telephus was made King And of the Kings that came in the aide and helpe of King Priamus AFter these things Agamemnon called his folkes to counsell in the plaine of Tenedon and saide vnto them among all other things It behooueth vs necessarily to be aduised how that during the siege before Troy our hoste shall be succoured with vittaile and therefore if ye thinke good we will send vnto the realme of Messe to haue from thence vittailes continually for it is a countrey right fertile and commodious and they that shall goe thither shall take surety of them of the countrey that they faile not to send vittaile to the hoste so long as wée shall be in this countrey This counsell pleased much the Gréekes and incontinent they chose Achilles and Telephus the sonne of Hercules to furnish this message and to goe thither with a great company of men of armes In that prouince raigned a king that had to name Theutram and had long raigned in peace for his countrey was peopled with good hardy knights When Achilles and Telephus with thrée thousand knights fierce and hardy were ariued in the I le of Messe they issued out of their shippes and went on land Then came against them the king Theutran with a great company of men of foote and on horsebacke Then began the battaile right fiercely and at the skirmish there were many knights slaine on both sides And albeit that the Greekes were lesse in number then the other were they defended themselues well but their defence had not auailed them had it not bene for the great prowesse of Achilles that did great marueiles with his body as he that was the most strong and most valiant of the Greeks for whosoeuer hee smote he died therefore and there might no man endure before him When then Achilles had espied the king Theutram in the middes of his people that did great dammage to his folke hee thrusted into the greatest prease of his enemies and beate downe before him all that he found vntill that hee came vnto the king Theutram and hee gaue him so manie strokes that hee all to hewed his helme and smote him downe to the grounde sore wounded and had slaine him incontinently had not Telephus beene which put himselfe betwéene them and prayed Achilles humbly that he would not slay him nor do him any more harme then hee had and the king himselfe cried to Achilles for mercie Then sayd Achilles to Telephus what moueth thee to pittie our enemie mortall that is come to assaile vs with so great furie it is reason that hee fall into the pit that hee made ready for vs. Ha ha sir sayd Telephus this king was very familiar with my father Hercules and also did to mee on a time great honour in this land and therefore I may not suffer to sée him slaine before mine eyes Well then sayd Achilles take him and doe with him what thou wilt Then was the battaile finished and the Greekes ceased and the king Theutram was borne into his Pallace as dead for Achilles had sore bruised him and all to trushed him And the king praied Achilles and Thelephus that they would go with him the which went and were receiued with great ioy and honour It was not long after that the king Theutram that was wounded to the death by the woundes that Achilles had giuen him sent for Achilles and Thelephus and then said to them My friends I may not long liue and after said to Thelephus My friend I may no longer liue and I haue no lawfull heires of my body to whom I may leaue this realme that I haue gotten with great labour and had lost long since had it not béene the most worthy of all worthies thy father Hercules which warranted and was a shielde to mee against all them that would haue taken it from me and hee did oft fight with them that would haue taken it So thy father by his great prowesse slewe them and chased them out and since I haue kept it peaceably not by my merite but by the vertue of thy father And since it is so that thy father hath conquered this realme for me that haue no heires it is good right and reason that thou be heire of thy father and forsomuch as this is my last worde I leaue to thee this Realme and all mine other goodes wheresoeuer they be and make thee mine heire and pray thée that thou doe burie mée honourably as it appertaineth to a king And as soone as he had finished these wordes he died and then Thelephus and the nobles of the countrey did bury him honourably and laide him in a very riche Sepulture whereupon was written this Epitaph Heere lieth the king Theutram whom Achilles slew the which left his realme to Thelephus This Thelephus that before was but Duke was made king of Messe and all the nobles of the Countrey did him homage and all the people promised vnto him faith and seruice Then Achilles did furnish his ships with vittaile and ordained that Thelephus should abide in his new realme which he did being sore greeued and he praied him and also commaunded in the name of the Greekes that hée shoulde doe his diligence to send vnto the hoste of the Greekes oftentimes vittailes and hée promised him that hee so would doe without any default And then Achilles tooke leaue of him and returned into his shippes and sailed so long that he and his companie arriued at the porte of Tenedon safely where they found the hoste yet soiourning and anon as he was landed hee went straite vnto the Tent of king Agamemnon where all the princes and kinges were assembled and there hée was receiued with great ioy as hée that all the hoste loued much for his great strength and prowesse Then Achilles told to them how he had arriued at Messe and of the battaile and howe that Thelephus was made king and howe he had promised to furnishe the hoste with vittailes Of these tidinges the Greekes had great ioy and alowed and praised much the valiance of Achilles and after the Parliament each man went vnto his pauillion Then was Achilles receiued with great ioy of
in so great number for to defend their port there was none so hardie but hee was afraid But forasmuch as they could not go a land but by force of armes they armed them incontinent and did their best to take land by force c. Of the first hundred shippes was chiefe and captaine the King Prothesalaus of Philard that indeuoured with great paine and diligence to bring his shippes within the porte but the winde that was strong blew them into the porte so strongly against the shore that many of them brake and brused and many Greekes were drowned and they that might take land tooke it and were anon slain by the Troyans with great tormentes and in so great number that the ground was red with their bloud It is not in the remembrance of any man that euer any Nauy wan land with so great damage as did the nauy of the Greeks After this first hundred shippes the other came and arriued that followed them and they that were within were well prouided of great Arbalesters wherwith they did shoote and flew many of the Troyans and constrained them to go backe And then with all speede tooke the Greekes land and succoured the first that fought at great deadly hazzard Then beganne there a battaile The king Prothesilaus that was landed with the first did great maruailes with his body and slewe that day of the Troyans without number And if he alone had not bene all the Gréekes that were gotten a lande had béene slaine But what might his defence helpe when seuen thousand Greekes fought against an hundred thousand Troyans And I say to you that for the great daunger wherein they felt themselues they solde their liues déere abiding the succours of king Archelaus and the king Prothenor that anone arriued and would the Troyans or not they went ashoare tooke land and succoured their people valiantly and beganne againe cruell battell c. After that arriued the duke Nestor and his folk that thrusted in among their ennemies right fiercely There was many a speare broken and many an arrow shotte knights fell downe dead on both sides and the crie was so great that it was maruellous to heare There were slaine many Troyans by Archelaus Prothenor After ariued the king Ascalus and the king Aglaus with their ships and went aland and assailed the Troyans with great fiercenesse and by force made them to retire and goe backe and then came to the battell great plentie of new Troyans Then beganne the battell to be greater then it had béene all the day before in somuch that the Gréekes were reculed by force vnto their shippes and then arriued Vlysses with a great company of knights which thronged anone into the battell and the Gréekes recouered land at their comming and assailed on the Troyans There made Vlysses great effusion of bloud of his ennemies and immediately his ensigne was knowen among them King Philomenus séeing that Vlysses slew so their people he addressed himselfe to him and beat him off his horse a litle wounded Vlysses smote him againe so hard that he wounded him in his throate and cut asunder his originall veine and smote him as halfe dead And the Troyans ranne and tooke him from the Gréekes and bare him vpon his shield into the cittie And had not this aduenture of this king béen the Gréeks had béene discomfited But the Troyans laboured much to saue him Then arriued the king Thoas and the king Agamemnon the king Menelaus and the king Thelamon Aiax with all their power and went a land and fought a battell very valiantly and brake their speares vpon the Troyans and beate downe many some slaine and some hurt At this skirmish were many Troyans When the king Prothesilaus departed from the battell where he had béene since the beginning for to take breath and when he came to the port he found al his men nigh dead for whom he wept for pittie and tooke againe his courage to auenge the death of his men and went againe vnto the battell and in his great yre slew many Troyans and wounded them and smote downe many of them off their horses Then came to the battell of the party of the Troyans the king Perses with a great company of knights at the comming of the Ethiopians beganne the battell to be mortall and there were manie Gréekes slaine and by maine force they made them goe backe and had without faile discomfited them had not the worthy Palamedes soone gone aland for at his comming the Gréekes were recomforted And also Palamedes did great maruells with his hand and addressed him against Sagamon the brother of king Memnon and nephew of the king of Perse that sore gréeued the Gréekes and he smote him so sore with his speare that hée pierced him through the body and smote him dead downe to the earth afterwards he thronged into the great prease and beat downe all that hée mette and eache man that knew him made him way And then arose a crie vpon the Troyans so that they might not beare the strength of Palamedes who were reculed by force and had béene all discomfited But the most worthiest of all worthies Hector when he heard the cry vpon his people hee issued out of the Citie with a great company of knightes and entered into the battaile armed in rich armes bare in his shield of golde a Lion of Gules His strength was anon knowne among the Greekes hee encountered and met in his comming the king Prothesilaus that had not all day ceassed to slea Troyans and hee smote him with his sword with so great might vpon his helme that hee cleft him vnto the nauell notwithstanding his armour whereof he fell downe to the ground And after Hector thrusted into the greatest prease and as many Greeks as he raught with his sword he slew Then each man fledde from him making him way and then demaunded the Greekes one of another what was hee that so greeued them and straight they knewe that it was Hector the most strong man of the world and then was there none so hardie that durst abide his stroke Then it happened that Hector went out a little for to refresh him whereupon the Gréekes tooke courage again against the Troyans and this happened that day eight or ten times It was about the houre of Euensong what time Hector departed from the battaile and reentred into the Citie for the Greekes were withall discomfited and then arriued the right strong Achilles with his maymed ones and entered anon into the battaile with three thousand good knightes that were with him and then were the Troyans on all sides beaten downe and slaine for against Achilles endured no man but hee was beaten downe to the earth and sore hurt Then were arriued all the Nauie of the Greekes and the knightes gone a land and skirmished with the other in the battaile wherefore the Troyans had much to suffer so that they must needes flee into their citie and Achilles and the
would make them to leaue their siege And then Achilles by the counsell of Palamedes assembled all the kinges and noble men of the hoste in parliament and said to them in this maner My friendes that be here assembled for to bring this warre to the end thinke yee not other while on your selues how by great rashnesse lightnesse and folly and for to recouer the wife of Menelaus we haue left our countreies and landes our wiues and our children and be come into this so straunge land where wee haue dispended the houres foolishly and put our bodies in daunger of death and in great infinite labour and since wee haue been come hither there be right many kinges and princes dead and I my self haue shed much of my bloud that neuer should haue happened if wee had not begunne this folly Helene is nothing of so great price that there behooueth to die for her so many noble men there bee enough in the worlde of as noble and as faire women as she is of whom Menelaus might haue one or two if hée would And it is not a light thing to ouercome the Troyans as they that haue a strong Citie and well furnished with good fighters on horse back and a foot and it ought to suffise to vs that we haue nowe slaine Hector and many other of their nobles by the which we might now returne with our honour and worship and if wee leaue Helene haue not we Exione to whome Helene may not compare in noblenesse Then arose the duke of Athens and the king Thoas and contraried strongly the wordes of Achilles and so did all the other and said that hee spake neither reason nor well Whereat Achilles had great sorrow and commaunded his Mirmydones that they shoulde not arme them any more against the Troyans that they shoulde giue no counsalle nor aide vnto the Greeks Among these thinges vittailes beganne to faile among the Gréekes and they had great famine Then assembled Palamedes al the most noble of the hoste to counsell and by their counsell was the king Agamemnon sent vnto the City of Messe to the king Thelephus that charged and laded his shippes with vittaile and came safely againe into the hoste of the Greekes where he was receiued with great ioy Among these thinges Palamedes did cause their shippes to be repaired to the end that they might be more readie if they had need c. CHAP. XXI ¶ Of the death of Deyphebus the sonne of king Priamus and how Paris slew Palamedes and how the Troyans draue backe the Greekes into their tentes and set fire on their shippes and how for all these thinges Achilles would not go to battaile for the loue of Polixene WHen the truce were passed they began to fight as they had been accustomed Deiphebus assailed in his comming the king Cressus of Greece and hee addressed to him gladly and iousted the one against the other but Deyphebus beate the king Cressus dead downe to the ground whereat the Greekes were sore troubled and put them to flight But Palamedes and Diomedes came with fiue and twentie thousand fighting men that resisted the Troyans with them was the noble king Thelamon Ayax that addressed him against Eufronius one of the bastard sonnes of the king Priamus smote him so hard that he beate him downe dead to the ground in sight of Deiphebus that in his great furie ranne vpon Thelamon and beate him and sore hurt him When Palamedes sawe the stroke hee tooke a great speare and addressed him to Deyphebus and smote him so hard in the brest that the speare entered into his body and the speare brake and the truncheon abode in the body of Deyphebus When Paris sawe his brother so hurt to the death hee tooke him and lead him vnto the gate of the Citie and tooke him to his men to keepe And as Deyphebus opened his eyes and saw Paris his brother he said to him Brother wilt thou let me descend into hell without auenging of my death I pray thee as earnestly as I may that ere this truncheon bee taken out of my body thou doe so much by thy hand that thou slay him that hath slaine me Paris promised him that he would doe his best and returned into the battell right angry for his brother and sayd in himselfe that hee desired no longer to liue but vntill hee had auenged the death of his brother and sought Palamedes all abouts and found him that he fought against the king Sarpedon that had assaied for to slay him and Palamedes defended himselfe valiantly and in his great fury gaue so great a stroke with his sworde to the king Sarpedon that he cut off his shoulder from the body and anon king Sarpedon fell downe dead Paris séeing the great damage that Palamedes did to them and how with his prowesse he had put the Troians to flight and ceased not to slay and smite downe alway he bent his strong bowe and aymed well at Palamedes at leasure and shot to him an arrow enuenimed and smote him in the throat and cut in two the maister veine and Palamedes fell downe dead to the earth for whose death the Gréekes made much sorrow and left the battell and went vnto their tents and there held a parle against the Troyans and defended them strongly Then descended the Troyans afoote and entred into some of their tents and tooke all that they found that good was Then Paris and Troylus went by a side way vnto the Port and did put fire into their ships and burnt so great plentie that men might sée the flame farre To the rescue of the ships came the king Thelamon with a great company of fighting men and beganne the battell horible so so that there was great killing slaughter on both sides and verely the ships had beene all burnt had it not beene for the prowesse of king Thelamon that did marueiles with his bodie for whatsoeuer he did there were more then fiue hundred ships burnt There was great slaughter of the Greeks many were hurt There was Ebes the sonne of the king of Trace sore hurt with a speare and bare the truncheon in his bodie in that point he went to the Tent of Achilles where hee rested him that day and had refused to goe to the battell for the loue that hee had to Polixene Ebes reproched greatly Achilles that he suffered so to destroy the people of his countrey and to die villainously and saying that he might well helpe them if he would And assoone as he had finished his words one tooke the truncheon out of his body and anon he fel down dead in the presence of Achilles Anon after came from the battell one of the varlets or seruants of Achilles and Achilles demaunded him tidings of the host Ha sir sayd he it is this day mishapped to our folke for the great multitude of Troyans that be come vpon them and they haue slaine all that they coulde â—éet with
and I trow there is not left one at home of the men of Troy but that euery man is come to the battell and therefore if it please you now whiles that the Troyans be wearie to come to the battell ye shall get to you perpetuall memorie of worship and of glorie For by your prowesse you shal in little space haue all vanquished theÌ„ and they shall not dare to defend themselues against you they be so wearie Neuer would Achilles for the words of his varlet nor for the death of Ebes change his courage but dissembled all that he had seene heard for the great loue that he had to Polixene During these things the battell was right sharpe and endured vnto the night to the great damage of the Gréeks and the night parted them yet was not Deiphebus dead but hee drewe towardes his ende and when Paris and Troylus saw him in that sorrow they began to cry and make great sorrow And then Deyphebus opened a little his eies and demaunded of Paris with a féeble voice if he were dead that had slaine him And Paris saide to him yea Then Deyphebus did cause to drawe out the head of the speare with the truncheon and anon died Wherefore the Troyans made great sorrowe It is no néed to hold long talke of the sorrow that the king Priamus his father made nor his wife and his sister for it was too much and also for the death of the king Sarpedon Of the other partie the Greekes made great sorrow for the death of Palamedes and made his body to be buried worshipfully And as they that might not bee long without an head and gouernour by the counsell of the duke Nestor and of other Agamemnon was set againe in his dignitie as he was before The day following the Troyans early in the morning issued out of the citie in good order and the Greekes came against them Then began the battell mortall and there was great slaughter on both sides but it rained so much that day that the Greekes withdrew them to their Tentes and the Troyans followed after them but the raine was so great that they must needes leaue the battell and returne to their citie On the morrow betimes they began to fight and flew that day many barons of the Greekes and fought till the euen and so they fought the space of seuen daies continually where was great slaughter of the one and of the other And forasmuch as the Greekes might not suffer the stenche of the dead bodies they demaunded truce for two monethes which were graunted to them by king Priamus During this truce the king Agamemnon sent the duke Nestor Vlisses and Diomedes to speake to Achilles for to pray him and will him to come to the hoste for to defend theÌ„ against the Troyans that slew them maruellously When they were come vnto him he receiued them with great ioy And then Vlisses said vnto him Sir Achilles was it not by your agreement and also ours all this host to leaue our countrey and a ow yeare come running vpon king Priamus and haue destroyed him and his by force of armes do beat downe his â—itie From whence commeth this courage after so many hurts and damages as we haue receiued in this land by the Troyans that haue slaine so many kings and pâ—intes pilled and robbed our tents and burnt our shippes and we were now in hope to haue vanquished them alter that ye by your force and valour haue slaine Hector that was the true defender of the Troyans and also now that Deiphebus is dead the Troyans be there with put â—nder foot and after this day when ye haue gotten with great trauell to great worship and so good renowme will ye nowe loâ—se all at once and suffer your people to be slain â—uelly that ye haue so long defended with the effusion of your bloud Please it you from henceforth to enter â—oute kéepe your good renoume and defend your people that without you may not long defend them against your enemies to the ende that wee may come to the victorie by your prowesse by the which we hope to atteine and come to it Sir Vlisses sayde Achilles if wee be come into this land for these causes that ye haue declared wee may say that great folly was among vs that for the wife of one of vs that is to wit of sir Menelaus so many kings and so high princes bee put in perill of death Had it not béene much more wisedome for the noble Palamedes to haue abider in peace in his countrey then for to be slain here and other kings and princes in like maner Certes as the most great part of the world of noble menne be héere how assembled if they die here as many be already dead it must needes follow that the countreys shall be replenished and gouerned by villaines Hector that was so noble and so worthy is he not dead in like wise I may die shortly that am not so strong as he was And therfore in as much as ye require me to goe to battell so much paine and labour loose yee for I haue no more intention to put me any more in daunger and loue better to loose my renowme then my life for in the end there is no prowesse but it will be forgotten Nestor and Diomedes contended enough to drawe Achilles to their quarrels but they might neuer induce him to their purpose nor the wordes of Agamemnon neither And then he sayd to them that they shoulde make peace with the Troyans before that they were all slaine c. Then returned these thrée princes vnto Agamemnon and sayde to him all that they had found in Achilles and Agamemnon made it to bee knowen to the princes of the host whom he had assembled for this cause and demaunded of them their aduice Then stood vp Menelaus saying that it would be to vs now great shame to séeke peace with the Troyans since that Hector and Deiphebus bee dead and slaine and that by their death the Troyans repute them as vanquished and that without Achilles they shoulde well mainteine the warre against the Troyans To that answered Vlisses and Nestor and sayde that it was not maruell though Menelaus desired the warre for affection to recouer his wife and that Troy was not so disgarnished but that they had a newe Hector that was Troylus who was little lesse strong and woorthy then Hector And there was also another Deiphebus and that was Paris whom wee ought to doubt as much as the other and therefore they counselled the peace and to returne home againe to Gréece Then cried the false traitour Calcas which was traitour to the Troyans and sayd Ha noble men what thinke yee to doe against the commaundement of the gods haue not they promised to you the victory and will ye now leaue it Certes that should be great folly take againe courage to you fight ye against the Troyans more strongly then ye haue done
Tetides was lord and king a iust man and a courteous In this land arriued Anthenor with a few shippes and rested on the side of a greater Ile that was nigh vnto the port He saw the countrey faire and full of woodes and of land and of fountaines and there he builded a citie to him and to his people and fortified it with walles and good towres And when the Troians knew thereof many went thither and dwelled there with Anthenor and the citie grew apace and was full of people and Anthenor gouerned him so wisely in this land that he was well in the grace of the king Tetides and was the second after the king in his realme and named his citie Cortiremetralum Cassandra that was left at Troy had great sorrow for the great mischiefes that were fallen to her friends and ceased not to weepe and waile and when shee hadde demeaned long her sorrow the Greekes demaunded her of their estate in their returning home of which she saide to them that they should suffer many paines and great perils ere they wer come into their countrey and after she said to Agamemnon that they of his owne house shoulde slea him So it happened to him after and to all the other like as Cassandra had deuised to them and said Of the king Thelamon were left two sons of two quéenes the eldest was named Hermicides of the queen Glausta and the other of the queene Thymissa had to name Anchisatus these two children nourished the king Theuter til they were great to beare armes Among these thinges Agamemnon and Menelaus demaunded leaue for to returne into their landes and the most great of the hoste gaue thē leaue being sore vexed forasmuch as they had been taken as suspect of the death of Thelamon with Vlisses which was stollen away like a theefe wherefore he shewed well that he was culpable of the death Thus these two brethren put them to the fea for to returne home and in the entrie of the Winter when the sea is most daungerous anon after the other Greekes entered into the Sea as fooles and euill aduised for the doubtes of the Sea and had their shippes all charged and laden with the richesse whereof they hadde spoiled the riche citie and realme of Troy and for the great desire that they had for to be at home in their countrey they beganne to returne thus in the middes of the Winter and set apart all daungers and perilles which fell vnto them About the houre of noone came a great tempest and surprised them sodainly with great thunder and raine with winde and with great waues of the sea that casted their shippes heere and there in the sea and brake their mastes and all to rent their sailes And when the night came which was long and darke the shippes left each other in sayling before the winde some in one place and some in another and many were burnt with lightening and thunder that fell vpon them and many were drowned and sunke into the Sea and they that were therein were dead and drowned and the great riches of Troy lost Oyleus Aiax that had xxxii shippes in this companie had all his ships burnt and perished and he himselfe by the force of his armes and legges all naked swimming came and arriued a land all swollen with the water that hee had drunken and lay a great while vpon the grauel more looking for death then life and anon after came other in likewise that were so saued with swimming which were discomforted in their mishap and vnhappinesse This mischiefe came to this Aiax forasmuch as he drew Cassandra out of the temple of Minerue And it happeneth oft time that many be punished for the sin and trespasse of one man c. CHAP. XXVIII ¶ How the king Naulus and Cetus his sonne did spoile on the sea manie shippes of the Greeks in their return for the death of his sonne Palamedes and of the death of the king Agamemnon and of the exile of Diomedes and of his calling backe by Egee his wife c. IN this time there was a king in Gréece named Naulus that was very riche and puissant and his realme stood vpon the side of the Sea of Greece toward the South In the which Sea were great rockes and high and many mountaines and hilles of sand which were right perillous The king was father of Palamedes that was slain before Troy and hadde yet a sonne named Cetus there was none in Gréece so rich nor so puissant a king Nowe were there some euill people there that coulde not be in ease without greeuing and annoying of other which made the said king Naulus to vnderstand and his son king Cetus that Palamedes was not slain in battaile so as the voice ranne but hee was slaine couertly by Vlisses and Diomedes Agamemnon and Menelaus had made and contriued a false letter wherein was contained that Palamedes would haue betraied the hoste of the Greekes whiles he was emperour of the hoste for a great quantitie of gold and they made this letter to bée put by the side of a knight that was slaine And then Vlisses treated in such wise with one of the secretaries of Palamedes for a great summe of money such as the Letters contained and this Secretarie by the induction of Vlisses put this summe of mony vnder the head of Palamedes whiles he slept And as soone as the secretarie had said to Vlisses that he had done then Vlisses slew this Secretary priuily and forthwith did so much that this letter came into the handes of the Greeks that read it and were all abashed when they saw in writing the treason and the summe contained in the same laide vnder his head They went then into his tent and found the trueth of this thing and woulde haue runne vppon Palamedes but he offered himselfe to defend it against whom soeuer woulde prooue it and so there was none that durst fight against him Then Vlisses did so much by his faire language that this thing was appeased and it seemed that it was best that Palamedes should abide in his dignitie After this thing thus appeased Vlisses and Diomedes on a day did Palamedes to vnderstand that they knew a pit wherein was much treasure and that they would that he hadde his part and that hee should go the night following When the night was come they went all three alone without more company and there offered Palamedes for to go down into the pit first and they said that they woulde followe and assoone as hee was within the other two cast stones vpon him so many that they slew him and after returned to their tentes priuily This thing said these men charged king Naulus and Cetus of the death of Palamedes and all was false Then the king and his sonne began earnestly to thinke how they might auenge them of the Greekes They knew well that the Greekes were vppon returne in the heart of the Winter and that they
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
from chamber to chamber he found in the highest tower the daughter of the king Lycaon named Calisto which was passing fayre yong and fresh of colour The damosel bewept right sorowfully the lesse of her father which she had al newlye vnderstood When Iupiter saw her so desolate and discomforted he set him downe by her and said Damosel comfort your selfe and speake to mee and cease your wéeping Alas sir sayde the Damosell howe should I recomfort my life The Epiriens haue slaine the king my father Ought I to take consolation in his ruine Ought I not to be angrie ought mine heart to be without sorrow my stomake without sighs and mine eyes without wéeping An hundred thousand infortunes trauerse my bodie and trouble me And I sée me so poore a gentle Damosell daughter of a king that I desire more death then life and am more in wanhope then in hope When Iupiter knewe by the wordes of this Damomosell that shée was Daughter of King Licaon hée had more great pittie of her then hee had before for as much as she was Daughter to the king and saide to her Damosel appease your heart I wote well that it is of force that nature acquite himselfe but yée ought to consider the inordinate workes of your Father which yée are bound to bewaile Hee was a lesse reasonable man then a king ought to be Hee is not dead he hath put himselfe in some place secret to saue himselfe his sinnes were too infamous and who shall bewaile and sorrow him The Gods and Fortune haue suffered the ouerthrowe and casting downe of his pride and of his tyrannie It is a right other wise thing that ye take it haue patience in his righteous aduersitie For his demerites giue you cause to take patience where as nature enclineth you to vnpatience and yet ye ought not to bee vnpatient for his reprehension and casting downe For it is so that the losse of a tyrant turneth all a Countrey to ioy O then comfort your selfe Damosell The outragious sinnes nor the vnmanly furours of your Father nor his shamefull deedes shall nothing be hurtfull vnto you nor turne to your preiudice no man shall mislay nor do to you nor touch you in any maner of wise I assure you certainly Syr answered the maide I thanke you of your courtesies and of the faire wordes which ye proâ—er and say vnto mee I wote well that my pouertie hath made mee indigne and vnworthie but since I sée that the infortune of my father is irreuocable and that his infelicitie is past remedie I renounce the world and pray you that it please you to intreate for mee vnto the Epiriens that I might go yéeld my selfe into the religion of dame Diana the noble Virgin Daughter of the wise Iupiter sometime king of Attique and borne in this land Wherevppon ought to bee remembred that right anciently issued out of Pelage a wise noble man named Iupiter of whome Boccace maketh mention in the first booke of the genealogie of Goddes which Iupiter was King of Attique who for as muche as hee induced the people to honest lawes and did first ordaine and halowe marriage For before that time the Atticiens married them not but vsed women in common and of this Iupiter came a Daughter named Diana the which willing to abide in the state of virginitie made a cloyster in the Woods of Archadie where shee assembled many Virgins that passed their time with hunting and chasing the wilde beastes For to turne to our purpose this noble Virgin Diana liued the same time of the subuersion of the reigne of Lichaon When Iupiter vnderstoode of Calisto that she would yéeld her selfe with the Virgins he behelde her and saide vnto her and howe Damosell be yee so despayred for a little tribulation that toucheth not your person ye bée young and faire among none oâ— you that so go into Religion may growe no fruite of children Aduise you well It were better that yee abode among the worldly people that replenish the world Many women and also men enter into Religion in their youth and repent them in their age Syr sayde Calisto tempt me no more If there be any gentlenes in you receiue the praier and request of one so desolate and infortunate gentlewoman more desirous of the health of my soule then of temporall pleasures During these deuises Iupiter behelde without ceasing this damosel and could not enough complayne her beautie for as much as she would into religion with great paine when he had heard her answers and had séene how swéetely she had taken it and woulde not be turned from her will he said to her that her request shoulde bée accomplished Then he called the Epiriens and required them that they would be content to suffer this virgin to enter into religion What shall I say The Epiriens put the request in the will of Iupiter and Iupiter did so much that shée was conducted and led into the religion of virgins After he searched all the Pallace of King Lycaon and made the Epiriens to seise his richesse And there Iupiter abode a certayne time with so great worship that the Pelagiens and the Epiriens would haue crowned him to be their king But he would neuer consent thereto as he that considered ouer his young age and the variations of fortune and sayd that it auayleth more to a man and is to him more sure to be made king in his old age then in his youth for the diuers perils that may fall Alway he accorded that he would be Captayne of the realme and was a man of great iustice swéete and curteous vnto al maner of people c. This was the first comming vp of this noble Childe When he had brought in subiection to his pleasance the Pelagiens he buried the Epirien that Lycaon had murthered as it is sayde before and did his obsequye solemnlye and after he did burne into ashes the Pelagiens that had béene slaine in the helpe of Lycaon And after that he sent word and did all these things to be knowne and shewed to the Epiriens that were left at home in Epire as to the King Meliseus whereof all the Epiriens and the king Melliseus gaue thankes vnto their goddes But for as much as I muste tell all after this he gaue not his heart and courage so much to accomplishe these thinges but that otherwhile hée gaue himselfe to remember and to thinke on the beautie that hée had séene in the religious Calisto whereby the sparkles of loue enuironed strongly his heart in such wise that day and night hée wished her in his armes and repented him that he had consented that she went into religion And so laboured in this maner that his rest in the night was taken from him and he was not nowe his owne man so encreased he to loue and desire this virgin and for to sée her he made hir pastime to haunt the wooddes and continually to hunt the wilde beastes
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
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
enflamed in such wise that it was séene in Troy how the Citie burned The assault of Tenadon dured not long for asmuch as the Troyans were not aduertised of their coming When they sawe the ayre so enflamed for to sée from what place the flame came they mounted and went vppon the high towres and buildings of Ilion and looking toward Tenadon sawe that the Cittie was all on a fire whereat they that sawe it were right sorye and greatlye abashed About this they looked into the sea and espyed then there the flote of the Greekes whereof they were more abashed then they were before And then without any longer tarying they descended and went down into the hall of King Laomedon and sayd to him Alas Syr what is best to bee doone the Greekes come vpon vs with aright great flote we haue seene them and know them The strong Hercules menaceth you for to destroy your cittie Certes I beléeue it is he For now for the beginning of the feast he hath burnt Tenadon and that is it that causeth the ayre to be full of fire The King Laomedon hearing this tyding began to sighe and tast of the euill and trespasse that hée had committed and doone against Hercules This notwithstanding for to giue courage vnto his men and to his sonne Pryamus that was at that time of the age of xx yeare he did cause to sound to Armes and made him ready and with his armes shewed a right fierce and hardy semblance This doone he armed Pryamus his sonne that neuer had bin in battaile before and dubbed him knight after hée tooke him by the hande and issued out of Ilion In issuing out he mette manye Troyans that tolde him that at his port were landed many Greekes that had destroyd Tenadon and vnlesse hée halted him they woulde soone take lande Laomedon with out speaking any worde passed foorth by them that had brought him these tidings and came to a place that was there by Ilion where he found mo then twentie thousand Troyans ready armed And séeing them he began to ioy in himselfe and called the principals sayd to them Lords ye be renowned in all the world by the high prowesse of your auncestours Before that Troy was walled they defended it with the sworde agaynst their enemies the renowmed king Iupiter of Crete could not get this Citie nor the Thessalonians by their warre might neuer subdue this Citie It is nowe happened this day that a new assemblie of enemies come vpon this Citie and as men say they haue put the fire in Tenadon let vs go receiue them couragiously and let vs make of them like as our fathers haue made with other c. When the Troyans had heard these wordes of theyr King they answered all that they would liue and die with him for the weale of the Citie and that they had intention to kéepe his honour and for to make growe their auncient glorie Without holding of long processe the King Laomedon did then display all his banners After he issued out of Troy setting and trayning his men in good order And then as he began to conduct and lead them foorth sodainly hée heard at the port a passing great noyse and bruite of Trumpettes Clarions and Tabours of the Greekes Then his bloud began to chafe then his haire of his heade began to stande vppe hée knewe that they were his enemyes and as soone as they knewe the Greekes without holding of any order nor measure they dislodged them and began to runne to the port one before an other When they approched the port they espyed the Greekes that landed with great forces Then they chalenged them vnto the death and ran vpon them sharpely The Greekes were furnished with good armours and put them to defence and began to skirmish the one with the other so vnmeasurably that in the aboording and méeting there were many dead and hurt Hercules was there among the Greekes He began to fight sharpely among the Troyans and had his club Certes he welcommed them in such wise that the most strongest of his enemies durst not abide him he fought fiercely in desire of reuengement in coueting of worship and to get him a name Lifting vp his hand he shewed to the Troyans his club and made them to féel the weight therof the strength of his arme and he labored so earnestly and did so valiantly that they that saw him doubted him more then death and sayd the one vnto the other behold Hercules but come not néere him It were folly so to do all that he reacheth he sleaeth and breaketh to péeces We do euill to fight against him this is the deliuerer from the terrible seruage and thraldom of Troy how should we resist his club whē the huge dreadfull monsters be by the same put to the foile c. Such were the words of the Troyans Hercules fought agaynst them fiercely he was stout and stable he went before all the Greekes followed him and tooke a pleasure to behold him The cry was great about him What shall I say he fought vntill the night and neuer ceased vntill the going downe of the Sunne and then the Troyans sounded the retrait and they departed both parties Laomedon put his sword into his sheath which was all bloody with Greekes blood and in likewise did Priamus his son They reentred into their Citie after the skirmish they concluded that on the morrow they would furnish their enemies with battell And the Greeks furnished them in the champaine and made good cheare for they had lost but litle of their people at their comming on land This night passed ouer when the day appeared to the Troyans and the Greekes each in his maner made him ready to the battell many of the Troyans would gladly haue broken this battell and prayed vnto king Laomedon that he would render and deliuer to Hercules the horses that he ought to him Laomedon would not do it but aunswered that he doubted nothing his enemies He had then about fifty thousand of fighting men all readie of these fiftie thousand he made two battailes one of twentie thousand and that he led himselfe and the other of thirtie thousand of which hée made Priamus captaine This done he issued out of Troy with twentie thousand fighting men and came vnto the fields entring vpon the Greekes c. When the Greekes espied king Laomedon comming they were full of ioy as they that were readie for to receyue them at the point of their speares and with hewing of their swords They had made of their host foure battailes In the first was Hercules And in the second was Amphitrion and Theseus And in the third was the king Creon and in the fourth was Euristeus Hercules then that had the first battaile marched when it was time agaynst the King Laomedon and he had foure auncient knights well appoynted in the feates of Armes that set and conducted his folke in array and order They marched so nigh the one
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
message of the Ladyes aunswered vnto the messenger Damosell since that the Ladies of Scythie hée so chiualrous that they haue conquered the great Realmes of Egypt of Cappadoce and of Asia they be sore for to doubt Neuerthelesse for to eschewe the effusion of bloud and for to defend the Affricans from their bondage ye shall returne vnto them and say that the battell of the two knights agaynst two ladyes is accorded and agreed vnto them for to be done to morrow vpon the condition that ye haue said Then Hercules Affer and many other swore and promised to hold these things and did great honour and reuerence vnto the Damosell The Damosell hauing done her message as is said returned vnto the Ladies which were entred a great way in Affrique and tolâ— to them worde for worde the answere of Hercules The prâ—ncipall or mistresse of all these Ladies was named Synope and had two sisters so expert and strong in in armes that they dread no knight of the world the one was named Menalippe and the other Hyppolita Anon as these Ladies had receyued these tydings of the Affricanes they had great ioy and holding opinion that Affrique was woonne by the strength of Hypolite and Menalippe which did maruailes in armes they ordeyned that they should fight with the two Knights and so for to do they warned Hyppolite an Menalippe which were on the morrow readie in the fields At the houre that was ordayned Hercules and Theseus sitting on two strong horses with a great companie of Affricanes rode into the place that the Ladyes had chosen for to do feates of armes in There were the two Ladyes abyding in a fayre place armed and well mounted on good stéedes and by them were the other Ladies in great number As soone then as Hercules and Theseus had espied the two Damosels they made them that followed to stand and come no neare and sent vnto the Damosels to wit what they would do The Damosels aunswered that they abode the two knights and that they were readie to do déedes of armes against them vnder the condition of their quarrell And if they were come they would come forth Hercules and Theseus with this answere tooke their speares and spurred their horses and made signe vnto the Damosels And they furnished with Shieldes and with Speares ran agaynst them so chiualrously that it séemed that they helde of heauen not of earth and at the coping of their sharpe speares the strokes were so huge and great on both sides that Hyppolita and Theseus bare each other vnto the earth and in like wise did Menalippe and Hercules The Affricans maruailed much to sée the two Princes borne downe and yet the Ladies of Scythia maruayled much more of the Damosels c. When the Knights on the one side and the Damosels on the other side found themselues lying on the earth shame and abashment smote them vnto their hearts Neuertheles each of them got them vp as lightly and with great courage tooke their swords and approched each other and charging and smitting the one vpon the other so fiercely that the Ladies and the Knights felt the strokes Hyppolita pursued her man Theseus and Menalippe held her vnto Hercules The strokes of Hippolita were great and did great griefe vnto Theseus Theseus enforced himselfe strongly to auenge him and might not well come to his purpose Hercules put vnder and ouercame Menalippe lightly with his sword and put her in his mercie but Hippolita mainteyned her force so mightily agaynst Theseus that she had put him to foyle had not Hercules béene that sayd to him Brother what shall this be where is the prowesse of Theseus Shall that be daunted by the chiualrie of a Damosell If it be so certainly all men shall haue shame of your dishonour These words began to quicken and to wake againe the blood of Theseus that was afore asléepe and to lighten the courage in such wise that he recouered a new force and strength and put himselfe forth and began to smite with such prowesse that he made the Damosell recant and tooke from her her sworde and conquered her whereof the Ladyes were much gréeued and sorrowfull and in especiall the Quéene Synope which then sent to Hercules her armes in token that she was vanquished praying him that he would yéeld againe and render the two Damosels And Hercules tooke the armes of the Quéene and sent to her Menalippe and made peace with her for the Affricanes vpon condition that she should giue Hyppolita in mariage to Theseus which was amorous of Hyppolita So then the wedding was made in Affrique with great honor and worship And the Ladies hearing tell of the maruaylous acts and déedes of Hercules praysed him all and held themselues happie and fortunate to be vanquished of him CHAP. XV. ¶ How Hercules began to waxe amorous of Deyanira and how Achelous Hercules had battaile the one against the other and how Achelous was vanquished AFter the conquest of these ladyes Theseus tooke leaue of Hercules and of Affer and returned into his countrey for to bring home his lady and went to the sea for to go into Calcedony which lyeth in the opposite of Achaie of Arcadia for to sée a fayre ladye of excellent beautie that he had heard greatly recommended by a Calcedonien that was in his companie He did so much what by sea and by land that he came into Calcedonie The king of that place had to name Oeneus and had two daughters the one named Deyanira and the other Gorge Deyanyra was the fayrest and that was she that Hercules came for to sée When Oeneus had vnderstanding and knowledge that Hercules came into his countrey he had great ioy and went against him and receyued him embracing him so honourablye as was to him possible In entring into his pallace the Quéene and his two daughters Gorge and Deianira welcommed Hercules Incontinent as Hercules caste his eyes vpon Deyanira that was the most fayrest woman that euer he sawe and that she by desire right déepe was settled and rooted in the most déepe place of his heart he felt himselfe rauished meruailously This desire entred into Hercules all full of rayes of loue and pearsed into his heart as sodaynlye as the rayes of the sunne passe through the glasse Deyanyra had so much beautie and was so well accomplished and so glistering and shoone among the ladyes that to her might be made no comparyson not all onely in beautie but with that in wisedome and bountie She was the most precyous treasure of Calcedonie and thither came many Ladyes gentlewomeÌ„ and other Hir neighbors were al amorous of her and especially the king Achelous that was stroÌ„g and puissaunt This king had great seignory and marched thorough the realme of Calcedonie When then Hercules had béene there a space in passing the time ioyously and in beholding the behauior of Deyanira it happened on a day that the messenger of king Achelous came to Oeneus and
his Mirmidones that much loued him In this place heere the authour nameth what kinges and princes did come to the helpe and aide of king Priamus to Troy not of all but of the most notable First came vnto their aide the king Pandorus the king Galior and the king Adrastus with three thousand knights armed From the prouince of Tholoson came foure Kinges with fiue thousand knightes armed the King Carras the king Amasius the king Nestor that was a mightie strong man and the King Amphimacus From the Realme of Licie came the king Glaucon with three thousand knightes and his sonne Sarpedon that was one of the strongest knightes of the worlde and coosin of king Priamus From the realme of Licaon came the king Ensemus with three thousand knightes right expert in arms From the realm of Larissa came two kings with fiftéene hundred knightes the king Mistor that was a very great man and the king Capidus From the realme of Thabory came the king Remus with three thousand knightes and in his company came foure dukes and seuen earles that were in league with king Priamus they bare in their armes the colour of azure without other signe and thereby was the king Remus and his people knowne in the battaile From the realme of Thracie came the king Pilex and the duke Achanias with xi hundred knightes From the realme of Panonie came the king Pessemus and the duke Stupex his coosin with thrée thousand knights right expert to ioust and shoote with the bowe This is a maruellous wild countrey of Forrestes and Mountaines and where is but little people and enough of wilde beasts and of birds From the prouince of Boecie came three dukes with twelue hundred knightes the duke Anserimus the duke Fortunus and the duke Sammus From the realme of Burtin where as growe good spices came two kinges brethren with a thousand knights the king Boetes and the king Episteus From the raigne of Paphagore that is at the sunne rising in the East full of all riches came the right riche king Philemeus with three thousand knightes all their shieldes of the hides of fishes all couered with gold and pretious stones and this king was as great as a Giant From the raigne of Ethiope came the king Perseus and the king of Thiction with him that was right hardie and wise with three thousand knights that had in their companie manie a Duke and manie an Earle And also there was with them Simagon the sonne of king Thiction From the realme of Cheres came the king Theseus and Archilogus his sonne that was of the affinitie of king Priamus brought a thousand knights From the I le of Argust came two kinges of whom I haue not the names with twelue hundred knightes From the raigne of Eliane that is beyond the realme of Amazon came an auncient king right wise and discrecte named Epistropus and brought a thousand knightes and a maruellous beast that was called Sagittary that behinde the middest was an horse and before a man this beast was hairie like an horse and had his eyes red as a coale and shot right well with a bowe and this beast made the Gréekes sore afraid and slewe many of them with his bowe Thus were in number all the knightes that came in aide of king Priamus two and thirtie thousand besides them of the realme of Troy and of India the lesser And it is not found by writing that since the creation of the world so many noble knights were assembled in one place and that prosecuted the quarrell for so little occasion O howe the kinges and princes ought to take heed and bée well aduised for to beginne warre if they might amend it by another way CHAP. X. ¶ Of the comming of Duke Palamedes and howe the Greekes departed from the port of Tenedon by the counsell of Diomedes and came and tooke land before the strong Citie of Troy and how the Troyans receiued them with battaile right vigorously THe Greekes were not yet parted from Tenedon when Palamedes the sonne of king Naulus came and arriued at this port of Tenedon with thirtie shippes full of knightes armed all noble and hardy men And of his comming the Gréeks had great ioy and murmured afore because hee taried so long whereof hee excused him by sicknesse that he had This Palamedes was holden in great worship among the Greekes and was the second next king Agamemnon puissant and discreet in armes and very rich And at his comming hee was anon chosen to be counsellour of the hoste And thus were the Greekes many a day and night at the port of Tenedon oftentimes assembled to counsell for to aduise them in the best maner to besiege the citie of Troy And at length after many opinions they held them to the counsell of Diomedes that was this Now said he all ye Kinges Princes and Barons that be here assembled we ought to haue great shame and dislike seeing it is a yeare agone since we landed heere in this countrey and haue not yet been before Troy Verily in this we haue giuen to our enemies great aduantage for it is so that this time during they bee purueied of great aids and all their citie strongly fortified and fenced with walles and bulwarkes that they haue good leysure to make and verily they think that we be not so hardy as to come vnto them and therefore the more that wée delay to go thither the more increaseth our shame and damage and I trow if we hadde gone thither when wee came first into the countrey wee should haue more easily gone ashore and taken land then wee shall doe now for they be better furnished now then they were at that time of all such thinges as them behooued for to defend them with and therefore I councell you that to morrowe betimes we put vs on the way in good order and let vs lay the siege firmely and as hastily as we may We ought to know that we shall not so doe without great battaile Wherein it behooueth each man to employ himselfe and to put behinde all feare and dread For by none other way we may preuaile in this matter nor better nor more honourably as I thinke c. The counsell of Diomedes pleased all the Barons of the hoste and on the morrowe early they reentered into their shippes and sailed straite vnto the porte of Troy and brought their shippes by good order one after another In the first front they put an hundred ships right well furnished with knightes and banners that waued in the wind and after them they put another hundred and after all the other by order and they hadde not farre sailed but that they sawe the noble Citie of Troy and approched thereto as hastily as they might When the Troyans saw the Greekes approch the Citie they ranne to armes and mounted vpon their horses all armed and went forth without order vnto the porte Then when the Greekes sawe the Troyans come
was woonderfull angry and in his excéeding great ire gaue him such a stroke that he slew him and afterward sayd vnto him that he should go and say his villainous wordes to them that were dead such as he was woont to say to liuing men Then was Cedus passing sorrowfull for the death of his brother and admonished a thousand knights that he meant for to slay Hector and they assailed him anon and beat him off his horse and they cried to the king Cedus for to slay Hector And whē Hector perceiued that he gaue him such a stroke that he cut off his arme wherewith he fel for the anguish that hee felt and anon Hector slewe him Eneas slewe in this skirmish the king Amphymacus and then went togither all the most puissant of Greeks and assailed the Troyans and slew many of them and they went with so great force that they put the Troyans in a chase in the which Achilles slewe the king Philes whereof Hector had great sorrow and in his ire he slew the king Dalpme and the king Doreus and thus by the puissance of Hector the Troyans recouered the field and flewe many Greekes c. Then issued out of Troy the king Epistropus with three thousand knightes and they brake rankes and thrusted among the Greekes that reculed in their comming forasmuch as he brought with him a Sagittary the same that afore is made mention of This Sagittary was not armed but hee bare a strong bowe and a quiuer that was full of arrowes and shot strongly When the knightes of the Gréekes saw this maruellous beast they had no will to go forth and they that were afore began to withdraw them and went backe Among these thinges Hector slew Polixenes the noble duke that fought sore against him for by the strength of the Troyans the horror of the Sagittary the Greeks were driuen back to their tentes It happened that Diomedes before one of the tentes was assailed of the Sagittary and had this beast before him and the Troyans on his backe so that it behooued him there to shew his puissance The Sagittarie had then shot an arrow to him and Diomedes that was not well assured aduaunced him nigh vnto him gaue him so great a stroke with his sworde who was not armed that he slew him and that time it was past midday and then the Greekes recouered the field and made the Troyans to flee And then encountred Hector and Achilles and with force of their speares they fought both two and fell both to the earth And as Achilles was first remounted they supposed to haue lead away Galathe the good horse of Hector but Hector cried to his folke that they should not suffer him to leade him away Then they ran vpon Achilles and did so much that they recouered Galathe and rendred him to Hector that was right glad of him At this skirmish was Anthenor taken and sent to their tentes notwithstanding that Polidamas his sonne did maruailes of armes for to reskew him but he might not and thus they fought to great damage of the one party and of the other vntill the night parted them CHAP. XV. ¶ Of the truce that were betweene them after the which began battaile againe from Morne to Euen with great damage of that one partie and of that other but the Troyans lost more then the Greekes ON the morrow betime the Greekes sent Diomedes and Vlisses vnto the king Priamus for to haue truce for three monethes The king Priamus assembled his counsell vppon this thing and eache man agreed saue Hector that said that the Greekes fained that they woulde bury their dead bodies by cautele and they lacked vittaile and therefore required they truce to the end that during this time they puruey them of vittaile and we dayly wast ours whereof we may soone haue scarcitie howbeit he would not abide only by his intent against the opiniō of so many wise men but agreed with the other and the truce was accorded for three monethes This truce during the king Thoas was deliuered in the steed of Anthenor that they held prisoner whom they sent to the Troyans Calcas that by the commaundement of Apollo had left the Troyans hadde a passing faire daughter and wife named Briseyda Chancer in his booke that he made of Troylus named her Cresida for which daughter hee praied to king Agamemnon and to the other princes that they would require the king Priamus to send Briseyda to him They praied enough to king Priamus at the instance of Calcas but the Troyans blamed sore Calcas and called him euill and false traytor and worthy to die that hadde left his owne land and his naturall Lord for to go into the company of his mortall ennemies yet at the petition and earnest desire of the Greekes the king Priamus sent Briseyda to her Father The truce during Hector went on a day vnto the tents of the Greekes and Achilles behelde him gladly forasmuch as hee had neuer seen him vnarmed And at the request of Achilles Hector went into his Tent and as they spake togither of many thinges Achilles saide to Hector I haue great pleasure to see thee vnarmed forasmuch as I haue neuer seen thée before But yet I shal haue more pleasure when the day shall come that thou shalt die of my hand which thing I most desire For I knowe thee to be very strong and I haue oftentimes prooued it vnto the effusion of my bloud whereof I haue great anger and yet haue much more great sorrow forasmuch as thou slewest Patroclus him that I most loued of the worlde Then thou maiest beleeue for certain that before this yeare bee past his death shal be auenged vppon thee by my hand and also I wote well that thou desirest to slea mee Hector aunswered and saide Achilles if I desire thy death maruell thou nothing thereof forasmuch as thou deseruest to bee mine ennemie mortall thou art come into our land for to destroie mee and mine I will that thou knowe that thy wordes feare mee nothing at all but yet I haue hope that within two yeare if I liue and continue in health and my sworde faile mée not thou shalt die by the force and valor of mine handes not thou alonely but all the most greatest of the Gréeks for among you yee haue enterprised a great folly and it may none otherwise come to you thereby but death and I am assured that thou shalt die of mine hand ere I shal die by thine And if thou thinke that thou bee so strong that thou maiest defend thée against mee make it so that all the barons of thine hoste promise and accord that wee fight body against body and if it happen that thou vanquish me that my friendes and I shal be banished out of this realme and we shall leaue it vnto the Greekes and thereof I shall leaue good pledge And heerein thou maiest profite to many other that may run in great danger if
Hector approched when men should mourn fifteene daies in great sorrow and after shoulde hallow the great feast of the funerall as it was that time the guise and custome for kinges and Princes And then during the truce the Greekes went and came into the Citie safely and so did the Troyans vnto the Tentes of the Greekes Then Achilles had desire to go to Troy to see the Citie and the feast of the anniuersary of Hector whoÌ„ he had slaine and so he went all vnarmed vnto the temple of Apollo where as was the sepulture of Hector and he found there great plentie of men and women that were noble and wept made great sorow before the sepulture which Hector a man might see on all sides al whole in like maner as he was first by the vertue of that balme There was the queene Hecuba and Polixena her daughter that was passing faire with a great company of noble Ladies that had all their haire dispersed and hanging about their shoulders and made right maruellous sorrow And albeit that Polixena made so great sorrowe yet she lost nothing of her bewtie but seemed shewed her selfe so faire in all her members that nature formed neuer none more fairer c When Achilles had well aduised and seen Polixena he said in himselfe that hee had neuer seen so faire a woman nor better formed nor made with that she was one of the most noble women of the world Then was Achilles shot with the dart of loue that stroke him to the heart so maruellously that he could not cease to behold her and the more he beheld her the more he desired her He was so besotted on her that he thought on no other thing but abode in the temple vnto the euening as long as the queene was there and when she went out he conueied his eye vpon Polixena as farre as he might see her and this was the cause and the beginning of his mishappe In this sorrow Achilles returned vnto his tent and when he was laid to sleepe that night there came many things in his minde in his thought and he knew then the danger that Polixena had put him in and thought in himself that the most strong men of the world could not nor hadde not power to vanquish him but the only regard and sight of a fraile maide had vanquished and ouercome him and him séemed that there is no medicine in the world might heale him saue she Then he said my praier my strength nor my riches may nothing mooue her to haue pitie on me I wot neuer what diuell hath put mee in this daunger to loue her that hateth me so sore with mortall hate and by right good cause for I am come hither for to slea her kinne and cosins and now late haue slaine her noble brother Hector Certes I see no remedie since shee is the most noble and fairest of the world And then he turned him to the wall and fell in weeping and drowned himselfe in teares and of necessitie he must thinke how he might come to the loue of Polixene and so he couered and hid his courage as well as hée might CHAP. XX. ¶ How Achilles sent his secret messenger vnto Hecuba the queene of Troy for to request her daughter Polixena and of the answere and how for the loue of her the said Achilles assembled the hoste of the Greeks and counselled them to depart and haue peace with the Troyans THe night following as Achilles was laide on his bed and might not sleepe he thought that he would send betimes his messenger vnto the quéene Hecuba for to know if hee might finde with her that fauor that she would giue to him her daughter Polixena to wife and hee would doe so much for her that he would make the Greekes to raised thâ—ir sâ—â—ge and go againe into their countrey hastily and that peace should be made betweene them Thus as hee thought in the night he put in execution and so sent his true messenger vnto the queene for to require her daughter and said to her the promises that his Lord had commaunded him When the queene had vnderstood the wordes of the messenger she answered him discreetly notwithstanding that she hated Achilles more then any man of the worlde saying friend as much as in me is I am ready for to doe that thing that thy maister requireth of mée but so say vnto him that I may not doe this thing alone by myselfe but I will speake to my Lord and to Paris my sonne and thou shalt come to mee the third day againe and I will say to thée thine answere When the messenger heard the quéene so speake he returned vnto his Lord and saide to him all that he hadde found and thus began Achilles to haue hope to come to his intent The queene Hecuba went anon vnto the king Priamus her husband whereas Paris was and tolde to them all that Achilles had sent to her and then the king hanged downe his head and was so a long while without saying of any word and after said to his wife O how is it as mee thinketh a hard thing to receiue into friendship and amitie him that hath done to me so great offence that hath taken away the light of mine eies in slaying my deere sonne Hector and hath therein giuen hope to the Greekes to haue the victorie But yet for to eschew the more great peril to the end that mine other sonnes loose not their liues and that I may haue rest in mine olde daies I consent with you that he haue that he requireth alway foreseene that hee doe first that thing that he hath promised without any deception Paris agreed to this thing readily forasmuch as in the promises of Achilles was nothing spoken of Queene Hellene c. At the third day after Achilles sent againe his messenger vnto the queene and as soone as hee came before her she said to him I haue spoken to my husband and also to my sonne Paris of the request and also of the promise of thy Lord and they be content that this his re-request be agreed to him so as that he do first that thing that hee hath promised and so thou maiest say to him that hee may come to the chiefe and end of his desire if that he conduct wisely and secretly this thing asmuch as in him is The messenger tooke leaue of the queene and came anon to his maister and counted to him al that the quéene had said to him Then beganne Achilles greatly to thinke how he might performe this that he had promised to the king Priamus and that it was a greeuous thing to doe and that it was not all in his power But it is a proper vice vnto the foolish louers to promise things that are hard to bring about and difficile for to come to the effect of their loues And likewise glorified him Achilles that for his merites or for giuing his aide to the Greekes he
digna mori re-amatur amori priori Reddita victori deliciisque thori FINIS The Table of the Third Book of the Destruction of TROY Chapters 1. HOw King Priamus re-edified the City of Troy more strong then ever it was before of his sons and daughters And how after many counsels he sent Anthenor and Polidamas into Greece to demand his sister Exione that Ajax kept Pages â— Chapters 2. How King Priamus assembled all his Barons to know who he might send to Greece to get again his sister Exione How Hector answered and of his good counsel how Paris declared to his Father the Vision of the Goddesse Venus Pages 9. Chapters 3. How Paris and Deiphebus Eneas Anthenor and Polidamas were sent into Greece and how they ravished Helen out of the Temple of Venus with many prisoners and riches and brought them to Troy where Paris eâ—poused Helen Pages 17 Chapters 4. How Menelaus was sore troubled 〈◊〉 the Ravishing of Helen his Wife And how her two Brethâ—â— Castor and Pollux pursued Paris in the Sea and of their deaths And of the condition and manner of the Lords as well Greeks as Trojans Pages 14 Chapters 5. How the Kings Dukes Earls and Barons of Greece assembled with their Navy before Athens to come to Troy and how many ships each man brought to help K. Menelaus Pages 28 Chapters 6. How the Greeks sent Achilles to Delphos to the God Apollo to know the end of their War and how he found Calchas sent from the Trojans that went with them to Athens Pages 29 Chapters 7. How the Greeks with a great Navy saild towards Troy and how they arrived at Tenedon three miles from Troy which they conquered and beat down to the earth Pages 3â— Chapters 8. How the Greeks did send Dyomedes and Vlisses again to K. Priams to have Helen and the Prisoners and of their answer Pages 35 Chapters 9. How Agamemnon assembled in councel the Greeks to have victuals And how they sent Achilles and Telephus to the Realm of Messe where they slew King Theutran in battel And how Telephus was made King And of the Kings that came to aid and help King Priamus Pages 39. Chapters 10. Of the coming of Duke Palamedes and how the Greeks departed from Tenedon by the counsel of Dyomedes and came and took Land before the City of Troy and how the Trojans received them in Battel right vigorously Pages 43 Chapters 11. Of the second battel before Troy where were many Kings and Barons slain by worthy Hector and how the Trojans had been victorious of their Enemies had it not been for the request of Thelamon Ajax Couzen of Hector Pages 48 Chapters 12. Of the first truce of two months and of the three battels between them in which Hector beat Achilles to the ground twice and after slew K. Prothenor and cut him in two Pages 58. Chapters 13. How the Greeks held Parliament how they might slay Hector how they returned to the fourth battel in which Paris and Menelaus encountred and brought King Thoas prisoner to Troy Pages 61. Chapters 14. How Priamus would have had King Thoas hanged and how they fought the fift battel in whâ—ch Hector slew three Kings and how Dyomedes slew the Sagitary Pages 63 Chapters 15. Of the Truce between them after which began battel again from morn to even with great damage to both parâ—ys but the Trojans lost more then the Greeks Pages 65 Chapters 16. How the Greeks and Trojans began the sixt Battel that dured thirty daies in which were many Kings and Princes slain on both sides and how Dyomedes smote down Troylus off his Horse and sent it to Briseyda his Love that received it gladly Pages 69 Chapters 17. How the Greeks and Trojans began the seventh battel that dured twelve daies and after began the eighth battel wherein Hector was slain by Achilles and they were driven back into their City by force to their great damage Pages 71 Chapters 18. Of the rich Sepulture of Hector and great lamentations and weepings the Trojans made for his death and how Palamedes was chosen Governour of the Host of the Greeks Pages 74 Chapters 19. How K. Priamus went to be revenged on the Greeks for the death of his Son Hector and of the Prowesses he did and of the Anniversary of Hector in which Achilles was surprised with the love of Polixena the daughter of King Priamus in such wise that he might endure no rest Pages 77. Chapters 20. How Achilles sent a secret Messenger 〈◊〉 Hecuba Queen of Troy to request her Daughter Poliâ—ena and the answer how for the love of her Achilles assembled the Host of the Greeks and caused them to depart and make peace with the Trojans Pages 79 Chapters 21. Of the death of Deiphebus the 〈◊〉 of Priamus and how Paris slew Palamedes and the 〈◊〉 chased the Greeks into their Tents and set fire on t◠〈…〉 and how Achilles would not go to battel for the love of Polixena Pages 82. Chapters 22. Of many battels that were fought on both sides and of a certain Truce of the death of 〈◊〉 â—roylus whom Achilles slew against his promise and dâ—â—w at his horse-tail through the Host how Achilles slew King Menon Pages 86. Chapters 23. How Paris by the perswasion of Hecuba his mother slew Achilles and the Son of Duke Nestor in the Temple of Apollo and how Paris and Ajax slew each 〈◊〉 in battel Pages 90 Chapters 24 How Queen Penthesilea came from â—â—azon with a thousand Maidens to the succour of Troy and slew many Greeks and after was slain by Pyrrhus the Son of Achilles Pages 93. Chapters 25 How Anthenor and Eneas consulted together to deliver the City unto the Greeks by Treason and did it under colour of peace and how King Priamus withstood them with some of his Bastards by great and rude words Pages 96 Chapters 26. How the Traitor Anthenor bought of the Priest the Palladium and gave it to Vlisses and of the Horse of Brasse that was by the Greeks brought to the Temple of Pallas being full of men of Arms and how the City of Troy was taken and burnt and the King Priamus slain c. Pages 103. Chapters 27. Of the dissention that was moved because of the Palladium between Thelamon and Vlisses and how Eneas and Anthenor were exiled out of Troy 〈◊〉 how the Greeks returned and of their adventures Pages 109. Chapters 28. How K. Naâ—lus and Câ—tus his Son did spoile many Ships of the Greeks in their return for the death of King Agamemnon and of the exile of Dyomedes and of his calling back Egee his wife Pages 113 Chapters 29. How Horestes 〈◊〉 of K. Agamemnon cruelly avenged himself for the death of his Father And how King Vlisses after sundry perillous adventures returned to his Country Pages 117. Chapters 30 Of the dealings of Pyrrhus after his return from Troy and how Horestes the Son of Agamemnon slew him at Delphos for that he had gotten away Herâ—â—one his Wife Pages 120 Chapters 31. Of a Vision that Ulisses had in his sleep and how Thelagonus the Son of Vlisses by Queen Circe came to seek Vlisses and slew him not knowing who he was Pages 124. FINIS
heard the pittious wordes of his mother vnderstanding the newe tidings that shee saide and shewed him he beganne to frowne and sayde in this manner O pittie without pittie ought not my heart bee terrible angrie and restrained with pressours of sorrow whan it is force of that to mine hart this present heart issued of his blood and rootes be giuen in meate pasture for to staunche the disconuenable hunger of mine vnhonest desire These wordes accomplished Saturne was greatly displeased and full of renewing of sorrow dranke the drinke wéening that it had béene as his mother had done him to vnderstand and after went into his chamber and there beganne to bee greatly in melancholie and after that forth on he purposed and trowed to abstaine himselfe to pay his wife the dew debt of marriage But as there is no sorrow that ouerpasseth not by space of time he forgat this sorrow lying with his wife engendred another son which she saued like as Iupiter was saued notwithstanding that Saturn charged her to put him to death and this child was caried to Athenes where he was kept and nourished and named Nepune Yet after this he lay with his wife and engendred another son and a daughter which at time conuenable were borne and departed from their mother but at this time she tolde not of her son but hid it from Saturne which sonne was named Pluto and she did it to keepe in the parties of Thessaly that afterward was named hel And for to content her husband Saturne when shee was deliuered of these two children she sent to him her daughter which was called Galanta and she died in her tender yeares And thus of all these generations Saturne supposed that none had béene reserued but Iuno his daughter whome he went oftentimes to visite in Parthenie where he did it to be nourished with many noble virgins of her age and also many ancient gntlewomen to induce and teach them gentlenesse and vertue But of all them I will a while tarrie nowe and also of Iupiter Neptune and Pluto And now I will shew how Dardanus put his brother Iasius to death for couetousnesse to raigne in the Citie of Corinth and how he departed out of Corinth and how he set the first stone in the Citie of Dardane which afterward was named Troy CHAP. V. ¶ Howe after the death of King Corinthus of Corinth his two sonnes Dardanus and Iasius stroue who of them should haue the kingdome and how Dardanus slue his brother Iasius by treason wherefore hee must depart out of the countrey IN this time when Crete began to bee a Realme and a kingdome and was in possession of their first king the same time in the Citie of Corinth which stand in Naples reigned Corinthus their first king and Corinthus had to his wife one of the daughters of king Atlas of Libie named Electra They reigned togither and atchieued prosperously their life they left after them two sonnes whereof the one was named Dardanus and that other Iasius Some say that this Dardanus was sonne to Iupiter but Boccace trowed he was lawfull sonne of Corinthus as it appeareth in the sixt booke of the genealogie of gods Dardanus then and Iasius after the death of their father Corinthus and of their mother Electra woulde succéed in the realmes and in no wise they could accord Dardanus had a high and hautie courage and Iasius in likewise They argued and stroue togither the one against the other oftentimes of this matter and conspired and made secret menasses vnder couert in such wise that Dardanus on a day assembled all the people that he could get for to destroy his brother Iasius and his friends were then assembled in a secret place for to treate the peace and to sée how they might content and please Dardanus Whan Iasius sawe his brother come all in armes all his bloud beganne to change and séeing that his Brother was mooued and full of euill will déeming that this matter should turne to great mischiefe he cried and said Alas what auaileth for to speake and counsaile and séeke meanes of peace betwéene my brother and me we be betrayed lo héere is my brother that commeth vpon vs all in armes each man saue himselfe that may With these wordes Dardanus came in to the consistorie smote his brother vnto death and said Iasius thou maist not abstaine thy selfe from thy imaginations Thou hast enhaunsed thy selfe against me but now I shall make an end of thée Iasius fell downe dead among the feete of his friendes and their cloths were all besprent and be-bled with his bloud When the friendes of Iasius sawe this tyranny they saued themselues as well as they could to their power and fled from thence all enraged Then Dardanus returned to the royall Pallace and the friendes of Iasius gathered them and went to armes and made a noyse and murmur so great that in little space all the Citie was strangely troubled for the death of Iasius which was greatly in the grace and fauour of all the people of Corinth For when they had rehearsed the death of Iasius they tooke great sorrow and menaced Dardanus to death And forthwith in effect they assembled by great routs in the stréetes and said one to the other Alas now is dead the loue of Corinthus that had more amitie and loue to the common weale then Dardanus Let vs go and auenge his death Go wee and punish the malefactour let vs no longer tarrie we shall do a meritorie worke Who that euer doth iniustice and tyranny is not worthie to be chiefe and head of clemencie nor of iustice If we suffer a murderer to raigne ouer vs neuer shall there good come thereof Where the head is sicke and euill the members may not bee whole nor good Dardanus hath slaine his Brother Iasius wrongfully It is verie likelie that hee shall slea vs after his will Let vs take from him his puissance and let vs shew that we be men destroyers of vice and enemies vnto all them that séeke and engender tyranny in their courages Such were the clamours of the Corinthians by such noyse and semblable clamours they chafed themselues and in the end assembled in one place and were of ardent appetite to correct the malefactour Dardanus and his complices In this tempest and swelling furour they went to the Pallace where Dardanus had put himselfe for refuge but they founde the gates shutte and could not enter into it wherefore they besieged the place making a great noyse and so great stirre that Dardanus was abashed and anon hee assembled his friendes and asked them their counsell They answered and said that he and they were in great aduenture and perill and that the people so mooued might not lightly be appeased and for this they said to him saue thy selfe and vs also with thée Thou hast slaine thy brother Iasius whom the people loued maruailously for his benignitie the trespasse is great séeing it
Iles fortunate This king then aduertised of the coming of the Egiptians was passing angry and sware that neuer none of them should returne agayne into Egipt Assoone then as he might he did cause his men to arme them and issued out of the cittie with a great company of Libyans and had so great haste to runne vpon the Egiptians that he sette no order among his people whereof he tooke great harme for when he came to the battaile hée founde that Hercules had trayned his people and set them in two battailes of which he lead and conducted the first battaile It happend so that they of the sayde companye of Hercules by force of shot bare thēselues so valiantly and with strokes that they brought to death more then fiftéene hundred Lybiens When the shot fayled Antheon sprang into the greatest prease as the most valiant and supposed wel to haue skirmished with his enimies but anon as Hercules sawe him come hée layd hand on his club and put him foorth before and gaue him so great a stroke that he made his head to bow on the left side Antheon had his sword lifted vppe for to haue smitten Hercules when he receiued the stroke that Hercules gaue him by which his stroke was broken Neuerthelesse he said betwéene his téeth that he would auenge him so hee lifted vp his sword againe and smote Hercules so vehemently that with the stroke he brake his shield Then knew Hercules that the giant was a man of great strength This notwithstanding he smote him the second time with his club and thus Hercules and Antheon gaue each other so great strokes that there came betwéene them of the two parties Libians and Egyptians There was a great noyse of clinking of swords and sounding of the shields and helmes that were broken and halberds that were dismailed shieldes quartered and glaiues broken there was the bloud largely shed on both parties Hercules and Antheon were parted by force of the prease Antheon by great ire smote without ceasing vpon the fierce Egyptians Hercules all broke the helmes largely with his club and did with the Libians all his pleasure and brought so many to death with his club that in little time he passed throughout the whole power of king Antheon many times and in his way he couered the earth and the way that hée held all with dead Libians The first skirmish was strong and damageable to Antheon for against one Egyptian that he flew with his sword Hercules made die with his club ten Libians About Hercules was nothing but bloud Hercules made the mountaines redounde with cries the companies to tremble the Libians to flie and go backe and wan little gaine What shall I say more as long as the day endured he helde the battell in vigor and about the euening when Affer and Theseus came to the fight he bestirred himselfe in such fashion against Antheon that he made him flie all charged with horions and strokes and then in like wise fled after the Libians CHAP. XI ¶ How Hercules tooke king Athlas and how he beganne to studie the science of astronomie and the seauen liberall sciences WHen Hercules saw the Libians turne into flight he did cause to sounde the retrait for as much as it was late and with great glorie returned into the place that he had chosen for to holde his siege at His wife Echée came against him with open armes and be clipped and kissed him she holpe to vnarme him and brought him fresh water for to wash his face with and there was made right good chéere of all the Egyptians Contrary to this good chéere the Libians were in the Citie and made great sorrow for they had lost neare thirtie thousand men especially Antheon made simple cheare for he had good cause for Hercules had so beaten him with his club that hée might not helpe himselfe but went with great paine to bed and with sorrow sent for his Phisitions and Surgeons which came and visited him and founde him all bruised and saide to him that it would bee well neare a moneth ere they could heale him Antheon considering his case sent and desired of the Egyptians truce for the space of a moneth offering to them for to send them dayly a certaine number of cattell and a right great quantitie of victuals Then he made out his commaundements and sent vnto al the kings and princes that were his tributaries and also vnto his neighbours praying them that they wold come succor him with their men of arms in the most hasty wise that they might This truce so made Hercules began to remember thē that before time he had heard Philotes speak of a king that reigned thereby named Athlas and that he was the most wise man and cunningest of al the world and that he dwelt in a Castle standing on the top of a right high mountaine named Athlas after the name of the same king In this remembrance Hercules being couetous of the science of Athlas called Philotes and said to him that hee would go into the Realme of the king Athlas and that his intent was to séeke there his aduenture Philotes answered and saide that he could well leade and bring him into the Realme for he knew the countrey Then Hercules called Affer and Theseus and charged them that they shoulde alway make good watch And after tooke leaue of them and of his wife saying that he would hastily returne This done hée and thrée mariners with Philotes went vnto the sea in a gallie-finely made and light and sayled and rowed into the sea Mediterrane they had spéedie winde and readie and Fortune was good to them In little while they came vnto the straite of Gibraltar And then Philotes shewed vnto Hercules the mountaine and the castle where Athlas was at that time abyding When Hercules sawe the mountaine and the castle he went and tooke land ioyously after he tooke his clubbe and commanded Philotes and his marriners for to abide them there Then he went toward the mountaine and it happened that he met with a man that discended downe from the hil and he adressed him toward the said man for to heare some tydings and demanded him from whence hée came He said I come from the castle that ye may sée yonder on high Whither go ye said Hercules vnto the Citie of Mercelie answered the stranger the king Athlas to whom I am seruant hath sent me thither to publish his commandement vnto the Citizens that within sixe dayes they should be furnished with their armes for to accompanie him to go vnto the warre of the great king of Libie which requested instantly to haue his succours Wherefore if ye will serue him in this armie and be his souldiour go vp and ye shall finde him in his Castell studying the science of astronomie The seruaunt of King Athlas with these wordes went forth on his way and Hercules went vp into the mountaine and came to the gate of