that his enemies because of the succours that came to them were stronger then he was he found not in the resolution of his enterprise but dispaire and shamefull end and all discomforted he called his sonne and his principal friendes and demaunded them what was best to do They counselled him that hee should labour to saue himselfe and saide to him if he abode and attended the Troyans that would be cause of his destruction and of all them that were left of his people When Tantalus vnderstood this and knew that hee was desperate and nigh his shamefull ende and flight and aboue that that he might not extinguish and put downe the name of Troy hee tooke himselfe by the beard that was long and impatiently said smiting himselfe with his fist O cursed enuie thou didst promise mee of late to put Troy vnder my féete and hast made me to rise presumptuously against her Nowe sée I well the contrarie and that by mee Troy shall flourish and that more is by my cause her name shall growe and shall be enchaunsed and that all kings shall tremble before her in my sight and beholding O false traiterours fortune accursed be thou that I euer beléeued on thée These words finished hee saide to his son and to other of his councell that they should cause his people to withdraw a little and a little At last he commaunded that each man should saue himselfe and then they put them all to flight Ilion and Ganimedes tooke héede and ranne after and chased them out of the territories of Troy with great occison and slaughter of the people of the Frigiens And after that they had chased them they said that they had doone them shame inough and left worke and returned and came anon and met the king Troos their father that followed them which had great ioy when hée saw that they had quit them so well vpon his enemies by the good conduct of his two sonnes The ioy then that Troos made Ilion and Ganimedes after the battaile was great and of good loue Troos brought them again vnto Troy with great worship The Troyans men and women receiued them worshipfully blessed the womb that had borne them and the breasts that gaue them sucke These were two noble sons of the King of whom the names were borne into all the Marches there aboutes with so great a bruit and noyse that not onelie the neighbours of Troos came to make alliaunce with King Troos and the Troyans but there came also Kings of many far Countreys of the East which could not magnifie inough the puissance of the king and of the citie of Troy c. In these dayes when Troy shewed the rayes of her puissance and noblenesse through the vniuersall world Saturne late king of Crete sayled by the seas with little companie not as king and possessor of the realme but as banished and dispurueyed of all land and countrey so poore that he had no place to withdraw him to nor wist not whither to go but onely by desarts and by the depth of the sea When he had béene in this poynt a great while thinking without end how he might persecute his son Iupiter fortune brought him into the sea of Hellespont and then beholding about him he espyed and sawe Troy which was a Citie passing fayre and rich and of marueylous greatnesse And then what for to take him a little rest as for to put away his melancholie and for to reuittaile his shippe and people hee sayled and rowed into the Citie and landed at the port When the Troyans had seene the shippe of Saturne that was better and more of value then all the shippes that they had euer séene the maisters of the ships of Troy went hastily vnto the King Troos and said Sir bee of good cheare and make readie your house I assure you that there is come right now vnto your port the most rich ship that euer was séene on the sea and me séemeth this considered that in so noble a ship must be some noble or great earthly Lord that commeth vnto you c. Anon as king Troos heard these tidings of the maister mariner he desired to sée so fayre a shippe and accompanied with his two sonnes went for to sée at the port and to feast them of the straunge shippe This king Troos was courteous and honourable When he came vnto the port he found that Saturne made readie his shippe and disposed him for to go vnto the citie And séeing the ship he maruailed much for the vtensils that were within were richly made furthermore Saturne his companions were armed and had no mariners He beheld their behauiour at his comming and knew that they were men of warre right well in point so he thought in himselfe at the beginning for to arme himselfe and to send for the Troyans But afterward when hee had séene their little number and that no ship followed nor came after these strangers from the coast he changed his purpose viewed and approched vnto the ship and called Saturne that most best was arayed aboue the other and asked him what he sought both he and his fellows and from what nation they were and whence they came from And Saturne answered to him and saide Sir albeit I know not at what port I am arriued for as much as my heart giueth me that ye be courteous of your nature I will not hide nor couer any thing touching your request I was late king of Crete named Saturne now I am but Saturne for my sonne hath put me out sorrowfully so that of all the riches of all my people and all my goods temporall there is nothing left me but this onely ship that ye may sée Wherefore I pray you and require that it please you to direct mee to some Lord of this countrey to the end that I may require licence and leaue to enter into his lordship and to take that that shall be necessarie competently to the life of me and of my companie When king Troos heard the case of Saturne comprised in briefe words he saide to him by compassion King Saturne yee be welcome into the house of Troos in troth I haue great gréefe in my selfe of your first anoyance for your glorious renowme and for the goodnesse that is in you as often times I haue heard it recounted But with this anoyance two things gladde and ioye my heart the one procéeding of the accomplishment of desire for I haue desired manye dayes for to sée you and this desire is now accomplished in me and the other procéedeth of hope and in this part I saye to you that I king of this countrey haue intention to comfort and to councell you to my power and also to giue you so good ayde that ye shall correcte your sonne and shall punishe his personne in suche wise as it shall appertayne for his offence Saturne began to sighe and to take a lyttle comforte of the greate proffer and good chéere
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
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
ships sauing onely that ship where Iupiter was in wherefore he wept outragiously The tempest dured two dayes and two nights They saw not that time in the hauen sunne nor moone nor starres Iupiter and they that were with him thought neuer to haue died other death yet they escaped the death and tooke land on the third day when the tempest was ceased not in Crete nor in the sea of Europe but in the Ocean so far that they knew not the language of them that inhabited the port where they came to ancre When Iupiter and his people sawe the strangenesse of the people dwelling in this port and their maner of doing they knew that they were farre from their region and then was Iupiter discomfited in such wise that he wished that he had not bene there nor come on the sea forasmuch as he knew well that he might not accomplish his promise made vnto Danae his Loue. Hee made many great bewaylings touching this matter and more then I can say and also complained for his men that he had lost in the storme and tempest as well as he complained for the default of his promise But when his companions that is to wit Ixion and the Centaures and Ganimedes had refreshed them and vittailed them and had well put all things in point and had taken all things necessarie for their ship they weighed anchor and departed from the port tooke their way into the East and so laboured day by day and moneth vpon moneth that they entred into the sea Egee And they had not long sailed when Egeon the great theefe and rouer which held at his will all this sea then they disankred from the port of the I le of Desert and accompanied with sixe gallies and with a thousand men of armes came before Iupiter prouiding them to battaile in purpose to haue destroyed them When Iupiter and the Centaures saw the behauiour of the théefe they knew straightway that they might not faile of battel saying each to other they would defend themselues vnto the death they had not long held parliament among them but they furnished them with their armes and displayed the banner with the Eagle of gold And in the displaying they made a great ioy as they had beene in paradise At this time had Ganimedes his wounds healed When he saw that each man prepared him to fight sauing hee which was prisoner hee came and knéeled downe on his knées before Iupiter and required him right humbly that he would commaund to deliuer him his harnesse for to help to maintaine his worship and also to defend his life promising to do his true deuoir Iupiter tooke vp Ganimedes when hée saw him submit himselfe and began to set his loue on him in such wise that it endured vnto the death and that more is he made that his harnesse and armes were yéelded to him saying that from thenceforth they would be brethren and fellowes in armes And Ganimedes answered to him that he would alway abide and dwell his seruant During these spéeches Egeon and his galleis borded the ship of Iupiter and fought with them hardly Egeon was in the front before as captaine Iupiter beheld him and knew him by his armes that he bare and yet that any stroke was smitten he called to him and sayd Théefe and rouer and pyrate how darest thou pursue to death him that made thée tremble and flie before him at the battaile of Crete by séeing of his sword dyed and made red with the bloud of the vnhappye Tytanoys Beholde and see mee I am Iupiter the mortall enemy of all thy linage Thou in likewise art my enemy and now art come to battaile against me It maye be well sayde that we shall run each vpon other by great force and that this conflict shal be right damageable for thée or for mée and let the goddes doo their pleasure When Egeon vnderstoode what Iupiter had sayde to him and that he was the destroyer of his linage he had his heart so incensed with yre and impacience that he could not answer one word And grenning with his téeth he began to smyte so hard toward Iupiter that if the stroke of the axe that he smit had bin right there had neuer bin remedy of his life But Iupiter knew the feates of war and when he saw the stroke come he auoyded it and lifted vp his sword and charged it vpon Egeon so surely that he could not auoide the stroke which was so forcible that he was so astonied as it made him fall downe vpon the plankes of the galley Then made the pyrates and théeues a greate crye and fell vpon Iupiter and his fellowes Ganimedes helde his axe in his handes and was not then ydle he fought and wrought valyantlye after his power and so did the Centaures The skirmishe was great and many were deade not of the partye of Iupiter but of the partye of the pyrates and then laboured the Centaures so that they dyed theyr galleyes with the bloud of theyr enemies And that the pyrates albeit they were tenne againste one coulde not nor might not abyde before them c. Thus began the mortall battaile of the pyrates and of the Centaures when the one Galley had fought as long as they might an other came on This Iupiter and Ganimedes had inough to do to fight and they fayled not what to do for the more they smote the more displeasure had the pyrates Each of their strokes was the death of a pyrate In processe of time Egeon came againe into the prease dismayed and fulfilled with impatience he put himselfe forth to fight in the most strength all desperately to winne all or to loose all At this time the battaile was so terrible and so deadly that al the Gallies closed the Ship of Iupiter and smote on it but this was to their mishap and ilfare for the most part of them were slaine and then Ganimedes and Iupiter entered into the galley of king Egeon where he fought so sore on the one side and the other for enuie who should do best that of all them that were within there was not left one man but he was slaine or cast into the sea excepting onely Egeon which Iupiter tooke with his hands and bound him with an hundred chaines of yron c. With these chaines of yron Egeon had a custome for to bind his prisoners vntill the time they had done his will When the pyrats sawe the mischiefe that came vpon them and that their maister was ouercome and bound with the chaines that he was woont to torment the prisoners withal they intended to saue themselues and withdrew them from the ship of Iupiter saying that those that they had fought withall were no men but diuels and that they were vnhappie that came vnto their hands Iupiter had but one ship The pyrates dispersed abroad one here another there And when the Centaures sawe that they sayde to Iupiter that it ought to suffice
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
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
gentle women with a great traine of Troyans citizens and marchants all which made sorrow for her What shall I say at the instant that she was thus brought thither Hercules at aduenture arriued at the port of Troy with his muttons and hée willing to refresh him there made to cast his ancres out and going out and taking land he beheld on the one side and saw the Troians wéeping and bewailing Exiona in casting abroad their armes and wringing their hands that he had pitie to see it And he desiring to know what them ailed put himselfe into the prease and sawe there where they bound the faire Exiona in the rout attired with royall attire all discoloured and ful of teares as shée that expected nothing but the death Hercules mooued with compassion to the damosell adressed his language vnto king Laomedon for as much as it séemed that aboue all them that were in the place hee was a man of authoritie and demanded him wherefore that the damosel was there bound Laomedon cast his eies al be wept on him and was all abashed to sée his greatnesse and his beautie neuerthelesse he answered him what art thou that art so hardie to demand me of my misfortune which is to all common in Troy Sir said Hercules I am a stranger and I loue the worship and honour of Ladies and there is no thing that I might do for them but I would do it vnto my power and for as much as I sée this Gentlewoman thus intreated in the fauour of all Ladies I haue asked of you the cause and I will know it or put my selfe in aduenture for to die with her And therefore I demand yet again what trespasse or sinne hath shee done that these men thus binde her My sonne answered Laomedon I sée well that ye hée ignorant and know not the reasons and the cause wherefore my daughter is here abandoned there is no man but he may wel know it for she shall die for the safetie and health of Troy and I will tell you how we be come thereto The gods of the sea and of the sunne haue plagued and greeued Troy with a right great pestilence that tooke his beginning with a superaboundance of the sea whereby the stréetes of Troy were full in euerie place of water After this deluge and flood the time was maruailously and outragiously hote by the great heate of the sunne whereby this sea was dried vp Of this drinesse or drouth engendred a vapor infected and of this vapour insued a pestilence And for to resist this pestilence I haue béen at the oracle of the god Apollo where I haue had answer for to appease the gods and to cease the pestilence the goddes of the sunne and of the sea will that from moneth to moneth be taken in Troy one of the virgins by sorte or lottte for to be exposed and offred in this place vnto a monster of the sea The Troyans were content to fulfil the will of the goddes and I with them We haue cast our lottes vpon our virgins whereof many be swalowed and deuoured by the monster and now the sort or lotte is fallen on my daughter will she or not she must needes obey and appease the goodes After her shall come an other there is no remedy and this shal endure vpon the virgins of Troy perpetually for it is the desteny that Troye shall neuer be quite of this right hard seruitude and thraldom vntill the time that they haue found a man that alone shall vanquish and ouercome the foresaide monster by his puissance and prowesse which will be impossible for because that it is true that all the men of the greatest cittie of the world can not finde any way to vanquish him he is so great and dreadfull And these things considered demaund me no more my daughter shall dye for the common weale of the place of her natiuitie She was borne in a good houre when the goddes will that by lotte and this fortune she be to them offred Syr answered Hercules trulye I thinke vnder heauen is no citie so bond and thrall as yours is howbeit it ought to be vnderstoode that the goddes will not suffer that this malediction shal holde and endure continually Ye must liue in hope If fortune and the goddes will do me that grace that I might vanquishe and ouercome the monster and make Troye frée from this seruitude what reward would ye giue me Trulye sayde Laomedon I thinke not that it be possible that ye should vanquishe the monster Who is he that will expose him to so great a follye Hercules answered vnto a valiant hearte is nothing impossible If I tryumphe vpon the monster and saue thy daughter what reward shall I haue Laomedon answered If thou mayst do that thou sayest I haue two horses the best that be in all the world which I loue as well as halfe my realme I will giue them to thée as to the best knight of knightes and as to the most hardiest of hardye Sir sayde Hercules it is enough to me and it suffiseth mée to haue the two horses Let me alone with your daughter I haue a trust and hope that this daye I shall labour for the weale of Troy and that I shall fraunchise and make free the virgins and maidens of this citie But I pray you if there be in your citie any great barre of yron or of metal that ye wil send for to fetch it to me for to defend me with all The King Laomedon and the Troyans were all abashed when they sawe the enterprise that Hercules had made and at the wordes of Hercules the King remembred him of a great club of yron that laye at the entrie of his pallace of Ilion that was so heauie that the strongest man of Troye had enough to doo to lay it on his shoulder He sente for it and presented it to Hercules and Hercules lifted it vp as it had béene a little glayue Philotes and Theseus were present at all these things Hercules tooke leaue of them and at the prease and recommended him vnto theyr prayers and foorth with all the Sea began to rore terribly Laomedon and the Ladyes and they that were there tooke leaue of Exione and of Hercules and recommended them vnto the mercye of the goddes and went vpon the downes for to sée the ende Thus abode Exione alone and all dispayred vpon the grauell with Hercules who knéeled downe on his knées vpon the grauell turning his face vnto the East and made his prayers vnto the God that made the monsters and terrible beastes requyring him that he would giue him force strength and vertue of power for to deliuer Exione from her misfortune of the monster This oryson accomplished Hercules entred into a little boate that Exione was in and anon after the Sea roring more and more grewe and arose in such wise that the boate floted and was lifted vp and borne by diuers waues After this in great troubling of
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
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
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
sayd to him that Achelous demaunded of him if he would giue him his daughter and that if he would not giue her to him at this time he would molest and gréeue his countrey and would make him warre At this message Oeneus was troubled and answered the messenger that on the morrow he would giue him an answere All that day Oeneus was pensiue and sorry and abode alone and for to passe his melancholy he came to Hercules When Hercules sawe him so pensiue he adiured him in earnest wise that he should tell him the cause of his pensiuenes who tolde it him and sayde Lord Hercules since it pleaseth you to know of mine anoiance and gréefe I will anon tell you the cause There is hereby a king my neighboure named Achelous great and fierce and proude which many times hath required to haue to his wife Deyanira my daughter I haue not béene in will to accord the mariage for asmuch as I knowe this king a man of right euill life And for this cause I haue had many menaces of him and also this day his messenger is yet come againe to me and hath sayde to mée that if I giue him not my daughter at this time he will make mée war Certes Hercules if ye ye sée me pensiue it commeth to me by this occasion for I haue not yet giuen him his aunswere but I must giue it him to morrow Neuerthelesse I haue concluded in my selfe that I will not giue vnto him my daughter And now when I sée verily that by the refuse of my daughter it must néedes be that the war be open betwéene the aforesayde king Achelous and me know well that I am displeased for warre is the eternall desolation of the countrey perdition and wast of the people and of goods Sir said Hercules it is néedefull vnto a man that he take and beare all that fortune will As ye say warre is not increasing of people but dimunition yet by that extremitie it behooueth to passe It is expedient that a man reioyce in his right Right comforteth the courage of a man and the courage of a man comforted bringeth him often times to glorious victorie A brute beast disgarnished of reasonable wit fighteth for his hole and nest with his clawes with féete with his téeth and with his bill What shall a man sensible and endowed with wit and reason do with any assault and namely in his owne land and territorie Nature willeth and instructeth that where corporall force faileth vigour and vertue of courage worketh and that they fight for their countrey Take courage then in your right and say your intent vnto your enemies ye haue receiued mée worshipfully in my receiuing these tydings that be come I wil help you if it be neede and I suppose if Achelous assaile you he shall repent him With these words the king Oeneus comforted himselfe greatly and the day drewe ouer On the morrow Oeneus called the messenger of Achelous and said to him that he should come no more to demaund his daughter and that he was not minded to giue her to his maister and furthermore if he mooued warre against him for this cause hee had intention to defende himselfe vnto the death of the last man of his people The messenger returned with these words and tolde them to Achelous and all that hée found with him Achelous was euill content with king Oeneus and as hee that was ouermuch smitten with the loue of Deyanira beganne to assemble his men of armes in intention to make warre on king Oeneus and to take from him his Daughter Hercules was then in Calcedonie and often times he was with Deyanira in gracious conferences He found her so well adressed in all honest maners that all day he was the most part with her and in the night he did nought but dreame and thinke on her howbeit he sayd nothing to her that touched his amorous desires willing first to shewe there his power in armes It happened on a day he opened a window that was by the garden of Deyanira and casting his eyes downe he sawe Deyaninira that sate vppon a gréene place accompanied with many Ladyes and Gentlewomen Then hee set all his minde to contemplate the excessiue beautie of her After he desired her and in coueting and desiring said O Deyanira thou that hast not the prerogatiue to know the hearts and the thoughts of men if I should say to thée the tenth part of the loue and desire I haue to thée thou mightest not beléeue it I haue gone many a countrey and séene mannie a Realme and many a treasure I haue desired many a thing But of all for to come to my wished blisse I was neuer in so great thought as I am for to get thy grace The same houre that Hercules spake by himselfe Deyanira was not idle shee hadde Hercules in her minde and remembrance in hir heart then being rich in the points of loue sowen betwéene variations of hope and despayre was esprysed in all her veynes with the heate of that fire that burneth amorous hearts This fire burning was strong and very hard to quench or to couer the right pearcing sparkle Shée lay downe then vpon the grasse and beganne to say in her minde Alas Hercules what shall Deyanira do she may not come to attaine vnto your loue I was wont not long since not to daigne to behold a man and then said that neither Prince nor King should haue my loue Nowe I am all of another nature and desire no other thing but that I might bee your wife I haue supposed to haue remained and continued a stable virgin and I only was disdainer of men contrary to the requests and admonitions of the ladies these be nowe farre other tydings with these words she ceased a little and beganne to thinke on many other things At this point as she thought on Hercules and Hercules on her tydings came thither that Achelous was comming for to besiege the Citie by land and by sea and that he was very neare by For these tydings arose in the pallace a great murmuring that came to the eares of Hercules and of Deyanira their spirits were trauersed in such fashion that Hercules left to behold Deyanira and the damosell left to thinke on Hercules and both two went vnto the king Oeneus Anon as Hercules came vnto the king and that the King saw him he went against him and said to him that his enemies were verye neare the Citie Hercules answered ioyously that it behooueth to go feast them and willed that he put his people in armes At this answere of Hercules the king did sounde to armes and with this sound all Calcedonie was mooued and each man made him readie Hercules and his Gréekes were ready in a little space The Calcedonians assembled by great companies in the pallace When they were assembled the king and Hercules brought them into the field and Hercules put them in order that done he did
and also they had so much damage that all thinges went against them And then Gerion cuÌ„sidering that he might not but lose and that fortune was an enemy vnto him he did sound a retrait and so left the battaile CHAP. XX. ¶ How Gerion assailed Hercules the second time before Megidda and how Hercules slewe his brethren and vanquished in his battailes constrained Gerion to flie c. WHen Hercules saw his enimies busie to withdraw them he sounded the retrait and forasmuch as it was nigh night and also because he had enclosed the Gallies of Gerion in such wise that they might not returne into his Citie without passing by him When the two armies were withdrawn Gerion in the darkest of al the night shipped went into the sea and went into the Citie of Valeritia whereof one of his brethren was king put him there in safetie in purpose to make the greatest army that he could to come vpoÌ„ Hercules Hercules after the retrait ankred his Gallies vpon the riuer of Gaudiana and passed there that night On the morrow when he saw that Gerion and his folke were fled were not vpon the sea within kenning he rowed vp into the city of Megidda There he tooke land and assailed fiercely the city The assault was eagre and sharp and the Megiddans defended themselues but they were so disfurnished of men of war that they might not hold it out but opened the towne to the Greekes and yeelded them al to the will of Hercules Thus was Hercules lord maister of the principal city that Gerion had he entred into it and the Greeks with him There had they good daieâ—â— the city was well prouided with vittaile Since they departed out of Greece they found no where so good fortune What shal I say Hercules held him there a space of time searching in what place he might finde Gerion During these things he went vnto the temple for to thank the gods In this temple were many Sepultures garnished with right faire maruellous histories Among all other there was one passing riche for the remembrance of Gerion was there as of a king of fine gold and he was enuironed with 30 kings whose heads were smitteÌ„ off Hercules abode at this sepulture and demaunded of the Citizens wherefore serued the statues images so rich A citizen said to him that there were the sepultures of the noble men of their realm and that the king Gerion had brought vp that custome to make these Sepultures for to haue remembrance of them that were valiant in arms Furthermore said that same man as soone as in this countrey a man hath put a noble maÌ„ to death then he doth to make a remeÌ„brance of that dead man on his sepulture And forasmuch as king Gerion in his time hath slain 30 kings he hath caused this sepulture to be made which you see meaning to be buried here in the end of his daies When Hercules heard this that the Citizen said he answered that he held himselfe happy that he had escaped the sword of such a tyrant that put so many kings to death and made his Orisons his praiers vnto the gods After this he returned to the pallace and there came vnto him the messenger of king Gerion that by the power of his maister commanded him to void the city and the realm or els to make good watch Hercules answered that he was entred into the realm also into the citie with strength of armes and that he would not go out therof vntil the time that one had taken from him his sword and arms by force of arms or vntil the time that he put the countrey in obeysance The messenger returned from Megidda with this answere vnto Gerion and told him what Hercules had answered him Gerion was with his two brethren they tooke the words of Hercules impatiently and sware that they would auenge them of him To make short worke they went to the sea with a great army of men of armes They rowed and sailed with all the strength they might vnto Megidda the winde and fortune suffered them in few daies to come and arriue at the port of Megidda And Hercules was aduertised of their comming who suffered theÌ„ to take land and let them rest that day that they came there they were fiftie thousand men At that time that they came a land it was late When they sawe that the Greekes made no defence at their landing they said one to another that they durst not come and fight with them And weening all to haue wonne aduantage they thereupon concluded that on the morrowe they woulde assaile the Citie right early Vppon this conclusion Gerion and his brethren purueied them of things appertaining to the assault and menaced greatly Hercules and his Greeks for to slea them villanously Hercules and his Greekes were then in Megidda thinking on their affaires not only in the intention for to defend them from their enemies but for to issue out the next day following and for to assaile them by battaile assoone as the night were passed Then a little before the sun rising on the morrow Hercules made two battails In the first hee put a thousand fighting men and enterprised to conduct them In the second hee put the residue of his armie and made Theseus captain of them After this when he hadde right well trained his people and set them in a right good order he admonished them to doe well their deuoire and had in minde to say to them certain things but he might not finish his spéech for that same time Gerion and his brethren their folk made their approches to assaile the citie and made so great a hurly burly and noise that all about it redounded c. When Hercules heard this vproare he did prepare opeÌ„ the gate for to behold sée what new thing was there And at the issuing out he saw his enemies that hasted them to come to the forts and walles with ladders and other Engines fit and necessary to make an assault Then hee began to laugh in himselfe and bad his men to follow him and he went straightway forth for to begin the skirmish And assoone as the porter had opened the gates Hercules marched vnto the Hesperiens bringing his club with him WheÌ„ Gerion saw Hercules come from far he knew him by his skin of the Lyon and by his club and shewed him to his brethren that maruelled of him because he came alone vpon them Luther is our mortal aduersary said Gerion he is full of pride and setteth little by vs Let vs assaile him al three and destroy him it is time al the gold of the world shal not saue him Hercules with these wordes came so nigh the three giantes that he might well speake vnto them and cried vnto them and saide yee euill tyrants lay downe your engines apperteining to assault it is now no time to assaile the citie but it behooueth you to dispose you
our aduersaries let vs now defend the port Auenge we our bloud auenge we our sorrow auenge we our damage it must needes be done c. In the meane while that Gerion encouraged thus his folke Hercules and his companie rowed so nigh the port that they were come to strokes smiting The Hesperiens cast vpon Hercules then round stones dartes with sharp yrons on the end speares and swordes Against this the Greekes tooke their shieldes and couered them and put them in deuoire for to winne the port But the casting of the Hesperiens was so mortall that it constrained their enemies to abide and not approche the porte They had at this port great aboundance of stones The Hesperiens kept well the entry more then three houres so that the Greeks coulde finde no way nor meane to remedy it At the end of three houres Hercules right sorrowfull to see his men troubled so thought he would enter into a little boat and aduenture himselfe alone to win the port Then he that doubted no stroke of any mortall man entered into the little boate and steared it himselfe with helpe of the winde which he had at his aduauntage and hoised vp the saile and putting all in aduenture as fast as he might he brought the boate vnto the port whither hee came by his hardinesse But this was at such time as he receiued more then a thousand strokes with stones and that his saile that stood ouer end by force of the winde was smitten full of holes and the cordes broken and the mast ouerthrowne and the boate well nigh filled with stones Notwithstanding all these thinges Hercules ceassed not at all from his enterprise but through he passed by al the strokes of his enemies He laboured so that hee tooke land and that he thrust himselfe among the Hesperiens and there he began to smite with his clubbe on the right side and on the left side endlong and ouerthwart with such aboundance of prowesse that all the place was red with their bloud and with their braines Theseus and Hispan and fiftie of the Greekes best armed by the example of Hercules tooke a light boat and aduentured themselues to winne the porte Hercules was euen at the mouth of the porte he saw Theseus come and for to make him haue passage he ran hither and thither and did so great hurt to the Hesperiens that without great danger they tooke land and sprang out of the boate Then was the assault hote and furious Gerion came to the landing of Theseus and fully three hundred of his men that followed him All they smote and layd vpon the Greeks and of the fiftie they slew ten When Theseus and Hispan saw that their heartes began to swell They encouraged themselues and piersed the assembly of Gerion and against one man that was slaine of theirs they slew fiftie of the Hesperians And there they vsed so their prowesses that they did there the greatest marueiles of the world by armes Gerion died for sorrow that he might not come to haue his will on the Gréekes hee and his men were eager as Tygres that had béene famished The Gréekes were very mighty and strong as Elephants their strokes were great they doubted neither death nor sworde but put all in aduenture The battell was strong and the Gréekes receiued many a wound alway Theseus and Hispan by their marueilous prowesses saued them from the death and made passage thorow a great prease where Hercules was Hercules that left not to smite was very glad when he saw Theseus and Hispan and their forty companions Their comming cost Gerion the death of a thousand men more for Hercules for to encourage his men and for to be to them an example of well doing he added to his déeds strength vpon strength and prowesse vpon prowesse confounding his enemies so dreadfully and terribly drawing them toward the sea that they that saw him wished that they had bin in their mothers wombs and in flying they were in such haste so distressed that they beat ech other into the sea and so they slew ech other themselues Then was Gerion smitten to the heart with great ire medled with impatience so hee put himselfe in the prease and smote not only vpon Hercules but also vpon the companions of Theseus he smote the first man vpon the helm so that he cleft his head vnto the téeth After he assailed another and bare him to the earth so astonied that he wist not where he was Consequently he made there a great assault suddenly on the Gréekes so that he died his sword with their bloud and that the Gréekes were constrained to make a huge great crie for to haue succours At this season the Gréeks that were left in the gallies entred into the port and tooke land easily When Hercules and his folke heard the crie that his men made he ran thither to the assault and made about them a newe noise great pitious Gerion knew anon that the noise came because of Hercules For he saw him come and smite in the thickest of the prease for to saue himselfe then he called to his folke and chéered them in encouraging and had there so great mishap that for one stroke that Hercules gaue him with his club by chance he was constrained to depart from the prease to withdraw him apart with them that were weary for to take his breath Gerion afterward fought to his extremitie and casting so his eies vppon the skirmish and fighting he saw the Greeks vpon the port prouiding them vnto the battaile After he saw how they put many of his men to the worst and that hee might not resist it al his losses came before his eyes and then he began to sigh and said with a dolorous heart alas what is the mutabilitie of fortune Flattering fortune what hast thou thought All the honor that thou hast giuen me here before redound now to my shame since thou hast sent and parted to me so many goodes wherefore hast thou sent to me Hercules this is the enemy of all my glory noâ—e queÌ„ched He from a shining hath brought me vnto a name all full of darknes At least if thou hast giuen him sufficient let him not come after me with his horrible deedes All my veines be replenished with furies my heart murdereth it selfe boyling with ire O what great mishap is this since it must needes be that I shal be vnfortunate I will verily die of the club that I haue seene my brother die with or I will take vengeance Gerion all out of his wit with these wordes put him in the prease crying Gerion Gerion for to make his men to courage theÌ„selues Thus crying seeking Hercules he put to death many Gréeks he was al furious so as his sword was died with the blood of his enemies In the end he came vnto Hercules with his sword so died he smote him sore Hercules was weary for without ceassing hee abode
In these prayers and lamentations Yo le abode vntill the dead of the night cursing Hercules saying that she had rather die then to loue or like him Thus disdaining the loue of Hercules without meate or drinke she passed the whole night The day next following Hercules returned vnto her and on a newe prayed her that she would be his wife saying without respite that she◠must needes agree thereto She was right sore displeasant of this request and excused herself in many fashions that were too long to rehearse at this time But at the end of the praiers and requestes of Hercules Loue inspired in such wise the gentlewoman that she vnderstoode well that Hercules was of the roote of noble father and mother wherefore shee accorded to doe his pleasure What shal I more say Yo le companied then with Hercules as his wife and they lay togither and they grewe acquainted each with other Loue then inrooted in their heartes so that their two willes were locked and put in one will Hercules forgot Deianira and Yo le forgat the death of her father and was so much enamoured on Hercules that she might rest in no place but that she must be alway with him O maruellous thing the rancour and the hate that Yo le had yesterday vnto Hercules is nowe sodainly turned into loue infallible For to speede the matter during yet the first dayes of the loue of Hercules and Yo le at the praier of Yo le Hercules gaue her sisters in marriage to certaine knightes of the Greekes and left them there to gouerne the countrey and the realme of Calidonie After he departed from thence and brought his oxen and his kine with him and sent againe the king Euander into his dominion thanking him of his company and of the honour that he had done to him Euander woulde gladly haue accompanied Hercules into Greece But Hercules would in no wise that he should haue the trauaile At last then Euander with great thankings of Hercules and of his armie departed and Hercules with his armie went vnto the sea and hee forgat not behinde him the fairest Yo le but hee loued her soueraignly All day he was with her and shee pleased him as much as shee might doubting more to loose his loue thē she was sory for the death of her father Then as they thus went by the sea maintaining to their power the amorous life Hercules encountered on a day nigh by an hauen and a good citie a gally of marchants Hercules made the galley to tarry and after called the maister and asked of him what countrey he was and from whence he came Certes sir answered the maister of the galley I departed late from the porte of Thrace that is hereby I see well that ye be a stranger and that yee know not the perill that ye be in wherefore I haue pitie of you and of your company and doe aduertise you and wish you that at the next hauen ye shal finde in no wise yee tary there for nothing that may befall you for al so truely as yée bée héere if ye go thither yee shall take harme for there is a king a tyrant the most cruell that is in all the world named Diomedes that holdeth vnder him tenne thousand théeues and hee maketh warre against all them that hée may find and hath a custome that he putteth men to ransome such as it pleaseth him and if they that hee putteth to such misery pay their raunsome hee letteth them go quiet and with that money and substance he nourisheth his théeues and his horses And if they cannot furnishe their raunsome He himself smiteth them to morsels and giueth them to his horses for to eate and deuoure But there is one thing good for you for this morning he is gone to the chase for to hunt in a forrest which is a foure mile from Thrace and with him there be an hundred of the strongest theeues that he hath And this knowe I of a trueth for I haue seene them depart not passing three houres ago c. CHAP. XXIX ¶ How Hercules fought against Diomedes in the forest of Thrace and how he made his horse to eate him HErcules hearing these wordes that the maister of the galley said to him and rehearsing the life of Diomedes was passing ioyous in his heart more then hee had béen since the death of the théef Cacus He had in him that valor that where he might know a monster or tyrant to be or any men molesting the weale thither hee went and such tyrants hee destroyed and to the ende that men should not say that he did such workes for couetise hee would neuer hold nor retain to his proper vse nothing of their goodes but all that hee conquered in such wise hee geue it vnto noble men and praised nor sought nothing but vertue He would not make his seignorie to grow nor be inlarged and take to himselfe realme vppon realme He was content with that that nature had giuen him And alway he woulde labour for the commonweale O noble heart O right well disposed courage O most vertuous painym there was none like to him of all them that were afore him nor after him For to holde on and go forward with my matter when the maister had aduertised him as afore is said that the tyrant Diomedes was gone on hunting into the forrest with his hundred théeues he enquired so much that the maister shewed him the situation of the forest by what way and maner hée might soonest come thither After this he gaue leaue to the maister to go his way That done he called his mariners and made them to séeke the place After hee assembled the Gréekes and told them that he would that they should abide him there and that he himselfe without delay would go into the forrest that the maister had shewed him to séeke Diomedes saying that he would neuer returne into Greece vntill the time that hee had deliuered the countrey of this tyrant Yo le began then to wéepe when she heard the enterprise of Hercules praied him tenderly wéeping that hee would leaue and depart from the hazard of so great perill Hercules tooke no regard nor héed to her praiers He deliuered to Phylotes his bowe his club and entered into a little galley finely made and light Which he guided by the helpe of Phylotes right nigh the place where hee would be and tooke land two bow shotte off from the forrest and so in setting foot on land he heard the cry and noise of the hunting and hadde thereof great ioy and said that he was well and where he would be He tooke then his club and left his bowe with Phylotes After he entered into the forrest and had not far ranged in the forrest when hee found Dyomedes and his hundred theeues Diomedes was the first that from far espied Hercules and knew that he was a stranger called to him and said Giant what is it that thou
flesh Since the beginning of our aliance vnto this day I haue had all the dayes and nights such paines for you and borne and suffered them But alas all these things are but little in comparison of the paines that I now suffer and endure forasmuch as ye maintein strange women and a woman of all folly May she be called the mother of your childrē by whom the sparcles of foule renoume shall abide with you With this spot or vice is my paine redoubled and it pearceth my soule I am troubled with the dishonour of your ample highnesse The people say that ye are made as a woman and liue after the guise and maner of a woman and spin on the rocke where yee were woont to strangle lions with your hands ye◠leaue the exercise of armes and to be knowen in farre countreyes and realmes in shewing your vertue like as you were wont to do for the only company of the caitife Yo le that holdeth and abuseth you O cursed company and foule abuse Speake to me Hercules if the right high and mightie men that thou hast vanquished as Diomedes of Thrace Antheon of Libie Busire of Egypt Gerion of Spaine and Cacus the great thiefe saw thee thus holden to do nought for the beautie of a daughter that soone shall passe what would they say Certes they would not repute them woorthie to be vanquished of thee and would shewe and point at thee with their fingers as at a man shamed and made like a woman liuing in the lappe of a woman O how strong is Yo le when her handes that are not woorthie nor meet to threed a needle hath taken thy clubbe and brandished thy swoord wherewith thou hast put in feare all the earth Alas Hercules haue you not in remembrance that in your childhood lying in your cradle ye slew the two serpents You being a childe were a man and now when you haue beene a man are you become a woman or a childe This is the worke of a woman to holde himselfe alway with a woman or it is the deede of a childe for to enamour himselfe on a woman of follie The trueth must be sayd you began better then you end your last deedes aunswere not the first your labours shall neuer be aunswerable nor woorthie your praisings nor your lands For all the commendation praising is in the end Whosoeuer he be that beginneth a worke whereof the beginning is faire the end foule all is lost Surely Hercules when I beholde the glorious beginning that vertue made in you and see that you now be vitious all my strength faileth and mine armes fall downe as a woman in a trance or a swoune and without spirit and it may not séeme to me true that those armes that bare away by force the shéepe from the garden belonging to the daughters of Athlas may fall into so great a fault as for to embrace and beclip fleshly another wife then his owne This notwithstanding I am assured of a trueth that you hold not caitife Yo le as a caitife but as your owne wife not in prison but at her pleasure in chamber finely be decked and in bedde curteined and hanged not disguised and secretly as many holde their concubines but openly and with shamelesse face shewing herselfe right glorious to the people as that she may so do lawfully For she holdeth you prisoner and caitife and she hath put the fetters about your necke by her Italian iuglings shifts whereof I haue great shame in my selfe But as for the amendment I will discharge my minde I cannot better it but pray to the gods that they will puruey for remedie CHAP. XXXI ¶ How Deianira sent to Hercules a shirt enuenimed and howe Hercules burned himselfe in the fire of his sacrifice and how Deianira slewe herselfe when shee knew that Hercules was dead by the meanes of her ignorance c. WHen Hercules had read this letter he vnderstood well what it conteined and was smitten with remorse of conscience By this remorse he vnderstood that vertue was stained in him he was then very pensiue and so much depriued from all pleasure that none durst come to him in a great while and space saue onely they that brought to him meate and drinke Neither Yo le durst not go to him Licas that had brought this letter was there waiting and attending the answere long No man could know whereof procéeded the pensiuenesse of Hercules nor the cause why hee withdrew himselfe from the people In the end when Hercules had bene long pensiue and had thought vpon all his affaires and what he had to doe for to withdraw himselfe and to get himselfe from Yo le he departed from his chamber on a day saying that hee would go and make sacrifice to the god Apollo vpon the mount named Oeta and commanded and forbade vppon paine of death that no man should follow him except Phylotes By aduenture as he issued out of his pallace accompanied onely with Phylotes for to go vpon the mount he met Licas Licas made to him reuerence and demanded of him if it pleased him any thing to send to Deianira Hercules answered to Licas that he would go make his sacrifice to the god Apollo and that at his returne and comming againe he would go vnto her or els he would send vnto her With this word Hercules and Phylotes passed foorth and went on their pilgrimage And Licas returned vnto Deianira and tolde to her the ioyfull tidings that he had receiued of Hercules and also what life Hercules had lead since the day and the houre that he had presented to him her letter Deianira all comforted with these good tidings went into her chamber and thanked the gods and fortune Anon after she beganne to thinke on her estate and thus thinking she remembred her of the poison that Nessus had giuen her being at the point of death how she had kept it in one of her coffers and forthwith incontinently she opened the coffer and tooke the cursed poison and one of the shirts of Hercules and as shee that imagined by the vertue of the poison to draw againe to her the loue of Hercules like as Nessus had sayde vnto her shée made the shirt to be boiled with the poison and gaue the charge thereof to one of her women When the shirt was boiled enough the woman tooke the vessell and set it to coole After she tooke out the shirt openly and wrong it but she could not so soone haue wrung it but the fire sprang in hir handes so vehemently that as shee cast it vppon a pearch to drie shee fell downe dead In processe of time Deianira desiring to haue the shirt and seeing the woman that hadde charge thereof brought it not shée went into the chamber where the shirt had béen boiled and found the woma◠dead whereof she had great maruaile Neuerthelesse shee passed the death lightly and by one of her damsels shée made take the
cause for to auenge mee of the wronges that the Greekes haue done vnto vs But the principall cause is to recouer my sister Exione that liueth in so great thraldome And for to doe so yee ought to employ you wherefore I pray you and admonish you that ye bend all your endeuour and diligence that I may recouer my sister And be ye certaine if ye haue want of neede or succour I will succour you with so great a strength that the Greekes shal not be able to beare And I will that in this voiage ye hold Paris my sonne Duke and conductor of this battaile of Eneas and Anthenor After these wordes Paris and all the other tooke leaue of the king and entered into their shippes and hoysed vp sailes and recommended them to the guiding of Iupiter and Venus and sailed so farre by the deepe Sea that they arriuing in the partes of Greece in coasting the countrey it happened them on a daie that they mette a shippe in the which was one of the greatest kinges of Greece named Menelaus that went vnto the Citie of Epyre vnto the duke Nestor that had sent for him This Menelaus was brother of Agamēnon and was married vnto the quéene Helene that was the fairest Ladie in the world that men knew of in her time and she was sister of king Castor and Pollux that dwelled then togither in the citie of Samestare and nourishing with thē Hermione their néece daughter of the said Helene Menelaus made a little crosse his shippe and to turne out of the right way and so the one did not knowe the other And the Troyans sailed so farre that they arriued at the Isle of Cithar in Gréece and there they ancred their shippes and went a land In this I le was a temple of Venus passing auncient and of great beautie full of all richesse for the inhabitantes also of the countrey had their deuotion specially vnto Venus the Goddesse and kept and solemnized her feastes each yeare and shée gaue to them aunsweres of their demaundes Then when the Troyans were arriued they hallowed the most principall feast of Venus and for this cause were there assembled men and women of the countrey there about that made great cheere c. When Paris knew this feast he tooke his best clothes and did them on also the best faring and cleanliest men that he hadde and he went into the temple and entered therin by faire and pleasaunt maner and made his oblation and offering of golde and siluer with great liberalitie Then was Paris much beholden on all sides of them the were there for his beautie a for hee was one of the fairest knightes of the worlde and was so richly and so queintly clothed and docked that it gaue great pleasure vnto all them that behelde him and euery man desired to know what he was and whence hee came And they demaunded of the Troyans that told them that it was Paris sonne of king Priamus of Troy that was come into Greece by the commaundement of his father for to require amiably that they woulde render and yéeld againe Exione his sister that they had giuen to king Thelamon So farre went the tidinges of the comming of these Troyans and of their beautie and riche clothing that the queene Helene heard speake thereof and then alter the custome of women she had great desire to know by experience if it were trueth that she heard speake of and disposed her to go vnto the temple vnder the colour of deuotion for to accomplish her desire O howe great folly is it vnto honest women to will go oftentimes vnto the feastes and sportes of yong people that little or nothing doe there but muse and deuise howe they may come to their desire and care not what mischiefe may followe in body and in soule The ship should neuer perish if it abode alway in the porte and were not sent out into perils of the Sea It is a good thing and a pretious iewell to haue a good woman that holdeth her honestly in her house O howe great damage came vnto the Greekes and to the Troyans of this Citie that Helene went so lightly to see the Troyans that ought not so to doe and specially in the absence of her husband But as it is the custome of women to bee wilfull to bring their desire to the end Helene incontinent did make readie horse and all that was conuenient for to go vnto the temple and she did them to vnderstand that shée went for deuotion for this temple was not farre from the place where shee dwelled When all was readie and shee clothed in habite royall she rode with her company vnto the Isle of Cythar and entered into a vessell that brought her nigh to the temple where shee was receiued with great worship of them of the countrey as their Ladie Shee entered into the Temple right stately and made there her deuotions and her oblations with right great liberalitie c. When Paris knewe that the queene Helene that was wife of king Menelaus one of the most noble kings of Greece was come vnto this temple hée arraied him in the most gentlemanliest wise that hee coulde and his company and went into the temple for he had long time before heard speake of her great brauery And then as hée was come and sawe her hee was greatly surprised with her loue and beganne earnestly to beholde her and to desire to sée the fashion of her body that was so faire and well shapen in all thinges and in such wise that it seemed properly to them that sawe her that nature hadde made her to be beholden and séen for in her was nothing but that it serued to manifest all the beautie that might be found in a woman Wherefore Paris might not forbeare to beholde her saying in himselfe that he hadde neuer séene nor heard tell of any so faire and so well formed And as hee beheld her in likewise shee beheld him as many times and oft and her seemed that he was more fairer a great deale then hadde béen reported to her and still she saide in her selfe that shee neuer sawe man of so great beautie nor that pleased her so well to beholde and so she left all her deuotion and all other thoughts and gaue no héede nor respect to any thing saue onely for to beholde Paris When Paris knewe and sawe this hee had great ioy and beheld her sweetly more and more and she him By which sight they shewed enough of their desires the one to the other and thought diuerse times by what occasion they might speake togither And so long they beheld each other that by likelihoode Helene made a token or signe to Paris that hée approched to her and anon Paris sate downe beside her whiles that the people plaied in the temple and spake vnto her with a soft voice right sweetly and shee to him and declared each to other how they were surprised with the loue of the
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
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