beare Desiring him in solemne wise to take His oath vpon the same and there to sweare What ere befell he would hir not forsake But take and keepe her for his wedded wife From that time forth continuing all her life With stedfast heart and faith inviolate And that she should maintaind and cherisht bee According to her honour and estate For till that time the story saith that shee Had liv'd a Virgin vndefiled and chaste In deed thought though then she wholly cast Her loue and whole affection on that Knight Iason vpon the Image hand did lay And swore to her by Ioue the God of might He would her will in every thing obay And truely keepe his word and promise past Perpetually while life of his did last And yet he did his faith soone falsify For all the protestations he had made Were vaild and hid with fraud and flattery And proved cleane contrary as he sayd And so her loue her true intent and mind In th' end were crost by him that prou'd vnkind For though that constant loue he did pretend And swore thereto yet secretly in hart He ment nought lesse as well it prou'd in th' end And fainedly did play a double part With her that simply shipwracke seem'd to make Of all her weale and onely for his sake Could she haue don more for a man then so To loose hir Crowne and royall dignitie Hir Countrey friends and kindred to forgo Reiecting wealth and all felicitie Hir honor and hir Princely name and fame Onely to shield thee from disgrace and shame She that was borne and came of parentage So Royall and so Princely by degree And should sncceed in all the heritage That Oeta had by regall dignitie At once did all those honors cleane forsake And vnto thee hir selfe did onely take Vpon meer hope thou wouldst her kindnes show She did abandon all the joyes she had And chose to liue in exile and forgoe With thee hir natiue Countrey and was glad With all that losse thy loue so to obtaine Which she esteem'd aboue all earthly gaine It grieveth me thou provedst so vnkind Did she not saue and keepe thee from distresse Which thou by cruell death wast sure to find Had she not been thy guide thou must confesse That of thy conquest she was chiefe effect And couldst thou her so shamelesly reiect Her bounty was in each sort so declard And manifestly tryed in the end That truth to say for thee she nothing spard Thy life from death and danger to defend Which simply in few words now to explaine For me to take in hand it were in vaine For by her meanes the fleece of gold was won And conquered by thee which out of doubt Impossible had been for thee t' haue don If by her Art she had't not brought about For when thou knewst not how to effect thy will She did thee teach those Monsters strange to kill And furthermore thou canst it not deny That to redeeme thee from all pensiuenesse All earthly honors shee did cleane defie And left her father mourning in distresse For losse of his great treasure and his Child Whereof by thee he onely was beguild Let women all by her example learne Not to beleeue nor credite men too soone But wisely seeke to find out and discerne What minds they beare and be not quickly woon Least that they fall into the like distresse That faire Medea did by carelesnesse She that accounted was to be so wise And deepely learned in Astronomy Could she not by her skill and Art surmise Nor yet foresee her fatall desteny Loue against Art in her did so prevaile That all her skill could her no whit availe She was too slow by calculation The figure of her breath and wofull fate To cast and know the constellation For want of care shee found it all too late Her Art it was false and deceiueable And in playne words wholy incredible For if thereby she could before haue knowne What fortune hard should vnto her befall She would not so her selfe haue overthrowne Nor haue indured such miserie and thrall As by the story men may plainely see Fell vnto her by this extremitee But first you shall behold and plainely see How that she did proceed to effect her will For Iason having sworne fidelitie She gaue him leaue his pleasure to fulfill And that same night as well you may suppose Her Maiden-head she willingly did lose Great pitie t was that she was so deceau'd And yet she ment nought els but sâ—onestie For sure she thought and nothing els perceau'd But that his heart was set on loyaltie And that he would still hold her for his wife And keepe her so as long as he had life But thereof will I not as now dispute Yet one thing dare I sweare and will maintaine Gainst any one that will the same confute Though that they then agreed like lovers twaine Their minds were different and contrary cleane For though that she plain truth loue did meane In honest sort intending that was just As jnnocent and harmelesse Virgins doe He to performe his fowle and fleshly lost With faire and flattering speeches did her woe Yet with pretence contrary to hir mind But pittie t' was she prou'd to him so kind As so to trust vnto his curtesie Headlong to runne in danger woe and smart And be bereau'd of her Virginitie But women are so pitifull in heart That fore a man himselfe for loâ—e should kill They will not spare to grant him all his will And rather saue his life then he should die Medea so not thinking what might fall What ere he did she would him not deny But his desire his lust and pleasures all Obaid with all her power will and might Wherein she tooke such pleasure and delight That fore she wist the night was overpast And beautifull Aurora gan t' appeare At which time Iason holding her full fast Within his armes said Loue and Lady deare It s now high time for me to hast away And get me hence for soone it will be day See you not how the light begins to spring And day appeares with faire and crimson face Listen and heare how Birds begin to sing And bids vs part forâ—â—are of some disgrace But fore I go let me in hearty wiâ—e Of you require your counsell and advise What I shall doe mine enterprise t'achiue And bring to passe the thing I so desire Speake Lady deare doe thou my heart â—eviue And for thy sake I le venter through the fire That don I meane with present speed to make Returne to Greece and thee with me to take Where thou shalt liue in princely dignitie And thereof be thou not in any doubt Thither I say shalt thou conducted be After I haue my conquest brought about Tellthen with speed this worke how that I may Bring to effect before that it be day To whom she spake and said as you shall heare Iason my loue and only hearts delight
shewes at large First how she was to him deliuered With Thoas for Anthenor and was led By them out of the towne accompanied By Troiclus and many more that road With him and her and how King Diomed Did lead her horse and her great kindnes shewd Till that she came vnto her Fathers sent Where she did light and straight into it went And then declares how she therein did stay What speches she to him and others vsed While she with them sat talking all that day And how that soone her selfe she did abuse For Gâ—ldo saith that day before t was night She cleane forlooke her deare louing knight And gaue her heart and loue to Diomede To shew what trust there is in women kind For she of her new loue no sooner sped But Troiclus was cleane out of her mind As if she had him never knowne nor seene Wherein I cannot gesse what she did meane Vnlesse it were because she did delight In novelty as women doe by kind And nature which vnstable is and light As by experience commonly we find But now no more of loue I will declare But turne my stile againe vnto the warre CHAP. V. ¶ Of the Eâ—â—â—ailes fought betweene the Greeks and the Troians after the truce of three moneths was expired The description of the Pallace of Ilion in Troy of a great pâ—stâ—â—â—â—ce that happened in the Grecians hoast Whereby they were constrained to seeke for a truce which they obtained of the Troians for 30. daies THe three moneths truce aforesaid being don The next ensuing day when Titan had His Indian course from West to East out run And after he great sport and cheare had made In sweet and faire Auroraes company And rose from her and would no longer lie But with his Radiant beames that shone most clear When as the â—arke did sing with great delight Did on the walles and towne of Troy appeare Hector the strong and most victorious Knight His battailes in good order did ordaine And ready was to goe into the plaine To fight against the Grecian enemy The first whereof himselfe well armed led And with him had to beare him company Full fifteene thousand Knights well furnished Next vnto him braue Troielus did goe With iust ten thousand Knights in warlike shoe And after him the Percian archers went That had his brother Paris for their guide Each with his Bow in hand all ready bent And sheaâ—es of peircing arrowes by his side In number full thre thousand archers braue The leading of the fourth ward Hector gaue Vnto his brother Deiphobus that had Three thousand men well arm'd in corslets cleare And of the rest Aeneas leader made And as the story â—aith as then there were An hundred thousand valiant Knights stout By Hector to the field that day sent out And as I find by Dares Frigius And Guido too against them forth were led Seven thousand Grecian Knights by Mâ—â—â—â—â— And iust as many more by Dâ—â—â—ed And next to them Aâ—billes with his â—and Of Myrmidons in order plast did stand Then Zantipus a King of great renowne Conductor of three thousand Knights was â—â—dâ— And last of all into the field came downe The Generall of the hoast that with him had So huge a band of Grecian Knights that all The plaine with them was fild straight dâ—â—â—â—â—â— And set vpon the Troian Knights so fast That many men at that encounter died And furiously vnto the ground were cast And as by chance King Phillis Hector spied That cruelly the Greeks beat downe and chast He spurd his horse and ran at him in hast And with his launce vpon him fiercely set Which when as Hector saw he coucht his speare And him with so great sorce and fury met That he did him out of his sadle beare And gaue him such a deepe and cruell wound That he therewith fell dead vpon the ground Whose death when as the Grecians did espie With griefe for him they waxed pale and wan And many to revenge it valiantly On Hector set and first vpon him ran King Zantipus who with most great disdaine And griefe to see King Phillis there lie slaine His launce vpon him brake which to requite Hector at him most furiously did flie And with his speare so fiercely did him smite That with the blow he did most cruelly Giue him a wound so deepe into the side That he therewith fell off his horse and died For whom the Greeks complain'd and grieued sorâ— And hated Hector for his cruelty And each to other promised and swore With Troian blood his death reuendg'd should â—e And at that time did them so sore pursue That many of them in little space they slew And mongst the rest Achilles cruelly Lichaon and Euforbius both did slay Two Knights that came out of their Countrey Which distant was from Troy a mighty way To ayd and help their friend King Priamus And while the Greekes set on the Troians thus Hector by chance was wounded in the face Wherewith the blood out of his Bever ran Whome when the Troyans saw in such a case They were so much abasht that they began To flie in great hast to leaue the plaine And in the chase great store of them were slaine Before that they could get out of the preaâ—e The Grecians them so hoâ—â—â—e followed And to pursue and kill them did not cease In furious wise as they before them fled And chased them almost vnto the towne Till Hector that most worthy Champion Perceiuing them to flie so fast away Vnto them went t' encourage them againe And made them turne spight their hearts to stay And valiantlie to fight and to maintaine The battaile gainst the Grecian enemies For when as he by chance cast vp his eies Vnto the wals of Troy and did behold Queene Hecuba and Policene that stood Thereon to see the fight his heart waxt cold As being moou'd with fierce and furious mood For verie shame to see the Troyans flie And made them turne with great dexteritie And staid their â—light with them backe did ride Vnto the plaine and in his way he met A Grecian King cald Merion neere allide T' Achilles and on him most fiercelieset And with his sword gaue him so great a blow That therewithall his body claue in two Whome when Achilles found in that sort dead Much grieu'd to see 't but 't could him noght availe He tooke a speare and Hector followed With full intent t'revenge him without faile And to that end ran at him valiantly And on the shield smote him most cruelly But could not once remooue him with the stroake Nor make him in his sadle rise nor bow For he sat sure and steadfast as an Oake But mooued sore when as he felâ— the blow With sword in hand he did Achilles smite So great a stroke with all his force and might That with the same he did his helmet breake And tare his Bever off and made him reele And on his horse
to declare Of things wherein they wish to haue â—liefe For while they liue in pure virginity And by the same are bard of liberty They keepe all close and will not seeme too bold To shew their minds although it grieue theÌ„ much Nor tell the thing which otherwise they would Although full neere vnto their hearts it tuch And so although t' were with a fained grace Medea sat with sober cheare and face And yet exprest her meaning with her eye So secretly that no man could discerne The burning fire that in her breast did lye The which because it did her much concerne She could not chuse her troubled mind t' appease But vse some words in secret which were these Would God this braue and lusty Gentleman Which showes so faire and gallant in my sight Whose comelinesse not well expresse I can Assured were to me to be my Knight That I might once embrace him in mine arme Then would I to my will his sences charme His haire that shines like to the golden wire His limbs compact and fram'd in coâ—â—ley wise His stature as proportion doth require In seemely height so well doth please mine eies That by my will it would my heart content To winne his loue if fortune would consent For that his knightly face for to behold â—s vnto me an earthly Deity Though inwardly I feele my heart full cold And yet in truth it may none other be Alas will he not pitty my estate And cause me thinke my selfe most fortunate I would he knew my true and good inâ—ent Whereof I thinke he takes but little â—eed And how my loue to him in fully bent Which inwardly doth make my heart to bleed Yet should I die I date iâ— not disclose Although for him I foâ—le a thousand 〈◊〉 But curelesse is my sorâ—â—â—â— and my paine To friend noâ— foe I dare â—â— not vnfold Nor yet in any fort thereof complaine To find redresse if any way I could And yet I would not any should 〈◊〉 But that I would procur't in honest wise As openly in time it shall be found For that in lawfull wedlocke vnto him Is my desire truely to be bound And so my meaning 's voyd of any sinne As being grounded vpon faithfulnesse Without all fraud or any doublenesse Behold how women craftily can play To wish a thing and nothing lesse 〈◊〉 And secretly that no man ought should say With face full smooth can shadow their desire And hide their lust by wile and subtilty With meere pretence and vaile of honesty And though that to be faithfull they pretend And that the depenes of their trechery They can with outward flourishes defend And all their wiles so closely couer'd lie Yet secretly deceit by them is meant With sugred words of good and true iâ—â—enâ— As if they did all honesty pretend When certainly 't is but an outward shoâ—â— As it is found and proueth in the end And many men by true experience know So well they can say one and other meane And colour blew full lightly turne to greene For vnder vaile of painted stablenesse And fained shew of honest modesty The wilie serpent cald now â—anglenesse Within their hearts full secretly doth lie For what they most desire in outward sho They will deny 't and sweare it is not so Thus Guydo seemes of women to indiâ—e Alas that he with them should make debate Or cursedly so much of them should 〈◊〉 It grieueth me in English to translate Their foule disgrace oâ—â— to iustifie For rather had I for their sakes to die And therefore I will craue their patience To beare with me because I write thus much My purpose is not for to giue offence As knowing well they are not any such They are so true and perfect in their thought That I suppose not one of them is nought And further I doe thinke there is not one But that in will and heart she will be true And keepe her selfe vnto one man alone But be it some doe choose them louers new To say the truth they are not worthy blame For oftentimes they see men do the same They must prouide for new when men refuse To loue them more seeke for other change And if I could I would them full excuse For why should men haue liberty to range And women not which cannot liue alone Store is no sore if they haue more then one Wherefore I must of them desire leaue Although I write as matter doth befall I hope it shall not giue them cause to grieue When as I follow mine originall For reason is that punishment should light On him that doth so hard'gainst women write And them so much and causlesly offend By ouermuch inuaying'gainst their kind But if I might I would it soone amend And him to judgement of the women bind That they might him vnto his pennance set For if for to repent he should forget I would dispaire of his saluation And think that he straight down to hell should go And neuer should obtaine remission Vnlesse he did some satisfaction show For all 's not true that we in bookes do find And if it were 't were hard for women kind If Guido therefore were as now aliue So bitter pennance he should furely haue If I were Priest and had him heare to shriue That till the time that he were layd in graue He should remember daily to repent And earnestly in heart his fact relent That he so spake to his confusion But let this passe and now I will proceed And meane to make no more digression To tell how faire Medea then did speed Who taking leaue did presently depart Out of the hall with sad and heauy heart And Iason when the King likewise did rise With Hercules was to his chamber brought Most richly hang'd in braue and sumptuous wise With cloth of Gold in curious manner wrought Where they did rest and take their ease a while Vpon their beds the time so to beguile Meane while as it already hath been sayd Medea was into her chamber gone Where to her selfe she thought vpon and wayd As she therein sat musing all alone How she might ease the sorrow the smart Which her so sore then pinched at the heart For loue which had her set in such a rage That easely she could it not forgo Nor find a ready meanes the same t' asswage For furious Cupid had her wounded so With his most fiery shafe within her brest That whereso e're she sat she could not rest So violent and seruent was the heat That still it did her paine and griefe encrease For in her breast there was a conflict great Twixt loue and shame which either did her presse To yeeld vnto their wills in some respect So that she could not tell which to reiect For loue a Knight of great renowne and fame Who neither feareth dagger sword nor knife Like Lyon fierce pursued still his game And hot and hasty was t'aduenture life And there withall most
that makes me thus proceed That 's seruent loue and common courtesie Which both in one so fully are agreed To worke thy good that nought I can deny Nor yet conceale within my breast from thee As ere we part most plainly thou shalt see For first I thinke of very courtesie That vnto strangers men should take delight To shew all kind of liberalitie As being thereto bound of ancient right Both in their words and works them defend From harmes as much as power doth extend And for my part braue Iason cause I see Within thy thoughts the signes of worthines I will not faile as much as lies in mee To further thee with hearty carefulnes And with that word she fetcht a sigh full kind For him that so did sticke within her mind For thy sweet sake my heart within doth bleed Because thou seek'st without aduisednes The fleece of Gold to win and to proceed Therein of youth and wilfull hardines Which enterprise who so doth take in hand Is sure of death and can it not withstand So perillous and dreadfull is the venter That pen nor tongue can well declare the same For doubtlesse who so ere therein doth enter Finds nought but death and after to his shame Whereas he thinkes his honour to aduance Report shall blase his foule wretched chance So much the end is found to be contrary Vnto the first beginning of th'aduenter For at the last he 's certaine to miscarry Though 't first it seemes an easie thing to enter For wit of man by engin force or might Although he had experience great to fight And had his armes most strong and passing sure And knew how to defend himselfe full well And were well breathed long time to endure And nere so much in valour did excell Or what so euer weapon he could bring To strike to thrust to shoot or else to fling All were in vaine it could auaile him nought For neither force deuice nor subtilly Nor any other thing what ere he sought Could saue his life but sure he were to die For earthly meanes may him no way defend Vnlesse that I mine ayd to him should lend Wherefore of thee I haue compassion That wilfully would'st cast thy selfe away And of thy youth with pure affection I should bewaile the losse both night and day If that thou dost with folly seeke to trie This dangerous act where nought but death doth lie Thy Princely rare and noble progeny Vnworthy is t' abide so cruell end For certainly it may none other be If thou effect'st the thing thou dost pretend Vnlesse that to my counsell thou wilt list For none therein but I can thee assist Alas good Iason rest thy selfe content And let thy noble courage yeeld herein And to my counsell see thy heart be bent Which if thou wilt before thou doest begin I dare be bold to sweare thou shalt preuaile And of thy hoped victory not faile Whereby thou maist eternall praise obtaine And in fames booke of Register be plast And shalt be sure the Golden fleece to gaine Which thou to win so great desire hast In spight of Mars and all that thee withstand If that by my aduise thou take 't in hand Wherefore to me I pray thee giue consent And that full soone if thou pretend'st to speed And to my counsell see thou dost assent Which can thee helpe with all thou stand'st in need Speake valiant Knight if that thou wilt by me In this thy hard aduenture ruled be Prince Iason for reply said Lady deare I can but yeeld you thanks for your good will And when occasion serues as shall appeare I will not faile with all my power and skill Mine own hearts Queene Lady Soueraigne In full effect by action to explaine How much the loue you vnto me do show Shall bind me while that life in me doth rest To be your Knight at your command to go To ride and run and thinke my selfe most blest To be esteem'd your true and faithfull man T' obay your hest in all that ere I can With hearty zeale and true affection That thus with so great kindnes thinkes on me And of my life haue such compassion As that you seeme in heart perplex't to be For my mishap which maketh me of right To bind my selfe to be your faithfull Knight While life doth last And that more specially Because you take such care me to protect And to vouchsafe with great benignity Your counsell and your aid in each respect To him that neuer fauour did afford Vnto your Grace in action thought or word And more to bind me vnto you in heart Your words so kind so much enflame my sence That Cupid with his piercing fiery dart Hath forst me yeeld and dare not make defence Against the same least I should seeme ingrate To her that hath such care of my estate Without request or motion on my part Nor yet in any manner once deseru'd Then sith it doth proceed from out your heart To take such care that I should be preseru'd I vow to you vpon my faith most sure In seruing you as long I will endure As life doth last and nere therein shall faile Whereto I sweare and plight with all my troth That life nor death shall any way preuaile To change my heart for I would be full â—â—ath That foule vntruth should enter in my mind To do you wrong that showes your selfe so kind Few words therefore to vse I do pretend And meane my vow and promise to renew That till that Parcas doth my liues thread end I will remaine most constant vnto you Hap good or ill my resolution 's bent T' effect and do your will and your intent Well then said she let wisedome rule thy mind And so forecast with care and diligence The dangers that are insident to find If wilfully thou followest thy pretence And thinke not lightly to orepasse the same By fond conceit to win perpetuall fame For thus much I dare well affirme for true That though thou dost for honur tak 't in hand Nought but dishonour can thereof ensue Which thou by no meanes shalt nor mayst withstand For who against the powers diuiâ—e can fight Or once resist their all sufficient might And this is sure that he which doth desire The fleece to win by valour and by might Shall nere attaine to that he doth aspire But worke his owne dishonour shame and spight For though at first fortune doth seeme thy â—â—iend Be well assur'd shee 'll crosse thee in the end For who so euer seeks to take in hand This action strange can by no meanes escape The fiery flames nor yet the force withstand Of those two brasen Buls which when they gape Such furious flashes out their throats do send That folly t' were against them to contend For much more dreadfull is their dangerous fight Then lightning which down froÌ„ the skies doth fall Before the thunder-clap on earth doth light Which often battreth Castle
spare In our behalfe and to defend our right T' invade the same and with our force might To burne their townes lay their Country wast And vse them as they well deserued haue At our hands for iniuries forepast For by my will they shall not one man saue But cruelly put all vnto the sword For they the like vnto vs did afford And let not their forepassed victory Against vs woone be cause to make vs doubt For they that oft in field are forst to flie Do many times with courage bold and stout Couragiously turne backe and fight againe And in the end the victory obtaine Such is the chance of warre wherein there is No certaintie but oftent mes it 's seen That he that this day victory doth misse The selfe same day the Conqueror hath been And he that held the field victoriously By him that fled before been forst to flie For no man may in warre himselfe assure So fickle and vnconstant it is found For Mars this day will to a man procure A conquest great and cause his honor sound By trumpe of Fame throughout the world so wide And when he list he can for him prouide A sodaine fall and like the summer flower That vadeth with a blast and is consum'd And cleane distroyd in minute of an hower His honor stain'd which he at first presum'd Could never faile and cause it to decay And all within the space of one short day And where before his name was magnifide Even as the ebbe doth follow floud apace As by experience oft it hath been try'd Full sodainly he can't as much abase For though this day the Sun doth shine most clear Next day to vs perhaps t' will not appeare When thick mistie clouds the Sun doth trouble And for a time obscure his radiant beames Even so of Mars the chances are most double And mixed with a number of extreames Now vp now downe now low then aloft As fortune will whose mind doth change full oft For when she list she 'll make a man ascend Vpon her wheele his honour to advance And sodainly she 'll cause him to descend And much againe by some vnhappy chance This day she will exalt him to the skie And next abase in twinckling of an eye Turning her wheelevnstable like a ball She smiles on some and others she doth flout And while one mounts another hath a fall For every man when it doth turne about Must take the chance that she on him will thrust But he that knowes her frauds wiles vniust Will soone perceiue sweet hony mixt with gall In all her actions what so ere they be For honour and renowne mischife and thrall Peace bloudy warre and every dignitie Are at her will and pleasure for to grant Let no man therefore in his fortune vaunt For though the Grecians gainst vs did preuaile When they my Father slue it may so chance That now they shall of their good fortune faile Therefore let every man himselfe advance And as you are renown'd for hardinesse Valour and might shew forth your worthines And vnto fortune do your selues commend And let no feare your manly hearts possesse But boldlie fight your Country to defend As I perswaded am you 'le do no lesse Now let me heare your answeres herevnto And what for me and mine you meane to do This said the Nobles all with one consent Made answere vnto him and did reply That they with hearts and minds were fully bent In his and their iust quarrell for to die And venture goods and all that ere they haue The honour of their Country for to saue For which the King did thanke them heartily And gaue them leaue each one for to be gone And went into his chamber presently Where solitarilie and all alone He sat still musing how to bring to passe The thing that wholly his desire was For he thereon did onely set his thought So much his mind vpon revenge did run That though his own decay thereby were wrought Yet would he not the danger thereof shun And so resolu'd made this conclusion With present speed and resolution To send for all his Sons legitimate And those likewise that basely borne were To take advise of them 'bout his estate And none but they alone that he might heare What counsell they to him as then would giue His troubled mind with comfort to relieue Concerning his pretence of warre to make Vpon the Grecians for their cruelty Which he did mind in hast to vndertake Who being all assembled priuately And every one set downe as his degree And age required the flower of Chiualrie Prince Hector who as then returned was Out of the Prouince of Panomie Next to the King in order tooke his place Whome when he did behold with watrie eye And sighes full sore and deepe from out his heart He did vnto them all his mind impart But ere that he as then a word would speake A floud of teares from out his eyes distild Fast trickling downe vpon his aged cheake So much his heart with griefe as then was fild At last as 't were a man with sobs dismaid With heavy heart these words vnto him said My deare and louing sonnes as I suppose You all record and freshly beare in thought How that the Greekes our old possessed foes In cruell wise their furies on vs wrought Slaying my Father King Laomedon Burnt euen with the ground his ancient towne Put all his subiects to the sword not one Escapt their rage and in captiuitie Led wiues and maids and mongst them Exion My sister deare who in extreamity Still there remaines to our no small offence And your reproch that fetch her not fro thence The which to shun nature me thinks should moue And cause you in your hearts to feele much griefe That she whom you cannot all choose but loue Should there remaine so long without reliefe And with most great dishonour of her name Indure th' abuse she doth vnto your shame Alas my Sons why seeke you not the way To be reueng'd for this great jniurie Vpon our foes and that without delay And her relieue in her extreamitie In truth me thinks sith that you are so strong You are to blame to driue it off so long And thus from day to day the time deferre By Knightly force and valor great t' assay With might and maine vpon them to make warre It grieueth me you seeme so long to stay To grant to my request whose whole desire And heart gainst the doth burne like flaming fire With hatred as you plainely may behold Till that I be reueng'd with present speed The which if you regarded as you should And resolutely in your hearts decreed While you haue strength and valor so to do You would not be so hardlie drawne thereto Remember how t' was I did you beget And fostred you with care as tenderly As I could do and now you are thus great And held to be the flower of Chiualrie You
Like cristall fine did cast a radiant light And all the stones and sand that therein were Appear'd and shone like gold most pure bright Where presently with my great wearinesse A heauie sleepe did me so sore oppresse That since I first was clad with earthly mold I neuer slept so fast And sodainly As I lay still me thought I did behold God Mercurie descend downe from the skie And stood by me which put me in a feare For he as then his crooked sword did weare Giâ—t to his side and held within his hand His charming rod about the which did wind Two vgly Snakes with which his pliant wand He vs'd to worke all things vnto his mind And at his feet me thought there stood a cocke That crowed each hower as true as any clocke And in his mouth were pipes that plaid so shrill And with so sweet and pleasant harmony That both mine eares and sences they did fill With many severall kinds of melody So that I did assuredly surmise That I had beene in earthly Paradise In this strange sort appeared Mercury And much more strangethen I can well declare Like as Fulgence in his methologie Of him dâ—th write wherein he doth not spare In pleasant verse full of varietie His shape to show as you therein may see To moralise his shape you must surmise His rod so straight which neuer standeth bent Doth signifie men politicke and wise Who by their good and carefull gouernment All dangers do prevent before they fall And by that meanes preserue themselues from thrall His pipes so sweet and pleasant to the eare Significantly vnto vs do show The eloquence which dailie we doe heare And Rethoritian phrases that doe flow Out of mens mouths of great discretion Whereof that God is th' only pateron The Cocke that doth so louely chant and crow And iustly keepes each hower of the night Doth signifie and rightly to vs show The watch fulnesse and the interiour sight Of men that by their care and diligence Driue from their minds all sloth negligence His sword that crookes like to a Fawchion Which neither forged was nor made in vaine Doth serue to force such as haue straid and gone Out of the way of truth to turne againe The serpents which about his rod do wind Are like to diuers crosses which we find And daily see do lie in wait to stop The way of truth by hatred and disdaine And of the same the branches so to lop That by their will it nere should grow againe And so poore truth constrained is to flie And in a hole lie hidden secretly And with this winged God there did appeare As then to me three Goddesses most bright The which so faire and passing comely were That I in them did take no small delight To see and to behold their beauties rare The names whereof to you I will declare The first whereon my gasing eyes I cast Was Venus faire the Goddesse of delight Next vnto her Dame Iuno fore me past A Goddesse of no little power and might The third and last that showd her selfe in place The wise and valiant Goddesse Pallas was Faire Venus to procure the more delight To those that vnto her obedience shew Aboue her head had Pigeons faire and white Who flickering with their wings about her flew To shew to vs that by the same is meant That as those birds are meeke and innocent So louers that are faithfull and do meane T' obserue God Cupids lawes and truely giue To loue her due should be so pure and clane In deed and thought that while that they do liue No manner of disliking nor of blame Should be in them their credits to defame The freshnes of the Roses faire and red Which in the Summer shew most pleasantly And in the Winter are so pale and dead The thoughts of louers yong do signifie And such as in hot loue do burne like fire With fervent hope t' attaine to their desire When loue at first within their hearts beares sway Vntill the time of old vnweldy age When lust is past and seemeth to decay And doth begin no more in them to rage Through feeblenes when spring of youth is gone Which by good proofe to many men is known Venus therefore we oft distiled see To sit within a floud of water deepe To show what trouble and adversity Is found in loue and how that it doth keepe Men in despaire with fancy them to feed Till hopelesse they remaine in doubt to speed Pallas me thought in th' one hand then did beare A shield the which of mettall pure was made In th' other hand a sharpe and warlike speare And round about his head a Rainebow had Oâ— colours three red greene and perfect blew And as it seem'd to me before her grew An Oliue tree which shewd most fresh and greene And in the verdant branches thereof sat The vgliest Owle that ever eye had seene With staring eies and face most brawd and flat Whereof the morrall with the restile show As they in order stand Then must you know The â—â—â—eld which Pallas beares within her hand Dâ—th signifie the power and passing might That 〈◊〉 hath by wisedome to withstand All 〈◊〉 and manly gainst the same to fight Aâ—â— that â—er spearesâ— smoth sharply ground Was forg'd by iust reuenge for to confound And overthrow vniust and wicked men And for that mercie should with rigor goe The staâ—e thereof is shau'd and smothed cleane Least merciles right should iust rigor shoe The Oliue tree â—â—tokens signe of peace Which doth ensue wheÌ„ bloody warre doth cease The broad fac't staring eyed vgly Owle The which gainst death and bankets funerall Of custome hath by kind to sâ—ritch and howle Doth show that death is th' onely end of all The glory of the world and happie's he That dayly beareth it in memory The Rainebow where such severall colours were Of divers kinds to beautifi't withall Doth show what sundry chaunces are in warre Wherein some win some loose some fall Like constant and light wavering greene Varietie so great therein is seene Iunâ— as learn'd Fulgentius to vs tells A 〈◊〉 with barren wombe and dead And alwaâ—◠〈◊〉 in Rivers and in Wells To whom the Peacocke proud is sacared With Argus eyes imprinted in her tayle The which she spreads abroad like to a sayle The waters sayd to be in wells and flouds Doe represent the cares and troubles great That men indure to scrape and gather goods Not sparing paine nor toile the same to get But whosoere within those floods doth row Let him beware for after they doe flow By course of time as it is most true Directed by the Moone their governesse There will an ebbe with present speed ensue The feare is most when Cinthia doth increase And orderly attaine vnto the the full Least Fortune chance the feathers way to pull Of men that doe abound in riches great For she is Queene of mutabilitie And Argus eyes that in the
t' was too late The Troyans were of so great force and might That to resist it could them not availe So cruelly they did them then assaile And furiously did put them all to death Not sparing one but all they ouertooke By dint of sword did yeeld their vitall breath And when the field by force they had forsooke The battaile by the Troyans being woone In fierce and furious wise he then begun The Castle straight to ransacke and to pill Wherein they did great store of treasure gaine And hauing done their pleasures and their will With that and all the rest they did obtaine In Citheron vnto their ships they went And as it was their purpose and intent The wind as then being good and peaceable They sailed towards Troye without delay And hauing weather faire and comfortable They did arriue within the seauenth day That they put to the sea at Tenedowne A Castle standing neere vnto the Towne And presently out of their ships they went And with all speed the King aduertised By messenger whom they in hast then sent Of their returne and how that they had sped The which when Priam heard he was full glad And in his heart such ioy and pleasure had That their affaires so well had fallen out That in all hast by his authority He caus'd it to be publisht round about The towne of Troye with great solemnity Comanding that for those good news they shold In sumptuous wise a solemne feast-day hold To thanke their Gods in meeke and humble wise And on their Altars with devotion To offer them great guifts and sacrifice While Paris staying still at Tenedon Did welcome feast and Princely entertain'd Queene Helena that wept and sore complain'd And evermore bewaild her fortune fell That so mongst strangers comfortlesse alone She was constraind against her will to dwell Farre sequestred from friends and knew not one To whome she might declare in privitie The griefe she had for her Captivity And still she wept and waild with pittious cheare That flouds of tears down froÌ„ her cheeks did raine Distilling from her eies most faire and cleare And through the great extreamity and paine Which she then felt she sighed bitterly And with a wofull voice did often crye To thinke how she had left King Menelaus For which she wished death her heart to ease And for that cause became so furious That nothing could her griefe and woe appease And more t' encrease and multiply her paine When as she thought vpon her brethren twaine Her Husband and her little Daughter deare Faire Hermion whome she did loue so well Her face with griefe did pale and wan appeare Which other times in beautie did excell The Lillie flower and much the same surpasse But then her roseat colour changed was And more and more her griefe did still encrease That in her face she was cleane altered And by no meanes her sorrow would surcease But in most dolefull wise that life she led Till Paris to relieue her heauinesse Went vnto her and with all gentlenesse And pleasant words somewhat appeasd her mind And said alas most faire and noble Queene Why are you to your selfe so much vnkind I surely thinke that purposely you meane And will your death and finall end procure Or els you wold not such extreme greefe endure Nor causlesse shed so many a brinish teare That with the same you wet your outward weed And shew your selfe like vnto one that were A penitent lamenting her misdeed Alas faire Queene alas why do you so Let all this griefe and sorrow now cleane goe And liue no more sweet Ladie in distresse But leaue your woe and chearish vp your heart And thinke no more vpon this heauinesse But as it is a prudent womans part Be glad and what so ever you will craue Of me or mine be sure you shall it haue Let passe I say these salt and brinish teares For t is in vaine in sorrow still to liue And here my faith I plight to you and yours That I will you maintaine keepe and relieue In better sort then ever yet you were By Menelaus and therefore haue no feare For I will doe what I to you protest Vpon the faith and honour of a Knight For falshood in my heart I do detest Wherewith the Queene as well as then she might Fayning sighes with water in her eyes Did answere him and spake in louely wise I know sayd she whether I be loath or leefe Vnto your will I must not now say nay Although it be to my no little griefe For she that 's bound of force must needs obay And sith that from your hands I cannot flie I rest content with my Captiuity Which gainst my will constraines me here to dwell For it belongeth not to women-kind In forraine soyle to striue or to rebell Where they are like no favour great to find And that their cause shall not maintained be But if you list in heart to pittie me And in your mind conceaue so good a deed As to extend to vs some charitie While that you liue you shall the better speed For he that helps man in necessity And comforts them that are in woe and griefe Shall never faile of comfort and reliefe Then Lady deare quoth Paris I assure Vnto you now that what so ere you craue I will the same at your desire procure And thereof in your heart assurance haue And that in such aboundance as you list For no man shall your will and heast resist And therefore be no whit at all dismaid But comfort take and certainly belieue That I will doe what euer I haue said And now said he all sorrow cleane remoue And saying so he led her to a place That purposely for her prepared was Where after certaine speeches twixt them two In secret wise when they together were He did begin her plainly there to woe And vnto her did say my Ladie deare Thinke not I call you so to please your mind But from my very heart as you shall find And therefore entertaine within your thought What I to you shall speake and thus I say Sâ—th that by gods decree y' are hither brought For no man can their will and power stay I dare affirme that you were not accurst Therein and that they do 't not for the worst But for your good and so you must it take And sith there is no other remedie You must of your necessitie vertue make And be as glad and liue as merrilie As if you were within your natiue land For now I giue and plight to you my hand That here you shall at pleasure all things haue How deare so ere it doth vnto me cost And what so ere your heart can wish or craue You shall it haue and hereof dare I boast That this our land as well it shall be found In everie thing doth plenteouslie abound And much more then within the Grecian land And though that far from th'I sland cald Achay You are as
much esteem'st Yet if in thee there be such worthinesse And courage stout that like a valiant Knight Thy mind 's repleat with so much hardinesse To moue thee hand to hand with me to fight And that this quarrell may betwixt vs twaine By combat brauely fought vpon the plaine Be ended for the which we all contend I le graunt vnto the same withall my hart And whatsoeuer fortv ne doth me send I le neuer yeild till death vs two doth part So that the Lords on either side will bee Content and with good will thereto agree That we two shall this combat vndertake And fight it out betwixt vs two alone And thereof for vs all an end to make Which shall be done on this condition That if thou by thy valor and thy might Caust overcome and vanquish me in fight I will to thee and them assurance make That Priamus my Father shall agree To all which I for him shall vndertake And that assoone as I shall vanquisht bee He shall his Crowne and Regall scepter yeild Which he so long and many yeares hath held Vnto the Greeks and him and his submit In all respects most humbly to their will To doe with him and his as they thinke fit Which that he may withall his Lords fulfill T' avoid each doubt and all ambiguitie Both he and they for more securitie Shall sweare each one and all in generall To doe as I haue sayd and there to stand And further to confirme the same he shall Deliuer presently into their hand Such suerties as they le chufe out of the best And noblest men in Troy the which shall rest And stay among the Greekes while we two fight That they may haue no cause at all to doubt That wee will not performe our words as right And reason doth require if it fall out That I should be orecome and slaine by thee The which I hope thou neare shalt doe to me Now then Achilles speake and freely do As I haue sayd thine honor to increase And let vs arme our selues and fall thereto That by our meanes this bloody warre may cease Which other wise is likely and most sure Long twixt the Greeks and Troians to indure And thou thereby not onely shalt win fame And honor both but by thy valor great Throughout the world eternize shalt thy name And of the Greeks much thanks and favor get Who by thy meanes from hence may scape aliue And safe and sound in Greece againe arriue Which otherwise may to themselues procure Their deaths by fond and foolish hardinesse If they stay heere and that this warre endure Whereof there is no other likelinesse Be briefe therefore and make no long delay But let vs for this Combat point the day As I haue sayd vpon condition On Grecians side that if in this same fight Which I for all the Troians and the towne Shall take in hand doe vanquish thee by might That presently they shall from warre surcease And breake vp siedge and let vs liue in peace And into Greece returne againe with speed Whereto Achilles burning hot with ire With haughty fierce and furious looke agreed As being that which he did most desire And vnto Hector sayd he would that taske Vpon him take which he of him did aske And gainst the same made no exception And for a signe of his desire and hart T'accomplith it for confirmation He threw his Gantlet downe and for his part Said whatsoere vnto him happen might He would that Combat for the Grecians fight The which when Hector saw with countenance glad As euer any valiant Knight could haue He sâ—oopt and tooke it vp and therewith said It was the onely thing that he did craue And no man can in heart and thought surmise How glad he was of that high enterpize The newes thereof soone mongst the Greeks was spread And to the eares of Agamemnon came Who with great troopes of Lords accompanied Went to Achilles tent to know the same And when they had the matter fully scand They would vnto no such condition stand But did it with one will and voice deny And sayd they would not hassard their estate And welfare of so great a company Of valiant Knights to false and wauering Fate Nor show themselues to be so fond and vaine To stand vnto the combat of those twaine And on the Troians side within the towne They also sayd and flatly did deny They would not stand to that condition To venter all their good and liberty Vpon the single valor of a Knight Although he were of passing strength might But Priamus himselfe was fully bent To stand vnto the combat of those two And willingly did yeild and was content In all respects as Hector sayd to do Nought doubting but beleeuing certainly That Hector surely should haue victory If that he tooke the enterprize iu hand But loth to make too much contention And strife with those that did against him stand He yeilded vnto their opinion And was content to let the matter passe And gainst his will to leaue it as it was And Hector therewith left Achilles tent And went to Troy againe Where for a while I le let him rest For now t is mine intent For some respect to change and turne my stile To tell you of the sorrow griefe and wo That Troiclus made to part his Lady fro WHy shouldst thou still oh Fortune variable WheÌ„ men most trust in thy most flattring face Become so false vntrue and so vnstable And make as though thou wouldst them embrace When as with fained false dissembling show Thou only seekst their vtter ouerthrow As well it may by Troiclus be seen Whom sodainely with envy thou didst throw Downe from the mount of ioy that he was in Into the vale of sorrow griefe and woe When he did thinke himselfe to be secure And of his Loue and Lady deare most sure And twixt them mad'st a seperation For whom I must a little while complaine Because he made such lamentation And in his heart endur'd such extreame paine Such inward griefe and such great heauinesse That all my wit cannot the same expresse For when he knew his Father had decreed And for a finall sentence set it downe That Cresidâ— should presently with speed Vnto the Greeks be sent out of the towne Into such mighty griefe and rage he fell That no mans tongue can well declare or tell The inward paine which in his brest he bare For day and night he did such sorrow make That like vnto a mad-man he did fare And neuer left complaining for her sake Desiring rather death with all his hart Then that she should away from him depart For inwardly an other mind she had Which she with faire dissembling face did hide And to her true and fathfull louer made As though for loue of him she would haue died As women can false teares at pleasure borrow When in their hearts there is but little sorrow And vnto men for truth
you could not faile To your perpetuall honor and your fame But win a great and noble victorie On them and make the Grecians by the same For evermore ore them triumphantlie To raigne and while the world doth still endure To Troyans euerlasting shame procure But to his words Achilles tooke no heed Nor yet of Hebers bodie seemd to haue The least respect though 't lay before him dead Nor in a manner leaue vnto them gaue To speake their minds for 't was to him allone Whats'ere they said for counsell he wold none But like a man that 's deafe and dumbe he stood And made as though he did not heare at all And neuer seemd in countenance nor mood In any passion for the same to fall For in one eare no sooner entred't was But out againe at th' other it did passe Herein a man may see a louers state That wholly therevnto addicts his mind Who rather then he 'le prooue vnfortunate And in his loue desireth ioy to find All honor worship manhood valiantnes Strength reputation might and hardines Encrease of vertue fame and victorie Knighthood renowne and every other blisse Glorie in armes and all activitie He will forsake and count them none of his And as vaine toyes will lay them all aside When he in Cupids bands himselfe hath ti'd Such power Cupid hath on him to seaze When once his heart within his snares is cought That he is loath to anger or displease In word or deed in countenance or thought Her whome he doth esteeme his Lady deare For with a looke of her faire eies and cleare She onlie t is can daunt his pride of heart For Venus with her flattring tong can bind His sences thoughts and euery other part So strictly that nought else in his mind But his sweet loue and so doth make him lie In Cupids bands restraind from libertie Which was the onlie cause without all doubt Why all that day Achilles was not seene Abroad nor t'aide the Grecians would go out Into the field for he fear'd Pollicene Least she should be offended if he went Into the field and gainst the Troyans bent His force and so should seeme her enemie Whome he esteemd his deare and speciall friend And while he lay in this extreamitie And with conceits of her the time did spend The Grecians fought against them of the towne Till Phoebus with his Chariot went downe At which time all the Troyans did begin Because they wanted light to go their way With speed to Troy but ere they entred in Yong Troyelus and Paris made them stay While they tooke vp Deiphobus whom they found Complaining sore of his most deadly wound And when they saw him in that pittious case They could not choose but weepe sore lament And with salt teares bedew'd their eies and face And were so fild with griefe and discontent Within their hearts and did such sorrow make As if they would haue died for his sake And while that they in this sort by him stood He waxt so weake that he began to die For he had lost such quantity of blood That t'saue his life there was no remedy Yet while his valiant brethren did lament Because they saw his vitall breath was spent He lifted vp his eies and when he heard That Paris King Pallamides had slaine He seem'd therewith to be a little cheard And to release the sore and deadly paine He bad them draw his speare out of his wound Which done he fell down dead vpon the ground Whose body straight they bare in mournfull wise Into the towne with great solemnity I need not shew what sorrow and what cries For him was made with much extreamity By all the men and women in the towne As also for the death of Sarpedowne And specially by old King Priamus Queene Hecuba his sisters Pollicene Cassandra and his brother Helenus With other of his worthy bretheren This shall suffice that vnto you I tell That 't was most great as you may iudge full well And to be briefe for him and Sarpedon King Priamus in hast two toombs did make In sumptuous wise of pollisht Marble stone And when that they were finisht for their sake He made a great and costly funerall Whereat the people all in generall Were present did mourne make great mone According to their old and ancient right And while that this within the towne was done The Grecians with all speed and hast they 〈◊〉 Did make a tombe for their most worthy 〈◊〉 Pallamides and at his burying Did vse such ancient customes as they had Amongst them and their sorrow to expresse Great griefe and extreame dolor for him made And in that sort brought him with heauinesse In royall wise vnto his sepulture And then because they might not long endure Without a Prince to be their gouernor By full and free election of them all They made King Agamemnon who before Had held that place and rul'd them Generall And chiefe Commander of their hoast againe In stead of King Pallamides then slaine Which done on either side without delay The Troyans strongly arm'd did issue out Of Troy and went into the field next day T' assaile the Greeks who without feare or doubt In warlike wise and face to face them met But Troyelus on them so fiercely set That by his valor great and mighty force The Greeks durst not abide before his face For he so many of them did vnhorse And did begin so hoâ—ely them to chase That where so ere he road the field about They fled from him in mighty feare doubt And with him were the Knights that he then led Yong lusty and well arm'd with speare shield Who so much Grecian bloud that day did shed That all the ground showd red within the field And streames of blood ran downe along the plaine At which time there did fall so great a raine And huge a mist that men could hardly see But most of all vpon the Grecians side By means whereof and with th'extremitie And smart of wounds which they did then abide And through the valiant proweâ—â—e and the might Of Troyelus the strong and hardie Knight They were constraind to shun his crueltie And to avoyd the storme which then did rise To saue their liues in mightie feare to flie And to giue place vnto their enemies Ran to their tents some succor there to find The Troyans them pursuing fast behind In cruell wise and with exceeding pace But for because the storme did still encrease At that time they no longer held the chase But both from it and fighting did surcease And entred into Troy and there did stay Till morning when the Larke did sing next day That Troyelus betimes did issue out Determining the Greeks againe t'assaile Where in the field as he did ride about Among his foes he did so much preuaile Gainst them that who so euer he did smight With his stroÌ„g sword was maim'd or kild ouâ— right And in that furious
giue them leaue to enter Though they as he suppos'd did not pretend To do him wrong thereby while they did stay Nor yet by any way or meanes t' offend His subiects but for all they tooke did pay But Thelaphus well arm'd with many a knight Went downe vnto the shore with them to fight And with exceeding furie on them set Where Assandrus so brauely did assaile His enemies that those that with him met Could not against his valor great prevaile So that by knightly force the field he wan Vpon his foes and killed many a man That him withstood which when the King espi'd And saw how he so brauely plaid his part Disdaining sore thereat to daunt his pride With all his force he stroke him with a dart So farre into the breast that he fell dead Vpon the ground the which when Diomed Perceaued to revenge him like a knight Of valor great that time such slaughter made Vpon his foes that by his puissant might He made them run out of the field as glad To saue their liues which done he gan to make Great sorrow for his loving brothers sake And studying what were best for him to do At last his corps from savage beasts to saue Before that he one foot from thence did go He put the same into a Princely graue And buried it with many weeping eyes Vpon Boctia shore in Paynim wise But Oetes to his sister wrote and said That he was slaine by craft of Diomede Who to that end in wayt for him had laid A band of men that he once being dead The kingdome wholly might without all strife Descend by right to him and to his wife And that he would possession thereof take Assoone as he againe returned home And further said that he would her forsake And that with him there did a Lady come Whome he did loue and meant to make his wife And by that meanes did set such mortall strife Betweene them as he in like sort had done Not long before and in the selfe same kind Twixt Clytemnestra and Agamemnon That he possest her sad and heauie mind With such conceit of treason that much grieu'd To heare thereof she verily belieu'd All to be true that vnto her was told So that with heart to wrath and furie bent And face that looked deadly wan and cold She did for her deare brothers death lament Whome she did with so great affection loue That from revenging him no man could moue Her heart that was as hard as any stone Vpon her husband Diomede For when The tedious weary siege of Troy was done And he returned home to her agen She did him on the shore by force withstand And beat him backe not suffring him to land But banished him presently from thence And would not once with him be reconcil'd Who seeing that he could not make defence Against her power to see himselfe exil'd So wrongfully much grieued at the heart Cleane comfortlesse he did from thence depart And went vnto Salerne land whereas A puissant King cald Tentar then did raigne That Brother vnto Thelamon Aiax was Who at the siege of Troy was falsly slaine But Diomede cleane destitute of ayd Vnhappy man not long time therein stayd For when King Tâ—â—â—â—r knew that he was there Suspecting him for death of Theâ—â—mon He did pursue him so that wheresoere He staid he saw that succor there was none For him to haue so that vpon a night In secret wise he tooke himselfe to flight And left Salerne land in hope to find More comfort and reliefe in other place To ease and to redresse his troubled mind If fortune would vouchsafe him so much grace Meane time with heauie heart thought confus'd Like one forsaken wholly and refus'd Of euery man he wandred to and fro From place to place and could no rest procure Vnto himselfe not knowing where to go And all that while great mis'rie did endure Till at the last Aeneas that still staid In Troy the scattred Troyans there to aid Which after the destruction there were left And every day and hower were in doubt To be destroyd and of their liues bereft By enemies that dwelt there round about And had no man to gouerne them nor stand In their defence or that would take in hand To be their guide against their enemies Till that Aeneas t'aid them in their need Vnto them gaue his counsell and advise To send a messenger for Diomed Of whome he did the fortune vnderstand To be expulst and banisht from his land To pray him to come vnto them with speed With all the force and power he could make To saue and to defend them in their need From those that them opprest and t' vndertake To be the guide of them that ready were To be destroyd for want of government Which Diomed did grant vnto and came In hast to Troy and thither with him brought A gallant troope of men and with the same Relieued them and brauely for them fought With whome vpon the way Aeneas met And to the towne with honor great him fet And entertaining him as his degree Requird a banquet for him did prepare Of every thing that might desired bee Where each of them to th' other did declare The miseries and troubles first and last By sea and land which they had overpast Which no man can by any meanes eschew But as dame Fortune for him hath decreed He must take that she sends him as his dew But now vnto the matter to proceed The Troyans that were almost driven out Of Troy by those that dwelt there round about That daily did invade and spoyle their land By Diomed relieued were and set At liberty againe who did withstand Their foes so puissantly that he did get The victory of them foure times at least And them so sore pursued and opprest That finally they tooke and slew them all And such as were found traitors and had done That mischiefe which vpon them then did fall Condemned were and hanged euery one Whereby no man durst do them any wrong And by that meanes king Diomed waxt strong And did in time by his protection And government which he did take in hand As being Lord and Ruler of the towne So valiantly their enemies withstand And such a sway there for a time did beare That of him all the Country stood in feare And by that meanes in fine it so fell out His fame did spread abroad both farre large And his great valor was so blowen about That it was knowne in Calidon and Arge Which when the Queene his wife did vnderstand She feard he would invade her in her land And it by force at last from her would take And to her selfe much mus'd how Diomed Such succor and such grace had found to make Himselfe so great that he so farre should spred His fame for which as politike and wise She did forecast and with her selfe devise By counsell of her Lords in generall To reconcile
fishes are And from the middle vpwards women are Whose custome is vpon the seas to â—leet And sing with such a pleasing harmonie Their sugred Syrens songs with voyces sweet That they are able with their melodie To ravish any mortall man aliue And for a time his spirits all depriue And bring him therewithall in a such a trance That for a while he thinketh vpon nought But is bereau'd of his remembrance Till vnawares he is in danger brought And with their pleasing songs cast in a sleepe Till he 's by them drawne vnderwater deepe And so both men and ships oft drowned are And by inticements of their liues bereaud If sayling by they haue of them no care But at that time they were by me deâ—eaud For both mine cares with wax fast stopped were Which made me that I cold by no means heare The sweetnes of their warbling notes whereby Mans reason blinded is and sences lost And so escaped by my policy With all my men and in the seas sore tost Did saile so long till toyld with wearinesse It was our chance t'arriue in great distresse Before Phenician haven where we cast Our Anckors out and straight on land we went But when we thought we had all danger past The people with great malice gainst vs bent In fierce and cruell wise my men assaild And in short space against them so prevaild That most of them were slaine and I beâ—â—â—t Of that small store of treasure which I had Within my ships and nought for me was left And all my men that were not slaine they made To go with them and there in prison cast I left them And thus in great care I past A world of woes as Fortune hath me led A dance with little joy and store of paine Whereby vnto my cost experienced In her vnconstant courses that are vaine I fallen am in need and poverty And having with most great extremity By sea and land through many dangers past With heart possest with sorrow woe and griefe I am vnto your presence come at last In hope to find some succour and riliefe At your hands to whom with griefe and care I am thus bold my Fortunes to declare Presuming with my selfe as you are wise That you will take my comming in good part And therefore at this time let this suffice That I haue said And so with heavy hart And woefull cheare when he had sighed sore He held his peace a while and spake no more Which long discourse Idumeus having hard Ulisses tell he did all that he might With words to comfort him and nothing spard That might in any wise breed his delight Thereby to put all griefe out of his mind And was to him so loving and so kind That willing him his heavines to leaue Assured him as long as he remaind With him in Creet he would vnto him giue Whatsoeuer he did want and entertaind Him in such wise that in short space he was Well eased of his sorrow And when as He had a while reposd himselfe and staid In Creet and that his griefes ore passed were He tooke his leaue and to Idumeus sayd He would go home which when the king did heare He gaue him clothes as his estate requird And all things els whatsoeuer he desird And needfull was to serue his turne and when He should depart and ships prepared were In readines for him he gaue him men And victualls store to serue him and to beare His charge till he got home And so he went To sea againe with speed and homeward bent His course and as he sayld along the way He ankored with his ships and went on shore To see King Alphenon whose countrey lay Not farre from his who likewise longed sore To see him and to heare his Eloquence The which in him did flowe by influence Of nature and did pleasure therein take By whom he was receau'd and welcomed Most hartily and of him then did make So much that with great honour he was led Vnto his Royall Pallace where as he T' encrease his joy heard of Penelope His true and loving wife whose constancie Was such that while she liu'd on earth the same Was much extold and shall continually Be spread throughout the world by flying Fame As she whom no temptation ere could moue In thought or deed to be vntrue in loue Vnto her Lord while he was in the warre So that through all the Grecian land she was The Myrrour and the commendation bare To be the onely woman that did pas All others for her modestie Yet she Was knowen and held most beautifull to be And therewithall of noble howse and blood And yet nere any more temptations had To try her which she constantly withstood And gainst them all so great resistance made That never any breach of loue was found In her that could to her dishonor sound For when her Lord from her was gone so farre She never left to mourne for still his sake When as she thought vpon the deadly warre Wherein he was and fearefully would shake For th' absence of her Lord both eve morrow Was vnto her continuall griefe and sorrow And ever when she heard of Hectors name She presently in floods of salt teares drownd Her comely face and cheeks and with the same Oft fainted and did fall into a swound With mighty feare which in her heart she had To thinke vpon his strong and trenchant blade Wherewith so great a slaughter he did make Among the Greeks continually in fight Least that her Lord of pride should vndertake To trie his force against that worthy knight And loose his life and many times she past The weary night with fearefull dreames that cast Her into many doubtfull thoughts and made Her loath and shun the company and sight Of other men as she that chiefely had Her sole and only comfort and delight In her deare Lord and other joy had none In all the world but onely him alone And did for him all others loue refuse And therefore he that with a peeuish mood In word or deed doth offer to abuse And speake of women otherwise than good I wish him to remember and to see The life and praise of Queene Penolope Least that for doing so he might be dam'd And therefore to thee Guido I must tell That thou within thy heart shouldst be asham'd For writing of them otherwise then well For though some women do offend and bee Vnconstant and vnfaithfull too yet shee That liueth well and doth deserue no blame Is not to be reproued for their sins And whereas Guido writeth and doth name Some that liud bad and in his Booke begins To shew th'vnconstant life of Cresida Th' adultrous mariage of Queene Helena And cruell mind of false Medea who Her children and her selfe so fiercely slew Let him not speake too partially but do As right requires and giue to them their due And tell you of Penelope the Queene That faithfull was And of faire Policene That
to me some skill That loftie verse by stately tearmes may yeild To valiant Knights their honour due in field Assist herein likewise i ft be thy will Calliope to Orpheus mother deare Who insweet musicke so exceld for skill That with the sound of harpe as doth appeare He pleasd the monster Cerberus so well That he had leaue to enter into hell To fetch his loue out of th' infernall lake Where Pluto held her for his owne sweet-hart But with the musicke he to them did make He graunted she with him should thence depart And with the dew of thy sweet liquor wet My tongue so harsh and in right tune it set For thou art sayd of Rethoricke to beare The onely praise and patronesse for skill And eke of musicke pleasant to the eare Thou canst direct each instrument at will Deny not then sweet Muse thy ayd to mee And I shall rest beholding vnto thee Els will the clowds of ignorance enclose And round incampe my wits that are so bare And cause the rude to Poets vtter foes To laugh at me But such as learned are I will intreat what faults soere they find To winke thereat and keepe them in their mind And if that in my verses I haue err'd As no man but may erre what ere he be I must confesse I never yet deseru'd To haue the praise for excellent Poetrie For God he knowes when I this worke began I did it not for praise of any man But for to please the humor and the hest Of my good Lord and Princely Patron Who dained not to me to make request To write the same least that obliuson By tract of time and times swift passing by Such valiant acts should cause obscur'd to lie As also cause his Princely high degree Provokes him study ancient Histories Whereas in Myrrour be may plainely see How valiant Knights haue won the masteries In battailes fierce by prowesse and by might To run like race and proue a worthy knight And as they sought to clime to honors seat So doth my Lord seeke therein to excell That as his name so may his fame be great And thereby likewise Idlenesse expell For so he doth to vertue bend his mind That hard it is his equall now to find To write his Princely vertues and declare His valor high renowne and Maiestie His braue exploits Marshall acts that are Most rare and worthy his great dignitie My barren head cannot devise by wit T' extoll his fame with words phrases fit This mighty Prince whom I so much coÌ„mend Yet not so much as well deserues his fame By royall blood doth liâ—ally descend From Henrie king of EnglaÌ„d forth by name His eldest Son heire vnto the Crowne And by his vertues Prince of high renowne For by the graft the fruit men easly know Excreasing th' honour of his pedigree His name Lord Henrie as our stories show And by his title Prince of Wales is hee Who with good right his father being dead Shal weare the Crown of Brittain on his head This mighty Prince hath made me vndertake To write the siege of Troy the ancient towne And of their warres a true discourse to make From point to point as Guydo sets it down Who long since wrot the same in latin verse Which in the English now I will rehearse The time when first I tooke the same in hand To say the truth was in the fourteenth yeare Of famous Henrie King of England The Fourth by â—â—ne my Princes Father deare When Phoebus shew'd in altitude to be Fine three times told and foure and one degree When he did in his Chariot downe descend With golden streames into the Ocean strand To bath his steeds and light to others lâ—nd That farre remote inhabite th' Indian land Where when our Summer is cleanâ— past and gon Their spring begâ—â—s but newly to come on And when Lucina faire with paler light Began in cold October to arise T'enhase the darkenes of the winters night And glistring starres appeard in christall skies And then was in the signe of Scorpion And Hesperus then westward running downe His course to hasten gainst tomorrow bright As Lucifer that driues darke clouds away Is sayd to bee the messenger of light And shineth at the dawning of the day When Phoebus early shoes his glistring face Ascending from Proserpins obscure place Where Pluto sits environed about With furies of the fowle infernall Lake In this yeare moneth and time as it fell out This Historie I first in hand did take And of the Troyan wars the truth vntwind As in my ancient Author I it find For if no Authors had the truth set downe In written Bookes of things that are forepast Forget fulnes would soone haue trodden downe Each worthy act and cleane extinct at last Which Serpent never ceaseth to assaile The world to cause all truth on earth to faile And had no ancient Histories been found But all things vnto memorie were left Truth surely then would soone be layd in ground And men of knowledge vtterly bereft But God intending Sathan to prevent That hath foreseene and writers alwaies sent From age to age still to renew the same That truth might alwaies spring and come to light And thereby win an everlasting name Against the which sowle envy still doth fight But famous Clarkes not ceasing truth to show By writing leaue the same to vs to know Els time with syth would soone cut downe the grasse And reâ—ening death extirpe the root and all And nothing whatsoere on earth did passe Should haue record the same to mind to call Nor honor due to valiant Knights be read But it with them should rest and lie as dead And so not onely name but fame would die And wholy be defaced out of mind But Histories explain the same to th'eie As daylie by experience we may find Nere ceasing spight of envy to vnfold The truth of all which may not be controld Therein we see of high and low estate The life and acts as it were on a stage For writers that are wise in heart do hate To speake vntruth or flatter any age For tyrauts being dead they will not feare To write and shew their follies as they were And t'yeild each man as he shall well deserue Be 't good or bad and therefore it iâ— best For every one that credit will preserue In life to vertue cleaue and vice detest For after death know this and marke it well Clarkes will not spare the truth of them to tell For such vnpartiall dealing in their daies Great Princes in them tooke no small delight For truely blasing forth their laud praise Their high renown their power their might Their knightly acts their victories fame Eternally with glory of their name For they still sought to shun the sisters three Fraud Negligence and Sloth that none might doubt Ought was forgot or more pâ—t in to bee Then truth requird and as the truth fell out Els worthy acts
Tyger did me breed and in my brest A heart more hard then flint or steele doth rest Why rather should I not with wrathfull eie His death behold and in the same delight Why mooue I not the Buls most furiouslie Gainst him to hold a fierce and cruell fight And all the knights that shall rise out the ground Incite to set on him and him confound And that same Dragon fell which nere doth rest The Gods forbid that I such things should do Such treacherie I vtterlie detest But praier is small remedy thereto Vnlesse that I do lend my helping hand And shall I then betray my natiue land Shall I a stranger saue I do not know And giue him aid that me perchance may leaue Behind him and into his Countrie go And take an otherwise It should me grieue But if I knew he would worke me that spight And in an other woman take delight Die sure he should But he beares not the face Like one that would so great a mischiefe worke His birth his valour and his comelie grace Show that in him such treason doth not lurke And me assure he will me not deceaue Nor once forget the good he shall receaue Thereby from me Yet first he shall me plight His faith and troth according to the lawes To marrie me and keepe his couenant right Why then am I in feare without a cause To take this matter presently in hand And not delay it off nor lingring stand Iason shall thinke himselfe much bound to me And gladly for his wife will me retaine And I thereby much honoured shall be Of all the people which as now remaine Within the rich and fertile land of Greece For helping them to win the Golden fleece Shall I then leaue my Father and my kin And houshold Gods to whome such loue I beare My natiue soile and all that is therein And with a stranger saile I know not where Yea these and all that ere I haue why not My Father 's hard my Countries rude God wot The greatest good vnto my selfe will fall For that the things which I shall now forsake I may full well but meerely trifles call If I to those compare them which I take For Graecians safetie honoured shall I bee And dwell in Towns that are both rich and free Whose fame doth freshly florish euery where Mongst people that in liberall Arts excell And which of all things else I hold most dere And for all earthly treasure would not sell I shall enioy King Aesons Princely Son Whom had I once vnto my husband won Most happy then I would esteeme my state And thinke my selfe to be aduanst so hie That with my head I should be eleuate Boue all the starres within the Christ all skie But men report that rocks in Seas doe meet And gainst nature againe in sunder fleet And how Caribdis vtter enemie To ships doth cause the waues them ouethrow When vnder saile they chance to passe thereby And Scilla with whome Dogs doth euer go Out of Cicillia gulfe comes barking out And puts such as saile by in feare and doubt But what skils that if I enioy my loue And in my Iasons armes may safelie sleepe It shall me not in any wise once moue Though seas be nere so dang'rous foule deepe For while that I my louer may embrace Nought can make me to feare in any case And if that feare should chance to trouble me And make my mind perplexed therewithall My feare should onlie for my husband be Dar'st thou him then so boldlie husband call Pretendest thou Medea title gaie To thy offence thou rather shouldst say naie And see what ledwnes thou dost go about Thereby to shunne the mischiefe dangerous Before that worse vnto thee chance fall out She had no soonner in that sort said thus But shamefastnes and feare that by her staid Made franticke loue to flie away dismaid And raging mood thereof was well alaid And for the present time put cleane to flight Till spying Aesons sonne the flames that staid And seemed as they had been quenched quight Did kindle and againe began to show And with their heat did cause her cheeks to glow And scarlet blood within his face did rise And like vnto a sparke of fire that 's hid In ashes with the whisking wind out flies And by that meanes againe is kindled So did her loue which then was put to flight Renew his former force at Iasons sight For when she did behold his comelie Grace And Princelie port she judged him to bee Much faiâ—er and more beautifull in face Then ere she had when first she did him see For which her iudgement sure it doth behoue To beare with her because she was in loue Thus as Medea wrought to ease her griefe She spun the web of her aduersitie For fortune making shew to send reliefe Procures her time her mind to certefie And to vnfold the secret of her heart To Iason though it bred her woe and smart For thus it chanst when Phoebus bright did shine In th' afternoone at hottest time of day As he began then Westward to decline And by degrees his feruent heat delay King Oeta finding time conuenient In all the hast for faire Medea sent And willed her with present speed to go Into the hall Prince Iason t' entertaine And vnto him all curtesie to sho Whereby she did occasion fit obtaine When time conuenient serued to discouer Her hearts desire vnto her new found louer For when as she her father had espied With Graecian Knights in earnest speech to bee And that each man his mind was occupied To passe the time When no man did her see In courteous wise to Iason she drew neere And he to her the like with ioyfull cheere And being set together in that sort With louelie looke and countenance bening Medea glad and willing t'yeeld the fort And parle first well weighing euery thing With sighs beheld Prince Iason in the face And vnto him declar'd her doubtfull case CHAP. VI. ¶ How Iason by the onely helpe and aduise of Medea King Oetas Daughter enamored of him acchieued the conquest of the Golden Fleece PRince Iason ere I speake to thee said shee I charge thee by thy valour and thy might Thy courtesie and true nobilitie And as thou art a stout and hardy Knight Desiring much t' aduance thy noble fame By valiant acts and t'magnifie thy name That these my words with rash opinion Thou dost not censure to proceed of guile Deceitfulnesse nor yet presumption Nor from a womans heart that 's full of wile In that I am so bold and do not spare My mind to thee at large now to declare Without all manner doublenes of heart First praying thee vnto my words giue eare And marke full well what I to thee impart And faile thou not the same in mind to beare For what so e're I say it 's for thy weale As she that meanes in truth with thee to deale Two things there are
vnto her name Yet would she not to any one impart The least conceit that rested in her mind Deuising how conveniently to find The meanes to send vnto her dearest louer In secret wise when night began t' appeare But loath she was her purpose to discouer Vnto her maids so much she stood in feare To be disgrac't if they should it bewray Thus as she thought she past the long some day Still musing how to bring the same about And alwaies castng in her doubtfull head What lets to stay or stop it might fall out And so with flying fansies tost and led She rested sore perplext in griefe and woe Still walking in her chamber too and fro The mid-day gone and slide away full fast And Titan hauing fully run his race From East to West the Horison had past So farre that no man could perceiue his face Nor yet behold his glistring beames so bright As being cleane descended out of sight And Hiren with her mantle all of shade At th' euening shewd her darke cloudy cheare In twy-light when the day began to vade And Hesperus with glistring streames t' appeare Amongst the twinckling starres about midnight Which to behold did breed no small delight Medea who perplexed all alone Sat counting euery hower of the night And secretly vnto her selfe did mone That she so long was absent from her Knight At last did find a meanes for to content Her troubled head And with a full intent Determined the same to bring about Although she kept it secret in her heart Which trembled like a leafe for feare doubt Till hope stept forth and as it is her part Did comfort her and make her blith glad But cherisht by feare she gan againe be sad Least her deuise which then she tooke in hand Might chance be crost she to shame be brought And thus twixt hope and feare she seem'd to stand Not knowing how t' effect the thing she sought But her affection loue and great desire Had set her heart and mind on such a fire Of lust to see and meet her louely Knight That hope did put her in some good conceit At last t' attaine her pleasure and delight But bashfulnes her mind had so beset That still she fear'd discouered to be And knew not how the same to remedy If fortune and the darksome cloudy night Had not procur'd her ease and chear'd her heart By filling it with ioy and great delight Wherewith sweet hope stept in playd a part To pricke her forth and caus'd her to deuise And calculate when that the Moone would rise And with her hornes that are of colour pale Appeare in skies at dead time of the night To shew her face vpon both hill and dale Whereof she found the course to fall out right A quarter of an hower after prime Which she perccaued well would fit the time And as she was full well beseen in Art She knew the body of the Moone to bee Deckt over with new light in one forth part And passed had by order and degree After the time of her conivnction One or two signes by Computation And so the daies full seuen of her age Which time she being pierst with Cupids dart And in her loue did burne with cruell rage She gan to prâ—e and listen in each part And to each dore and window had an eye If any one as then she could espy Within the Court that was not gone to bed Or any man to walke about the same So much her mind possessed was with dread To blemish or in ought t' impaire her fame The least and smalest stirring did procure Her panting heart a thousand woes t' endure For when she heard a whispering any where It was as ill as venome to her heart Such was her great impatience to beare The least obiect that might her purpose thwart She wished all had slept full fast in bed This wofull life the longsome night she led And yet not any one the same might know So secretly she kept it in her mind Till full midnight when Cockes began to crow Which orderly they doe obserue by kind At which time when as all was husht and still To bring to passe her purpose and her will An old decrepit woman out she sought Who in such case experience wanted none To whom in breefe she doth declare her thought And said she did depend on her alone To bring the thing she purposed about For skill age makes theÌ„ forecast each doubt Their yeares to them so much experience show And in their mind such subtilty infuse That they of loue the slights and wiles do know And counterminds against them all can vse To her Medea shewd her whole desire From point to point and doth his helpe require To take the charge on her to ease her smart Which at that time she said encreased so And to reioyce her faint and troubled heart With present speed she willed her to go To Iasons chamber where as then he lay And him to her in secret wise conuay Which she forthwith as ready to fulfill Her charge receau'd did presently effect And as it was hir Ladies hest and will No point of hir commission to neglect With soft and easie pace she went her way And brought him vnto her without delay When as the Cocke th' Astrologer of night With chearefull voice at twelue began to crow And gainst his brest his wings to beat and smite The time and season of the night to show To warâ—e those that in their beds do rest To rise betimes and too much sleepe detest Medea to attend vpon her Knight Stood ready to receiue him at the dore As shee that onely plast her hearts delight Her saint in her most secret shrine t' adore Full little lust she had as then to sleepe Her care was onely watch for him to keepe Prince Iason to her chamber being brought Not once perceiud nor seene of any wight Medea hauing got the thing she sought In heart was so possest with great delight That secretly she led him on the way Into her Closeâ— where she made him stay The woman seeing them so closely plast Of three made two as she that knew the game And out the chamber went in all the hast Well knowing that hir Lady would the same And for to gaze and stare vppon the moone Walkt in the court and left them there alone Wherewith Medea shut the chamber fast And to her Iason presently did call But as mine Author saith she first had plast Wax candles burning cleare on euery wall Which made the place as bright as if the sunne Had shon therein at twelue a clocke at noone Then to her chest she did with speed repaire Which framed was of Christall pure and cleare Out of the which she tooke an Image faire Of fine and beaten gold as did appeare Which hallowed was and consecrate withall To mighty Ioue whom they their God did call Which Image vnto Iason she did
bid me not that am a simple swaine Snch secret obseruations to explaine Or to discourse of that I do not know If that in speculation I were seene Or had by practise skill the same to show It had for me an easie matter beene But sith aboue my skill it is so farre I le leaue it vnto you And now declare How Iason and Medea did agree And how it was their purpose and pretence That she should into Greece conducted bee And in so secret wise convaied thence By him that Faher friend nor any wight Should know or once suspect her sudden flight CHAP. VII I How Iason after the conquest of the Golden-fleâ—â—â—â— taking Medea secretly with him returned againe into Thessalie WHen Iasou had his dangerous coÌ„quest woâ— And brauely feasted was like his degree With all the honor could to him be don He did deuise when oppertunitie Should serue his turne to sayle away by night And take Medea with him if he might And so when as a month had passed ore He closely caused all things t'ready make And as he fully purposed before Medea with him secrretly did take Withall the treasure that he could convay And hoysing sayles from Colchos stale away Alas Medea why wast thou in hast So perillous a iourney then to make And why wast thou so slow before to cast The dangers thou as then didst vndertake Didst thou not proue him faithlesse and vnkind For all to thee by oath thou didst him bind To show he cast thee off and cleane forsooke Constraining thee to weepe and mourne in woe And how that he another louer tooke And for his wife would thee by no meanes know And caused thee thy golden lockes to rend And wofully thy dolefull life to end It were in vaine the same now to recite Sith it is past or show what did befall To Iason in reward of his despight Who likewise fell into no little thrall And lost his life for his vnnaturalnes In bloudy warre with griefe and great distresse This shall suffice th' vnfortunate estate Of louers twaine to set before your eye And t'show they lost their liues by cruell fate Because they set their minds on vanity For of beginning that 's not vertuous The end for certaine proues but dangerous If they at first the perill had forecast And not so rashly run into the fire Of burning lust they had not at the last Reapt iust reward of their so fond desire But he that 's carelesse mischiefe to foresee Will surely fall into extreamitie For as a medcine ministred to man When that his bodie 's mortifide and dead By no meanes helpe nor ought auaile him can And as the stomacke weake or wounded head Cannot be eas'd by any potion Hearbe stone receit salue or confection That any Surgeon what so ere doth know Or learned Doctor in the world can giue When as the bodie 's laid in earth full low Or what auaileth it to striue t'relieue A beast whose carrion corps lies dead on ground And all together cold and sencles found In my conceit and simple fantasie T were vaine as dame Experience doth vs teach For nought as then can helpe or remedy Health to procure or dolour to impeach For that which im perform'd in time and date More vertue hath then that which comes to late Right so it is and sure it is no fable He that thinkes not on danger till it fall But trusteth vnto worldly hopes vnstable In stead of suger sweet tasts bitter gall Mixt with deceit and doth at last repent His carelesnes and life so negligent That he the same could not in time forecast Nor in his mind resolue it to preuent Till in the snare he 's caught and holden fast And cannot shun the perill eminent Which shows that lust not reason did obtaine The highest seat within his head so vaine As Iason and Medea well did proue But how so euer Iason sped thereby The story saith through fond and foolish loue Medea onely felt th'extreamity Of danger woe perplexity and griefe And dyed at the last without reliefe Because she did not warily forecast What might fall out ere she her iourney tooke With Iason for which cause she made such hast That Father friends and Country she forsooke But sith that it was done of wilfulnesse Without good counsell or aduisednesse Meere folly t' were her miseries to waile Or grieue at her so hard and lucklesse fate Sith that as now full little t' would availe But sure she chose an hower vnfortunate When as the Moone by constellation With some bad planet had coniunction Let it suffice that secretly alone To beare her deare friend Iason company To ship she went and th' Isle of Colchos soone She did forsake to saile to Thessalie And in the night full closely stole away With as much treasure as she could conuay And hauing wind at will with gladsome cheare They put to sea and passed many an jsle Where least the voyage tedious should appeare Vnto Medea Iason all the while With Hercules still held her company With fained show of loue and courtesie And with dissembling face seem'd for her sake Much to reioyce as louers oft can do And thereof vse an exercise to make Till that they haue their losts attain'd vnto As Iason did Medea soone deceaue And her of her virginitie bereaue Forsaking her when least â—â—e did suspect He would haue playd so treacherous a part In so vild sort and her so soone reiect With such a cruell hard and stony heart And left her in great miserie and woe But here of her I meane no more to thoe For that mine Author more to write doth spare But if at large the storie you will see Onidâ—â—s Naso plainly doth declare The miserie and great extreamitie Wherein she fell and with what great distresse She lost her life by Iasons wickednes And how that she by him two sons did beare The which she kild although gainst natures kind Because that they like to their Father were And for that Iason falsely chang'd his mind And cast his loue vpon another Dame Whome Ouid saith Cerusa had to name And cleane forsooke Medea his true wife She falling in a rage and extreame griefe In cruell in wise bereft her selfe of life And died distraught dispairing of reliefe Of this her end if more you seeke to know Read Ouid who the same at large doth show And now will I my stile directly turne To let you know what was by Iason done When he in Greece arriu'd Whose heart did burne With rage and anger gainst Laomedon Till he could find a meane how to requight The wrong receau'd from him with like despight When Iason with his traine all landed were Vpon the pleasant coast of Thessalie And that King Peleus knew his being there Accompanied with all his chiualry He went out of his Court with him to meet And did him in most friendly manner greet But yet with outward show and countenance Of fained loue as
They tooke and bare't into their ships in hast Dispoyling Temples with great violence And to the ground their Pagan Gods did cast For no man durst against them make defence And mercilesse great pittie to behold With bloudy swords they kild both yong old The tender child that mothers brest did sucke Escaped not their extreame cruelty For from the mothers arms they did them plucke And violently caused them to die Their maidens faire they did reserue for prise And with them did their beastly lusts suffice Regarding neither beautie birth nor name And when the houses all destroyed were They raz'd the wals and quite defast the same And Laomedons onlie daughter deare Faire Exion whose beautie did excell To go with them by force they did compell Who by them all was giuen to Telamon For his reward by Hercules his consent Because that he first enterd in the towne Wherewith he seemd to be as well contenâ—â— As if that all the treasure they had got Within the towne had fallen to his lot And yet he did himselfe therein abuse For being home returnd from victory To take her for his wife he did refuse But with her as his concubine did lie Regarding neither state nor high degree Nor her descent from Princely majestie For if he had her tane to be his spouse He could not haue disparag'd his estate Considering that she was of Princely house And royall bloud although vnfortunate Vpon his word and curtesie t'relie That kept her but his lust to satisfie But Telamon therin thou wast to blame To do a Princesse faire so great despight And make her to the world anopen shame When as thou shouldst haue shew'd thy selfe her knight And rather in defence of her to die Then that she should haue suffred villanie For through thy bad and foolish government So hote a sparke of envie did arise In Troyans hearts which to revenge were bent That nothing could to quench the same suffice For envie old once rooted in the heart Doth sieldome or else never thence depart And if it burne within and flames not out Nor maketh shew of fume nor smoke at all The greater cause men haue thereof to doubt And where it lights t' will haue the greater fall Which you within this History may see At large in every point set downe to bee When that the towne was burnt laid full low And all the wals vnto the ground was cast And nothing thereof left to make a show But it was spoyld and vtterly defast The Grecians did no longer time delay Vnto their ships their treasure to convay But being richly laden with great store Of siluer gold and costly jewels rare That not the meanest man of them was poore When wind did serue and weather waxed faire They 〈◊〉 â—iles returne againe to make To Thessaâ—â—â— and with them then did take Faire â—â—on and many a proper maide And saâ—â—ing forth with prosperous wind and good It was not long through gentle Neptunes aide But they 〈◊〉 with glad and merry mood At their dâ—â—sired port where on the sand Great multitudes of people then did stand To welcome them with glad and ioyfull cheare Reioycing at their victory obtain'd With losse of so few men as did appeare And cause they had such store of treasure gain'd Their Country to enrich for evermore They gaue great thanks vnto their Gods therefore Thus happily with triumph and renowne They being home returnd did liue in peace And throughout every City land and towne Their honor and their fame did still encrease So that the compasse of the world throughout Each Nation to offend them stood in doubt And feared them For certaine t is they had A multitude of men within their land And wealth treasure great the which they made When s'ever they tooke any thing in hand As common to them all whereby they were A terror to all Nations farre and nere Till fortune chanst to whirle her wheele about And turnd their peace into such bloudie warre As after in few yeares it did fall out When they and Troyans once againe did jarre Which at this time I meane not to declare Desiring that herein you will mespare And giue me leaue to rest a little while For herewith I do meane to end this Booke And at another time direct my stile To perfect that which first I vndertooke Which in the next t' accomplish I intend If life and leisure God to me will lend Meane time if that by rudenesse I offend The gentle readers pardon I will craue With promise any fault I make t' amend If that the least instruction I may haue And so in hope your favours you 'le extend To me herein my first Booke thus shall end FINIS THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HECTOR THE SECOND BOOKE The Preface CHAP. I. THe envious vaine which fortune flattering Doth vse in this vncertaine state of life Where all things fickle are and wavering Addicted is so much to warre and strife That whatsoever course a man doth run The sparkes thereof by no meanes he can shun For she is still so false and mutable That he which on her wheele doth highest clime And thinketh his estate secure and stable At some vncertaine hower day or time When least he doth suspect a change of state She casts him downe and makes vnfortunate And with a smooth and double flattering face Makes shew of loue when least she is to trust That well were he that had the power and grace To see and find her frauds and wiles vniust And all her engins and her snares well knew Which daily doe encrease and still renew The which in truth full well affirme I can So many and so diuers are of kind That hetherto not any mortall man Could euer them avoid that I can find For though vnequall ballance she doth beare With counterfeit false dissembling cheare And looke most smooth full of flatterie She can man soone beguile and cleane bereaue Of all his blisse in twinckling of an eie Her nature is so readie to deceaue And when she changeth high to low estate With fleering looke she stands laughs thereat And yet oft times she seemeth to be true For vnto some a while she 's favorable And then when as she list to change her hew To othersome she is deceauable Such skill she hath in transmutation That one shee le raise other throweth downe To some she giues renowne and victory And doth exalt their honor and their fame And some she causeth most deceitfully Though vndeseru'd t' incurre perpetuall shame To othersome she 's gentle and bening And giues them lucke in all and every thing On some she frownes and hath them in disdaine And by her power imbaseth them full low And for to show that earthly hope is vaine She can the state of Princes overthrow And make them stoop for all their great renowne And high and mighty Emperors cast downe From off the mount of high felicity To make them
feele her rankor and disdaine Into the vale of great adversity The rich she maketh poore and then againe Of poore makes rich and as it is her kind Sets one before another casts behind Some one she maketh run another halt The third she plungeth in extreamity The fourth she doth to honor great exalt So that in her there 's no security In some mans mouth sweet Nectar she distiâ—th Anothers throat with bitter gaâ—â— she fil'th And thus this wilfull Lady as we find Within her power great store of potions hath And every one of strange and severall kind For she to some with false and fained faith Giues pleasant wine but when the sweet is past As t is her vse she giveth them a tast Of Aloes and of bitter wormewood drinke And corfiues which do fret and pierce most deepe Into mens hearts when as they little thinke That fortune them beguiles and luls a sleepe And thus if in this Queene of Variance Whose ioy doth ever end with some mischaÌ„ce Men put their trust let them besure at last Of what estate so euer that they be Shee le overthrow them with some sodaine blast And cleane bereaue of all felicitie As by example of Laomedon We may perceiue brought to confusion For little cause or truth to say for nought Wherefore let euery man by him take heed A quarrell to begin where none is sought Least that like him destruction be their meed For little fire with ashes covered When men suppose it quencht and wholly dead May chance breake out and on a sodaine burne And when as men the same do seeke to cease Full often in their faces it doth turne But he that medleth least liues most at ease Therefore let Kings and Princes every one A mirror make of King Laomedon And see they vse no kind of violence Nor suffer any one to offer wrong To strangers when they giue them none offence For though their power force be great strong Within their land when least they thinke on it As he was seru'd they may their rigor quit And yeeld the like to them in other place When as perchance vnto their overthrow They shall of them receiue but little grace Wherefore I wish when as they heare or know That strangers in their Countries are arriu'd Let them with loue and honor be receau'd And wisely thinke and hold it to be true That to a stranger courtesie to show Vnto a noble mind belongs of due For sure it is as every man doth know That nothing doth their honors more augment Then when their only care and will is bent For to relieue to cherish and to comfort With all the loue and honor that they may Such strangers as vnto their Courts resort That they of them may well report and say The contrary whereof much strife hath wrought As in this present History is taught The towne of Troy that first was built thus spoil'd The people slaine and many forst to fly The remnant with great woe and sorrow toil'd Int'exile led liue in captiuity And Exion as you haue heard me tell Went into Greece with Telamon to dwell For whom there rose such bloudy warre strife And so great vengeance tane for it in th' end On either side that thousands lost their life Which to declare I purposely intend If you vouchsafe it patiently to heare And for your good the same in mind will beare So hard and fatall is our destiny That no estate can permanently stand For every man ordained is to die And alterations chance in every Land And through the world where ever that we be We heare of nought but warre and treacherie Which serues to put vs in rememberance That many warres battailes great are fought And many woes and miseries do chance And mooued are for little cause or nought And diuers things for matters small or none At first begun breed much confusion Each one doth seeke another to destroy And bloudy minds are greatly to be fear'd Man careth not his brother to annoy And all because we take no better heed But envie raignes so much in euery age That nought but bloud death can it asswsge By it although the causes were but small If truth were knowne on th' ancient towne of Troy Both old and new such miseries did fall That at the last it did them both destroy Where during their so long bloudy strife Full many a valiant Knight did loose his life And Kings and Princes died by dint of sword Which to recount my hand doth shake for feare Least that my barren wit should not afford Fit tearmes phrases the truth for to declare Vnto my most renownd and soueraigne Liege Of all that past in that long ten yeres siege Which if that he with patience please to heare And not disdaine my rude and simple verse And in his sacred wisedome with it beare While I this wofull Historie rehearse Whereof no doubt I haue sith that of grace Sweet mercy in his heart he doth embrace And that he is a Prince of Maiestie Whose vertues are so excellent and rare That to addict his mind to pietie It is his onely study and his care With his support I will here vndertake A true discourse vnto you now to make What did befall vnto the towne of Troy That newly was erected once againe When Greeks did it the second time destroy As Guydo doth the same at large explaine And if my verse for want of skill seeme lame Let me intreat you to correct the same But blame me not sith that the fault 's not mine For as you know the English tongue is harsh And wanteth words to make vp perfect rime Where it in many places is too scarce And truth to say my wit will not aspire To follow Guydoes phrase as I desire Who in his Latine verse doth so exceed In Rethoricke that my translation Requires a farre more fine and subtill head To follow him in like construction Verbatim as a learned Gramarian Or as a skilfull Rethoritian I only take vpon me to declare The Historie according to the sence And truth thereof which is my chiefest care Least I thereby to some might breed offence And truth of verse I likewise set aside As wanting one therein to be my guide And to correct and mend them that are wrong My onely seeking is truth to declare Regarding neither verses short nor long For curiousnesse therein I doe not care Pretending not in any thing to varry Nor yet my Author Guido to contrary Nor from him disagree in truth of sence But to conclude our meanings all in one And to agree therein for Eloquence Or Rethoricke I you assure there 's none In me your heads with phrases fine to fill Nor yet haue I in painting any skill With colours fresh and gay to please the ere I nought can vse but sad and mournfull blacke And therewithall my selfe will satisfie Which in good part I you beseech to take And so in
that the Percian King Came to the Greeks with many a worthy Knight And with him diuers thousands more did bring To succour them with all his power and might And that he was of body tall and long Yet very fat and therewithall most strong Red haire and beard and deepe and fiery eyes And in his face great store of warts he had His countnance sterne and often times would rise Into such rage that he did seeme halfe mad Which did in him so deepe jmpression take That therewithall his body it would shake Thus much I find that Dares doth declare Of all the Grecians shapes and personages But of the Troians he no paines doth spare In cerious wise at large them to expresse Omitting none as you may well behold The Chapter next ensuing doth vnfold CHAP. VII ¶ The description of Priam and his sonnes and daughters and of the arriuall of the Greeks at the Temple of Diana ANd first he sheweth how King Priamus Of body was both slender tall and strong Of countenance and looke right gratious Delighting much in musicke and in song And therewithall was most desirous To heare such ditties as were amorous A seemely Prince and of great hardines Cleane void of feare abhorring flattery And with low voyce his speech he did expresse Of word most true much given to equitie And never did refuse to any wight To doe him vpright justice law and right No favor nor no loue made him decline Nor leane vnto the greatest or the least His manner was full sone in morne to dine And of all Kings he was the worthiest One that esteem'd each worthy Knight and trew Or any valiant souldier that he knew On whom he did bestow great store of gold And did aduance them vnto dignitie And spared not his treasure to vnfold Mongst them to show his magnanimitie And by that meanes in such wise with them dealt That every one his bounty largely felt Of many sonnes he had the eldest was Hector the famous Prince and worthy Knight Who all the world in valor did surpasse Such was his courage hardinesse and might The very root and spring of Chivalry As ancient Histories doe certifie And therewithall so sober wise and sad Courteous demure and full of gentlenesse That in his time no Prince more honor had And truth to say he did deserue no lesse Forvertue did so much in him abound That throughout all the world he was renownd Of flesh and bones he was so well compact And rightly formed in proportion And every lim so perfect and exact That no defect has found in any one Huge made he was and of just hight length Thereto compleat and of surpassing strength Liuely well breathed and able to sustaine Against his foe a long and furious fight So that no mortall man could ere attaine Vnto the fame of that most valiant Knight For his surpassing strength and courage bold If vnto him his due ascribe I should Wherewith he was so wise and so discreet And louely though a Prince of high degree To rich and poore that met him in the street That all men prais'd his great humilitie A Prince that vs'd few words to any one And shew'd good countenance vnto every one That all men joyed when as they him beheld Vnto his Troian Subiects he was kind But when as he once entred in the field His foes did him a furious Lyon find So valiantly he could himselfe maintaine And by his might their forces all sustaine No man was euer able to endure The moile of the paine that he would take For as the story plainely doth assure And thereof doth a large relation make He neare had feare nor did in fighting faile Nor with faint heart his enemies assaile Of all the valiant Knights that ever were He was the best for vertue prowesse and might And did the prize of honor from them beare The which he might by valor claime of right For none could euer equall him therein Since that this earthly globe did first begin In whom Dame nature did so much prevaile And like a skilfull workeman fashioned His mold that not one thing did in him faile But was compleat saue that he stammered But had no other imperfection And was of sanguine pure complexion His brethren Deiphobus and Helenus In each respect and every property Were both so like vnto King Priamus That twixt them three was no diversitie Except in age he old they young and light The first he was a strong and valiant Knight And in his warres did many a valiant deed But Helenus to learning wholy bent Of feates of armes and prowesse tooke no heed But in all Arts became so excellent And had such knowledge in Astronomy That he could tell what future things should be Of Troilus to speake it is most sure There never liu'd a more couragious Knight Nor likelier in Armes for to indure As hauing therein pla'st his whole delight Of body well compact of stature tall Young lustly fresh and hardy therewithall So valiant strong and stout a Champion That equall vnto him neare any was For none with him could make comparison So much he did in worthines surpasse For which his great and most exceeding might He was a second Hector cal'd by right He did behaue himselfe so valiantly In that great warre against his enemies In loue he did perseuere constantly And was therein most secret firme and wise Of face most faire and of a pleasant cheare Wherein no alteration did appeare He was so firme and constant in his heart And therewithall so loving and so kind That nothing could disswade nor make him start From that which he had once decreed in mind So true he was in word and so vpright And to his foes he was so sterne a Knight And fierce that they could not his force withstand Vnto the Greeks it was confusion When as he held his bloody sword in hand And to the Troians their protection For that his Knight-hood was of such account That no man might in valor him surmount Thogh al the world they shold haue sought throghout What â—hall I say to make his praises last More then I haue but that amongst the rout Of Greeks and Troians all none him surpast Vnlesse it were his jnvinsible brother Hector alone and neuer any other King Priamus sonne cal'd Paris was a Knight So beautifull of flesh and blood to see That for to yeild to him his due and right I must confesse none was so faire as he Whose crisping looks that shin'd like golden wier Made all men his great beautie much admire His sole delight was shooting in a bow And hunting in the woods to chase wild deare And did therein such skill and cunning show That he all Archers past that euer were And was a Knight of great renowne and fame Whose valiant deeds did well approue the same Aeneas that King Priams daughter had Was light of lims and eyâ—d bright and cleare Well brested and of good proportion
cruelly as I the signes can show Most furiously the same didst hac and hew Whereby mine armes that forged are of steele When thou with puissant force on theÌ„ dist smight Could neuer yet assure my corps so well But that thy trenchaÌ„t blade through theÌ„ would 〈◊〉 Into my flesh full deepely and profound As well appeares by many a mortall wound Which in the same are now both long and wide And at this time full sorely ake and smart And put me to such paine on euery side For which as now it seemeth that my heart Doth rise swell beat and pant when I thee see With great despight reuengd on thee to bee And is so full repleat with furious rage And rancor old with such extreamitie That by no meanes it never will asswage Till with my hands thy death I giue to thee But one thing doth torment me most of all Which is when I vnto remembrance call And with my selfe in mind expostulate How to content thy fierce and bloody will With trenchant blade thou diddest separate Patroclus corps in twaine and didst him kill Whom I did loue with heart and mind intire And vnto him so great good will did beare That as my selfe I must the truth confesse I loued him and such affection Vnto him had as no tongue can expresse And thou thereby didst make division Twixt him and me that liu'd and lou'd together Like brethren twaine and so had done for euer While life endur'd for that betwixt vs twaine Our faithfull hearts were knit to fast together As if they had been linked in a chaine No griefe nor no adversity could sever Our hearts and thoughts how great soere it was Till by his death thou broughtst the same to pas And by that meanes our faith full loue didst part Whose death so deepe in printed in my thought So sore doth griue and vex me at the heart That I protest it shall be dearely bought And 't may be if I reckon not amisse Before this present yeare expired is For be assurd that onely for his sake When Fortune shall afor'd the time to do 't Revenge by cruell death on thee I le take And thereof make account and looke well to 't For if I liue it shall be surely don WheÌ„ thou shalt haue no means the same to shun For right requires that sith by death thou wert The cause and meane to part two louer true Death should to thee be rendred for desert Which I my selfe will giue thee as thy due That all the world through out may thereof know And heare how that Achilles kild his foe To be revenged for Patroclus death And though that I doe hate thee for the same And will as long as I on earth doe breath Thou hast no cause nor reason me to blame For well I wot thou hast my death conspird And many a day the same in heart desird So that to end this strife I tell thee plaine Nought els but cruell death shall vâ—â—pâ—â—r bee For till thou I or both of vs be slaâ—â—â— It shall not cease The which I hope to see Ere it be long for sure it shall be dâ—â— By me or thee the which thou shalt not shun When Hector had Achilles speech well hard And giuen him leaue to tell so long a â—ale As he that for the same full little card With countenance glad and yet with anger pale He did thereto reply and answer made Vnto the same and thus to him he sayd Achilles thou no maruell oughst to haue That as thou saist I doe thy death conspire And howrely the same of fortune craue As th' onely thing which I in heart desire And that to kill thee still I he in wait Because to thee I beare so deadly hate For if in mind thou didst consider well The sentence graue which verity doth proue And vnto vs for certaine truth doth tell That neither I nor any man can loue Nor any kind of fauor show to one That dayly seeketh my confusion And me and mine to vanquish and destroy With deadly hate and great presumption Besieged hath the noble towne of Troy To bring vs wholly to destruction Not can I any cause nor reason find That in my heart I should to him be kind Nor loue nor fauor him in any thing That seekes my death For loue doth neuer breed Of bloody warre and strife nor yet doth spring From fowle and deadly hate but doth proceed And takes her first and true originall From faithfulnesse which is the principall And onely cause that makes mens hearts t' agree And neuer from true faith and loue to start But doth them still preserue in vnitie Of words and will desire mind and hart And neither life nor death can loue disseuer For faithfull loue continueth true for euer But hatred and dissention is contrary From whence proceeds and followes as we see When as mens hearts and minds dissent varry Nought els but rancor strife and enâ—â—itie Whe which once bred makes men proceed so far That at the last they fall to mortall warre The which all loue cleane vanisheth away But nerethelesse I will that thou shalt know That whatsoeuer thou to me dost say In proud and vaunting words and makest show As if that thou wouldst doe that vnto mee Which while thou liust shal neare be don by thee I care not whatsoere thou dost or sayst For without bost hereof I thee assure When as thou hast don all that ere thou â—â—yst If that this warre long twixt vs doth indure I hope if that it be my chance to liue The Grecians so to terrifie and grieue That thou and they full well shall find and feele How with my trenchant blade when we shall meet I le hac and hew their armors made of steele And beat them downe and tread them vnderfeet And thine and all their pride so much will daunt That if you stay and still these warres doe haunt I le make you all repent your comming here For this I know and well assured am That th' onely thing as plainely doth appeare For which vnto this towne you hither came Proceeds of pride and indiscretion Els would you not with such presumption A thing of such importance take in hand As is the siedge of this our towne so great Which able is your forces to withstand And you and yours from thence by force to beat For th' enterprise I tell you true and plaine Is ouer hard and heavy to sustaine And will because to make you all in fine As hauty and as stout as now you seeme To leaue your pride and lowly to decline And stoop vnto the burthen which you deeme To be but very easie small and light With your no little shame and great despight And this I say Achilles vnto thee That whensoeuer thou dost me assayle Death shall vnto thy selfe be giuen by mee Before that thou against me shalt prevaile To do the thing wgich thou so easie deem'st Though of thy selfe thou nere so
them valiantly And put them to most great extreamitie And till we haue destroid them neuer cease Meane time we le send vnto King Priamus A messenger for to entreat with him for peace For two moneths space if he will graunt it vs Whereto I doe not doubt but he 'le agree Sith for his good as well as ours t will bee For he thereby may libertie obtaine To celebeate the funeralles of those Dead Troians that within the field lie slaine And serue for food to beast and carrion Crowes And such a shincke into the aire doe cast That t'cannot chuse but breed the plague at last And we the while may doe the same likewise And heale our wounds and giue our bodies rest And so when they had all agreed by good aduise Considered of his speech and found it best For them to do 't They did thereto consent And presently a messenger was sent To Troy for truce which graunted was full soone By Priamus and he returned againe With speed and made to them relation What he had done while he did there remaine And for that truce their counsell brake vp so And euery one vnto his tent did go And while the truce endur'd and they lay still And leisure had to thinke on their estate Pallamides whose heart began to fill And swell with pride disclaine and deadly hate Grutch in his mind that King Agamemnon Because he had the sole dominion And ore the Grecian house was Generall And for that cause did envy him so much And into such a great conceit did fall Of his owne worth that he began to grutch And murmured with indignation At him and in his furious passion Did seeme to vse such tearmes to his disgrace That all that heard the same might easily know What he did meane and yet he let it pas As thought he made no account thereof in show Till in the end that King Agamemnon Who was a Prince of great discretion Did heare thereof and knowing his intent Determind with him selfe to moue the same Vnto the Grecian Princes in his â—enâ— And when they all together thither came And orderly were set That worthy King Agamemnon a Prince in euery thing So cercumspect so wise and prouident So temperate demure and vertuous So prudent well advisd and patient And neuer giuen to be malicious Although he knew Pallamides intent And saw how much his heart to pride was bent With decent tearmes and great discretion As he that could well frame and tell his mind And so restraine the same from passion And hastines or any other kind Of bad behauiour or vnseemelinesse That nothing past but with advisednesse Out of his mouth as first considered Within his heart with great sincerity And neither for affection nor for dread Would seeme to breake the bonds of modesty Nor in his speeches superfluously let pas One word or sentence that vnseemely was He first saluted all his company And when he had causd silence to be made In seemely wise and in great curtesie He spake vnto Pallamides and sayd You need not King Pallamides said he As I suppose if you advised be To muse oâ— grutch that I am Generall Of our great hoast if you considered How I attaind thereto by choise of all The Princes here and that t' was offered To me by full and free Election And not hy any composition By me or any for me to procure The same in my behalfe once giuen or made For there of in my heart I am most sure No such ambitious thought I euer had Nor neuer dreamt of any such pretence But am most cleare thereof in conscience Which neuer moued was with such vaine glory As to aspire or any waies contest For this estate which is but transitory Though I must say that I haue done my best To see and looke that all things might be well And for the good of this our common wele And also that I had a speciall care As t is my charge while I the same do hold Of every mans estate particular And euer an indifferent eye did hold To all degrees of persons high or low To help them in their need when I did know That they had need of ayd and day and night Was alwaies moued with great carefulnes And speciall heed as much as ere I might To see that none did fall into distresse And such a iealous eye thereto I had That in my heart I was exceeding glad To do the best I could to please each one And that no man should at me take offence Nor haue in me the least suspition Of envy sloath or any negligence In my estate but euer more desir'd To doe my best as time and place requir'd For euery man without exception And therefore I assure my selfe full well That in the hoast there is not any one Of high or low estate that I can tell That can or may accuse me certainely Of falsehood or of partiality In his behalfe for I haue alwaies had So great a care to nourish vnitie And friendship mong you all that I was glad To see you liue in loue and amitie So that till now I am full well assur'd That while I in this office haue endur'd No such occasion hath been ministred And all the Gods well know I neuer feard Nor cared though you had determined An other in my place to haue preferd And giuen him the soueraintie And let me liue at ease and libertie In quietnes of mind as many more Great Lords and Princes here amongst you may That I might with my whole desire and power Fight for our common weale both night and day And ere in this our quarrell if so be It please the Gods it should so hap to me Which for my part I speake and doe not faine For t' were no boot for me herein to lie And where you say and thereof do complaine That I was chosen without your priuitie T is true indeed as euery man can tell You were not here if you remember well Nor came not hither vnto Troy well nere After that we our voyage had begun And planted this our siedge in two whole yeare And for to let so long time ouer-run To stay till you had come it might perchance Haue been to vs a mighty hinderance And extreame hurt for if that we had staid And laine so long at Athens still for you As by your selfe it cannot be denaid It 's like we had remained there till now And where you did esteem't vncredible And held it for a thing impossible For Grecians to presume in any wise Without the ayd and helpe of yours and you To take on them so great an enterprize It 's nothing so as you see plainely now For they without offence to you be 't sayd By force and power without you or your ayd Performed haue with most victorious hand And by their valor great and worthines Great matters both by water and by land And where you thinke and say of me no lesse
ensignes glistring Against the Sun made such a gallant sight As they within the ayre hung wauering That to behold them t' was a great delight Who in most furious wise the Troians chast Kild wounded and did beat them downe so fast And at that time most like a valiant Knight Behau'd himselfe so brauely and so well That by his valor greaâ— and puissant might To flie from him he did them then compell But while that he in that most furious mood Amongst the thick est of the Troians road Prince Troielus ran at him with a speare And in the face of all his enemies Out of his sadle to the ground him bare Wherewith the Greeks with huge and mighty â—â—ies To see their puisant Lord and Generall In midst of them receiue so great a fall Ran to him and by maine and mighty force Relieued him and made him mount againe Despight of all the Troians on his horse At which time many a gallant Knight was slaine And furiously on either side vnhorst But yet the Grecian Knights at last were forst For all the great 〈◊〉 that they made By Troielus whose sword they durst â—or bide To leaue the plaine and bloody fight and glad To make retrait withdrew themselues aside For when as King Agamemnon perceiu'd How that his men were or there liues bereau'd So furiously that they could notwithstand The Troians blowes he did suppose it best For him to make retrait and out of hand To leaue the field and for that time to rest And to that end did giue commandement To euery man t'retire vnto hâ—â—teâ—â— And after that ere Phâ—bus did appeare Next day he sent to Priam to require A truce for six moneths space iâ— that he were Content therewith who graunted his desire Although that some therein with him did stritie And grueth therat and would not graunt to giue Such respit to the Greeks but t' was no boot For them to striue when Priamus had past His word and faith vnto the Greeks to do 't In which time while the truce twixt them did last Faire Grâ—sula loth so long time to tarry Although her Father was therein contrary From viliâ—ing her friend and t' haue a sight Of Diomede who â—aâ— receiu'd a wound Not long before that was her louing Knight Went to his tent whereas when The him found She sat downe on the bed side where he lay And while that she therein his tent did slay She did consider with her selfe and thought That t' was in vaine for her so long t' endure Without a loue and that t'availd her nought For Troielus to stay and to be sure Of store for that men say it is no sore She thought she would delay the time no more But presently with gentle heart and kind She promist loue vnto King Diomede To shew what pietie is in women kind And how that they b'extremitres are led T'expulse old loue and new to entertaine Before that men should sue to them in vaine Or suffer griefe and sorrow for their sake The exchange is not so ready in Lombard street Where Marchants do contracts and bargains make For Duckects and for Crownes when as they meet Each kind of gold and coynes to them 's all one So that it haue a face or stamp thereon Their letters of exchange paâ—se currantly And commonly are payd vpon the sight The passage boate is ready and doth lie T' attend all commers both by day and night No man's refusde that will desire grace Danger ther 's none but in dissembling face The Sea is caline and cleare from Rocks and sands T' was neuer heard that man was ere said nay That crau'd or asked mercy at their hands As you may plainely see by Cresida Who at that time gaue Diomede her hart To ease and to release him of his smart Desiring him to be of ioyfull cheare And promised t' obay him faithfully In euery thing as to her Knight most deare Before that he for loue of her should die Esteeming't better to want constantnes Then to be held and counted pittiles As women are by nature very loath T'adict their minds t reuenge or crueltie Gainst any man for breach of faith or oath But rather seeme to show humilitie And mercie vnto those that want reliefe And haue their minds possest with woe griefe Thus much for her and now I will proceed According to the Historie to show That while the two moneths truce before decreed Was holden King Agamenon did goe Vnto Achilles tent of him to craue That of the Greeks he would compassion haue And not t' endure not suffer them to die And to be slaine and maimed euery hower By them of Troy who with great crueltie Assayl'd the Greeks and by their mighty power Did put them to most great and hard distresse The which he sayd was likely to encrease Vnlesse he would vouchsafe his aid to lend With speed and it no more from them with-hold And by his mighty power and force defend Them as before he did with courage bold But t' was in vaine for whatsoere he sayd Achilles would not yeild to him to ayd Noâ— succour them but with obdurate mind Still wished them to thinke vpon a peace And with all speed some way and meanes to find That bloody and most tedious warre to cease But yet because he bare affection And much good will to King Agamemnon He would not altogether say them nay But partly to their willes did condiscend And sayd though he within his tent would stay He was content his Myrmidons to send In steed of him into the field to ayd Them gainst their foes Wherwith full wel apaid Agamemnon and Nestor tooke their leaue And left him in a malancholly mood Vpon his bed where he did sigh and grieue For Pollicene in whom then wholy stood His sole delight and comfort yet in doubt Nere to attaine to that he went about And so continued still But as he had Made promise when the truce was at an end He did appoint his Mirmidons to ayd The Greeks to fight and when he did them send Into the field he gaue a riban red To each of them to were vpon his head That they might from the rest be knowne thereby And when they tooke their leaues and did depart From him he was in great perplexitie And mightily tormented at the hart Because he sent them t'ayd the Grecians Against his will t'assayle the Troians But nerethelesse with hearts repleat with pride They went with King Agamemnon to fight Against their foes who for them did abide Vpon the plaine and when they were in sight Each side began the other to defie In warlike wise with many a shout and crie And fearefull noise of drums and trumpets braue Wherewith the Troians furiously began T' assayle the Greeks and such an onset gaue To them at that same time that many a man On Grecians side were slaine and they compeld To make retrait againe out of the field Till that the
counsell how to bring about the thing Which they among themselues had by devise Forecast for their owne good wherof th' effect Was that they wisht that he would not neglect His owne estate the towne and common-weale By obstinately standing gainst his foes But rather to aduise himselfe and deale With them about a peace and not to loose Time when it serued if they would graunt therto And that to moue them better thereunto He would be pleasd to offer to restore Queene Helena to Menalaus againe And all that he had taken from them more In Cithera and so he might obtaine That at their hands which other wise could not By force nor any other meanes be got But words and thoughts with them did not agree They had an other meaning and intent For they knew well no peace would graunted bee And that the Greeks nere would thereto consent With them of Troy whom they as then had broght Vnto that point that in a manner cought Like Birds within a cage they held them pent And therefore t w'as in vaine to thinke thereon For if the Greeks had thereto giuen consent And made peace on that condition King Priamus successors might haue raignd Till now in Troy and neuer had sustaind Such losse and extreame desolation As after on them fell But t' was too late To motion that for when Agamenon Did by aduise of all the Grecian state Send messengers to Troy from Tenadon To offer Priam peace vpon condition That he should send againe Queene Helena To Menalus and restitution make Of all the treasure which in Cithera Parit by force with her from thence did take King Priam would by no meanes hearken to 't But obstinately sayd he would not do 't So that by their owne folly and their pride For want of good foresight and prouidence Peace iustly might vnto them be deni'd For thinke you when the Greeks with such expence Of treasure losse of lims and of their Knights Endured had so many cruell fights And after many a bloody broyle orepast By them to bring that warre vnto an end They would in fine euen at the very last Oreslip so good occasion giuen to spend The time in making peace when they had brought Their foes to that which they so long had sought And without any recompence would leaue Th' advantage by them gotten and againe Returne to Greece with losse and cleane bereaue Themselues of that which they with so much paine Obtained had it were without all sence For they knew well thogh to their great expence They had brought Troy to that extremity That it could not long gainst their force endure And that in fine without all remedy They could not faile to win 't whereof being sure They made account to haue the victory Against their foes without ambiguity So that Anthenors counsell and all those That with him were of that conspiracie To Priam giuen to seeke vnto his foes To make a peace was but meere trechery As it vnto King Priam well appeard When he from thē first motion therof heard For when he with his sonne Amphimachus And many of his Lords in counsell were Anthenor and his friends mou'd Priamus To seeke for peace the which when he did heare In pollicy before he would consent Or graunt thereto he askt them what they ment To motion it and sayd before that he Did enter into parle with his foes He would with more aduise instructed be How't should be done Wherewith Anthenor rose Vp sodainly and without reuerence And countnance sterne in open audience Spake to the King and sayd if thou wilt take Our counsell at this present time and do 't Thou mayst but if that light thereof thou make Though it should turne to thy destruction yet Thou nere shalt be advised more by me But follow them that of thy counsell be To whom the King in great sobrietie Made answere and vnto him sayd againe Anthenor thou oughtst not so hastely To speake to me nor take me vp so plaine For my intent is no way able to reproue The counsell which thou giuest me in loue So it be good and for the common-weale Of all men in the towne in generall But know this for a truth and marke it well If it proue bad and cleane contrary fall And in the end be their destruction I will by no meanes tak 't nor heare thereon As reason is we should preuent the worst Whereof me thinks thou shouldst not thinke amis Nor sodainly into such choler burst For euery man as it most certaine is Should chose the best leaue the worst take The wise mans counsell and the fooles forsake And seeke a salue to cure his wound withall Wherewith Anthenor rose vpon his feet And into such a mighty rage did fall That leauing honor and obedience meet And dew vnto his Soueraigne Lord the King Said sure me thinks it is a wondrous thing How you being wise and well aduisd should bee So blinded in conceit that wilfully You either cannot or you will not see The mischiefe and the great aduersity Wherewith we are environd on each side For we cannot although we would it hide Deny in what extremitie we stand For are we not besiedged round about And fearing to fall in our enemies hand Dare not aduenture once to issue out Nor be so bold to goe forth of our gate To fight with them that vs so deadly hate Because our force is weake and theirs too strong For vs to deale withall for certainely There are yet fiftie valiant Kings among Them in their Campe who all most furiously Haue vowed and protested with great pride Euen to the last and vtmost hower t' abide And neuer to depart nor leaue this towne Till that they haue their wills on vs to shed Our blood and see our walls turne vpside downe Your most renowned Princely sons are dead And all your strong and valiant knights are slaine That wonted were to help you and maintaine Your right against your foes but now berest Of them there is no way for vs to scape Out of their hands nor comfort for vs left It is in vaine for vs to thinke to shape A remedy by force to be relieu'd Wherefore I say that ere we bereau'd Of hope and both our liues and goods do lose And see the ouerthrow of this our towne Of two extreames the least of them to choose And for a resolution to set downe That better t were for vs in time to make Peace with them and an order thereby take For our reliefe which that it may be done Let vs restore Queene Helena againe To Menalus her Lord for whom alone There hath so many worthy men been slaine And many since this bloody warre began Sith Paris now is dead that was the man Who onely hindred that while he did liue And also to make promise by a day To make them satisfaction and to giue Them all which we by force in Cithera Tooke from them which I thinke to
may be â—eard And that you with reason iudge and be Vnpartiall in this case twixt him and me And first consider well and way withall That while you here so long in siedge did tarry I onely out of Messa brought you all Prouision that for you was necessary That you no want of victuals might sustaine By any meanes while you did here remaine And further as concerning feats of armes Performed in the field in Knightly wise I euer ready was at all alarmes And daylie fought against our enemies And as I am assurd full well kild more Of them then those that greater countnance bore You also know that I slew Philomen To whom King Priam sent his youngest Son To keepe with store of treasure great and when I had him slaine and all that riches won I brought it vnto you and therewith did Relieue you much and did supplie your need And sor your sakes I slew the Frizian King And store of gold and treasure from him won And all those spoiles vnto the Campe did bring You likewise further know what I haue don T' augment and to aduance your soueraignty By conquering two kingdomes valianly While you in siedge here lay and did them ad Vnto your puissant Empire and likewise The prouinces to Troy annexed made All Subiect vnto you What otherwise I with Achilles did t' increase your fame I know that you cannot forget the same And therefore needles t were for me to say Or shew you all I could produce to proue My merits more then his do euery way Deserue a greater recompence and loue Of you And therefore whatsoere he saith No right vnto Palladion he hath The iudgement in this case I do referre Vnto you all the which that you may know The better how to giue you first shall heare His qualities which I will to you show In him there is no manner worthines Knight-hood valor nor yet hardines For when time serues that he should in a need Shew forth his might he dates not enterprize That which he boasts but proues as he 's indeed A coward right as plainely with your ciâ—s You see ther 's iâ— him nought but craâ—tines Words many falsehood decâ—â—â—fulnes For he is still in heart imagining How to effect by craft and subtilty His purpose and the same to passe to bring T' intrap and to deceaue his enemy For never any thing as yet there was By him archieu'd nor fully brought to passe For which he well deserued praise or laud But it was done it's knowne vnto you all By some devise of treachery or fraud For like vnto a goodly painted wall He makes a faire and pleasing outward show But no man can his inward meaning know And by such sleights deceit and pollicy He got the Image cald Palladion And thereby to our shame and villany It may be said the conquest we haue woone Vpon the towne by treason gotten was And not by our great knighthood brought to passe The onely cause whereof as I haue said Ulisses is for he vnto our shame This stumbling blocke hath in our honor laid And thereby much ecclipsed all our fame The truth thereof sith all of you do know I le leaue for this time more of him to show And of you all my Lords together craue You iudgements which of vs deserveth best For his deserts the jmage faire to haue That for the same we may no more contest Which words thus vsed by King Thelaphus Ulisses having heard with mind suspicious And seeing how with envie great he was Incenst and mou'd gainst him with good advise He bare with him a while and let ore-passe His choller and as he was passing wise Determing no iest thereof to make To answere him on this wise to him spake And said with countance bold before his face My Lords if that I may haue leaue to speake I hope before we part out of this place And yet intend no peace thereby to breake To proue directly that with equitie The jmage onely doth belong to me Which I will keepe and hold while I do liue Despight of all that thereto dare say nay And first for proofe this instance I do giue That at the siege wherein so long we lay In double wise I did my selfe acquit As well by valor great as by my wit For by advise I was the onely man T' intrap them in a snare and for your good Devis'd the meanes and way whereby we wan The towne of Troy which otherwise had stood And flourisht to this day and truth to tell As it is not vnknowne to all full well If you will speake vprightly and with reason I dare avouch though Thelaphus saith no I was chiefe cause of their confusion How often of Embassage did I go To make the treatie with them in such wise As I for our advantage could devise And when I saw that all that we had done Was but in vaine the towne of Troy to win And that for vs advantage there was none While that the holy Image was therein By my advise so subtillie I wrought That I to you Mineruaes Image brought Which Thelaphus maliciously doth say That to your great dishonour and your shame By treacherie I brought it thence away And thereby much imblemished your fame But sith you are so wise I pray you take The quarrell now in hand and thereof make An end betweene vs twaine and so prouide That th'jmage at this time may iudged be All fauour whatsoever laid aside To him that it deserues and as for me I le stand to your award Which having said He paused and from speaking further staid Whereat with courage great King Thelaphus In heart and mind exceeding lie much mou'd Respecting no man there in furious And raging wise despightfullie reprou'd And chafed at Vlisses with disdaine And he at him replide with like againe Whereby they two great enemies became And into hard and bitter tearmes did fall And threatning each the other for the same King Thelaphus in presence of them all Said that before they two did end that strife It should vnto Vlisses cost his life By his hands if he did not well defend Himselfe Which when the Grecian Princes heard The quarrell grown between them two to end The matter was by all of them deferd And wholly put to th'arbitration Of Menalus and King Agamemnon Which afterward did breed a mortall iarre For when they two considered had thereon They iudged cause Ulisses t'whom they bare Affection great the jmage faire had woon He should possesse the same as his reward And Thelaphus from claime thereof debard The reason that made them therein preferre Ulisses and King Thelaphus to thwart Was for because they both beholding were To him for that he friendly tooke their part When as the Greeks bout Helen were at strife To haue her kild and he to saue her life Perswaded them so well that they content To let her liue to Menalus her gaue When Thelaphus with furie gainst her
her selfe and to that end Determining him home againe to call A messenger with speed to him did send And to him by her letters signified That whereas she had wrongtully deny'd Him enterance into his Land when he Returned from the siege of Troy she said That she with all her whole Nobilitie Submissiuely for pardon crau'd and praid Him to come home againe into his land Which news when he from her did vnderstand Remitting all offences whatsoere Vnto him done he was content to do As she desir'd and with her fault to beare As being more of mercy mou'd thereto Then iustice which doth wrongs with force requite And as he was a wise and courteous knight When he did by her letters vnderstand Her meaning and intent he thought it best To stint all strife therefore out of hand Did willingly graunt vnto their request And speedily returned home agene And reconcild was vnto his Queene And for his part all wrongs forgotten were And pardoned to his Nobility And after that he liued long time there In high estate and great felicity And with his Queene a happy life did lead But cause no more of him I further read I will leaue off to speake of him as now And vnto Duke Aeneas turne my stile And of him briefely tell vnto you how When he in Troy remained had a while To aid them with Diomed spent Some time therein with many men he went Aboord his Troian ships well furnished Of all things that for him were necessary And hoysing sayles put vnto sea with speed And prosperous wind till it began to varry And made the seas to storme waues to rise And mount aloft almost vnto the skies And hauing many dangers ouerpast And sayled many miles along the coast He did ariue at Carthage at the last When he his wife by Fortune strange had lost But to declare all that to him befell And seuerally vnto you here to tell How that Queene Dido loued him and gaue Him treasure gold costly jewels store With all things els that he desir'd to haue And how for all the loue she to him bore He shewd himselfe to her so much vnkind That as you shall at large in Virgill find He secretly from her did steale away And got into his ships ere she it knew By night when she in bed fast sleeping lay For which in desperate wise her selfe she slew And sayled into Italy whereas He did through many hard adventures pas And diuers battailes fought and at the last Did conquer it and therein raigned King With all his long and tedious trauailes past It needles were for me sith every thing Declared is by Virgill long before I wrote this Booke which of him speaks no more But sheweth how Horestus to requight His Fathers death on them that had him kild Did find the meanes as equitie and right Requires that blood by murther falsely spild Should by the King of kings most iust decree Without all doubt at last revenged bee For blood by murther shead or violence Doth neuer cease for vengance loud to call On him that hath committed such offence Which on him at the last will surely fall And giue him that reward he hath deserud For none can scape the doome that is reseru'd For murthers by God that sits on hie And doth behold downe from his heavenly throne All actions good or bad with equall eie Who though a while he letteth them alone And makes a shew to winck at faults forepast When he sees cause he le punish them at last At such time as they little thinke thereon The which he doth full often for our good As for the murther of Agamemnon He made one that was next to him of blood Horestus his owne Son his substitute His iudgement in that case to execute And vnto him procured meanes might By aid of freinds to bring the same to pas Who when he had been made dubbed knight By Idumeus King of Creet when as He had attaind to twenty foure yeares old And was of body strong and courage bold And therewithall both wise and provident And calling vnto mind the iniurie He had sustaind was resolutely bent If Fortune vnto him did not deny Her ayd to proue if that he could obtaine His kingdome and his heritance againe The which by force Egistus from him held And wrongfully possest by false pretence Of wedlocke thereby had him compeld For safegard of his life to flie from thence For which he did protest while he had breath To be revengd and also for the death And murther fowle of King Agamemnon His father on all those that had conspird And traitrously procurd it to be don And to that end most earnestly desird Idumeus King of Creet to stand his friend Some ayd some reliefe to him to lend To helpe him to assaile his enemie By whom he did such iniurie sustaine Which his request the King would not denie But willing his iust quarrell to maintaine Ordained that a thousand Knights should goe With him to fight against his cruell foe Egistus that by force and violence So long time vnto him had done such wrong Which done Herestus by his diligence In little time did make himselfe so strong That he another thousand knights did win To go with him and therewith did begin With all his power to march and in the way As he along did through the countrey pas The first place where he did incampe and stay To victuall and to rest his army was Within a towne Troyesa cald where he Was welcomed with great solemnitie By Forence King thereof who hated sore Egistus for his barbrous cruelty In murdering King Agamemnon but more Because of great deceit and trechery He had vnto him done when as the king That loud him well him so much honouring Vnto him gaue his daughter young of age To be his wife but he respecting not The Kings good will nor breach of mariage When he had her virginitie once got Car'd not for her but quickly changd his mind And shewd himselfe vnto her so vnkind That he without a cause her cleane forsooke And gainst the lawes of equitie and right Committed fowle adulterie and tooke Clytemnestra to his wife when he by night With her consent had slaine Agamemnon And of Methena Crowne bereft her Son And for that hatefull false conspiracle By her and him so mischieuously wrought Committing murther and adulterie King Forence that by all occasions sought To be revenged on him for the â—ame Assoone as Prince Horestus to him came He did not onely offer him some ayd To helpe him in his need against his foe But in most friendly wise vnto him sayd That he himselfe would also with him goe And with foure hundred Knights well furnished Vnto Methena land accompanied Him all the way but ere they entered Into the same Horestus first did go Into the Temple where he offered A sacrifice vnto the Gods to know How he should speed
able there most cruell blowes to beare Nor gainst them long to stand in their defence Which don they tooke me and King Alphenore And in their armes by force and violence Despightfully away with them they bâ—re And carried vs that were in mighty feare Into a darke and filthy prison where Our hands and feet with Iron chaines were bound And we were fed with bread and water cleare And had no bed but bare and naked ground To lyevpon while we remaines there This mighty Giant cald Poliphemus Who as I sayd had so imprisoned vs A sister had that passed every one That liued in her time for beauty rare Who as it seem'd had some compassion Of our distresse as maydens often are More kind then men and came to visit vs In prison by which meanes it fell out thus That Alphenore though captiue then he lay So much admird her beautie that he fell In loue with her and did nought night and day But musd thereon and liked her so well That though he did himselfe in fetters find Yet he on her did holy set his mind And faster with loues chaines had tyed his hart Then with theyron bands wherein we lay Sixe moneths in great distresse ere we could part Or get from thence for so long we did stay Imprisoned till that Polliphemus At last had some compassion vpon vs. And after we had been tormented so Did ease vs of our great captivity And of his grace and fauour let vs go Whereas we would at our owne liberty But Alphenore still burning hot in loue Could not the same out of his mind remoue But dayly felt a sore and grieuous fit Thereof within his heart till at the last He found the meanes by policy and wit When he had many stormes of loue orepast That on a night he did the mayd convay Out of her fathers house and went away With her so secretly that no man knew 't Till morning early ere that it was day Polliphemus did sweare that we should rue't And following vs oretooke in the way And such a fierce assault on vs did make That â—e the mayd from Alphenor did take And then our men so furiously did slay With th' aid of those that him accompanied That they compelled were to giue him way And at the last in extreame feare they fled And left me in great danger all alone To fight with that most mighty Champion And when I saw there was no remedy To scape from death I did with courage stout Defend my selfe and smot him sodainly Vpon the face and thrust his eye cleane out Which done I went vnto my companie And with them to our ships in hast did flie And no man did perceiue which way we tooke And finding wind and weather fit to go We went aboord and speedily forsooke That countrey as best for vs so to do For there was no abiding then for vs. Of Poliphemus Ovid writeth thus That he a huge and mighty Gyant was Whose face was couered ore with beard haire So thicke and so defusedly that as Men lookt on him they were in mighty feare The rather for that he deformedly In middest of his forehead had an eie And none elsewhere as men are vsd to haue Which eie when as Ulisses had smit out He did therefore sâ—extreamely rage and raue That he ran blindfold groping round about Ore hils dales and wheresoere he past Huge rocks and mighty stones about him cast In euery place supposing so to be Reuenged on Ulisses for the â—ame As you at large in Ovids booke may see Which he his Metamorphosis doth name And hauing so escaped from his hand And safely with our ships got from the land We sayled all that day vntill t' was night When as it was our chance vnhappily Vpon a round and little Isle to light Which in the middle of the sea doth lie Eludium cald wherein as then did dwell Dame Circes who in magicke did excell And would that which she tooke in hand performe So cunningly that by her Art she could A man or woman when she list transforme Into what kind of shape so ere she would And make them in that sort to liue as long As pleased her her potions were so strong And likewise made her selfe by Art so faire That none like vnto her was to be found For that whosoere did to her Isle repaire Could not get out of that accursed ground Without her leaue for by that Sorceres My mind was so possest with carelesnes That I had no desire at all to go From thence but there with a yeare did stay And truth to tell I was enchanted so That I could not get thence by night nor day So pleasant was the life that there I led And while that I with her continued She did conceaue with child by me and had A sonne that Thelagenius had to name For which cause much account of me she made And lou'd me more then others for the same But yet at last by secret providence I in her Art had such experience That maugre all inchantments she could vse I stole away from her and to conclude Though she so many others did abuse By Art I did her divelish Art delude And by that meanes escaped from her hand And with my men got free out of her land But nerethelesse it did me nought availe For that when I had been a little while Vpon the seas and forward thought to saile A wind contrary blew me to an Isle That farre remote within the sea did stand And was exceeding rich and fertile land Wherein Calipha Circes sister raignd Whose Art and foule inchantments were so strong That she againe my liberty restraind And spight my heart there also held me long But truth to say she did so much abound In courtesie the which in her I found And was a Lady of such excellence For rarenesse of her qualities and wit That tarrying there to me was no offence But though that I well pleased were with it Yet loath to stay I did her Art prevent And secretly escapt from her and went Directly to an Isle wherein did stand A Temple where there was an Oracle And whosoere therein did chance to land Might answere haue as 't were by miracle Of any thing whereof he wold enquire Whereas I did most earnestly desire To know what fortune should vnto me fall And also how I might prevent the same Where I was told my future fortunes all What soere I askâ— saue only what became Of soules of mortall men when they are dead For nothing therevnto it answered As being that which is not in the might Nor power of any creature to tell For that belongeth wholly and of right To God that doth in highest heavens dwell For it is cleane beyong the reach of man And from that Isle I once againe began To hoyse vp sailes in surging seas scourd The same but with contrary In Caribdis where Mermaids vse to lie That from the middle down-wards