Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	woman_n	world_n	worth_a	12	3	7.7160	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05236	The auncient historie, of the destruction of Troy Conteining the founders and foundation of the said citie, with the causes and maner of the first and second spoiles and sackings thereof, by Hercules and his followers: and the third and last vtter desolation and ruine, effected by Menelaus and all the notable worthies of Greece. Here also are mentioned the rising and flourishing of sundrie kings with their realmes: as also of the decai and ouerthrow of diuers others. Besides many admirable, and most rare exployts of chiualrie and martiall prowesse effected by valorous knightes with incredible euents, compassed for, and through the loue of ladies. Translated out of French into English, by W. Caxton.; Recueil des histoires de Troie. English	Lefèvre, Raoul, fl. 1460.; Caxton, William, ca. 1422-1491.; Phiston, William.	1597 (1597)	STC 15379; ESTC S106754	424,225	623

aduance himselfe by defaming another This knowing I will say the truth and if there bee any man that may worthily prooue this against me and ouercome me no blessing to my heart I will stand to the iudgement of all noble men that haue knowne my behauiour Alas ladie from whence is come this abusion for to charge me that I should haue willed to enforce you when or in what place was it doone or where be the witnesses of the crie that ye made at the affray where be the prooues that shall say that euer in my life I was with you alone It giueth me maruaile from what heart departed this dishonour that ye note in me and for what cause it is imagined against me for I will well that all the world know that I haue serued you truely and loyally and that I neuer thought dishonour vnto you nor vnto the king to whom I pray that he will take and make information vpon my liuing and to vnderstand in like wise yours And if it can be prooued and appeare that I haue trespassed that I may be punished but I pray also if I be founde innocent that I may haue spéedy absolution Syr said the Ladie that strongly was obstinate in her errour I make me partie against him If then I accuse him it is truth it ought not to demand witnesses of his follie In this case I am worth two witnesses for all the world knoweth that when an ill man will dishonour a woman he calleth no witnesses nor no prooues thereto but doth his damnable will the most secretly that in him is possible And so wéened Bellerophon to haue doone with mée wherefore I require sentence and iudgement of him With these wordes Pricus assembled his Councell and it was iudged that the ladie shoulde bee beléeued and that Bellerophon should bee culpable of death Then spake Pricus to Bellerophon and said Faire sonne thou knowest and hast found that I haue loued and nourished thée louingly thou vnderstandest the accusation of thy Ladie the case is so foule that it may not be purged by denying For if it were so the euill boyes and had fellowes would all day dishonour as many of our women as they could find In this case the Ladyes haue a prerogatiue for to be beléeued and néede not to bring forth witnesses And forasmuch as thy mistres hath vanquished thée and required iudgement of thy trespasse thou art condemned to die But forasmuch as before this time I haue had great loue vnto thée and that I knowe thée a valiant man of thy bodie I will mittigate and attemper this sentence in this wise that thou shalt go fight agaynst the Chymere of Sicill and if thou mayst ouercome and maister her I giue thée thy life and giue thée plaine absolution of all vpon condition that neuer after thou renue nor rehearse this trespasse Sir answered Bellerophon sith that fortune consents that I be attainted of any infelicitie and that the priuiledge of the Ladies take place and go aboue reason I had much leuer to be vanquished by wrong cause and euil then by iust and good cause and thanke you of the moderation of your iudgement and make vow here in your presence that in all haste I will go into Sicil to proue me against the Chimere and will sée if fortune will helpe me to get againe the life which she hath made me lose by your iudgement Then the noble knight departed and tooke leaue of the king of the ladies and damosels tooke also his armours and goods and made couenant and bargained with certaine marriners to bring him to Sicill When they were agréed he went to the sea with little companie and was euill at ease at his heart when hee sawe that Fortune was to him so contrarie yet hee comforted him selfe in his good quarrell and sayling on a daye on the Sea of Hellesponte his Marryners looked into the West and sawe come a right great floate of Shippes of warre which discomforted them so sorrowfully that it was wonder and they awooke Bellerophon that at that time slept and saide that they were but dead and cast away Bellerophon comforted his marriners the best wise hee could and told them that discomfort could not helpe them and as he was thus speaking a gallie of aduantage went out afore his fellowes and flying on the sea like vnto a bird adressed her vnto the ship wherein was Bellerophon and aborded it And who that will demaund what the name was of the gallie and what men were therin I wil say to them that this was Pegase and that Perseus was within it As soone as he might speake to the marriners that caried Bellerophon to Sicyll hee asked and demanded them what they were and into what region they would go When Bellerophon heard Perseus speake hee behelde his behauiour and countenance and iudged in himselfe that he was of a good house and said to him Certes sir I haue much great ioy for that I sée the ship and marriners be so well adressed and in so good readinesse as yours be for ye séeme well a knight of a noble house and therefore I tell you my case afterthat ye haue made your asking First then where ye enquired what we bee knowe ye that in Argos wee haue taken our birth And as to the second I answere you that we haue a purpose to go straight into Sicill to the which I am constrained by the rigour of a mortall iudgement cast vppon mee at the instance of a Ladye called Aurea that vniustly and vntruely hath complained vppon mee saying that I would haue enforced her This Ladye that I speake of is wife to king Prycus which newly and of late hath banished and exiled his Brother Acrisius out of his Realme and this King for to please and satisfie the accusations of his wife hath condemned mée to be put to death yet for the good and the acceptable seruice that I haue doone to him hée hath graunted me to liue if so it please the goddes that I may by possibilitie vanquish and ouercome a Chimere that is in Sicill vnto the which I go for to assay mee So I pray you that in our misfortune we be not let by you neither by none of your companie Valiant knight answered Perseus as it is true that the heart of a noble man taketh pitie and compassion in the distresse and passion of his equall the weighing of your case hath pearced mine heart with a charitable mercie and pitie by which yée may surely vnderstand not to haue by vs any hinderance during your infortunate life And for as much as the hearts of them that would be induced at calling to the déedes of Armes singularly delyte them in aduentures of great woorth and weight to get credite by I will accompanie you for two causes The first is to expose my selfe to the disputation and destruction of the Chimere if it happen that you ouercome her not which I suppose yée can not

vnto armes with great courage and assayled all about the men of Lyncus There was a terrible battaile and many people gathered togither men women against their enemies In a little while all the citie was troubled When Hercules had put to death al them that he found in the close of his pallace excepting Lincus whom he put in the guard and kéeping of the Quéene Iuno and of many Gentlewomen that came vnto him then hée sprang into the stréetes and shewed his sword and smote downe right on all sides in skirmishing so mortally with the men of Lincus all about where he might finde them that by the helpe of them of Thebes he made them all to passe the sharpenesse and cutting of his sword And then was Thebes all glad and Hercules returned into the pallace vnto the place where the ladies kept Lincus Then Hercules sent for to breake vppe the doore of the chamber where Megara was in for as much as they could not finde the keyes for they that kept her were dead Megara then full of gladnesse came vnto her lord Hercules rose vp to her and would haue embraced her and kist her But Lincus that thought on nothing but for to do euill by the secret perswasion of Iuno turned him from it saying Hercules let be my concubine I haue taken my fleshly desires with her she is of mine acquaintance and the most luxurious ladie that euer I was acquainted withall When Megara heard the right great iniurie and wrong that the traitor charged hir with she fel backward for anger being furious without saying of any word Hercules was al full of anger and hote and full of great ire wéening that Lincus had said truth so he smote off the head of Lincus and with the same sword that he had slaine the traitor with he put to death Megara who was with childe Howbeit the Cronicles of Spaine tell that Hercules slew not his wife but that he put her into a religious house that he ordained in Thebes in the temple of Diana renouncing her companie and there it is saide that this was the first religion that euer was in Thebes These things accomplished in the one manner and in the other Hercules went forthwith and tooke out of prison Amphitrion and Philotes and departed from thence al angrie and sore gréeued so that at that time and long after he spake not and went his way at all aduenture accompanied with Theseus and Philotes with the great bewailing of them of Thebes which then after his departing crowned ouer them Layus the sonne of King Agenor of Assirie for as much as he had wedded the daughter of the king Creon named Iocasta CHAP. IX ¶ How Hercules put to death the King Laomedon and destroyed Troy the second time HErcules Theseus and Philotes departed from Thebes and went into many diuers lands séeking their aduentures And passing by Licie where Hercules was made king on a day they came into Mi●imidonie vnto the pallace of the King Eson where Iason was which had enterprised for to saile to the I le of Colchos and made his things readie When Hercules had béene feasted of Iason and of Duke Peleus and that he knew of the enterprise that Iason would go and conquer the fléece of Gold hee vowed and promised that hee would accompanie him And if fortune would be with him he would aduenture to bring his enterprise vnto an end What shall I make long processe Iason and Hercules made readie a right good ship and went to the sea and renewed not their victuall till they came to the Port of Troy And then they renewed 〈◊〉 them at the port for the king Laomedon was then in Troy which had fortified maruailously the Cittie againe and knowing that there was landed at his Port a shippe full of Gréekes hee sent downe a man that commanded them rudely that they should departe thence and that he was enemie to the Gréekes Iason as Captaine of the armie answered coueteously the messenger of King Laomedon and prayed him that hee might haue victuals for his money The messenger answered him that hee should haue none there vnlesse they gat it with the sword Then Hercules might no longer tarie but sware to the Troyan that if he might returne from the voyage that he had enterprised that hee would yet once againe destroy Troy and that he would not leaue one stone vppon another With this conclusion Hercules and Iason departed from Troy by fortune they were brought to the port of Lemnos whereof was a woman Ladie and Quéene named Hypsyphyle which waxed amorous of Iason as it is conteined in the historie of Iason In this port of Lemnos Hercules was aduertised that thereby was a king named Phyneus which suffered himselfe to be goueruerned by an auaricious woman Phyneus had béene married to another woman before and had by her two sonnes These two sonnes were vnrightfully by their stepmother put to exile For to say the verie truth his second wife was so corrupted with auarice that she tooke from the King his riches and held greater state then he When Hercules had knowledge thereof hee went and spake to king Phyneus and to the Quéene and shewed to them their vices in so good maner and fashion that the two children were called back from their exile and that the king held his estate royall Then returned Hercules into Lemnos and tooke the sea with Iason and went into the ●●e of Col●os where Iason by the learning and industrie of Medea conquered the shéepe with the fléece of gold which he bare with him into Gréece Then Hercules recommended greatlye Iason among his parentes and fréendes and told them of the right great vnkindnesse of the king Laomedon and how that hée hadde sworne for to destroye Troye for the rigor that the king Laomedon had doone vnto them They swore all togither with Hercules the destruction of Troye and concluded the day of theyr departure and after made ready theyr shippes and all that was necessary for them And then Hercules helde so well his couenant in theyr army that at the day concluded among them they entred into the sea and did so much trauaile that they landed at the porte of Troye with so great an host that Laomedon durst not forbid them the Porte Iason was at that tyme in a farre straunge countrey Hercules had with him many noble men And among all other there were with him the king Thelamon Aiax the duke N●stor Castor Pollux Theseus and many kings and dukes At the landing of this porte which was of strong entrie Hercules that nothing doubted his enimies made to sownd and blowe vp trumpets and labours and made so great a noyse and stirre that the walles of Troy and of the Pallace redounded thereof and that Laomedon séeing out of one of his windowes the hoste of his enimies was a right great while in a thought whither he might go to battaile against them or no. It happened to

flesh Since the beginning of our aliance vnto this day I haue had all the dayes and nights such paines for you and borne and suffered them But alas all these things are but little in comparison of the paines that I now suffer and endure forasmuch as ye maintein strange women and a woman of all folly May she be called the mother of your childrē by whom the sparcles of foule renoume shall abide with you With this spot or vice is my paine redoubled and it pearceth my soule I am troubled with the dishonour of your ample highnesse The people say that ye are made as a woman and liue after the guise and maner of a woman and spin on the rocke where yee were woont to strangle lions with your hands ye● leaue the exercise of armes and to be knowen in farre countreyes and realmes in shewing your vertue like as you were wont to do for the only company of the caitife Yo le that holdeth and abuseth you O cursed company and foule abuse Speake to me Hercules if the right high and mightie men that thou hast vanquished as Diomedes of Thrace Antheon of Libie Busire of Egypt Gerion of Spaine and Cacus the great thiefe saw thee thus holden to do nought for the beautie of a daughter that soone shall passe what would they say Certes they would not repute them woorthie to be vanquished of thee and would shewe and point at thee with their fingers as at a man shamed and made like a woman liuing in the lappe of a woman O how strong is Yo le when her handes that are not woorthie nor meet to threed a needle hath taken thy clubbe and brandished thy swoord wherewith thou hast put in feare all the earth Alas Hercules haue you not in remembrance that in your childhood lying in your cradle ye slew the two serpents You being a childe were a man and now when you haue beene a man are you become a woman or a childe This is the worke of a woman to holde himselfe alway with a woman or it is the deede of a childe for to enamour himselfe on a woman of follie The trueth must be sayd you began better then you end your last deedes aunswere not the first your labours shall neuer be aunswerable nor woorthie your praisings nor your lands For all the commendation praising is in the end Whosoeuer he be that beginneth a worke whereof the beginning is faire the end foule all is lost Surely Hercules when I beholde the glorious beginning that vertue made in you and see that you now be vitious all my strength faileth and mine armes fall downe as a woman in a trance or a swoune and without spirit and it may not séeme to me true that those armes that bare away by force the shéepe from the garden belonging to the daughters of Athlas may fall into so great a fault as for to embrace and beclip fleshly another wife then his owne This notwithstanding I am assured of a trueth that you hold not caitife Yo le as a caitife but as your owne wife not in prison but at her pleasure in chamber finely be decked and in bedde curteined and hanged not disguised and secretly as many holde their concubines but openly and with shamelesse face shewing herselfe right glorious to the people as that she may so do lawfully For she holdeth you prisoner and caitife and she hath put the fetters about your necke by her Italian iuglings shifts whereof I haue great shame in my selfe But as for the amendment I will discharge my minde I cannot better it but pray to the gods that they will puruey for remedie CHAP. XXXI ¶ How Deianira sent to Hercules a shirt enuenimed and howe Hercules burned himselfe in the fire of his sacrifice and how Deianira slewe herselfe when shee knew that Hercules was dead by the meanes of her ignorance c. WHen Hercules had read this letter he vnderstood well what it conteined and was smitten with remorse of conscience By this remorse he vnderstood that vertue was stained in him he was then very pensiue and so much depriued from all pleasure that none durst come to him in a great while and space saue onely they that brought to him meate and drinke Neither Yo le durst not go to him Licas that had brought this letter was there waiting and attending the answere long No man could know whereof procéeded the pensiuenesse of Hercules nor the cause why hee withdrew himselfe from the people In the end when Hercules had bene long pensiue and had thought vpon all his affaires and what he had to doe for to withdraw himselfe and to get himselfe from Yo le he departed from his chamber on a day saying that hee would go and make sacrifice to the god Apollo vpon the mount named Oeta and commanded and forbade vppon paine of death that no man should follow him except Phylotes By aduenture as he issued out of his pallace accompanied onely with Phylotes for to go vpon the mount he met Licas Licas made to him reuerence and demanded of him if it pleased him any thing to send to Deianira Hercules answered to Licas that he would go make his sacrifice to the god Apollo and that at his returne and comming againe he would go vnto her or els he would send vnto her With this word Hercules and Phylotes passed foorth and went on their pilgrimage And Licas returned vnto Deianira and tolde to her the ioyfull tidings that he had receiued of Hercules and also what life Hercules had lead since the day and the houre that he had presented to him her letter Deianira all comforted with these good tidings went into her chamber and thanked the gods and fortune Anon after she beganne to thinke on her estate and thus thinking she remembred her of the poison that Nessus had giuen her being at the point of death how she had kept it in one of her coffers and forthwith incontinently she opened the coffer and tooke the cursed poison and one of the shirts of Hercules and as shee that imagined by the vertue of the poison to draw againe to her the loue of Hercules like as Nessus had sayde vnto her shée made the shirt to be boiled with the poison and gaue the charge thereof to one of her women When the shirt was boiled enough the woman tooke the vessell and set it to coole After she tooke out the shirt openly and wrong it but she could not so soone haue wrung it but the fire sprang in hir handes so vehemently that as shee cast it vppon a pearch to drie shee fell downe dead In processe of time Deianira desiring to haue the shirt and seeing the woman that hadde charge thereof brought it not shée went into the chamber where the shirt had béen boiled and found the woma● dead whereof she had great maruaile Neuerthelesse shee passed the death lightly and by one of her damsels shée made take the

cause for to auenge mee of the wronges that the Greekes haue done vnto vs But the principall cause is to recouer my sister Exione that liueth in so great thraldome And for to doe so yee ought to employ you wherefore I pray you and admonish you that ye bend all your endeuour and diligence that I may recouer my sister And be ye certaine if ye haue want of neede or succour I will succour you with so great a strength that the Greekes shal not be able to beare And I will that in this voiage ye hold Paris my sonne Duke and conductor of this battaile of Eneas and Anthenor After these wordes Paris and all the other tooke leaue of the king and entered into their shippes and hoysed vp sailes and recommended them to the guiding of Iupiter and Venus and sailed so farre by the deepe Sea that they arriuing in the partes of Greece in coasting the countrey it happened them on a daie that they mette a shippe in the which was one of the greatest kinges of Greece named Menelaus that went vnto the Citie of Epyre vnto the duke Nestor that had sent for him This Menelaus was brother of Agamēnon and was married vnto the quéene Helene that was the fairest Ladie in the world that men knew of in her time and she was sister of king Castor and Pollux that dwelled then togither in the citie of Samestare and nourishing with thē Hermione their néece daughter of the said Helene Menelaus made a little crosse his shippe and to turne out of the right way and so the one did not knowe the other And the Troyans sailed so farre that they arriued at the Isle of Cithar in Gréece and there they ancred their shippes and went a land In this I le was a temple of Venus passing auncient and of great beautie full of all richesse for the inhabitantes also of the countrey had their deuotion specially vnto Venus the Goddesse and kept and solemnized her feastes each yeare and shée gaue to them aunsweres of their demaundes Then when the Troyans were arriued they hallowed the most principall feast of Venus and for this cause were there assembled men and women of the countrey there about that made great cheere c. When Paris knew this feast he tooke his best clothes and did them on also the best faring and cleanliest men that he hadde and he went into the temple and entered therin by faire and pleasaunt maner and made his oblation and offering of golde and siluer with great liberalitie Then was Paris much beholden on all sides of them the were there for his beautie a for hee was one of the fairest knightes of the worlde and was so richly and so queintly clothed and docked that it gaue great pleasure vnto all them that behelde him and euery man desired to know what he was and whence hee came And they demaunded of the Troyans that told them that it was Paris sonne of king Priamus of Troy that was come into Greece by the commaundement of his father for to require amiably that they woulde render and yéeld againe Exione his sister that they had giuen to king Thelamon So farre went the tidinges of the comming of these Troyans and of their beautie and riche clothing that the queene Helene heard speake thereof and then alter the custome of women she had great desire to know by experience if it were trueth that she heard speake of and disposed her to go vnto the temple vnder the colour of deuotion for to accomplish her desire O howe great folly is it vnto honest women to will go oftentimes vnto the feastes and sportes of yong people that little or nothing doe there but muse and deuise howe they may come to their desire and care not what mischiefe may followe in body and in soule The ship should neuer perish if it abode alway in the porte and were not sent out into perils of the Sea It is a good thing and a pretious iewell to haue a good woman that holdeth her honestly in her house O howe great damage came vnto the Greekes and to the Troyans of this Citie that Helene went so lightly to see the Troyans that ought not so to doe and specially in the absence of her husband But as it is the custome of women to bee wilfull to bring their desire to the end Helene incontinent did make readie horse and all that was conuenient for to go vnto the temple and she did them to vnderstand that shée went for deuotion for this temple was not farre from the place where shee dwelled When all was readie and shee clothed in habite royall she rode with her company vnto the Isle of Cythar and entered into a vessell that brought her nigh to the temple where shee was receiued with great worship of them of the countrey as their Ladie Shee entered into the Temple right stately and made there her deuotions and her oblations with right great liberalitie c. When Paris knewe that the queene Helene that was wife of king Menelaus one of the most noble kings of Greece was come vnto this temple hée arraied him in the most gentlemanliest wise that hee coulde and his company and went into the temple for he had long time before heard speake of her great brauery And then as hée was come and sawe her hee was greatly surprised with her loue and beganne earnestly to beholde her and to desire to sée the fashion of her body that was so faire and well shapen in all thinges and in such wise that it seemed properly to them that sawe her that nature hadde made her to be beholden and séen for in her was nothing but that it serued to manifest all the beautie that might be found in a woman Wherefore Paris might not forbeare to beholde her saying in himselfe that he hadde neuer séene nor heard tell of any so faire and so well formed And as hee beheld her in likewise shee beheld him as many times and oft and her seemed that he was more fairer a great deale then hadde béen reported to her and still she saide in her selfe that shee neuer sawe man of so great beautie nor that pleased her so well to beholde and so she left all her deuotion and all other thoughts and gaue no héede nor respect to any thing saue onely for to beholde Paris When Paris knewe and sawe this hee had great ioy and beheld her sweetly more and more and she him By which sight they shewed enough of their desires the one to the other and thought diuerse times by what occasion they might speake togither And so long they beheld each other that by likelihoode Helene made a token or signe to Paris that hée approched to her and anon Paris sate downe beside her whiles that the people plaied in the temple and spake vnto her with a soft voice right sweetly and shee to him and declared each to other how they were surprised with the loue of the

one of the seruants of the place and he had not long taried after but Amphitrion and his esquire came knocking at the gate for it was then night When Ganimedes heard him knocke he came to the gate and opened it Amphitrion wéend that it had béen his porter so he saluted him and demaunded him where his wife was The valiant porter said to him that she slept and so brought him into her chamber and Iupiter so going charmed him that he had no desire to eate nor to drinke When he was come into the Chamber he awooke Alcumena that was all abashed when she sawe Amphitrion for she supposed for truth that shée had séene him a good while before and she groped about her in the bed and thought she had dreamed And when shée had groped in the bed and that she found no person there then she was more amazed then afore Notwithstanding she arose and came to Amphitrion saying to her self that she had supposed to haue séene him before notwithstanding shee made chéere to her husband saying to him that shée had all the night dreamed of his comming After they talked of many things Finally he went to bed with her and lay with her that same houre and then Alcumena conceyued yet a sonne of Amphitrion Iupiter and Ganimedes departed then from the Castell and there left all sléeping that were within the place that none awooke till it was in the morning and they had weend that they had slept but one night but they slept a day and two nights And this matter was handled so secretlie that neuer person could espie it By this meane the faire Alcumena conceiued two sonnes the one of Iupiter and the other of Amphitrion By space of tyme the fruits of her wombe beganne to appeare the tydings were borne all about and also into Crete and came to the eares of King Iupiter and Quéene Iuno The King Iupiter this hearing was passing ioyous and glad in the presence of Quéene Iuno Hée behelde Ganimedes and beganne to waxe redde and after shewed a right good countenaunce and gaue prayses to the goddes for the conception of Alcumena and spake much good of her so that the iealousie of thys olde Quéene renewed and refreshed and shée planted in her heart a right great enu●e and deadlie hatred agaynst Alcumena With the renewing of this enuie the Quéene Iuno concluded in her minde that was medled with the multipliance of ielosie that shée would slea and cause to die Alcumena by enchauntment of sorcerie For in that craft she was an experienced mistresse O olde cursed woman Shée held musing in her heart her cursed ielous thought and laide her eares to heare Iupiter speake of Alcumena without any thing replying againe But finally when she knew that the time of childing of Alcumena approched she departed from Crete secretly al alone and saide to Iupiter and did him to vnderstand that shée would go disguised on certaine secret pilgrimages and went forth vnto Arciancie where was a temple standing right nigh the castle and was made in remembrance of the goddesse Diana This olde quéene then entred into this Temple nothing for deuotion that was in her but for to espie if any person came from the castle for to inquire the state of Alcumena Shée was disfigured by her craft This craft vsed afterward Simon Magus in the time of Saint Peter and of the Emperour Nero. When she had béene there a little Galantis that gouerned Alcumena was there long in orisons and prayers before the representation of the goddesse At the end when she had done she arose from her contemplation and thought to haue returned But this old quéene came against her and saluted her and for to come vnto her purpose shée sayd vnto her faintly dame I am all abashed Wherefore answered Galantis For as much saide shee as I am not in certaine where I am Loue saide Galantis ye bee at the Castle of Arciancie for this Temple is of the appertenances of the Castle and standeth betwéene Thebes and Athens Dame sayde the olde Iuno I trow that this is the place that Amphitrion and Dame Alcumena dwell in Ye say truth sayde Galantis and howe fare they sayde Iuno Right well sayde Galantis my Lorde Amphitrion is in good health and my Ladye Alcumena is readie to bring foorth a childe shée expecteth nor waiteth for longer day nor tearme and therefore I may no longer tarie it is time that I returne to her To the gods I commit you Galantis with this word went to Alcumena which began to trauaile and féele the paine of childing and the false olde queen abode in the temple in intention to cause to die and slay Alcumena in such wise as she had purposed Then in stéede of saying of orisons she began to make certaine fiendly and diuelish works This done she laide her legges to crosse one ouer the other and sate in that wise and then the same moment and time that shée had so doone Alcumena by the strength of sorcerie began in the same wise her legges to crosse one ouer the other and sate in the same maner as the olde Iuno did In such wise as there was no man nor woman that might make her do otherwise The poore Alcumena felt then the most gréeuous and sharpe paines of the world for her fruit would come out and it might not in no wise for as much as her legges and thighs were so crosse one ouer the other she cried and complained pittiously and was in right gréeuous martirdome The midwiues coulde finde no remedie shée was thrée dayes holden in this point alway her legges crossed one ouer another During these thrée dayes Galantis and the ladies and women one after another came to the temple of Diana for to pray for the deliuerance of Alcumena and alway they found the old queen sit with her legges crossed and one ouer another But they found her neuer in one semblance and likenesse For at each time she transformed her into diuers likenesses and figures of beasts or of women to the ende that they should not perceiue her nor her craft Neuerthelesse she could not so transforme her selfe but that Galantis that oft came into the temple tooke héede of her which found alway there a beast or a woman sit in the maner that Alcumena sate in her chamber Alcumena had béene then thrée dayes in paine At the fourth day then Galantis waxed melancholie and angry at that shée sawe in the temple so shee assembled the women and said to them Certainly faire dames it must néedes be that the paine that my lady Alcumena suffereth commeth of some sorcerie and witchcraft for al the paine that she hath commeth of that that shee may not depart her legs and vnfolde them This is mine imagination and I am of aduice to puruey soone for it For I haue séene in the Temple at all times that I haue béene there more then thrée daies a woman or a beast with legges crossed or

folden as my Ladie hath hers me seemeth for truth that it is some euill creature which willeth euill will to my Ladie and that by her sorceryes constraineth her to sit as she doth If it be so I will deceiue her For one of you and I will go into the Temple fayning right ioyous and glad chéere and will thanke the goddesse Diana saying all on high that my Lady is deliuered of a faire son And then when that creature that alway is there and changeth her into diuerse formes haue heard our praysing if it be so that she will any ill to my lady I doubt not but she shall loose countenance and that all troubled shee shall depart thinking to haue fayled of her enchauntment And then if it be truth that I suppose my ladie may haue some maner of deliuerance from her paine c. The women during these words remembred them that they had séene in the Temple the woman and beasts that Galantis spake of and were of opinion that Galantis should do like as she had supposed Then Galantis and one of the women departed from the chamber and went to the temple and entring therein they sawe on the one side where the false old quéen sate as she was wont to do and had transformed herselfe into the guise and forme of a Cow They passed foorth by confidently without making any shewe of sorrow or other thing saue onely of ioy and when they were come before the alter they knéeled downe and ioyned their hands together and sayde Diana soueraigne goddesse thy name bee praised in heauen and in earth for thou hast giuen this houre to my Ladye Alcumena and helped her to bring foorth into this world the most the most fairest childe of the worlde With these words they rose vp and returned againe and as they went they sawe the cowe suddenly depart out of the Temple and ran vpon the fields and in the same time and instance Alcumena arose and was deliuered of two fayre sonnes before Galantis and her fellow were come into the Chamber When Galantis were come vnto Alcumena and found there two fayre sonnes which she had brought forth she was full of ioy for that she had be guyled and deceyued the false olde Iuno She told then vnto the Ladies and to Alcumena howe shée had séene the Cowe and howe shée was departed from the Temple and assured them that it was some euill person and that shee had holde Alcumena in this daunger by sorcerie The Ladies sent after to séeke the Cowe but they heard neuer after tydings of her and greatly alway they ioyed in the natiuitie of these two sonnes Of these twaine the one of them was great and right fayre and of excéeding excellencie and the other was little and feeble The great childe was the first that was borne and was named Hercules and the other had to name Ypecleus Hercules as some say was the sonne of Iupiter and well resembled and was like vnto him and Ypecleus was the sonne of Amphitrion The tidings of this natiuitie anon ran all about and all they that heard speake thereof made ioy and were glad thereof saue only Iuno For she had neuer ioy in her heart after that she had heard in the temple that Alcumena was deliuered and had brought forth a sonne She departed from the temple as is said in the forme of a Cow despising in her heart the goddesse Diana and was so troubled that she had neither wit nor vnderstanding and thus sorrowing when she was a little withdrawne from the Temple she tooke againe her own forme of a woman and went vpon the mountaine of Olympus there she waxed pensiue and beganne to think what she might do after she smote her self on the brest with her fist and said what auayleth me to be borne of the royall blood of Saturne What auaileth me my patrimonie of the world of golde what auaileth mee the diademe of Crete what auaileth me the sciences of the world that I haue learned by great studie and labour when the gods be against and contrarie to mee in all things The king my husband careth not for me nor setteth nought by mee no more in mine olde daies then he did in my youth O what destiny Fortune wilt thou neuer turne thy wheele Shall I alway suffer still tribulations and this paine Certes séeing thou fauourest me not and that I be holde that of all my desires there is not one that may attaine to effect all shame and vexation redoubleth in me and I am so put in dispayre that my misfortune must néedes be cause of shortning and lessning the naturall course of my dayes With these words she beheld the earth and not the heauen pawsed a while and after that said And am I not wel infortunate and borne in an euill houre My craft and sorcerie auaileth not against myne enemy Alcumena I haue fayled against her but certes I will prooue my selfe against her sonne to the ende that his mother may be my felow and hold me company to make sorrow For I will slea her sonne and by this meane for that she is a woman and a mother I shall giue her cause of anger gréefe and displeasance O cursed olde Vyrago conspyring then against the poore innocent then shée imagined that she would take two serpents charmed and coniured to worke the death of the son of her enemy and that shée would some night put them into his chamber to the ende that they should strangle him With this conclusion shee departed from the mountayne and returned into Crete There being she so laboured by her science that shee did assemble on a day secretly all the serpents of the countrey Shée was alone and well vnderstoode and knewe this marchandise When she had assembled them all shee chose two of the most felonous and most enuenimed and put them in her lap and bare them home and after waited a day when king Iupiter had gone into a farre voyage and then fayning that shee would go on some pilgrimage she departed alone from Crete and did so much that in disguised shape she came into the Castle of Arciancie The king Egeus of th ens and the king Euristens of Attique were at that time come into the castle to make good cheere and it was in the euening when Iuno entred When she was within shée made her selfe inuisible by her craft and sought all about to find the chamber wherein was the son of Alcumena She sought so long till she came to the doore of the chamber where there was a window open Shée went to the window and looked in and in the beholding shée saw two nourses and two sonnes whereof she was all abashed and beganne to muse much Thus as shée was pensife Alcumena came for to sée her sons and feasted them in such fashion that the olde Iuno perceiued and knew that both the two were her sonnes whereof she had great ioy For she concluded in her false and