¶How saturne was crowned first kyng of Crete & how he fond first diuerce science wher fore the peple held hym in grete honour as a god.

AFter the trayttye maad of the pees of Tytan and Saturne Tytan syhe in hym selfe þ ^t he myght not worshipfully abide and dwelle beyng vnder his yonger broder had leuer goo and serche his auentures in other places than to be thral to his yonger brother. he toke his wif his children & frendes. and departid at alauenture in dyuerce places / wher he fond ffortune so good and happy. þ ^t by armes and strenght he made hym selfe kyng of many diuerse royalmes. whiche he departid vnto his children And commysed & ordeyned certayn espies to espye and wayte yf his broder Saturne maried hym selfe & yf his wife broght forth men children and whether he put hem to deth. Duryng these sayd thingis. satur­ne dwellid wyth his moder and his susters Cibelle and Ceres. And began to regne wyth so grete magnificence that they of the contre seeyng their neyghbours by them dide do make and ordeygne kynges to regne on them. of suche as were noble and vertuous. assemb [...]id to gider on a day and maad saturne kyng vpon them & vpon theyr synes And crowned hym wyth grete glorie with a Crowne of lawrer wyth grete ioye / saturne anon toke & acceptid this rial honour and worship and toke the ceptre in his hand & bare the crowne on his heed & regned meurely indusyng [Page] his peple to lyue honestly & to loue vertu. and [...] a naked swerd to be born afore hym in sygne of iustyce. he dyde iustyce on malfacteurs and enhaunsed them that were good. he dyde do bylde a cyte whiche he named Crete because the yle bare þ ^e said name and was the fyrst enhabiteur & dwellar. and whan he had founded the cyte he ordeyned his palais & dwellyng place in the myddel their of in example as þ ^e hert is in þ ^e myddes of the body to mynystre to the membres so he wold ensigne & mynystre his peple. & after this he chose an honderd & foure wyse men whiche he institued and ordeyned counceillours and gouernours of his royame & than they of Crete seeyng þ ^e right grete wysedom of their kyng. assemblid to gyder dyuerce tymes & named hym a god and yet more they founded vnto hym a temple. an awter & an ydole beryng in that oon hand a ziekle in signyfiance that he destroyed the vices in suche wyse as the ziekle cuttyth herbes & destroieth the wedes. And in that other hand he held a serpent þ ^t bote his tayll for as moche as saturne said that euery man shold byte the tayle of þ ^e serpent that is to saye that euery man shold ffere and flee þ ^e euyll ende. ffor the ende oftymes is venymous as þ ^e tayle of a serpent And that apperyth yet dayly by þ ^e ende of many euyll dysposed and enuenymed men.

By the moyen of these thynges the renomee of kyng saturne grewe And the worlde was that tyme of gold. that is for to saye hyt was moche better and more haboundant in the dayes of mannes lyf and in [Page] plente of frutes of the erthe than in ony other tyme after The poetes by thys colour compared the world at that tyme to gold whiche is moste precyous of alle metals / how well dyuerce men saye that saturne was the fyrst man that fonde the maner to melte metall and to affine gold and made hys vessell & vtensilles of his hows of dyuerce metall. And vnder thys colour they figured at that tyme the worldes to ben of gold / Than began the men by the doctryne of saturne to vse and were gold to myne the roches / to persshe the montaignes perilloꝰ / to haunt the thorny desertes / to fyght and adaunte the or­guyllous serpentes / the fiers dragons / the dedely griffons the monstrowous bestes / and to sprede a brood theyr wordly engyns. By these excersites was than saturne the fourbesshour and begynner of the style / to lerne men to take all these bestes / And fyrste fonde the maner of shotyng and drawyng of the bowe / Of this gold maad saturne hys hows. his chambres and halles to shyne by meruayllous werkynge / He was stronge and hardy / / and he had no feer ne doubte of no serpent of the montaigne ner of no monstre of desert ner of beste dwellyng in caues. He knewe the vaynes of gold in the erthe and coude decerne them from vaynes of syluer He edefyed ryche thynges of gold ioyous vnto the eye syght / and hoot and courageous to the herte / ffor at that tyme the courages by pardurable fyre chauffing the affeccions of man in maner of a contagious heet so syn­gulerly that after alleway that they coueyted / they de­syred to accomplissh. In this tyme of the golden world the creatures lyuyd and endured gretly and longe. And alle the world laboured in edyficacyon of scyence [Page] and connyng of vertue / And that tyme were the men more vertuous in bodyly edyfyeng than euer they were syn / Amonge alle other Saturne was neuer ydle after that he had ones laboured the cornes In erynge and sawyng / He malte and fyned gold and metalles and enduced and taughte hys men to drawe the bowe and shote / He hym self fonde fyrste the bowe and the ma­nyer to goo and saylle by the see and to rowe with ly­tyll bootes by the ryuage and toke his owen playsir for to endoctryne and teche hys peple in alle these thynges and he had grete abondance of wordly goodes / reser­uyd onely he dorste not marye: and that he had sworne to putte to deth alle the men children that shold come of hys seed / wherof he was oftyme anoyed and hadd grete displaysir (etc).

¶How Saturne wente to Delphos and hadd ans­wer how he shold haue a sone that shold chace hym oute of his royame / And how he maryed hym to hys suster Cybell (etc).

WHan Saturne sawe hys palays flo [...]ysshe and shyne of gold and sawe his peple obeye hym / sawe hys goldsmythes and werkers breke the montaignes with her pikois and In­struments. sawe his maryners cutte the wawes of the see wyth theyr Oores. sawe hys dyscyples lerne and laboure the erthe. sawe hys Archers shote wyth her arowes and smote and toke the byrdes dwellyng in the hye trees and fleyng by the ayer / He myght enbrace grete glorye and enhaunse in hye hys Trone and hys felicyte / but on that other syde whan he remembryd [Page] the trayte made betwene hym and his broder Tytan he was lyke vnto the pecok that is proud of the fayr fethers diuersly fair colourd wiche he spreded roound as a whele and wyth all only loke of hys feet he le­seth all his ioye Saturne in like wise by this traittye lost alle his ioye his glorye & hys plaisance. he was long tyme ledyng this lyf now ioyous now sorowfull growyng alwey and encresyng his Royāme and daily thought & poysed in hym selfe yf he myght marye or not ffor no thyng in the world he wold false hys oth / he was iust & trewe in dede & in word Neuertheles. nature meuyd hym & cyted hym to haue generacion and to come to compaignye of woman And this meuyng was at all tymes refresshid and renewed by a contynuel syght that he had dayly in a passyng fayr mayde. þ ^t is to wete his suster Cibelle whiche he saw continuelly in whom was no deffaulte of alle þ ^e goodes of nature apperteyning to woman She was owt of mesure ryght humble in spekyng wyse in her werkes honeste in conuersacion & flow­ryng in alle vertuys. and fo [...] this cause Saturne behelde her oftymes. And so happend on a tyme as he beheld her affaires and werkes / he caste his eyen on her vertues that plesid hym so gretli. that in the end he was desirous of her loue wherof his moder vesca had grete ioye and pleasir. and she ꝑceyuyng of the desyr of Saturne. gaf hym courage & wyll to marye hym and so laboured and solicyted the mariage so effectuelli þ ^t wyth grete worshyp and triumphe Saturne spousid & wedded Cibelle his suster after their vsage and she was þ ^e first Quene of Crete. he liyng wyth [Page] her payeng-in this wyse þ ^e dew dette of maryage that at thende of .ix. monthes Cybell had a sone whiche saturne dyde do put to deth acquytyng hym self of the oth that he had maad vnto hys broder tytan And of thys sone bochace maketh no mencyon. but they laye to gyder agayn and cybell conceyued than of the seed of saturne another sone with a doughter that by space of tyme apperyd grete in the moders bely..

IN thys tyme whan the lawe of nature was in his vygour and strength the men maryed wyth her sus­ters. and in especyal the paynems yf they were not content and had souffisance of oon wyf they myght take moo wyth out reproche Whan saturne knewe that hys wyf was wyth chyld the second tyme. the deth of hys fyrst sone cam to fore hym and sayd in hym self that he wold that hys wyf had ben barayne Tho he began to be ful of dyuerce fantasies and of sorowfull thoghtes and desyred to knowe what shold befalle of the fruyt of the wombe of Cybell He wente hym self forth in to the yle of delphos vn­to the Oracle of the god Appollo that gaf answer to the peple that they demaunded of thynges that shold after falle and happene And than whan he had don hys sacrefyce and maad his prayer The preste of the temple put hym in to a ꝑcloos vnder þ ^e awter of þ ^e for­sayd ydole And there he herd a grete whirlyng wynd that troublyd hym and all his wytte and vnderstandyng that he was in maner of a spasme or a swowne by whiche he fill to groūd And after þ ^t whan he aros [Page] hym thought that the god appollo apperid vnto hym wyth a dredfull face & said thus to hym. Saturne what meueth þ ^e to will to knowe thyn euyll destyne Thou hast engendrid a sone that shal take from the þ ^e diademe of Crete and shall banysshe the out of thy royame And shall be with out pere aboue alle peple the most fortunat man that euer was borne in Grece Aftir these wordes Saturne cam agayn to hymselfe and remembrid hym of this euyll prophecye that touched the botom of hys herte and so sore anoyed and right pensyf he wente out of the oracle wyth a trou­blid herte and al bare of gladnes and al oppressyd and enuironed wyth wanhope cam to his folk and departid thens and went to ship and whan he was in his ship he henge doun his heed whiche he held not vp tyl he cam to Crete. and whan he had hys heed so enclined he began to thynk and be pensif And after many right sorowful syghes engendrid in þ ^e roote of malencolie said in this wise. helas saturne pour kyng what auayleth me the dignyte to be the first kyng of Crete. wat prouffyten me the dyuyne reuerences. ner what good do me my science whan y fele me in þ ^e puttyng a back of fortune O fortune sone torning fraile and varyable & ployng to euery wynd lyke a rosier at leste areste that the whele þ ^t torneth wyth oute end may speke to me saturne the inuentor and ffynder of the comyn wele And if þ ^u wilte not lene me thi clere & lawhyng visage at the leste leue me thy large eeres Thou hast gyue me triumphe and glorie of Corowne and now thou suffrest me to falle fro this grete was shyp the goddes wytnes hit And what is this thou [Page] hast consentyd my prosꝑyte and now conspyrest my mendycite my fall and shamefull end. and enten­dest that y shall be named the vnhappy saturne yf all my lyf hath ben nouryshyd in happynes. & the end vnhappy and wofull y shall be callid & said vnhappy And all [...] my happy fortunes and ewres shall torne more to reproche and shame than to preysyng or to ony worshyp O ffortune in what thyng haue y offended. haue y foughten agayn the. or haue y doon ony fo­lye agayn the magnyfycence of the goddes Haue y re­bellyd or offended the ayres. the worldes. the heuenes the planets. the sonne. the mone. the erthe. the sees what haue y don or trespast. telle me O my god whe­re art thou. hast thou enuye to me be cause that y haue ben in thoracle of the forsayd god appollo He hath shewyd vnto me the ruyne of my ceptre the ffrous­syng and brekyng of my dyademe the troublyng of the clernes of my regne. the enhaunsyng of my chyld And the puttyng me out of my royame that shall ꝓcede of his insurreccion. alas what remede to this grete sorow þ ^t y haue. y haue slayn oon of my soones where fore y haue grete and bitter sorow and haue concluded in my self that neuer here after wole so cruelly spyll the lyf of my chyldren for to dye wyth hem After thys conclusyon y muste of verray force and sore agaynst my will retorne and contynue in my fyrst vn­naturell cruelte. ffor yf my sone that now is in the wombe of my wyf be suffryd to lyue he shall exyle me & put me out of my royame and doun of my trone whiche shal be to me ryght hard and peysant to bere and suffre pacyently And therfore hyt is better y [Page] sle hym Alas and yf y sle hym than hit semeth me y shold resiste the wylle of the goddes whiche perauenture will reyse hym agayn And that shold be worse for than y shold not only be callyd an homycide and manslear but a vnnaturel murderer. not of a geant nor of a strange man of a nother land but of a right litil Child yssued of my propre vaynes bones and fflessh. that after the prenosticacion of the goddes is p̄ electe and chossen to be the grettest lord of grece and souerani of all the kynges in his tyme.

SAturne thus felyng hym in grete sorow & trowble and alwey wors & wors as a fore is sayd began to chaunge his colowr & wex pale ful of malencoli & of fantasies & cowde not appese his vnfortune his moste preuy men & they that were most famylier wyth hym durst not approche vnto hym seyng his sorowful maner they were disconfort in his desolacion sorowful with his sorow. & angry wyth his anger he was in short tyme so greth ꝑturbed and so inpressed wyth so eygre inpression of sorow that his face was lyke vnto asshen or as he had be ded alwey after many thoughtis he opend his mouth & spake all softly. y sle my self by malencolye & am aman gretely abused y haue mad an oth vnto my broder Tytan þ ^t y shall put all my children male to deth that shall come of my fflessh Parauenture the goddes wole not suffre that y shal be for sworn. and haue late me haue knowleche by my god appollo þ ^t my wyf hath con­ceyued a sone that shall put me out of my Royame to that end that y shold slee hym ffor as moche as y had concluded in my self to haue broken myn oth & [Page] haue spared the lyues of my chyldren. ffor as moche as hyt is so y shall no lenger spare them yf hit happen that my sone be borne a lyue. certayn he shall be put to deth. ffor hit is better that he dye a chyld. than he shold wexe a man and wex rebelle ayenst me. and enhaunse hym self abone me by hys malyce insurrec­cion or other wyse..

IM this wille this sorowful saturne retourned in to his hous contynuyng in thys estate and sorowfull syghes and melancolyous fantasies in such wyse that Cybell durst not come in to his psence nor coude not gete of hym a ioyous syght wherfore he gate hym a surname of sorowe And was named Saturne the tryste or sorowfull. and hit was so that whan he had be in his hous certayn space. and sawe the day approche that his wyf shold be delyuerid of chylde ffor to execute hys sorowfull courage he callyd hys wyf and said / dame hit is so apparaūt that shortly thou shalt be delyueryd of the ffruyt of thy wombe yf thou be delyuerid of a sone y comaunde the vpon payne of deth. that thou slee hym. and that thou sende me his herte And whan Cibell hard these wordes and this rigorous and innaturell volente and will anon she ffill to the ground a swoune. ffor her leg­ges fayled her And in the releuyng of the swoun she kneled to fore the feet of saturne and saide on thys wise / syre haste thou no shame that will be husbond of a woman murdryng her owen child I the requyre of mercy and grace. besechyng the to haue regard that y am thy wyf and haue the hert of a woman and not of a tyraunt or a murderar Dame answerd saturne [Page] requyre me no more of thyng towchyng thys mater hit is iuggid by a forseen and counterpeysed sentence þ ^t yf þ ^u haue a sone he shall be ded. ffor y haue promy­sid & sworn so to my broder Tytan And aboue thys y haue answer of the god appollo that in thy wombe is a sone that shall caste me out of this royame And therfore s [...]e that at his birth he be ded. as dere as thou louest thi lyf & also as y haue said send me his herte medled wyth wyn that y may drynke hit And how syre Answerd Cibelle knowest not thou that y am a woman and by propre and synguler inclinacion y haue a verray loue to smale chyldren and must gyue hem to ete & souke O wenest thou that y haue an herte so diuerce as for to foylle my handes wyth the blood of my sone y pray and requyre the to reroque thy sentence and be pietous to thy wyfe & generacion Thou art wyse after þ ^e iugement of thy peple in this partye thou shewyst thy selfe not good ffor be thy oth thou art not bounden ner holden to sle thy sone hou wel hit is trouth that alle othes maad agayn good maners ought not to be holden ffor to slee thy sone hyt is a. vilayn caas and contrarye to honour. reson. pyte. equyte and iustyce hit is synne ageynst nature. ageynst vertu and ageynst all good maners Than thy oth for to sle thy sone is noght. and thou oughtest anulle hyt thou that art kyng. and that vpon payne of deth defendest thy peple to make murdre or homycyde. by thys thou that art myrour and example to other oughtest to be content and appease thy selfe And me semeth on that other side that thou interpretest and construest euyll þ ^e sentence of god appollo sayng þ ^t y haue in my wombe [Page] a sone that shall put the out of thy kyngdome ffor by this hit ought to be vnderstande that the sone that y bere shall ouerlyue the and put the so out of thy kyngdome. that is to saye in thy sepulture the day that thou shalt departe out of this world And yf this may not appese the. yf hit so happen that y haue a sone. thou ma­yste do hym to be kept in a strong towr And there to sette suche warde vpon hym that he shall neuer be of power to enhaunse hym self agayn the..

SAturne had tho the herte passyng grete. that for semblable compassion Vesca the moder Cybell and Ceres wepte and gaf out grete plente of teres And in like wyse all the assistentes that were in the place wepte out of mesure haboūdantly. yet ne­uertheles hit myght not softe nor attempre the hard comaundement of kyng saturne But in conclusion he said to Cibell that she shold no more procure the respyt of tthe lyf of his sone. but he shold be ded & she al­so with hym yf she dide not his comāndement. With this sorowful conclusion Cibell deꝑtid from thens all in a traunse half ded castyng abrood her armes & han­des wyth grete excesse of teres that ran lyke a ryuer from her tendre eyen. entrid in to a tour. her moder that desolate lady folowed her Sshe beyng in her chambre forfrusshid and all distemperid of sorowe began to trauayle anon & was delyuerid of a doughter and of a sone. the doughter was born to fore the sone And was sente by Ceres and born to norysshe in to the Cyte of Perthemye and was named Iuno And the sone began to laughe at comyng out of hys moders wombe and was named Iubyter...

[Page]Whan Cibell and vesca sawe þ ^e childe lawhe theyr teeres began to growe double. and they had not taken grete regard & hede to the chyld what tyme Cibell all angrye and corrupt wyth wanhope wyth a syghe & feble speryt sayd to her moder. ha my moder what pietous caas shal this be now gyue me a sharp cuttyng knyf and y shall murder my sone by innaturel errour agayn my wyll And after this vyllayns dede for my absolucion of þ ^e grete synne y shall murder my self also. & this is myn oppy­nion ffor after so cruell a dede & werk notwithstan­dyng ony excusacion y wyll neuer lenger lyue The moder of Cibell was tho all be wepte and greth dis­mayed whan she herd the ayer of the tendre mouth of her doughter redounde in her eres of so hard a cruelte. she beyng all affrayed sayd to her. my doughter what thynkest thou to doo. art thou enraged out of thi witte or folyssh My moder answerd Cibelle ye veryly. y am verily as ye saye. enraged out of my wytte and folissh. and yet more y am furioꝰ and wood. make me no lenger to languyssh. gyue me þ ^e cursid mortal knyf forgyd in an euyll houre ffor of force me muste obeye the kyng. saturne your right welbelouyd sone my ryght redoubtid husbond þ ^t hath comaundement ouer me. and wil schamely put me to deth yf y acomplyssh not and fulfille his comaundement in the deth of his sone whiche he hath chargid me to slee.

AMone as vesca consideryd that her doughter said and in the errour þ ^t she was in. she toke the chyld that was in her armes & pluckyd hyt from her by force And alwey the chyld laughed [Page] whan Cibell sighe her sone in the armes of her moder as a woman araged and out of her wytte she began to crye that she shold slee the Chyld or gyue hyt her agayn. or ellis she wold aryse out of her bed and go playne to kyng Saturne After thise wordes Vesca delyuerid the child to a damysell of the hows that onely was there with hem. & bad her that she shold go slee the child in the presence of Saturne or in som other place out of theyr sight The poure damysell ex­cusid her. and Vesca gaf her in comaundement and charged her wyth grete menasses that she shold go forth and take the chyld and the knyf and slee hy [...] And so by the comaundement of these two ladies she toke the knyf many tymes and put hit to the throte of the child for to cutte hit a sonder and alwaye the noble child laughed at the knyf And whan the damysell saw this that hyt was innocent she myght not fynd in her hert to do hit ony harme. In this sorow and in this payne and varyacion Vesca. Cibell and the damoysel̄ were a longe tyme Now they iugged hym to deth and put the knyf to his throte. and sodeynly the damoysell reuoked hit and swere that she wold neuer be ꝑsecuteresse of oon so fayr a child & thus than began all thre to wepe & sobbe bewaylyng the child by so grete affeccion that hit was pyte to here After this whan they had longe wepte & sobbed & bewailed the tendre wepyng & payne of Cibell they began a lityl to attempre their hert And began to retorne to moderly pyte Cibell called her that held the child & requyred her petously þ ^t she wold gyue her. her sone to kysse & hold in her armes. promyttyng that she wold do hym [Page] none harme The damoysel that wyst not what shold falle delyuerd her. her tendre chyld And than whan Cybelle beheld her child with her face all bewept & alle distemprid wyth teris she kyssed his laughyng mouth more than an .c. tymes and cam agayn to her nature knowlechyng her syn and began to saye My chyld y had been wel infortunat yf y had taken thy lyf from thee y haue contended thi deth. my right swete sone Alas shal y ꝑsecute the after the wyll of thy fader kyng saturne. hyt is his comaundement. & y owe hym obeyssance yf y obeye the culpe and synne is due to hym. yf y obeye not y make my selfe culpable of deth. a what is thys shalt thou dye by my handes. by the handes of thy propre moder ha shall thy moder be thy marterar. shal thy moder be thyn enemye bitter & mortall aduersarye for doubte of deth. y wot not what to saye but woley or woley not thou art my sone. euery moder loueth her chyld. how may y hate þ ^e hyt is moche better that y dye than thou. y haue liuyd longe ynowh. and thou art now first borne veryly þ ^u shalt not dye at thys tyme. y shal saue thy lyf or y shal dye for thy helth. requyryng the goddes m [...]y of the euyll wyll that y had ayenst the.

How saturne had comaunded to sle Iupiter þ ^t was new born & how hys moder cybelle sente hym to kyng mellisens wher he was norisshid.

The right sorowful lady after this cam better to her self and toke hert to her & kyssed her chyld þ ^t alwey laughed. and vesca beheld her contenance all newe. & satte doun on þ ^e bedde side where her doughter laye. there they two began to speke to geder of saturne [Page] and of the ffortune of this child and that he had ben in grete auenture And ꝓmysid that oon vnto that other that they wold saue the child vnto her power After this ꝓmysse in the ende of dyuerse pourposes they con­cluded to send this child secretly vnto the two dough­tres of kyng Melliseus. the whiche vesca had noriss­hid in her yong age Of these two doughters that oon was named Almachee and that other Mellisee This conclusion fully fynysshid & taken. Vesca lappid and wond the child as hit ought to be And delyuerid hit vnto a damoysell beyng there psent with all thynges and gaue her charge to bere hit secretly vnto almachee and Mellisee The good damoysell enterprisid the said charge and deꝑtid out of Crete with the child at all aventure And so worshypfully guyded her that she brought the child leuyng in sauete to the cite of Oson whiche she psentyd to Almache and Mellisee. reher­syng how vesca had sent hym to hem for the grete loue and truste that she had in hem And how saturne had comaunded that his moder shold slee hit.

Anone as these two damoyselles sawe the child and vnderstoode how Saturne had iuggid hit to deth. they resseyued hit wyth pyte and in fa­uour of vesca. And promysid to nouryssh hit in the secretest and best wyse that they mochte And forth­wyth the same oure they bare the chyld vnto a mon­taygne that was nyghe to the Cite wher in dwellyd theyr nouryce in a depe hole of a Caue whyche was rychely entaylled and coruen wyth Chysell & other dyuerce instrumentis And than they sent agayn the damoysell that brought the chyld in to Crete In this [Page] maner was the lyf of the chyld saued Almache and mellisee norisshid the child wyth the melk of a goot ffortune was to hym more propice and helpyng than nature. what shall y saye in the begynnyng whan he was put in the caue as hys nouryces on a day sawe him wepe and crye by his ꝓpre inclinacion of c [...]y [...]d­hood be cause he shold not be herd. they toke tr [...]pes tympane and cymbales and maad them to sowne so gretly that a gret multitude of bees ffleyng aboute the montaygne herd theyr soun. and wyth this sown entrid in to the caue and toke an hooll by the chyld ffleyng aboute hym wyth out ony greef or harme doyng to the child. and yet more they maad there hony wher of the child ete and was norisshed from thens forth whiche was a merueylous thyng Allewey for tachieue the mater begynnyng of the damoysel þ ^t had born thys child theder whan she cam agayn she reherced to dame cybell and vesca all her besoyne & werk. and gaf hem a ryght grete ꝯfort towchyng þ ^e child Than the two ladyes by meur deliberacion toke and abbeste whiche is a precious stone & brayded hit in to pouldre and after that they medlid hit wyth wyn in a cuppe of gold. and dame vesca bare hyt to her sone saturne & she habowndyng in bitter teres all bewept sayd to hym My sone thy wyf hath sent to the this drynke knowe thou veryly that she this day hath rendred. & yelden þ ^e fruyt of her wombe a sone and a doughter she hath sent the doughter to nourysshe in to the cite of parthemye but in the obeyng of thy strayt comaundement we haue defetyd the sone & put hym to deth / of whom the body the fflessh & the lityl tendre bones been now [Page] torned in to asshis And she hath sent here to the. the right noble herte temprid in wyn whiche y present to the. to thende that thou do thy plesir And be no more in doute by thy sone to be put out of thy Royame.

ANon as Saturne herd the petous wordes of hys moder vnderstandyng the newe tydyngis that she said & shewd hym. he began to frowne and s [...]yd in this maner O pyte with oute pyte Ne ought not my herte be terryble angry. and restraynd with pressurs of sorow whan hit is force that to myn hert this present hert yssued of his blood and rootes be gyuen in mete and pasture for to estaunche the descouenable honger of myn inhonest desire Thise wordes ac­complisshid Saturne was gretly displesid and full of renewyng of sorow. drank the drynke. wenyng that hyt had ben as his moder had done hym to vnder­stonde And after went in to his chambre. and there began to be gretly in melancoly And after that fo [...]thon he purposid and trowed to abstayne hym self to paye his wyf the deu dette of maryage but as ther is no so­row that ne ouer passeth. by space of tyme he forgate this sorow And lyyng with his wyf engendrid an other sone. Whiche she sauyd like as Iupiter was sauyd. how well that Saturne charged her to put hym to deth And this child was born to Atthenes. where he was kept and norysshyd & named Neptune yet after this he laye wyth his wyf & engendryd an other sone & a doughter. whiche at time couenable were born and deꝑted from their moder but at this tyme she told not of her sone but hid hit from saturne whiche sone was named Pluto & she dide hit to kepe in the parties [Page] of Thesaylle that afterward was named hell. and for to content her husbonde saturne whan she was delyuerd of these two childern she sent to hym her doughter whiche was callid glanta and she dyed in her tendre yeres And thus of all these generacions saturne supposid þ ^t non had be reseruyd but Iuno his doughter to whom he wente oftymes to visite in Parthemye where he dide hit to be nourysshid wyth many noble virgyns of her eage. and also many auncient gentylwymen to enduce and teche hem gentilnes and vertu but of all them y wyl a while tarye now & also of Iupiter. neptune and pluto and now y wyl shewe how dardanus put his broder Iasius to deth for couetyse to rengne in the cyte of corynthe. and how he deꝑ­tid out of corynthe & how he sette the fyrst ston in þ ^e cyte of dardane whiche afterward was named troye

¶How after the deth of kyng corynthus of corynthe his two sones dardanus and Iasius strof who of them shold haue þ ^e kyngdom and how dardanꝰ slew his broder iasius by trayson wherfore he most deꝑte out of the contre.

IN this tyme whan crete began to be aroyame and a kyngdame and was in possession of their fyrst kyng the same wyse in the cyte of corynthe whiche stant in naples regned Corynthus ther fyrst kyng. and corin­thus had to his wyf oon of þ ^e doughters of kyng Ath­las of libye named Electra. they regned to geder and achieued prosꝑsly theyr lyf / they lefte after hem two sones wherof that oon was named dardanus and that other iasyus. some saye that this dardanꝰ was sone of Iupiter but bochace trowed he was lawful [Page] sone of Corynthus as hit apperith in the sixte book of the genelagye of goddes Dardanus than and Iasius after the deth of theyr fader Corynthus and of her moder Electra wold succede in the royame & in no wyse they coude accorde Dardanus had an hihe & hauntayn courage and Iasius in like wyse. they argued and stroof to gyder that oon ayenst that other often tymes of this mater. and conspired and made secretly menasses vnder couert in suche wyse that Dardanus on a day assemblid all the peple that he coude gete for to be spryng & destroie his broder iasius & his frēdes whiche were tho assemblid in a secrete place for to treete þ ^e pees and to see how they myght contente & plese Dardanꝰ

WHan Iasius sawe hys broder come all in ar­mes. all his blood began to chaunge. & seeyng that his broder was esmeuyd & full of euyll will demyng that this mater shold torne to grete myschief. he ascried and saide Alas what auayleth for to speke and counceyll & seke menes of pees betwene my broder & me. we ben betrayed. lo here is my broder that cometh vpon vs all in armes. eche mān saue hym self that may With these wordes Dardanus cam in to the consistorie smote his broder vnto þ ^e deth & said Iasius thou maist not abstayne thi self from thy machynacy­ons Thou hast enhaunsed thy self ayenst me. but now y shal make an ende of the Iasius fill doun ded among the feet of hys frendes And ther Clothes were all be sprenct & be bled of his blood Whan the frendes of Iasius saw this tyrannye they saued them self as well as they coude to their power and fledd from thens all araged Than Dardanus retorned to the riall palays [Page] and the frendes of Iasius gaderd them ād wente to armes and made a noyse and murmure so grete that in a lityl space alle the cyte was strongly troublid for the deth of Iasius. whiche was gretly in the grace and fauour of all the peple of corynthe. ffor whan they herd reherced the deth of Iasius they toke grete sorow and manaced dardanus to deth. and forthwyth in effect they assemblid by grete rowtes in the stretes & sayd oon to that other Alas now is ded the loue of corynthyeus that had more amytye & loue to the comyn wele than dardanus. late vs goo and auenge his deth Gowe & punysshe the malefacteur. late vs no lenger tarye we shall do a meritorye werk who that euer doth iniustyce & tyrannye is not worthy to be chyef & heed of clemence ner of iustice. yf we suffre a murd­rer to reygne vpon vs. neuer shall ther good come ther of. wher the heed is seke or euyll þ ^e membres may not be hoole ner good. dardanus hath slayn his broder iasius wrongfully. hyt is vray semblable that h [...] shall slee vs after his wyll. late vs take from hym his puissance. and late vs shewe that we be men distroyers of vyces and enemyes vnto all them that seken and engenderen tyrannye in her courages..

SVche were the clamours of the corynthyeus by suche noyse and semblable clamours they chauffyd them selfe and in the end assemblid in oon place. and were ful of ardent appetyt to correcte the malefactour dardanus. and his complices In this tempest & swellyng ffurour they went to the pallais where dardanꝰ had put hym self for reffuge but they fonde the yates shytte and coude not entre in to hyt [Page] wherefore they assieged the place makyng a grete noyse and so grete tempeste that dardanus was abasshid. and anon he assemblid hys frendes and axed them their councel̄ They answerd and sayd that he and they were in grete auenture and paryll and that the peple so meued myght not lightly be appesid. and for this they said hym saue thy self and vs also with the. thou hast slayn thi broder. Iasius whom the peuple louyd in crueyllously for his benyugnyte. the trespaas is grete. syn hit is so don the best wey ought to be ta­ken we councell the that thou leue this palais. and ffynd maner to yssue out and we shall folowe the and goo wyth the and serche our auentures in other landes ffor hit shall be grete payne by possibilite euer to contente and appese this peple. how well that it is so that the Corynthieus be terryble to all them that they haue in hate and in despyte.

DArdanus heryng these wordes began to sighe and conscidered that he moste departe from his Cite by his mysfait culpe and desert he smote hym self on the brest and sayd Ha ffortune vnsted­fast what is me befalle My handes ben foule and fil­thid with the blood of my laufull broder. the insur­reccion and the rebellyon of my peple hangyng to fore myn eyen hit is force that y flee for to saue my lyf. & purpose to lyue of rauayn & thefte. What meschunce what euyll happe is this. syn hyt is so y yelde me fugytyf and shall go my way at alauenture be hyt. Whan the ffrendes of dardanus had vnderstande that he was concluded and purposed to saue his lyf. they ioyned to hym & appoynted to gyder that the next morn in the [Page] first krekyng of the day they wold departe from the pallays. & take thauenture to passe by theyr enemyes sayyng that yf they myght ascape they shuld go to þ ^e ryuage of the see and take the kynges barge. and all they sware to helpe and accompanye eche other vnto the deth The nyght passyd the day aperyd. and than dardanus that had not restyd that nyght to his plesir but had wacchid wyth his armed men and were redy to take thauenture that the goddys and fortune wold gyue and send hem yssued out of þ ^e pallays & found the most parte of his enemyes a slepe he thres­tyd among the vyllayns & passyd forth wyth lityl resistence. that notwythstandyng the wakyng of the coryntheus he cam to his ryal shipp & toke the see & sauvid them self. wherof þ ^e corynthyeus had grete sorowe

Whan dardanus sawe that he was so quyt of the fureur of þ ^e corynthyeus he wente saylyng by the see and descended first at the port of þ ^e cyte of Samos beyng in Trache. and there vytaylled hym and went to see agayn. and arryued in Asye in a quarter wher þ ^e land was ioynyng to the see of hel­lespond. and fyndyng this land right good & fruyte­full for to enhabite. he made there his habitacion And there sette the first stone of a ryght grete cyte that he began and after achieued This cyte was that tyme named dardane after the name of dardanus but after­ward hit was callyd Troye. dardanus peupled & fyld his cyte wyth men and women whiche he gate by swetenes and fayr promesses. and that other ꝑte he conquerryd by force thefte & pillerye. he made hym self kyng of dardane & dyched the cyte aboute wyth [Page] grete diches After longe tyme he passyd out of thys world and dyed. and lefte a sone of his wif Can­dame that was second kyng of dardane This kyng was named Erutonius and regned seuyn & fourty yere en augmentyng and encresyng his Cyte and pe­ple And at last consūmed the end of his yeres. and regned after hym Trops his sone This Troos was the thirde kyng of dardane and was a stronge man fiers and hardy en armes. and encresyd gretly hys seygnourye and his Crowne in so moche as the dar­danyens said that ther was no kyng but Troos. and named them troians And thus was Troyes enhaun­ced more than all the royames of Grece so hihlye that the kyng Tantalus of ffrigie had grete enuye. and gaf his hert & courage how he myght anulle and put doun þ ^e name of Tros that was his neighbour and began tessaie to bryng hit doun as here after shal be said.

¶Of the grete werre þ ^t was meued betwene the pela­giens & the Epiriens and how kyng lichaon of pelage was destroyed by Iupiter. by cause of a man put to hym to ostage. whiche kyng lichaon did do rost..

The wise & subtyl virgyne Menerue as saint austyn reherseth shewid her self in this tyme by the stagne or riuer callid triton by the gretenes and subtilte of her engyne. ffor she fonde the maner to forge & make armes. and to this purpos Ovide reher­ceth that she had foughten agayn a geant named Pallas and slewe hym by the flood of triton In the same tyme that the armes were founden And the sciences of Mynerue were practiqued by all the world a fiers descension engendrid bytwene the Epyriens and the [Page] pelagiens þ ^t after were named archadyens And here of maketh mencion bochace in the fowrt book of the genelagye of goddes. amonge the pelagiens regned that tyme a kyng named lichaon eldest sone of Tytan the epiriens than enterprysed vpon the pelagiens and so maad that a right grete noyse aroos and sourded ffor whiche cause they assaylled eche other by fete of armes so felounous and aspre that booth parties suf­fryd many fowle mortall shoures than the wyse men of Epire sawe thys warre so disolute. and that they of their partye had iniustly and vnrightfully at­tamed and begon thys warre. they knowlechid their fault & went to the kyng lychaon beryng braunches of Olyue in signyfiance of pees and loue. and hym requyred that he wold condescende to acord and pees of bothe peuples Lichaon consideryng that his peple had as moche lost as wonne by this discencion. and that bataylles were perylous Accorded to thepiryens the pees by condicion. that they shold delyuere hym oon of thyr moste noble men suche as he wold demaunde for to be his seruaunt a space of tyme in token that they had vnryghtfully engendrid this discencion The epi­ryens consentid this condicion and delyueryd to kyng lychaon in seruitude the most noble man a mong them and thus ended the warre.

The terme and the tyme drewe ouer þ ^e thepiryen seruyd kyng lichaon his due tyme. and than whan the tyme was expired the epiryens as­semblid them to geder and by deliberacion of counceyl sent an Enbassade to lichaon for to trete the delyuer­ance of thepiryen Thise enbassadeurs departyd from [Page] Epire and cam to pellage & shewid to the kyng how their man had seruyd as long as he was bounden and requyred hym that he wold rendre and delyuere hym and ratefie the pees. to that end that euer after that they myght be the more frendes to gyder. Whan lichaon that was hard of courage fiers & euyll vnto all men and also vnto his owen peple vnderstood the wordes and requestes of the epiriens he had grete sorow and angre in hym sylf and sayd to them with his mouth thynkyng contrary with his hert. that on the morne he wold feeste hem and haue hem to dyner and than he shold doo lyke as they had demaunded with these wordes the epiriens departid ioyously fro the presence of kyng lichaon. and on the morn they cam to the feste that was richely ordeynd and maad for them in gret plenteuousnes whiche was ryght fayr at the begyn­nyng. and in the ende right foul and abhomynable. for whan hit cam to the performyng of the feste. the kyng lichaon roos from the table & went vnto the kechyne and there toke the body of thepirien his seruaunt that he had murdrid the same nyght. and all rostid and soden brought hit in a grete plater to the feste and presentid hit to thepiriens sayng. lo here is thepirien that hath seruyd me whiche was cause of the escheweyng of the ruyne and perdicion of epirye. y said yesterday that y shold delyuere hym thys day take hym who so wole y discharge me and put my handes from hym and wole hym no more.

Alle they that tho were psent as wel his (ser)uauntis as strangers Aswell epiriens as pellagiens had anon grete horrour whan they herd and vnderstood [Page] the wordes of kyng Lychaon and had grete shame & furcur to beholde so hounteuse and abhomynable werk and oultrageous synne. and were so troubled that the blood wente fro their faces and leyde their handes afore their eyen. as they that abhorred to behold the pour martir Epiryen And ther was no mān wyste what to saye of the infamye of the kyng lychaon vn­nethe. whan the kyng sawe them so troubled and that euery mān began to frowne and grugge a part. he lefte hem & wente from thens vnto his chambre And than euery mān rose fro the table abhorryng & eschewyng the sente and sauour of the dede mān And wold haue departid and goon their way all confuse. ne had ben Iupiter the sone of Saturne whiche the Epiriens had brought with them in their legacion and enbassade for as moche as he was a fair child. able & gentill For than whan he sawe that euery mān drewe a parte his waye. he putte hym self in the myddes of thepyriens & began his glorious enterprises and said to them in this wise. O what is this. where is the blood of the Epy­riens Are they bannyd out of hardynes. be they exyled out of valoyr and of honneste. whiche be the epiryens that by force wole expose them self to the vengeānce of so foule & horryble dede This caas is not to be born And the terryblete of the tyrānt lichaon is not to be re­doubtyd whan hit bleuyth vnpunysshid. ye see that [...] the pelagyens make semblant that they be euyll payd with hym he muste be punysshid. y saye as for me y [...] shall neuer haue pleasir in my lyf tyll y se hym refray­ned of his tyrannye..

WHat tyme the Epiryens had conceyued the grete [Page] courage of Iupiter that was so yonge of age. they thanked their goddes of that / that they had brought hym with hem and said to hym all with oon wys. Childe blessid be the wombe that bare the. And blessid be the goddes that forseyng this Iniure and wronge to vs and hath so enspyred vs for to brynge the wyth vs we had ben now with out courage hardines and will to do well and had not ben so hardy to haue taken ony terme of vengeance. Thy wordes haue awaked and envertued our spirytes whiche were ded and aslepe and passed by the countrepesed Infamye of the tiraūt lichaon. Thy hardynes hath maad vs hardy. thy vayllyance hath maad vs vaylliant and louers of vailly­ance and thy wisedom hath enlumyned vs in this cause thou shall be conduitour and ledar of this werke and comaunder and we shall obeye vnto the (etc):..

IVpiter answerd and sayd Worshipfull lordes and sirs I am not wise ynowh for to resseyue the honour that ye do me / ner my tendre yeres shall not accepte hit. Allewey by forme of counceyle humelyed vnder alle correccion / I will well saye to yow that. that me thynketh erpedient for to be doon / yf ye fynde no man saie better than ye shall do be my counceill and aduyce ye shall take this poure epiryen in the same estate that he is delyueryd to yow and bere hym vnto the comyn place of this Cyte. ffor hit is this day sabate and ha­liday▪ the pelagiens ben there in grete nombre and mul­tytude passyng their tyme wyth dyuerce playes and esbatementis / than ye shall shewe this pour ded man ffor hit is sayd that the kynge is not well belouyd with his owne peuple for his vnmanly werkes / this [Page] mesfeet and trespaas is passyng foull and pyetous Anone as they shall knowe what he hath doon by this foul werke. ye shall wel secyf they shall take in this synne pleasir or dysplaisir.. yf pleasir. than hyt were abuse and folye for to speke therof for this present ty­me ony more. but muste seke remedye and retorne to Epire. yf they take displaisir. ye may playnly disco [...]ure your courages and prouoke and calle them to purge this Cryme that is so cursid And y wene that they shall right lyggtly entende to vs and for none amytie that is betwene hym and them he shal not domyne ner regne vpon hem by tyrannye. ffor he is not their naturel lord but he is the sone of Tytan broder of Saturne & is not kyng by eleccion but by force.

Alle they that herd Iupiter thus speke meruey­led gretly of hym And accorded them to hys counceyl in suche wise that no man contraried hit ner agayn sayd hyt And so sodenly they toke the murdred epiryen & bare hym to the comyn place And ther they shewid hym openly in euery mannes sight Whan the pelagyens sawe this dede man of whom the skyn was scorched the fflessh rosted the senewes shronken. and that the bones aperyd by the ioynturs they assemblid al aboute hym in grete nombre and castyng her eyen vpon hym they had so grete orrour abhomynacyon and abasshement that her hertes trembled playned eche to othir and many went awey for compassyon wepte and araged trembled for angre And other toke duste and pouldir and casted in to the ayer in signe of sorow cuttyng their clothis and sayng and liftyng her handes on highe O goddes almyghty what [Page] peple ben these epiriens haue they rosted a mannes bo­dy And haue brought hit to fore vs. what mene they Are we eters of mannes flessh / or they bryng hit to vs to shew the cruelte of their courage. or they come for to ete this ded man among vs for to fere vs with all:.

IVpiter ther beyng awaityng & leyyng his eres and se­yng with his eyen the maner of the pelagiens & their contenances. Conceyuyng that they condescended in the contempnacōn and enemyte of hym that wrought this pietous werke. Whan he had herd their reasons & had seen their wondringes. he adressid hym self amōge them and said in this wise. O ye men of pelage that ye esmerueylle yow of this vnmanly & vnnaturell werke / haue ye not y now lerned & knowe the tirānies of your kyng lichaon he hath murdrid this man / and this man is the epirien that was delyuerid to hym at the traytte of the pees of yow and of vs for to serue hym. lo this is the guerdon and reward that he hath don to hym. he hath tirannysed right euyll and hath don hym euyll for good O what grete Infamie is to yow. that the peple & folk of euery other cyte / haue regnyng on them kynges of noble men and vertuous and they be crowned by elecci­ons for their vertuous dedes / ye be defferent fro them & all of a nother nature / A Tyrant is your kynge a mur­drer an Iniuste man A synnar worthy of Infamous deth / and vnworthy for to be lefte a lyue vpon the erthe Considere ye considere vnder whos hande ye be and how nyghe ye fynde your self in maladye and parcyll of deth. Whan the heed aketh alle the other membres suffren payne. Than ye may not be hooll and / sound / What shulle we now doo. thynke ye & counceylle ye [Page] vs we come to you for reffuge. & demaunde yow how we ought to do and behaue vs ayenst oon that is so fowl a kyng as is lichaon Telle vs the verray trouth yf ye confesse the trouth & that ye be louers of rayson iustyce and of equyte ye shall iugge and condempne hym. ye shal leye your handes and puissances in correccion of hym and ye shall be depesshid of his malice.

AMon as the pelagyens vnderstood of Iupiter that lichaon their kyng had commysed this villayns Cryme Also that he had presentyd to the eryepins the body of their frend so ded they beyng at table. they condempned his synne and murmured agaynst hym sayng that they wold no more be go­uerned and norysshyd vnder the rodd of so peruers and vnfamous a tyrant And sayden to the epiryens that they wold abide by them and put them in theyr a­bandon. Wyth these wordes Iupiter putte hym sylf among the epiriens and by his hardynes amonesshid them to conspire agayn their kyng. wyth whiche conspiracion acorded alle they of the cyte And the wordes of Iupiter were so agreable to hem and hys maners that they put in his hand the deth & destruccion of their kyng lichaon And to thende that he shold truste and haue affyance in them they sent for theyr armes and habillemens of warre and armed them After they assemblid aboute Iupiter and said to hym that he shold be their capitayne and her conduitur for tachyeue this sayd werke..

IVpiter beyng ioyous of so grete an honeur and worship excusid hymself but his excusacions had no place the epiriens and the pelagiens ordeynd & constytuted [Page] hym heed ouer them. And he constituted in this dignyte sette his peple in ordre / And after did hem to marche toward the palays. They had not longe goon on the way whan they sighe kynge lychaon yssue out of his palais with grete companye of his ffrendes all armed as they that had ben aduertysed of the sayd conspira­cion maad agaynst lychaon. ffelyng that his enemyes cam for tassaylle hym. ffor to shewe hym self a man of fyers corage cam a gaynst them wenyng presumtu­ously for to haue ouercomen them. And anone as they began taproche. they escryed eche other to the deth with out other counceill. And strongly esmeuyd they assamblid to batayll that was right merueyllously sharpe. Lychaon setted and ladd his peple / in ordre agaynst Iupiter / They medled hem hastely to geder wyth lytill stryf of wordes and wyth grete stryf of horyons and strokes. The stryf coste moche / but in es­peciall to lychaon. ffor his peuple were lasse in puys­sance and myght. than the men of Iupiter / whiche were stronge of grete enterprise that they fought and smote vpon the pelagiens and caste hem doun now here uow there so fiersly and so desmesurably that none mochte abyde that was afore them. Amonge alle other Iu­piter did wonder and meruaylles by his well doyng he putte lychaon in a passyng grete Errour and noy­ance. And in thys grete anoye he sued passyng fast for to haue come ronne vpon hym. But whan the fals tyraūt sawe hym come and he sawe that Iupiter sette his strokes so myghteli. that all them that he araught were smeten doun to the erthe and confounded. Than alle hys herte began to faylle hym / And wente hym [Page] that other syde and he had not long abiden there whan that Iupiter had vaynquysshid and ouerthrowen the pelagiens And made hem to fle from the place to fore hym. like as hit had ben the thondre or tempeste..

IN this maner whan lychaon sawe his complices and felawship in suche extremyte he fledde hym self not as a kyng. but as a pour man out of comfort and hope so desolate that he durste take non of his complices wyth hym to helpe hym away nor to comforte hym. he doubtyd Iupiter as the deth. he so fleyng a way as said is durst not entre his palais. but yssued out of the Cyte and wente vnto a grete forest that was nyghe by. and from thens forth he was a brygant and a theef And for this cause the poetes faynen that he was torned in to a wolf That is to saye he lyued as a wolf of proies and robberyes Allewey to purpos of this mutacyon Leoncius reherceth that Lichaon so fleyng as sayd is supposyd to be sued after of Iupiter and be put to deth putte hym self in a ryuer or a grete lake and ther saued hym self. ffelyng that the water of that ryuer had a synguler ꝓprete. that is to wete that the men that put­teth them self in the water shold be torned in to wol­ues for the terme of .ix. yere And the ix. yere exspired yf they wold putte them self in the water after that agayn they shold recouure agayn their first liknes And so hit myght well be don. for lychaon putte hym self in to the water and was transumed to a wolf by the space of abouesaid. and lyuyd of thefte and pillerye in the wodes and forests waytyng oftetymes how the pellagiens gouerned them self And in the ende whan he had accomplisshid his penaunce He retorned in to [Page] the ryuer and toke agayn his mannys forme & knowlechyng that the Cyte of pelage myght neuer be reco­uerd. and than he retorned poure and myschant vnto his fader Tytan / of whom I shall tarye a lytill. And shall telle how Iupiter began to be Amerous on Calisto doughter of the said Lichaon (etc)::.

¶How Iupiter after the disconfiture of kynge Lichaon transformed hym self in guyse of a relygious wo­man of the goddesse deane for the loue of calisto dough­ter of the said lichaon and dide with her his will::.

AFter the descomfiture of kynge lichaon whiche was transformed in guyse of a wolf and be­gan to be a rauyssheur of the substance of men of the contre. Eter of her children and murdrer of wilde bestes that he ofte tyme assaylled by rage of hunger whiche constrayned hym to cherissh & kepe his myserable lyf / whan the Epiryens syghe that Iupiter had vanquysshid their enemyes And that he abode maistre in the place / they brought hym with grete Ioye and glorye to the palais And soughte longe lichaon / ffyrst in the place where the bataile had be. And after that in the chambres of the palais / but they fonde hym not quykner ded ner coude here no tydyngis of hym / and hit hap­pend that as Iupiter sought hym thus from chambre to chambre / he fonde in the hiest tour the doughter of the kynge lichaon named Calisto / whiche was passyng fayr yonge and ffresshe of coloure / the damoysell be­wepte right sorowffully the losse of her fader whiche she had all newly vnderstonde / whan Iupiter sawe her so desolate and discomforted. he sette hym doun by her & said / damoysell comforte your self & speke to me [Page] and sece your wepyng Alas syre sayd the damoysell how shold y recomforte my self the Epiryens han slayn the kyng my fader. ought y to take consolacion in this ruyne. ought y not be angry. ought myn herte be wyth out sorow. my stomake with out sihghes and myn eyen with out wepyng an .C. thousand infortunes trauerse my body and corrompe me And y se me so poure a gentyl damoysel̄ doughter of a kyng. that y desire more þ ^e deth than lyf and am more in wanhope than in hope..

WHan Iupiter knewe by the wordes of this damoysel þ ^t she was doughter of kyng lychaon he had more grete pite of her than he had be fore for as moche as she was doughter of the kyng and said to her Damoysel̄ appese your hert. y wote well that hit is fo [...]ce that nature acquyte hym self. but ye ought to considere þ ^e inordinate werkes of your fader whiche ye ar bounden to bewayle. he was lasse resonable man than a kyng ought to be. he is not ded he hath put hym self in som place secrete to saue hym self his synnes were to infamoꝰ. and who shal beplayne & sorow hym The goddes & fortune haue suffrid the rabaisshement & casting doun of his pride & of his tiranies hit is a rightwys thyng that ye take & haue pacience in his rightwis aduersite. ffor his demerytes gyue yow cause to take pacience where as nature enclyneth yow to vnpacience And ye ought not be inpacyent for his rephension and castyng doun. ffor like wise hyt is so that the losse of a tyraūt torneth alle a contrey to ioye O than conforte your self▪ damoysell the oultragious synnys ner the vnmanly furours of your fader nor his [Page] shamefull dedes shall no thynge be dampnable vnto yow ner torne to yow preiudice. nor no man shal̄ missaye ner do to yow. ner attouche yow in ony maner wyse I yow assure certaynly (etc)::..

Syre answrd the mayd I thanke yow of your courtoysies and of the fayr wordes / wyche ye profere and saye vnto me I wote well that my pouerte hath maad me indygne and vnwor­thy / but whan I see that the Infortune of my fader is irrecouerable & that his Infelicyte hath no recourance / I renonce the world and pray yow that hit plese yow to trete for me vnto the epiriens that I myght goo yelde my self in to the relygion of dame Deane the noble vir­gyne / doughter of the wise Iupiter somtyme kynge of Actyque and born in this londe / where vpon ought to be remembrid. that right auncyently yssued out of pellage a wyse noble man. named Iupiter / of whom bo­chace maketh mencion in the first book of the genelagie of goddes / whiche Iupiter was kynge of actyque / for as moche as he Introduced the peple to honest lawes and dide first do ordeyne and halowe maryage. ffor to fore that tyme the acticyens maried hem not / but vsed women in comyn. And of this Iupiter cam a doughter named Diane. the whiche willyng tabide in thestate of virginyte maad a Cloistre in the wood of Archade where she assemblyd many virgyns that passed her tyme with huntyng and chacyng the wild bestes. ffor to torne to purpos this noble virgyne deane lyuyd the same tyme of the subuersion of the regne of lychaon / whan Iupiter vnderstod of calisto that she wold yelde [Page] her silf with the vyrgyne. he behelde her and said vnto her And how damoysell be ye so dispeyred for a litil tribulacion that toucheth not your persone ye be yong and fayr amonge none of yow that so go in to religyon may growe no fruyt of children Aduyse yow wel hit were better that ye abode amonge the worldly pe­ple that enplenyssh the world Many women and also men entre in to religion in their yougth that repente them in their age Syre said Calisto tempte me no more yf ther be ony gentilnes in yow resseyue the praier and request of oon so desolate & infortunat gentyl woman more desirous of the helth of my sowle than of temporel plaisirs Duryng these deuyses Iupiter beheld with out cessyng this damoysell & coude not y nough com­playne her beaulte. for as moche as she wold in to re­ligion wyth grete payne whan he had herd her answers and had seen how swetly she had taken hit and wold not be torned fro her wyll he said to h [...] that her requeste shold be accomplisshid Than he called the epiriens and requyred them that they wold be content to suffre this virgyne entre in to religion What shall y say the Epiriens put the requeste in the will of Iupi­ter And Iupiter did so moche that she was conduyte and led in to the religion of virgyns After he serchid all the palais of kyng lichaon. and maad thepiriens to sease his richesses And there Iupiter abode a certayn tyme wyth so grete worship that the pelagiens and the Epiryens wold haue crowned hym to ben theyr [...] kyng but he wold neuer consente ther to as he that considered ouer his yonge age / and the variacions of for­tune. And said that hit auaylleth more to a man / and [Page] is to hym more sure to be maad kynge in his olde age than in his yougth for the dyuerce parylls that may fall. Alleway he acorded that he wold be Capitaine of the royame And was a man of grete Iustice swete and debonnayre vnto all manyer peple (etc)::.

THis was the first comyng vp of this right noble Child. whan he had submysid to his playsance the pelagiens / he beryed thepirien that li­chaon had murdrid as hit is said afore. And did his obsequye solempnly And after he dide do brenne in to asshen the pelagiens that had ben slayn in the helpe of lichaon. And after that he sent word and did alle these thynges to be knowen and shewed to the Epy­riens that were lefte at home in Epire as to the kynge Melliseus. wherof all the epiryens. And the kynge melliseus gaf thankyngis vnto theyr goddes. But for as moche as I muste telle all after this he gaf not his herte and courage so moche to accomplissh these thynges. but þ ^t otherwhile he gaf hym self to remenbre and to thynke on the beaulte that he had seen in the re­ligyose Calisto wherof the sparkles of loue enuyron­ned strongly his herte / in suche wyse that day and nyght he wisshed hyre in his armes. And repentyd hym that he had consentyd that she wente in to rely­gion. And so laboured in thys manere that his reste in the nyght was taken from hym and was bastard fro the franchise of her courage. & so encresid he to loue and desire this virgine. & for to see her he made his passe time to haunte þ ^e woddes & continuelli to hunte þ ^e wild bestes in the forest wyth dame deane. wherof fortune [Page] and anenture suffrid otherwhile that he recountrid & mette the mayde Calisto. And whan he had ones seen her that day he was all enioyed And yf he sawe her not. he had aboundance of many thoughtes that ran redely in his intendement. y may not alday tarye on thys mater. he thoughte ynowh how he myght come to the grace of this religieuse Calisto And alle thoughtes reduced and brought in to on he concluded on a day in hym self that he wold putte hym in the habite of a relygiouse woman & wold go in to the cloystre of dame diane. faynyng to be a woman and requyryng to be resseyued with the virgynes.

THis conclusion taken and ratefied in Iupiter by many deliberacions in dyuerce daies he dide do make hys womans clothyng by a secrete werkman. whiche promysed hym to kepe his secretes whan his clothyng was maad. / he assemblid thepiryens in an euenyng & toke his leue of them for a certayn time sayng that he wold goo allone for to do certayn secrete thynges. Thepiriens were all dismayed and desolate whan they herde thentencion of Iupiter And prayed to the goddes that they wold conduyte and spede hym in his iorney. requyryng hym instantly þ ^t he wold retorne shortly agayn to them. And he promysed hem that he so wolde And than he with drewe hym in to his chambre and toke the keies of the grete gate. and on the morn betymes whan he was arayed and adoubyd in the vesture & clothyng of a mayde. he departyd from thens alone and entrid in to the woode & so exploytid that he cam to the habitacion of the relygiouse maydens

IVpiter had yet no berde and was whyte and fayr [Page] colourid in the visage / whan he cam in to the relygion he knokked at the yate. And than cam to hym a pas­syng fayr mayde named Athalanta that after was wyf vnto the kynge Melleager of Achaye. And she demaunded hym what he wold. Iupiter answerd Noble virgine Alas I am a poure woman of a noble hous I haue auowed to the goddes my virgynyte. I pray yow that ye wole presente me vnto the lady of this place. to thende that I myght serue the goddes and be of the nombre of the other virgyns. and yf hit plese the goddes I shall deserue hit anenste yow. Athalanta meuyd of compassion in the mayde. accorded hym his re­queste. And presentyd hym to dame Deane. Iupiter spake also swetly and demeurly. and made so humble and femenyn manyers. that he semed proprely to be a mayde. Diane behelde hym well and longe. And said that she had neuer seen so fayr a mayde ner so grete and than welcomed hym and resseyued hym Than Iupiter thanked dame diane of her grace and athalanta of her courtoisie. and had good hoope in his enterprise whan he sawe hym self so sone resseyued wythout knowyng. Than Iupiter began to lerne spynne and to werke in the silke and to done the excersitees of maidens And hit becam hym as well as he had ben a mayde / he was humble and of solitary conuersacion. he labou­red with his handes. with his eyen and his herte. with his handes he mad corporell werkes. with his eyen he beheld oftetyme secretly the beaulte of Calisto. And wyth his herte ymagynyng and edifyyng how and by what mene he myght begyle and deceyue Calisto And ofte tymes conuersid & felawshipt with her (etc)

[Page]Hys hert was alwey in right grete payne other­while he was meuyd with grete heuynes. and otherwhile in conforte and hope to spede well and wiste not what to saye ner doo. for as muche as shame and drede were more in hym than hardynesse. what shall y saye more. he was long in this payne. more douteuous and shamefast than hardy. but in the ende he auentured hym self And ffyndyng on a day Calisto beside a well where she refresshid her as she that was wery that had ronne longe with dame dea­ne chassyng than & huntyng a wilde beste [...]he sat hym doun by her and said My suster Calisto y me yelde to the and to thy grace. y am a man & nothyng woman thy beaute hath ouercomen my corage for to come to þ ^e poynt where we be now. y haue clothid me lyke a woman and a mayde. Alas y require the that thou res­seyue me vnto thy loue so shal we lyue to gyder in the religion And we shall take our deduytes and plesances. a man hath nothyng in this world but his lyf. They that haue more than that. they be so moche more eureus and happy. Thou hast withdrawen the hether for displaysir. and losest thy flourisshyng yougth. Calisto y can not ynowh complayne ner bewaile this do­mage. y may not preyse the ynowh / y haue ben so desi [...]rous to fynde the in secrete place / that the force of my will hath ben mescried. and þ ^t y haue enterprised this auenture hopyng in fortune þ ^t she shal gyue me grace and suffre oure yougthes to be vsed to gyder secretly ffor we may comune to geder þ ^t oon with that other with out knowyng of ony parsone not only in the chambres but also in the busshes of this woode O my [Page] suster take hede what I saye. And as I resseyued and exhaunced late thy prayer / I pray the resseyue and ex­haunce my requeste with out desdayn of hym that thou mayst see. is verray louer of the (etc):.

WHan Calisto had herd Iupiter and knewe that he was a man. she was alle affrayed / and roose vp wenyng to haue fledd. but she myght not. ffor Iupiter helde her faste by her clothyng and maad her to sytte doun by hym. Clippyng her aboute the nekke and kyssyng her by force. so moche that Calisto ascryed and said. O Iupiter what folye is this. wenest thou that I am so to be ouercome of thy flateryng wordes. I had moche leuer that the erthe wold opene and swalwe me in to his wombe. My suster Answerd Iupiter ther is no remedye that may lette that my wyll be accomplisshid. ye shall do my will and pleasir be hit be force or be hit by loue. with this word Calisto began to crye with all her myght And Iupiter began to accomplissh his pleasyr of her ther was neyther man ner woman ther aboutes that herd hit. how well the Cry of Calisto was grete. Notwythstondyng Iupiter dide his will of his body and knewe her flesshly and engendrid on her a sone. After he conforted her and promysed to helpe her in alle thynges. And to take her to his wyf yf she wold retourne to the world wyth hym. But his fayr spe­che ne his promesses myght not conforte her Ner for no thynge that he coude do or say. he coude not come in to the grace of Calysto. And allewey she sware grete othes that she wolde complayne vnto her maystres dyane. And maad so moche that Iupiter departyd [Page] from her all desplesid for her displaisir. and so went by the woodes thynkyng what was hym befalle and also what he had to do..

¶How Calisto for as moche as she was with childe the goddesse dian [...] putte her out of the order and of her compaygnye..

AT this tyme began to ryse in thentendement of Iupiter many thoughtes. and for the better he concluded in hym self to retorne agayn in to pellage fro whens he cam fro. And than how well that he was displesid for the enforsyng of his lady dame Calisto by loue. He departid fro the wood and so exployted that he was on the morn among thepiriens in his first habite. Whan thepiryens saw Iupiter comen agayn. they made hym right grete chier and grete honour And the same day Iupiter faigned hym that he wold go on huntyng. and so wente and fonde the maner to speke with Calisto and requyred her that she wold be his loue. but she in no wise wold assente to hym. He retourned from the chasse so anoyed that for to passe his melancolye he departed out of the contre the fourth daye folowyng after that he had ordeyned there folk that gouerned the peple. And retorned in to the hous of kyng Melliseus who hym resseyued as his sone. and there dwellid a longe tyme with out a­uentures whereof ony mencion is maad. And also Calisto dwellid in pees a while. whan she herd telle and vnderstood that Iupiter was goon she was passyng ioious ffor she had hym leuer ferre than nyhe Allewey the tyme passid the fruyt of her wombe grewe And the dayes cam that diane and athalantha wyth other [Page] virgyns apperceyued that she was with childe wher­fore they assamblyd alle in her Chapitre and callid Calisto And than spack deane to her and said. Calisto my doughter thou hast doon fornycacōn with some man this fornycacion is not excusable / The virgyns of this place be sory of thy synne. and haue abhomynacion of thy shame. ffor this cause hit is force that thou de­parte out of this hous / thou shalt be no lenger theyr fe­lawe. thou hast maad thy self worthy to departe by the brekyng and losyng of thy virgynyte. take thyn a ray & gere and go thy wey in to som place where thou mayste be delyuerid of the fruyt that restith in the / ffor thou shalt no lenger be here with in (etc)::.

WHan Calisto herd the goddesse Deane. And knewe that she sayd trouth. grete teeres fylle from her eyen. and wepyng by grete habon­dance excused her vpon Iupiter rehersyng of the mys­chief and auenture that she had. Deane and the maydens had grete meruaylle of Iupiter that had them so deceyued. Calisto cryed her mercy right humbly. And many tymes offrid her self to the punycion of the maydens. this not withstondyng how well that she was hold excused. they resseyued her not to mercy / She was condempned to go out of the Cloyster / And so moche wente the mater forth. that the pour religious woman departed fro thens all bewepte & so shamed that she wold not go to no toun. Cite. ner hous / but in to a depe caue that she had seen afore tyme in the woode And first she made her prouysion of herbes & rotes for as moche as the winter was comyng. after she entrid in [Page] to the caue. And ther she helde her also longe tyme as the bere holdeth hym in his denne. wherfore the Archadiens faynen that she was torned in to a bere. And it is not to be forgoten that duryng this tyme she was delyuerid of a sone whiche she named Archas. This child was grete and huge of membres. Calisto nou­risshid hym among the wilde bestes with rotes with fruytes & herbes. and of the propre metes and proyes that the cruel̄ and terrible bestes lyueden with. And ther was no beste that dide hym ony herme. ner none was so hardy to do hym ony greuāns. And he was so cruell and fiers that at the eage of seuyn yere as hys moder angrid or troublid hym on a day. he lift vp hym silf ayenst here and wold haue slayn her. in so moche that Calisto was constraynd to flee to fore hym by the busshes and yet more to yssue out of the wood & to goo to Iupiter whiche at that tyme was in the cyte of Pellage..

ARchas poursued Calisto his moder vnto he cam with in the cyte. and so forth entrid after her in to the palais and held in his two handes grete rounde stones. Whan Calisto entrid in to the palais by auen­ture she encountrid and met with Iupiter whom she knewe And she kneled doun on the erthe to fore hym and requyred hym with affraied spirite. that he wold do her iustice of her sone that wold sle her Iupiter that nothyng knewe calisto for as moche as she was euyl clothid and half wilde and sauage. beheld the Chyld and made hym to be taken. And after he demaunded calisto what she was Sire said she y am Calisto þ ^t for thy synne y was long syn bannysshid out of my [Page] religion. I haue had this child of thy seed. suche as thou seest is thy sone / I haue nourisshid hym seuyn yere in the forest amonge wilde bestes. he now wold sle me for as moche as I haue angrid hym. I pray the saue my lyf / whan Iupiter heede these wordes of calisto he was right glad and Ioyous for it was said that she was ded. And conforted her the best wise he coude / after that he callid Archas & maad the peas betwene hym and his moder / and did do clothe hym and reteyned hym in his palays And forthon the same Archas gouerned hym so wele and so wisely that at the prayer and re­queste of the pelagyens Archas was maad kynge of the contre (etc)::.

¶How Titan assayled by warre his broder saturne for as moche as he had not put to deth alle his Chil­dren males (etc)::.

IN this tyme that the yonge Archas was Crowned kynge of Pellage and that he named the Cyte Ar­chade after his name. the kynge saturne was so grete and so puysaunt. that for to ample and encrece the splendure of his natyuyte. he named hym self saturne sone of heuen and of erthe. but than as he began to stu­dye how and by what maner he myghte enhaunce the resplendour of his felicite by dyuyue mysteryes ffortune torned her back to hym ward. And as ther ne is nothinge in erthe that may abide & endure So hit happend that Titan was all acertayned that the quene Cibell had dyuerce men children that she did do kepe secretly & so had sauyd their lyf / bochace þ ^e recounteth this historie in þ ^e .iiij. book of þ ^e genelagie of goddes saith not by [Page] what mene Titan knewe this thyng allewey or by suspecion or by enuye that he had of the glorye of saturn his broder or by secret aduertisment. vnder this colour he determyned in hys courage that he wold assaylle saturne by armes And for this cause he dide assemble on a day all his sones. and them required þ ^t they wold ayde and helpe hym to gete the lond of Crete Sayng that he wold make warre agayn Saturne his broder and that by right and iuste tytle he had good cause. for he had not put to deth dyuerce men children that his wif Cybell had conceyued of his seed lyke as he had promysed and sworn.

THe children of Tytan þ ^t oon was Lychaon that at this tyme was no lenger wolf ner kynge of archade. another had to name Typhon and was kyng of Secile and of Cipres. the thirde was callid Bryarius & was kynge of nericos. the fourte was named Ceon and was kynge of the yle of Cea. the fifth was named Egeon kynge of the see Egee and of the yle deserte. and the sixte was named Eperion kynge of plipheros. Whan they had herd the will of their fader that had pourueyed for them alle these royames that he had conquerid after his departyng out of crete. they desiryng to please hym and coueytyng the recouurance of ther ancient heritages that was tho of grete renome sayde to hym as by oon wys that they were redy to accomplissh his good pleasir & to goo in to Crete with armed hand and sworen that they shuld constrayne saturne to seke and feche his sones and them persecute with his hand vnto the deth..

The olde Tytan had in his herte grete ioye whan he [Page] behelde the free and grete courages of his sones. And there they promysed and swere to geder that they all shuld employe them to the recouerance of their heryta­ges. After whiche comuracion / they ordeyned in suche wise that they gaderd hem to geder at the porte of Secyle. And sente vnto their lordshippis to assembele men of armes & of warre. They wente and made suche diligence. and so exployted that there were assemblyd grete Armour and harneys and moche peple at said porte. And whan the day was comen / they so desired to laboure this mater that they departyd from Secyle with a grete Oost and took the see and so made their Iournees wyth out auenture that in fewe dayes they sayled vnto Crete And there at the porte arryued and toke londe. And than entryng fiersly in to lande they destroyed and wasted all afore them so cruelly and contynued in theyr warre so mortally that they cam vnto the Cyte of Crete where kynge Saturne dwel­lyd and was resident / and than Saturne was aduertysed of their comyng and discent. And than Tytan that myght no ferther passe with out bataylle or as­sault / sente to saturne a lettre wherof the tenour foloweth. Saturne englottid of wordly honneur & couetyse of glorie. for as moche as thou art ocupier of the seyg­nourie that by right langeth to me titan thy lord & elder brother / furthermore be cause that thou art falsely per­iured. ffor thy wif hath dyuerce men children that thou hast not put to deth in like wise as thou were bounden / knowe that I am come to take possession of thy kyng­dom not apperteynyng to the but to me / wherfore come to mercy and meke thy self to grace. Or ellys make [Page] the sure of thy parsone. ffor yf hit be possible for me y shall come and haue reson of the.

WHan saturne had redde this lettre as a man all esbayed sent for his wyf Cibell and toke her a part. and coniured and charged her to saye the trouth and telle hym what she had don wyth his children. With this charge the poure lady changid co­lour and seeyng that she was constrayned to saye the trouthe she sayd. Syr thou knowest that y am a woman. the herte of a woman naturelly doth werkes of pite had not y haue ben in nature an abhomynable monstre yf y shold haue deuourred with my hande the children of my wombe. where is that moder that shal murdre her children. Certes my hand was neuer man slear ner neuer shall be. y haue erred agayn thy comaunde­ment in the fauour of nature. And syn hit must nedes be said y had leuer to be murdrid than a murdrere. and to be named pietous than cruel. ffor murdre is cruelte apperteynyng to vnresonable bestes and to tyrantes And pite is naturelly apperteynyng to women. And therfore y confesse to haue born thre sones conceyued of thy seed. whiche y haue do be nourisshid secretly but demaunde me no ferther or where they be. they shal liue as longe as hit plesith fortune. wil Tytan or not. and ther is no deth wherof ony woman may be turmentid with. that shall make the places to be dyscoueryd where they be..

SAturne herynge these wordes of his wyf was so esbayed that he wist not what to answere. Not withstondyng for the better he assemblid all the wise men of his cyte. And to them sayd My brethern and [Page] frendes what is best to be doon. Tytan my broder hath begon warre in this royame / my wyf hath confessid that she hath resseyued of me thre sones whyche she hath nourisshyd in strange land vnder the colour that I shold not slee them. Tytan assaileth me / what shall we don. Syre answerd the wyse men / where force is enhaunsed by ouer grete presumpcion. ther muste be craft to conduyte wiseli to put the hand to withstand hit / Thou hast a stronge Cyte and fulfillid with grete peple. thou art wyse for to gouerne hem. put thy self in armes. and take no regard to the quarele of titan. a man is not worthy to be a kynge / but yf hit be by his vertu and gentil̄ maners Crete was neuer royame but now tytan hath ben all his lyue enclyned to vices and is enuoluped in synne. in whyche purpos he maynteneth to come to thy Crowne / yf he enhaunce hym self. thou muste rebasshe and put hym doun this is the Remedye Helpe thy self and we shall helpe the / he that fleeth causeth his enemye to chasse hym. thus now hit may not be fled. but hit must be wythstande and to gyue arrest to our enemye. And that ryght coragiously. ffor that a man may do this day. late hym not put hit ouer tyll to morowe. Arme the than well and sewerly / And assayle from thy Cyte thyn Enemyes. yf thou so doo / thou shewest thy corage to be enhaunced gretly and not lyghtly to be ouercomen by them. And so thou mayst attempre somwhat their pryde and presumpcōn yf thou mayntene otherwyse thy self / and late them take their reste / that shall be mater and cause for to en­corage them. vpon whyche they shall enflame them self hoping to come to their aboue. whiche shal̄ be to the [Page] more harmyng than vayllable. ffor corage and hope ofte tymes men saie make men to attayne to grete and hye victoyres. notwithstondyng thou art kynge thy will be accomplisshid and fulfilled..

SAturne Answerd and said. Brethern and frendes hit were grete shame to vs and to our [...] we suffred hyt to be dissypate and destroyed. Hit is force that the warre be begonne and open. euery man dispose hym to saue his worship Titan assaileth myn honour. and requyreth my dyshonour. Syn hyt is force that of this mater the armes and warre be iugges we shall arme vs this hour and poursiewe thenterte­nement of þ ^e ryght good auenture þ ^t of fortune is come to vs. And my herte telleth me that also sodeynly as our enemyes ben entrid in to this land. also sodeynly we shal make them to goo and yssue out agayn. with thys answere alle the wyse and noble men of Crete took grete plesir Than Saturne gaf the answer to the messanger of tytan And said to hym. yf tytan retourne not with in two houres that he wold come and take the batayll ayenst hym. With this answer the massanger retorned to tytan and said to hym thentencion of saturne. Tytan swore than that he wold neuer retorne backward tyl he had attended and abiden the batayll Saturne was a man of grete valure and hye wyll Whan the messangier of tytan was departid. he made sowne to armes. at whiche sowne the yong and olde adowbed them & made hem redy. What shall y make long processe in short tyme they were redi at the poynt And whan saturne sawe that his enemyes made no [...] semblant to meue. he went & ascended in to his Chare [Page] ffor in this tyme the kynges went to bataill in Chares After he yssuyd out of his Cyte and rengid his peple aboute hym / and anone after he dide do marche them agaynst Tytan (etc):::::.

FRom as ferre as the Tytanoys sawe the Sa­turnyens come. they were right glade and made them self the grettest chiere of the worlde. And m [...]uyd them silf Ioi [...]usly ayenst them and with a grete crye / they had grete sheldes of tree / maces and pollaxes and guysarmes of strange facions. and they were all on fote. reseruyd Tytan and his sones. whyche as Rynges had theyr Curres and Chares in whyche they were brought and caried not by the force of hors but by the puyssance of men / they approched so nyghe that they cam to fightyng and began to werke / than the archers of kynge saturne began to drawe & shote And maad the tytannoys to arest and stande also longe as their shotte dured and slowe and hurte many of them whan the shotte fayled. the tytanuoys that had grete sorowe for to be so seruid of the saturnyens / esmeuyd hem self agayn And swore that oon to that other that they wold be auengid And cam for to fight hand oon hand in whiche they enployed them so aygrely that of the noise and den̄e that their axes and guisarmes smote vpon their sheldes hit semed as hit had ben thonder / At then counteryng than the batayll was right ffell / Ly­chaon. Egeon. Creon. typhon. and encheladus were in the first front / ther was many a shelde broken for the weight of the clubbes & polaxes & many heedes broken Ceon & tiphon at þ ^e begynnyng maintend hem self right vailliantly & conduyte her folke all with in the batayll [Page] by the rigour of their strokes in so moche that whom they mette of the saturniens they bete hem doun. by their well doyng they were knowen and doubtyd of their enemyes in so moche that saturne maad his Chare to be lad out of the wey for the grete bruyt & noyse that they made aboute hem. there was grete effusion of blo­od. ffor the tytanuoys enforced them to haue endured in their bruyt and crye. And the saturnyens with sa­turne putte them in payne for to abate hit and breke hit And so the comyng of saturne was cause of prouesse vpon prouesse & of many oon deed. and entended oon and other so acertaynly to the werke that the most part of that day they maad grete stryf with out that none myght enioye hym for victorye ne trouble for disconfiture. but in the ende whan the titanuoys sawe the sonne declyne as couetous of glorye and of worshyp At oon crye that Tytan made vpon saturne. Lychaon and Egeon with many other enclosed aboute hem. he beyng disꝑkled. his chare broken by force of polhaxes and gaf hym many woundes and finably they toke hym And brought many of þ ^e saturnyens to deth and ouerthrewe them in disconfeture. and that werse is they were so discoragid whan they vnderstode that saturne was taken that they loste the viguers and strength of their hertes and the myghtis of their armes. And tur­ned their backis and fledd all desroyed. that the tytanuoys entred with hem in to the cyte and toke hit and wanne hit with out ony resistence betyng doun the peple and wyth grete murdre of men women and of smale Children..

AT this tyme men myght se the ladies & matrones [Page] of Crete take the duste and caste hit in to the ayre and renne by the stretes now here and now ther all desshe­uellyd with her here hangyng aboute her hedes castyng a ferre their atyre / and their lityll Children crying after hem the wise men of þ ^e toun semed out of their witte. the Cyte was so trowblyd that they myght no more / A­monge all other Cybell vesca and Seres maad grete sorow semblably with out cessyng / ffor tytan that ne­uer louyd them. cam tho in to the palays. and putte in prison Saturne and his wyf / And swore they shold neuer departe thens tyll they had put to deth all her sones that were come of them And furthermore Tytan dide hym do Crowne kyng of Crete / so ne auayled not the Infinite praiers and orisons that dame vesca made to tytan in the compassion of her sone saturne and of Cybell for their delyuerance / Ner the fayr spekyng of Ceres ne the teeres meuyd of charite. were of no valu the moo prayers that they made vnto Tytan / the more fonde they hym vncourtoys felon and malgracyous / He dyde do execute and put to deth alle them that held or were apparteynyg to the partye of Saturne / And by the space of four dayes vexid and troublid Crete in robbyng and shedyng the blood of the Cytezeyns / And he ne persecuted onely the men. but also women and chyldren and toke theyr goodes and departyd a­monge them that helde on hys partye / Than whan ves­sca sawe alle these thynges happene in the Cyte And that her sone tytan gouerned hym so malicyously and allewey worse and worse with out ony compassion on the peple / She cam to the pryson where Saturne and Cybell were and sayd to hem wyth a mouth [Page] widyng dolorous sighes. Alas my children what shal ye do. what shall come of yow. how shal ye be sauyd the land of crete is not only drowned by þ ^e teeris and wepyng of your best frendes. but with their blood & with the blood of their wiues and children. And the herte of tytan is so terrible harded and indured that ye shal dye here in myserable payne. or ye muste put your sones to deth. syn it is so hit is better that they be put to deth and that ye sende to seke hem. whan for your lyf is none other remedye

The anger of Cibell was right aspre and sharp to here the sorowfull tidynges in so moche that her herte faylled Saturne and her moder thought on her whan she was come agayn to her self she escryed and saide. Ha my moder what saye ye to vs. haue we so grete payne for to kepe our Children and that we shold this oure abandoune them to the deth Shal̄ y do trayson to my children that begyn to floryssh in right clere fame. that shall neuer beyf hit plese the gooddes y haue well leuer haue regard to my semblant Iupiter my sone hath a grete name and hath wonne the loue of the pelagiens. and of thepiriens. all the world preyseth hym and holdeth hym oon of the vailliants men of the world. he is my sone y shal̄ sende to hym and late hym haue knowleche of the myserye that y am in. by the damoysell that bare hym vnto the montaigne of oson and shall requyre hym of socours. and y hope that he is a man of so hye corage and so ewreus comyng vp that he shall socoure her. that hath don hym that merite that is worthy to haue his socours And þ ^t saued hym in his tendre dayes. and my hert telleth me that he shal [Page] the trowblyng of Crete. And thankyd the damoysell And after that he torned hym vnto the kyng. and said to hym. Syre ye may now knowe & vnderstand what I am and of what hows As this damoisell witnesseth my fader and my moder ben in the handes of their ene­myes / I praye yow in their faueur that ye wyll helpe me to socoure them / And that we goo hastely oppres­syng hym that hath oppressid them / and I haue a singu­ler hope and truste in fortune that she shall helpe vs Fayr sone Answerd Melliseus knowe that I haue more of affeccion in the recourance of thy lignage than I can shewe or make semblaunt / And in signe of this I promyse to helpe the as moche as in me is possible / And than Iupiter assured the damoysell and swore vnto her that he wold put hym in armes agaynst titan and bad her retorne vnto saturne and Cybell and to comforte them in hope of right short socour / The damoisell departyd from thens with the wordes of Iupiter and retorned in to Crete / And told vnto saturne and cibell all that she had doon / Anone after the damoysell was departid / Iupiter sent for Archas his sone hastly with the archadiens / And also sent for the Epiriens and the parthemyens with them of the Cite of Anlacre All thise peple louyd Iupiter with grete loue and cam at his comandement in grete nombre of men of warre Iupiter welcomed them as well as he couthe / and told them the cause why he had sent for them. And told them that he was Sone vnto kynge Saturne After thise thynges he dide do be maad redy alle thyng that was necessarye vnto hys Oost / And so they departyd fro the Cyte of Oson wyth ryght a fayr compaygnye [Page] same ignorance and will that thou knowe that thou arte the firste sone and heyr of the kyng saturne and of dame cybell. The kynge saturne thy fader as euery man knoweth had longe syn maad an Oth vnto his broder Tytan that he shold slee alle his children males that shold come of his seed for whiche cause the day of thy natyuyte he comandyd that thou sholdest be put to deth. but thy moder had pyte of the. And for to saue thy lyf she sente the secretly vnto this hows. geuyng thy fader saturne to vnderstande that she had do perse­cucion on þ ^e. And so for to eschewe the fureur of thy fader. thou hast ben here norysshyd all thy dayes And knowest not thy self what thou were. and now thou art in certayn what ioye is this to the Certaynly grete And thou oughtest to go ioyously vnto thy fader and moder presentyng thy self vnto her grace yf hyt were not that after thyse tydyngis of ioye whiche y muste nedes shewe vnto the Iupiter other tidyngis. and that is this Thy moder that hath sauyd the. thy oncle Titan holdeth her in pryson with saturne. for that. that she hath do norissh the / and he hath ouercome & venquys­shid thy fader in bataile all newly and take from hym his royame. and yet more he will do hem dye / wher­fore they praye and requyre the that thou haue pyte of them and that thou wilt employe the to go & delyuere them of the daunger that they be in at this daye.

THe kynge melliseus and Iupiter heering thise tydyngis of the damoysell meruayled them right gretely. And Iupiter was right ioyous whan he had vnderstand that he was sone of kynge saturne / and on that otherside he was sore vexid of [Page] resseyue by this tydyng a ryght grete Ioye in knowle­chynge the place of his natyuyte / ffor more gretter Ioye he may not haue ner come to hym / than to knowe that he is the fyrst sone of the auncyent hous of Crete / And this shall torne to hym a souerayn gladnesse whan he shall see that he is requyred to come and make the recouerance of his fader and moder and of his contre:.

¶How Iupiter wyth Ayde of kynge Melliseus of epire deliuerid saturne his fader & Cibell his moder out of the prison of tytan / & how he slewe tytan in bataill:.

WHan Saturne and vesca herde Cibell so speke Vesca said that her aduyse was ryght good / And saturne was all esbaied. ffor he thought that Iupiter that he had seen at dyuerce tymes wyth kynge melliseus shold in no wise be his sone / vnnethe he coude beleue hit and gyue faith vnto the wordes of cybell And said yf Iupiter wold socoure hym he were the man to do hit / and that he was content that Cibell shold sende to seche hym as she had sayd. Than Cy­bell sent for the damoysell that knewe alle the guy­dyng of Iupiter and gaf her the charge to go vnto hym and to fornysshe the werkis. The damoisel̄ Ioyeus of this enbassade departid secretly. and taried not til̄ she cam vnto the hows of Melliseus / And fyndyng there Iupiter with the kynge. After the reuerence made she adressid her Orison to Iupiter & sayd to hym / Iupiter esioye the and be glad I brynge to the tidyngis of gladnes / Neuerthelasse amonge other sorowes. ffortune that hath hold the long tyme Ignorant and not knowyng the place of thy ryght noble natyuyte / hath now certaynly suffred the discouerture & knowleche of tha [...] [Page] of men of arme [...] vnto þ ^e nombre of sixe thousand fightyng men And so well spedde that in short tyme he brought hem vpon a myle nyghe the cyte of Crete:.

And there jupiter wold tarye vpon the toppe of a montaigne / and callid to hym his sone Archas that that tyme ne had but .xiij. yere of age but he was right wise and well bespoken / And gaf hym in charge that he shold go in to Crete to gyue sommance vnto the kynge tytan that he go out of the cyte / And de [...]u [...]re to hym his fader Saturne with his moder Cibell / the yonge Archas that was hardy and had his herte hye enhaunsid with the worde of his fader wente vnto crete to the kyng tytan to whom he dide hym to be pre­sentid and sayd vnto hym thise wordes that folowe Tytan j come vnto the in thobeissance of my fader jupiter first sone of kynge saturne that thou holdest in cap­tyuyte / he hath ben aduertised of thoppression that thou hast don in the persone of his fader & of his moder and the deth of her sones / he signyfieth the by me that he is sone of saturne / and that he is as moche thyn enemye as thou to his sones art enemye vpon whiche j the somone as legat ones. twyes. thries / that thou yelde this cyte vnto his fader kyng saturne / And that as hastely as thou hast entrid therin in like wise that thou departe Childe answerd tytan thou tellest me tydynges that ben full of plasirs and of exultacion by the whiche j knowe by thy wordes that saturne hath a sone yet lyuyng ffor by this moyen j see clereli / and also seeth all the world that by good and juste quarele j am maad kyng of this cyte / Late jupiter thy fader knowe that j doubte hym not / Nor sette nothyng at alle of hys [Page] comyng / And also that I will no thynge do after hys comandement / Tytan sayd Archas for as moche as thou abidest in this will / I wyll no more at this tyme ocupie the. Make good wacche Iupiter is here by that tarieth for none other cause but Answer fro the for to do his deuoyr to recoure his Cyte (etc)::.

WIth this word departid Archas fro the presence of Tytan and retorned agayn vnto his fader whan Iupiter herd the answer of tytan / he was full of gladnes / ffor he desyred no thyng but for to be in armes / And concluded with his peple. that on the morn he shold assaulte the Cyte / in caas that Tytan ffurnysshed not hem of batayll / Anone were their tentes made of bowes and leeues and her tabernaclis / the Osonyens. the Archadiens & the Epiryens laye vpon the grene verdure. and maad her Oost to wache / Tytan was than in crete. And hit is to wete whan Ar­chas was departid fro his presence / he assemblid alle his sones. and told hem thise tydyngis whiche were to them plesant and agreable. ffor they desired nothing but stryf & debate. And assured hem self to haue victorie of Iupiter as well as they had of saturne. In the same hour they sent four spies to espie the nombre of their enemyes. And made redy their harneis. these spies went so ferre that they sawe the oost of Iupiter / and made their report to tytan of the place where his enemyes were & of what nombre of peple they bee / after the report of the said spyes. titan concluded for as moche as his enmies were but a myle from the Cite. that they shold make hem redy and go to batayll agaynst hem on the morn Eerly. the nyght passed fast / the day cam on And [Page] than aboute the sonne rysyng Tytan mountyd vpon his Chare that was right riche and made his titanoys to renge in batayle And lefte an honderd wyth in the cyte for to kepe hit from rebellion or fro trayson / and toke all the other with hym vnder his conduyte and of his sones and his espyes (etc)::.

IVpiter that was not ydell had the same houre sette all his men in ordenaunce / And had than brought all his folk in a fayr playne hopyng of bataile And thus tytan had not ferre ryden that he ne sawe the Ooste of jupiter / ffor this playne was all disconuerte on all sy­des / and from as ferre as eche myght see other / eche of them full of joye enforced them to make showtes and cryes And by grete desire they marched þ ^t oon agaynst that other vnto the comyng and smytyng of strokes Than jupiter put hym self in the front of the batayle & hauyng his bowe in his hand and his arowes by hym by his shotyng began a medlyng that was right fiers ffor on that oon side and þ ^e other ther were ryght good archers / and many casters of polisshid stones that failled neuer and that was cause of deth of many / whan the shotte and castyng of stones faylyd they began to go to geder with speres and tho began a mortall fyghtyng hand of hand that was so sharp that of the bre­kyng of the speres and of þ ^e sheldes hit resouned vnto the walles of Crete / and cam to the eeres of Saturne and of Cybell the noyse wherof they began to reioye ffor they had a verr [...]y hope that Iupiter shold obteyne the victorye agaynst tytan / This hour vesca went vp vpon a hye tour that she myght see vnto the feld and ther she sawe the fightyng of the batayle / Tho helde [Page] Iupiter his glayue in his hand & his sheld in that other and with his glayue he smote in to the thykkest of his enemyes / and with his sheld he sauyd hym self from their strookes. And with oon strook of his glayue he departyd the body of encheladus oon of the sones of tytan and caste hym on the ground at the feet of the ty­tannoys that were right sory for the deth of her felaw Iupiter assayllid them right sharply. And oon cryed slee slee / but he that so cryed was slayn a non by th [...] handes of Iupiter that destroied the blood of his aduersaires he was stronge. fiers / yonge and boystous and of aspre entrepryse. He defended hym vigourously as a lion. myghtely as an Olephant and eigrely as a Tygre And ne entendid only vnto the deffence of body. but to saue and rescowe alle them that were in parell vnder his warant / he did merueilleus on alle sides. The noyse and bruyt doublid and redoublid aboute hym. The Tytannoys began to ouerthrowe by grete routes that oon fill on his sholders that other on his sheld / & he charged so sore vpon them that his strokes myght not be susteyned of men. they were so strong and puyssant (etc)::

This bataile was felonoꝰ & hard at begynnyng for bothe the two ꝑties / and ther were many of titannoys of tharchadiens & of thepiryens hurte dede & cast vnder foot. Archas was there accompaignied of fifti archadiens commysid vnto the garde of his body for as moche as he was yonge / & yet he made & put hym self m right gode deuoir to emploie hym self to the armes / melliseus failled not / ner Titan lichaon egeon & the other syde also / Eche man dide his beste þ ^t he might / I can not saye how many men were ded on the ground / ne how often [Page] tymes that oon gate vpon that other but ye shall vnderstande that ther was none comparable vnto Iupi­ter en strengthe in conduyte ner in prowesse / ther was no thynge to hym inpossible. he ouercame the ouerco­mers / he slowe the slears / he' smote doun the smytars. he put hym self so forth and in so many places in the ba­tayle of the tytanoys that in a destrayt he cam & fonde tytan in his chare. that confounded the epiryens by stones and rounde plomettes that he caste on them And cried tytan tytan for as moche as he thoughte that he faught well whan Iupiter knewe that tytan was there he drew toward hym. and as titan auauncyd his arme for to smyte vpon one epiryen. Iupiter haunsyd his swerd. and dishargyd so sore vpon his arme that he smote hit of and departid hit fro his body / wherof he had grete ioye and cryed Iupiter iupiter And tytan so hurt had grete sorow that he fyll a doun wyth in his Chare::

AT this poynt the epiriens began to corage them self / and the tytannoys were discoraged Ly­chaon and Egeon were ther fast by where they sawe her faders arme fle in to the feld they began tas­saile iupiter as men dispayred / & so began a newe medling where moche blood was spild but notwithstondyng the fierste of lichaon that had Iupiter longe tyme in hate. for as moche as he had taken from hym his lordship Iupiter entendyd so eygrely to put tytan at vt­traūce that he brak his chare in to peces by the helpe of the Epiriens. And that with the swerd that he smote of his arme / he departyd the lyfe from the body of the vnhappy tytan by a mortall strook that he gaf vnto [...] [Page] his herte. and than gaf he his entente and prowesse to persecute Lychaon and egeon that had gyuen to hym many strokes and horions. and adressyng his swerd vpon the hede of lychaon that the swerd wente to his herte. wherof Egeon had so grete sorow and drede. that he fledde and sauyd hym from the tempest whiche tempeste ranne so vpon the titannoys so vnmesurabli that all were put to deth and to flight in to the feldes. som here and some ther Reseruyd oon of the sones of titan named typhon. that seyng the discomfiture cam vnto Iupiter and said. Iupiter see here thyn enemye. fflee not after them that flee. hit shall be vnto the more honou­rable to fyghte agaynst me. that deffieth the. than to renne after the fugytifs. Neuer yet was I founden ffleyng to fore myn enemies ner yet I shall not: thou hast slayn tytan my fader. and my broder is slayn and venquysshyd by fforce and strength And so behoueth than thys Royame muste be thyn or myn. and now late vs see who shall do best / yf I may I shalle vayn­quysshe the: and yf I ouercome the certaynli thou shalt not dye by glayue ne swerde / but by the water of the fflood that renneth alle reed and died by the blood of my kyn. to thende that thou drynke of the blood that thou hast maad renne out of her bodies / wherof I haue a grete Anoyance to endure hyt. ffor by the cours of nature me ought to take displaysir and anoye. And also to torne to grete dispyt the dysplaisyr that thou hast doon to me (etc)::.

¶How Iupiter vaynquysshyd in the felde Thyphon and caste hym in the Ryuer (etc)::.::.

[Page]THis typhon was grete and full of orguyell and pryde / whan he had said all that laye on his herte / Iupiter that had than beholde and vnderstand Answerd to hym / vaissale hast thou no knowleche what rayson and right the goddes and fortune don for me / thou art stronge of membres and procedeth fro the herte more ou [...]trageous than wise Alle­way for as moche as thou demaundest batayle. thou art welcome / make the redy shortly / & do the best that thou canst. & haste the for the caas requyreth hit with this worde thyphon smote. Iupiter so rudely vpon the hede of his shelde that he bare away a grete quarter And made Iupiter to stoupe wyth the ryght legge / ther were ther by many epiryens / that seyng Iupiter so smeten ranne and cam for to rescowe hym / but Iupiter wold not suffre hem that they shold helpe hym in ony maner / but bad Melliseus and Archas that they shold folowe the chaas of them that fled And than he began to assayle typhon by grete vertu and force in suche wise that he gaf hym many woundes in his bo­dy And thus began the batayle of typhon and Iupiter they were bothe stronge & able in the craft of armes they charged one vpon that other dolorously and ey­grely / hit is no nede that y declare how many strokes that oon gaf vnto that other / but y muste telle how Iupiter so fought & smote hys enemy that he toke from hym his swerd and his shelde And whan he was in that poynt / he chargid hym vpon his sholdres by force of his armes / And bare hym to the ryuer that was all dyed wyth the blood of dede mēn:. And ther he dyde hym dye miserably castyng hym in to the flood: the [Page] hede vnder for as moche as he had menaced Iupiter of suche deth. what shall I say more of this batayll Af­ter the deth of typhon Iupiter wente agayn to the pur­suyt of his enemyes vnto the sonne began tenclyne in to the weste and sued on by grete slaughter / but in pro­cesse of tyme whan he sawe that Tytan and the more part of his sones were ded. And that the reste of their peple were so feble and so dispersid by the feldes / that they myght neuer aryse agayn. he sowned the retrayt and reassemblid his folke the best wise he myght / and after he toke the ryght way to the Cyte hauyng grete Ioye and exultacion of his victorye. And he ne had taried longe that foure Cytezyns of Crete cam vnto hym and told hym that all they of the partye of tytan were fled and that they had taken out of pryson his fader / .

¶How Iupiter and Saturne reconsiled them to gy­der / & how Iupiter by comandement of his fader wente for to destroie the kynge Apollo of paphes. and of the medecyn of Esculapius (etc):.

IVpiter ressayued these Cytezyns and their tidyngis in ryght grete gladnes / and desiryng with all his herte to be with his fader & moder did so moche that he en­trid in to crete / saturne & Cibell with vesca were at the gate / whiche ressayued hym honourably & brought­hym vnto the palays. where he was fested with the kinge melleseus & archas in suche facōn that hit might be no better / At the comyng of Iupiter many teres were wept for Ioye by dame Cibell and vesca. Cibell kyste and beclypt often tymes her sone. And alle they of the Contrey cam theder in to the palais for to feste and worshipe Iupiter and also they gaaf hym many grete [Page] yeftes / And hit is not to be forgoten how Saturne rereconcyled hym self vnto hym and gaf hym astate as to his sone. Duryng these thynges the body of titan was serched amonge the dede bodyes by comandement of saturne. and ther was maad for hym his obsequie solempne as hit apperteyneth to a kyng / semblably and vnto hys sones that were found dede in the batayle Alle the sones of tytan were not perisshid and ded in the batayle ffor amonge alle other Iopetus and bryareus were left a lyue and flede That is to wete bry­areus in to an yle of grece named Nericos And Iape­tus fled in to a partye of libye / wher he enhabited hym self And brought with hym thre sones that he had by his wyf. wherof the eldest was named Athlas the second had his name Hesperus And the thirde named hym self Prometheus. Athlas dwellid in Libye. and hesperus regned in spaigne. And were bothe vaynquysshid by hercules as hit shall be said in the second book

FOR to holde on our purpose. whan Saturne and Iupiter had doon the obsequyes of the titanoys. Tydynges cam to Iupiter that Appollo kyng of Paphes had resseyued partye of them that fledde fro the bataill of tytannoys / This said appollo had maad allyances vnto saturne and was sone of Iupiter of Actique. Whan Iupiter & saturne herd these tidynges. Anon saturne required Iupiter that he wold helpe to take vengeance of Appollo that was his al­lye. and that he shold destroye his enemyes: At the re­quest of saturne Iupiter entreprisid the warre: and in all haste he wente and beseged the Cyte of Paphes [Page] and took hit with assault. and put to vttrance and destruccion all the fugytyfe that he coude fynde / and yet aboue that he despoylled Appollo of alle his rychesses and of his lordshyps so nakedly that he departyd fro Paphes not as kynge. but as a poure beggar / [...]nd fortune was to hym so contrarye. that he was constray­ned to kepe the shepe of kynge Ametus of thessayle In this Paas some men saye that in the tyme that Iu­piter began to mounte in hys Regne and to enbrace honour / Esculapyus sone of appollo whyche was ryght expert in medycyne. and serchyng on a day hys aduentures as he wente by a woode side he sawe from ferre where an herdeman with his lityll horne fought agaynst a basilique. that of his nature slewe the peple only with his syght / whan esculapyus sawe this. he was gretly esmeruayllyd and taryed / and he had not longe abyden. but that the herdeman had ouercome the basylique / and constraynd hym to wythdrawe hym vpon a Rocke that was there nyghe by. Escula­pius was alle esbayed with this thynge that he wis [...] not what to saye. ffor hym thought hit was Impossible for a man to ouercome oon so mortall a beste / Than whan tyme that the basylyque was wythdrawen vpon the sayd Rock / Esculapyus went hym hastely vnto the herdeman. And fyndyng that he had vpon his hede a Chapellet or garlond made of many diuerce herbes and of flowres. He Iuged incontynent that in thys forsayd Chapellet was an herbe of suche vertu that kepte hym from the deth and also from the subtyll venym of the basylique. than he dide so moche that the herdeman or shepard gaf hym hys chappelet [Page] or garlond as innocent: And than the sayd herdeman went agayn for tassaile the basilicque / and than so­deynly of oon propre sight of his eyen the poure she­pharde fyll ded vnto the erthe (etc).::.

Esculapius was than well assured that he had wel thought that in the chappelet was an herbe that suffisid to withstonde agayn the malicy­ous entoxicacion of thenuenymous eyen of the beste / & wyth the sayd chappelet he went to the rocke. And fought so agaynst the basilicque that he slewe hym wherof he had so grete ioye / that a herte entendyng to worship myhht haue no more / whan he had thus done he went vnto the herdman and hauyng pite on hym / he toke all the herbes oon after an other wherof the chap­pelet was maad. And put hem diuysably eche by hym self in his mouthe. And fynablely he touched only the leues of the vertueuse herbe / and so brusid hit vpon his mouth. that sodeynly he roos from deth to lyf / O mer­ueyllous vertu of herbe / men rede that by thys same herbe Ipolitus whiche cam vnto his deth. by the mene of his styfemoder that accusid hym falsely. afterward was reysed to lyf agayn / & after that he had be longe ded and drawen by busshes egghes montaygnes and thornes / whan hys body was founde that they that fonde hym leyd hym in a medowe vpon a plante of herbes like vnto the herbe / wherof is spoken to fore by vertu of the whiche his woundes were heled and his lyf was gyuen and yelde vnto hym agayn.:.

For to holde on the matier whan esculapius had reysed the herdman or shepherd / he toke the herbe and the basilicque and bare hem vnto the [Page] Cyte of paphes tellyng his aduenture. and from than forth he reysed men fro deth to lyf by vertu of the herbe and fought and ouercame basyliques / And for thys cause he gate hym so hye a name / that Iupiter was a glottyd of his glorye / and toke warre agaynst hym and slewe hym. wherof his fader appollo toke so grete sorowe in hym self / that he enterprysid the warre a­gaynst Iupiter / but Iupiter ouercame hym and constrayned hym to suche an extremyte / that for to hyde hys name / he wente and seruyd the kynge ametus of thes­sayll as is sayd to fore. And thus whan Iupiter had vaynquysshid appollo by that oon manyer or by that other he retorned in to Crete with grete glorye / And fonde there Neptune and Pluto his brethern and Iuno his suster that maad hym grete chyere. This Iuno was the most beauteuous woman and fayrest mayde that was in all the contre / after the retorne of Iupiter she conuersid with hym certayn space of tyme / allwey they discoueryd not their couraiges at this tyme. and by proces of tyme retorned Iuno in to parthemye with the other vyrgyns with whiche she had be nouryed and ther abode in many thoughtes and desyres / And ne maad neuer other prayers vnto the goddes. but that only they wold gyue her grace for to be wyf vnto her broder / And it is not to be forgoten that yf she was strongly sette in the loue of her broder Iupiter / as moche or more was Iupiter fermly sette in the loue of her / for for to see her only after that he had sent home alle his men of warre in her owen Contreys / And that he had establysshyd his fader Saturne in hys seygnou­rye and lordshyp. Vnder the Colour of deuocyon [Page] he wente ofte tymes in to the cyte of Parthemye. and took pleasir to be with her (etc)::.

¶How Iupiter with grete Ioye spousid his suster Iuno. And how the kynge saturne began a warre agayn Iupiter his sone (etc)::

ALlewey as Iupiter was besy to solicyte thus the virgyne Iuno in the cyte of parthemye for to haue the better occasion to abide there he ede­fyed a temple. And dide hit to be dedyfied vnto hys moder Cybell. And at laste dide do make an ymage or statue of a woman in ryall attyre that gaf mete vnto many smale ymages of lytil̄ children in remembrance that she had saued the lyf to her children / And whan this temple was parfayt and maad vnto the dedica­cyon. Saturne and Cibell to gyder cam theder with all the nobles of the contre. and there maad a grete solempnyte that duryd fiftene dayes in playn gladnesse. And at this grete feste and gladnes faylled not Iupi­ter ner Iuno. ffor aboute the ende of this solempnite the nobles of the contre traytted theyr maryage. And the preste of the temple of Cybell assured and trouthed them to gyder. and anone after in the same temple their espousaylles were made and celebrered with so grete glorye Ioye and Tryumphe that hit is not possible to be rehersed And Iupiter and Iuno laye to gyder / and engendrid a doughter that they named hebe. The parthemyens for memoyre of this maryage founded there a temple where in they sette the simylacre of Iuno in habyte of a mayde that maryed her And alleway after that same day that Iupiter wedded Iuno. / they maad in that temple an annyuersarye & a grete feste whiche [Page] was holde in maner of a weddynge / After alle thyse thynges than Saturne retorned in to Crete / Pluto re­torned in to a partye of Thessaylle where he founded the cyte of Helle wherof shall be spoken in the seconde book / and Neptune retorned vnto Atthenes / where the atthenyens maad hym kynge as well for his vertues as for that he was sone of saturne / at that tyme the moste renomed kynge of the world::.

IN these dayes whan saturne sawe hym quyte of tytan and of his generacions / And that he sawe his chyldren mounte from lowe places into regnes and hye chayres / Certayn all his sorowes vanysshid a way / and than began the clerenes of his regne to be paysible / All dowtes all dredes all suspeci­ons were put a waye / he had of the goodes of fortune as moche as he wolde / None was than so hardy that durst conspyre agaynst his domynacyon / he fonde hym self in peas generale / and hyt is to be supposed and le­uyd considered the regnes of his tyme and that he was in so grete peas and tranquyllyte. that he myght haue fynysshid and ended his dayes in the same / yf he hymself had not putte hym to the warre / ffor he had Iupi­ter his sone vnto his helpe / at that tyme the most abill in armes that was in all the worlde / And longe tyme whan Saturne sawe hym thus in pease / hit happend on a day whan hit cam vnto hys mynde. that his god appollo had prenostyqued that this Iupiter shold put hym out of his royame / Sodeynli there began to engendre in hym a mortall hate agaynst Iupiter that had don vnto hym so many good dedes / And also seeyng that [Page] euery man helde hym in loue. and was besy to please hym. he adioustyd fayth and gaf credence vnto his cursid prenosticacyon. And so suffryd hym self to be en­uolupped wyth so grete a folye that he coude neuer drawe hyt out after: And than he retorned vnto his auncyent sorowes and fantasies in suche wyse that they appered outward (etc):.

WHan they of Crete sawe saturne so troublyde the moste pryue of his secrete counceyll enplo­yed them to comforte him. but hit helped nowht Ner they cowde not gete from his mouth the cause of suche melancolye. vnto the tyme that he had determy­ned in his herte that he shold persecute vnto the deth his sone Iupiter And than he did do assemble his prynces and his councellours. and said to them / I Charge and adiure yow all by the names of all our gloryous goddes that ye saye to me the trouth and auys / what thynge shall or ought a kynge to do with a man that he doubtyth by a dyuyne answer that hath be said to hym / that this man shall put hym out of his regne and kyngdome / Whan they of Crete had vnderstande the charge and adiuracion of the kynge. they assemblyd hem self at a counceyll And there they ordeyned and toke oon that for all that other shold haue charge to gyue this answer / Syre the counceyll knowe that longe synye had an answer of your god conteynyng that ye had engendrid a sone that shold put yow out of your regne. And that dame cibell at that tyme was desyuerid of Iupiter / The counceyll prayeth yow. that ye will take hede. how what tyme ye were depryued of your Crowne and had loste hit / he delyueryd yow [Page] and made yow quyt of all your enemyes / yf the cause of your Charge and adiuracion touche not this mater The counceyll is of oppynyon / that yf the kynge haue puyssance and myght ouer hym that he doubtyth / and that he haue cause euydent / A kynge than ought to kepe hym seur from that man for the daungiers::.

CErtes sayd saturne thauys of the counceyll is resonable ynowh / and for as moche as I must declare yow and saye yow what I mene / I am the kynge that I speke of / And the man that I doubte / is Iupiter my sone / that I fere and drede moche more than the deth In so moche that I may not endure ner take reste for hym. ffor slepyng I dreme that he ryseth ayenst me / and assailleth me in armes with grete multitude of Archadyens & of epiryens. and resteth vayne qucur & victorious ouer me / And wakynge I haue alle weie myn eeres opene for to herkene and espie / yf he be aboute to come on me wyth men of armes / and thus I can haue no Soulas. Playr ner Reste / and am a man loste / Thys consyderyd I wyll that he be ded. and I take the culpe and synne vpon me / and I will that ye knowe that I am your kynge and that ye to me owe obeissance / and for that I comande yow vpon payne of deth / that ther be not oon man that is so hardy to with­saye ony thynge contrarye to my will / And that eche of yow be to morn found redy in armes to fore thys pallais for to socour & serue me in this werke whiche is the grettest thynge that euer shall come to me:.

¶Ow they of Crete whan they had herd the comandement of Saturne were sore troublid & sory / and how they meuyd hem self ayenst Iupiter his sone:.

[Page]WHan they of Crete had herd the resolucion of saturne they were gretly abasshed. ffor they knewe well that saturne toke this mater gretly to his herte. and that he was a terryble man to of­fende. And so they knewe that wrongfully he wyl­lyd the deth of his sone Iupiter that had restored hym to his lordship by his prowesse & vailliance / Many ther were that went in to an other kyngedom because they wold not be with the fader ayenst the sone ner with the sone ayenst the fader / but ther was noman that durste be so hardy to replie agayn saturne ner saie that he dide euyll / for they dredde more his yre than to offende Iustyce. what shall I saye after the comande­ment of saturne / eche man withdrewe hym vnto his hous full of grete and bitter sorowe in herte. And ther was not oon man but he had his face charged with grete greef and pesaunt anoyaūce (etc)::.

The day than drewe ouer / And on the morn Saturne armed hym self & sowned Trompettis vnto armes. They of crete aroos this mornyng And many ther were of them that knewe thentencōn of saturne. And allso ther were many that meruailled of that / that the kyng wold doo & coude fynde no reson wherfore he maad this armee. ffor all Crete was in pees And all the tytannoys were disparklid and put in to destruccion perdurable / Amonge all other Cybell wist not what to thynke Seeyng that saturne sent not after Iupiter She demanded hym oftentymes whether he wold goo. and for what reson that he toke not Iupiter with hym in his compaygne. Iupiter was at that tyme in parthemye with his wyf Iuno / Whan [Page] saturne had herde the demande of his wyf Cybell / alle his blood began to change. and sayd to her that all in tyme she shold knowe the place where he wold go to Cybell was wyse and subtylle. whan she herd the answer of the kynge / and sawe Incontynent the facōn her herte gaf her that he had some euyll wyll. and had suspecion that he wold do harme to Iupiter / wher­fore she wente in to her chambre ryght pensyf. and at all auenture she sent hastely in to parthemye and syg­nefyed to Iupiter that he shold departe hastely thens and that she ymagyned that saturne his fader wold do hym displaysir / ffor he maad right grete assemble of men of armes. and there was no man that wold telle the cause wherfore::.

¶How kynge saturne wyth all his grete oost cam to fore the Cyte of archade ayenst Iupiter his sone:.

Hyt is to suppose that Iupiter had the herte right dysplaysant whan he had resseyuyd these ty­dynges fro hys moder cybell. and how well that she warned hym by supposyng / as she that wyst not veryly the wyll of the kynge / Allewey whan he consyderyd that he was not sent fore vnto this armee he doubtyd hym and departyd thens / and sayd to his wyf Iuno that he wold goo vnto archade concludyng in hym self that by thys meue he shold see the conduyte of his fader and to what place he enployed his armee / but he was not ferre on hys waye / whan he restyd vp­on a montaygne and loked behynd / hym that he sawe the Cyte of parthemye / that anone was enuyroned and full of men of armes of kynge saturne / that gaf [Page] to hym a grete preef of thaduertysement of his moder / And for to see what way he entended. he taryed styll on the montaygne hauyng his eyen alwey vnto the cyte. And anone he sawe his fader saturne mounte in to his Chare And all his arme yssue out at the same gate wher he cam fro and toke the same waye that he had taken. And that gaf hym verily to vnderstande and knowe that his fader sought hym. and so departyd from this motaigne and wente hym to Archade and told vnto his sone and to the archadiens the cause wherfore he was come & prayd hem that they wold garnysshe hem of good armures to the ende to deffende their Cyte yf hit be nede (etc):..

THe archadyens at the request of Iupiter maad redy theyr armes and their cyte / and sente out espies vpon the waye And anone after they were come from the palais / the espies affermed to Iupiter and Archas that they had seen the champaynes and the weyes of Archade all fulle of men of armes Anone was cryed in the Cyte in the name of their souuerayn lord Iupiter that euery man shold make good wache and kepe his warde / with this crye the Archadiens armed hem with helmes & armes of leder And wente vpon the walles and towres hauyng in their handes axes. / swerdes. guysarnes. glayues and maces And they had not longe taryed there. whan they sawe come from ferre two men of Crete whiche cam to the gate and axed of the portiers yf Iupiteer were with Iune The porter whan he vnderstood what they axed answerd them that Iupiter was in the Cyte / and yf they had to do wyth hym they shold fynde hym in the [Page] pallays. where he passid the tyme wyth his sone Ar­chas / and that he was newly come in to the toun to visyte hym. whan they of Crete herd thys they were sore troublid. ffor they sought hym that they wold not fynde / Notwythstandyng they wente in and passid forth vp to the pallays / And there fyndyng Iupiter with the nobles of archade after the reuerens made that oon of them spake and sayd. Syre we seke the / & we haue no will to fynde the / ffor we come aienst our will to execute a comission by the whiche may sonner come ruyne and trouble than peas Saturne thy fader comandeth the that thou allone come speke with hym he hath sought them all the places of parthemye / his doughter Iuno thy wyf not thynkyng euyll. hath acertayned hym that thou art come hether / he is comen after the in armes / And we knowe not what he thynketh to doo / he was neuer so angry ne tri [...]te ne so fiers as he is now we ben hys seruauntes / fforce hath constrayned vs in his obeyssance. and after this we gyue the day to ap­pere in persone to fore hym this same hour all excusacions cessyng (etc):..

WHan Iupiter had reteyned and well putte in hys mynde the adiournement wyth hys eyen full of teeris maad his answer and said thus I meruayll me of the ryght straunge conduyte of my fader / and parauenture hit is not wyth out grete cause his royame is in peas / And I haue putte and sette hym agayn in hys royame. And now he hath putte hym self in armes wyth oute my knowleche. And syn sendeth for me that I shold allone come speke wyth hym / And that is to strange a thynge vnto me. And [Page] he gouerneth hym not as he ought to do / ffor me ought to preyse them that haue deseruyd hit and be of valu. I haue auayled hym as moche as his royame is worth he hath othertyme sente for me to make warre / I wote neuer now what euyll wyll he hath or may haue to me. but here he is come with his armee where he hath no thyng to do Notwithstandyng he is come & demandeth no thynge but me aloonly All thynge countyd & debatyd I haue not Intencion for to obeye his comandemēt how well that he is my fader for as moche as the suspecion is to moche apparaūt / but I am content yf he haue to do wyth me to serue hym & to come to hym by condicion that I shall be accompanyed of alle my frendes that I can gete & none otherwyse::.

The two comyssaires with this word retorned vnto saturne and told hym thentencion of Iupiter / Saturne toke right inpaciently the An­swer of Iupiter and approched vnto Archade and be­segyd hit with grete othes makyng his auowe vnto his goddes. that yf he may haue Iupiter he with his handes wold make sacrefice of hym. And than he sente of his moste wise men and said to hem. that in felle menaces they shold go somone the kynge Archas / / and the archadiens to yelde and delyuere hym Iupiter / Decla­ring openli that he were more his enemy than his sone The wise men departyd from the Oost at the comandement of saturne / and dide so her deuoir to somone the archadiens and said to the kynge & peple of Archade we be come vnto yow for as moche as ye sustene Iu­piter whom the kynge saturne holdeth for his enemy. [...] yf ye delyuere hym vnto saturne ye shall be his frendes [Page] And yf not / he doth yow to wete that ye do kepe yow wyth good wacche and warde / ffor he hath not in the world gretter enemyes than yow (etc)::.

By this mandement knewe Iupiter that he was hym self for whom satorne maad hys armee. The Archadiens assemblyd to councell wyth out Iupiter and spake of thys mater / and maad ans­were to the wyse men of Crete / conteynyng how they were bounden to serue Iupiter / and how they wold ke­pe hym and lyue and dye wyth hym agaynst all men aboue all other / whan the wise men had their answer retorned vnto saturne and told hym the answer of tharchadiens / Anone hastely sore achauffed be enfla­myng of grete yre. he comanded that the Cyte shold be assaylled / And anone wente to armes they of Crete in suche wise / and approched the wallys and mu­raill / that tharchadiens sawe their enemyes approche anone they sowned to armes and cam to the affraie & put hem to defende their walles by grete corage / tho was drawen & shotte many an arowe / & many a stone caste and many beten & hurte as well with in as with oute gennes bombardes ne grete artillerie was none in thys tyme in the royames / allwey they of the cyte had well the craft to cast vpon their enemies brennyng brondes & oilles & watres boillyng with asshes / & for to doo thus Iupiter had enduced & taught tharchadiens peple men & women þ ^t whan they of crete cam most stronge to thassault and supposid to haue entryd the Cyte they were chargid with fyre. oylles and skaldyng watres / that force constrayned them to go a back with grete losse of peuple / And they souned the retrayte / Saturne than [Page] takyng the moste sorwe of the world what for that he myght not furnysshe his pleasyr as for that by the walles laye more than fowre .C. of his men ded And so retorned in to his tente after thassault passyng so­rowfull and desolate. And had so grete anoye at his herte that he mochte neyther ete ner drinke. but this notwithstāding he thought right well on his hurte peple and wente to their tentes. and dide do mynystre medycynes vnto them that were hurte (etc)::.

¶How Iupiter sent his enbassadours to his fader saturne for peas. And how saturne wolde here ner en­tende to peas (etc)::.

The Archadyens were passyng Ioyous whan they sawe and toke heed how they of Crete cessyd with shame theyr assault / after thassault and the retrayt of bothe sides Allewey that Saturne entended to hele and gyue medecynes vnto his hurte men. Tthrchadyens assemblid a councell And by grete deliberacōn they sente seuyn of their honorable counceyllours in ambassade vnto saturne / of whome that oon spack and sayd / Saturne thou knowest & oughtest to knowe that euery kynge ought tentende to lyue in peas / ffor the most fayr thyng of the world is peas Peas norysshyth prouffit by peas ar norysshid men and chyldren / townes and cytees ar vnyed and knet to geder by charite. and anexed by amerous cōmyny­cacion. by peas the royames prouffyten en decoracion and bildyng fair houses In labour and ereyng the erth and in length of lyf / By peas the mannes bodyes ben hole and quy [...]te. And hit is that thynge that causeth a man to demande souerainte. O saturne hit semeth that [Page] thou rekkest not of this good vertu / for regnyng in peas and tranquyllite their is no kynge ner prynce that dar shewe hym agaynst thee / Thou hast not only troublid thy royalme / thou art abuser of warre for to haue peas a man ought to putte hym and dispose hym to the warre / thou doost all otherwyse. Ne seest not that thy sone Iupiter hath delyueryd the from the bondes of thyn other enemyes. And hath sette thy dyademe in a seuerte of peas where thou myght not doo wyth oute hym / Ne seest thou not for to make hym warre / thou ne mayst haue peas / And that thou destroyest and brekest this peas / Ne seest thou not that thys is thy sone / Ne seest thou not that thou art a monstre in nature / The fadres naturelly loue their children / the same wise rude and brute bestes kepe and holde this condycion of na­ture / Thou sekest and woldest destroye the blood of thy sone / And from whens cometh this dysnaturell appetyte / Myght hit not satysfye to thyn appetyt and o [...]de errour the goodnes & wele that thou hast receyued late in reysyng / been thyn Interyor rancours permanent shall thy fantasyes neuer cesse / shalt thou be in Age lasse & sympler than a child / the more that men growe in age / the more be they wyse / Thou hast lasse know­leche now / than thou haddest in thy paryllous yougth and fro whens cometh this deffaulte / is this by the he­uenly Influence / yf hit be thus / where is rayson where is equyte / wher is the loue of the fader to the sone / knowest thou not that ne had Iupiter thy sone ben / thou haddest ben yet in grete derkenes languysshyng / I syg­nefye the as aduocat of Iupiter that he loueth the as hys owen fader / And furthermore I praye the / that [Page] thou wilt be in peas. And yf thou wille hym no good yet at the leste wille hym no harme ner encombraūce::.

I Sholde be sone vaynquysshyd Answerd Saturne yf thexperience of the lyf of Iupiter cam not to my sight See I not how he enhaunceth hym self the most he can see I not how the peple by his fayr and blandisshyng wordes owe hym more fauour than me / see I not that he fleeth from me. yf he be not culpable werfore fleeth he / he shal̄ saye to the peple that he is Innocent Saye ye that he hath no thyng don ayenst me / I wote neuer how tharchadiens vnderstande. but yf I may ones sette my hande on them. ther was neuer so grete myschef as shall come vnto Archade. And y haue not thentencion to departe from this place tyl̄ I haue put in pardurable r [...]yne this cyte rebell ayenst me and my comandemens Syre Answerd the Archadiens syn that fayr speche may not refreyne thy passyng grete Ire [...]nto thy warre be warre / kepe the well from vs and vs from the / syn the mater shall take his cours in this party god spede the ryght and fortune / we shall not longe drawe the festue hit is concluded that tharchadiens and Iupiter shall yssue to morn out of the cyte. And yf they fynde ony that assaylle them. they wyll defende their lyues This worde accomplisshid Saturne torned his back to tharchadiens shakyng his hede / And tharchadiens retorned in to their Cyte and reherred and told from the begynnyng to the ending all that they had founden And by there reporte hit was confermed that the day folowyng they shold yssue out of the cyte in suche wyse as they had purposyd amonge hem (etc)::.

[Page]IVpiter had grete displaisir in hym self of that he sawe that his fader was so greued and wold not be con­tente / yet notwythstandyng he doubtyd not so moche that he ne toke courage to hym. and said he was more holden to kepe his lyf than to obeye the euyll wyll of his fader / that hated hym at his burthe. This nyght passid ouer / anone after that the sonne clered & lyght the ayer / aboute the thirde hour of the day Archas Iu­piter and the men of warre of the Cite wente hem in to the felde in goode ordenance. and than they were not so sone yssued of the gates / that they ne were seen of the saturnyens that waited after hem by the comandement of saturne. and so began eche agayn other a grete bruyt and noyse that it resouned vnto the Montaignes and walles. And than they began tassayle tharchadyens by shotte & stones so certaynly that whan Iupiter sawe that ther was none other remedye but to fyghte / he put hym forth formest in the fronte to fore / and so began to smyte on them that sought hym cryyng with an hye wis. lo here is Iupiter / eche man do to hym what he may

And thus began the dolourous bataill of saturne and Iupiter / ther was the fader against the sone and the sone agaynst the fader / Ther loste na­ture her fayr and recomaunded propertes. The fader sought the blood that he had engendryd. And promysid grete yeftes vnto them that myghte take hym / The batayll was rygourous & harde. And than wrought and foughte well Iupiter and Archas. and soue­raynly the noble Iupiter enploied so hardly his swerd temprid with stele that he smote doun sheldes & helmes and cutte of heedes and armes / and there was no man [Page] myght resiste hys prowes Inuyncible. he made to tremble the moste hardiest that were ther / he made resorte & to go abacke them that had auaunced them self more than they had power and vertu. he brak the wynges of the batayle And in their most strength he entrid and encountryd many tymes saturne his fader / and was well in his power and puyssance to greue hym. but how wel̄ that saturne caste on hym and gaf hym grete strokes and greuous horions. yet he wold neuer smyte agayn but said to hym ofte times. Alas my fader wherfore sekest thou theffusion of my blood. I am thy sone and thy seruaunt. Thou hast no cause to persecute me / I shal̄ not enploye myn hand vpon the. but beware and take no fyance in the archadiens. ffor yf they may haue and gete the in her power thou shalt fynde in them ly­tyll pyte ne mercy (etc)::.

SAturne notwythstandyng these fayr wordes wold neuer refrayne his Ire but smote euer vp on Iupiter also fiersly as he mocht / Iupiter of alle his strokes toke non hede and sette lityll ther by And how wel̄ that he had concyence to fight & smyte his fader / yet allewey he torned his strokes and had no cōcience to occupie his trenchant swerd vpon them of Crete. so fermly that euery strook wyth out faute was dyed with newe blood. And for to do so he en­forced hym self to shewe hit to saturne that he faught ayenst hym in vayn. and that to hym was no thyng Inpossible. In alle these thynges saturne toke no regarde ner ensample. The Crye was grete aboute Iupiter / the armes were gretely exercysid. the ground was all coueryd with theffusion of blood. And the dede bodyes [Page] laye oon vpon an other beheded and smyten in pecys / O right hard and sore batayle / Saturne was so enuo­lupped in his obstynacion that the blood of his men we­tyng his armes by the cours of the large woundes that Iupiter maad vnto them myght not modere his yre ner herte / And hys eyen were so blynde in his Ire that he sawe nought his ryght euydent domayge. where he sought the propre Moyen by whiche he was put out of his Royame that he dowbtyd and ayenst whiche he entendid to resiste and eschewe with his myght:.

¶Howe Iupiter vaynquysshid the batayll ayenst saturne his fader / and saturne fledd by the see::.

IN this batayll Iupiter sauved often tymes Saturne among the glaiues of tharchadiens / & dide good ayenst euyll / many of them of crete fought against herte knowyng that saturne had meuid & was cause of the warre And howe well they put their handes to werke / yet alleway the variacōn that they had amonge them was cause of the losse of right grete nombre of peple / & they doubtyd Iupiter & they had no power to withstande & fight / in suche wise as they wold haue don yf they had had or felte her querele good / And by this maner was the bataill demenyd to the grete preiudyce of the saturnyens / Iupiter put hym self in deuoyr vnto his fader / And ofte tymes Cryed in his ere that he shold wyth­drawe hym er the batayll went worse or be lost▪ And wythstood hys strokes a grete whyle / Awaytyng that he wold conforme and conuerte hym self fro his euyll oppynyon. But than at last whan Iupiter toke hede and sawe that he wold in no wyse here hym / He opende and desployed hys vertu and the grete myght [Page] of his armes and of his swerd. and maad suche af­fray vnto his aduersaryes. brekyng their helmes and hewyng their harnoys. not in manere of a man hauyng alday susteyned the feet And grete strokes and pey­sant of the saturnyens / but in the manere of a Champion ffresshe & newe of whom the strookes redowblid:..

THus than hit semed vnto the saturnyens that in multiplieng of horions & strokes the strength and puissance of Iupiter began to norissh and growe. Hys well doyng and vayllyance gaf vnto tharchadyens strengthe vpon strengthe. And vnto his enemyes grete losse of blood and also of lyf. ther was the ground bedewed with newe blood. ther were the ded bodies coueryd with newe ded men. ther was the Chare of saturne smyten in to peces. Saturne held a longe while the bataile. also longe as his might wold endure and in no wise wold flee / but in cōclusion whan his men sawe that the thynge wente for them allewey from euyll in to worse. they began to flee And torned the back and fledde / And than Saturne torned and fledde also in like wise. Tho they were folowed in the chasse so asperly and dedly. that som were slayn in the way And some sauyd hem self now here and now there / And amonge all other Saturne was so nyhe poursiewyd by Archas and some of tharchadyens that he had no leyser to retorne in to Crete. but was dryuen by force tyll he cam vnto a porte of the see that was ther by. where he sauyd hym self by moyen of a shippe that he ther fonde / And ther he wente vnto the see wyth some of them that fledde so sore greuyd and [Page] anoyed that he moght not speke (etc)::.

THus thys batayll ended of the fader and the sone / whan Archs sawe that saturne was sauyd in the see / he retorned to Iupiter hys fader that assemblid again his peple and told hym these ty­dynges / And also more ouer he assemblid his counceil̄ for to wete what Iupiter shold doo / and they of the counceyll were all of the oppynyon that Iupiter shold goo in to Crete. and that they wold make hym kynge Sayyng that the goddes had shewyd clerly that they wold that he shold succede as kynge in the royame / wherof his fader was fled fro and also for so moche as they had than no heed To this counceill accorded Iupiter / and wente to Crete / by space of tyme where he was resseyuyd for kynge / ffor the cytezeyns durst not agaynsaye hit for as moche as they wiste neuer wher saturne was become / And how well that Cibel̄ and vesca maad grete sorowe for the Infortune of saturne Allewey they torned theyr sorowe in to gladnesse at the coronacion of Iupiter. and sente after Iuno / And than began Iupiter to regne in desirybuyng and depar­tyng vnto the Archadyens the tresours of hys fader / wherof they had grete Ioye and gladnes / and for this cause sayen the poettes. that Iupiter geldyd his fader and caste his genytoyrs in to the see. of whom was engendryd venus / That is to saye that he castyd the tre­sours of hys fader in to the belyes of his men / wherof engendryd alle delectacion whyche is comparyd and lykenyd vnto venus (etc)

¶Hw Acrisius had a doughter named danes / the whiche [Page] he did do shette in a tour for as moche as he had an Answer that she shold haue a sone the whyche shold torne hym in to a stone (etc)::.

IN these dayes whan Iupiter of Crete flourys­shid in honour strength prowesse [...]nd vayl­liance. In the Cyte of Arges regned the ryght myghty kynge Acrisius / that his doughter Danes did do beshitte and kepte in a tour / ffor to knowe the genealogye of this kynge acrysius in this partye hit is to be noted that of Iupiter born of archade and of a damoysell named ysis cam a sone named Epaphus. This epaphus engendryd a sone and a doughter the sone was named belus and regned in a partye of Egypte: And the doughter had to name Libye. and dwellyd in Af­fryque where she conceyuyd a sone named Busiers that was an vnhumayn tyraunt. as shall be said here after in the dedes of hercules / Belus than engendrid two sones. Danaus and Egistus. danaus had fifty doughters. and Egistus had as many sones. And thise sones and doughtres were conioyned to geder by maryage wenyng Egistus right well to haue maried his sones but he was deceyued of his wenyg. ffor danaus for enuye and couetyse to haue the succession. maad that by his doughters trayterously shold be murdryd alle fyfty sones of the said egistus the fyrst nyght of theyr esponsailles as they slepte. & all they concentid in this foule horrible cryme & synne / exept oon allone named ypermestra. whiche had a stedfast herte of pyte. ffor whan she shold haue persecutid her husbond linceus she saued hym his lyf mercifully. And also conceyued of his seed a sone that was named Abas. that after [Page] was kynge of Arges / And he engendryd the kynge Acrysyus wherof is maad mencion in the begynnyng of this Chappitre / These were the parentes and proge­nytours of kynge Acrysius. he was ryght puyssant in rychesse / But he named hym self poure. ffor he had no Chyldren but oon doughter only whyche was na­med Danes / but for to haue a sone / he wente day by day in to temples and oracles of the goddes / And ther made many prayers and sacrefices ynowhe fastynges almesses & other suffrages / Alle these thynges myght not helpe ner brynge to exaudycion the accompllysshe­ment of his desire / His wyf cam vnto her bareyn yeres And than he was out of alle hope to haue ony chyld maale / and than he confortyd hym in danes his doughter / And sette hys loue so gretly in her / that he had no pleasance but only to beholde her / and that he purposyd that neuer noman shod haue her ner wedde her but yf he were the moste noble and vayllyant man of the world / but for as moche as in this world is no thinge pardurable / This loue was of lityll enduryng. and that by the purchas of the kynge Acrysius / ffor as the loue that he had in danes grewe in ampliacion of natu­rell Ielowsie / / he wente hym in to thoracle of god Be­lus his old grauntfader / And serchyng what shold be the destynee of his doughter / he dide hym to be answerd that of her shold come a Sone that shold torne hym in to stone (etc):::::.

By this answer Acrysius began to falle from the grete loue that he had in his doughter / he retor­nyd sorofull and pensyf in to his hows and [Page] becam all melancolik with out takyng Ioye ne plaisir in ony thyng that he sawe. his doughter was than yonge. he sawe her often tymes. otherwhile in cruelte and some tyme in pite / the remors of that that he trowed to be transformed in to stoon by hym that by destine shold be born of his doughter / meuyd hym to a cruelte in suche wyse that often tymes he determyned that he wold put her to deth And so to spille his blood to the ende for to remedye his Infortune / but whan he had take in his hand the glayue wherwyth he wened to slee her / Nature began to medle and put hym betwene bothe. And of this cruelte he maad hym to condescende to pyte. and to put a way his glayue. and to late the shedyng of her blood. that was come of his owne blood the whiche shold come to the succession of his crowne whiche his auncyent progenytours had or­deyned to fore (etc)::.

For to saye the verite this kyng Acrisyus from thens forth toke his reste trauerse of many syghis. he coude not be assured. his doughter grewe and becam a woman she was passyng fayr and right well adressid / many kynges & grete ertheli lordes desired to haue her in mariage and wold endowe her with noble Crownes. but the kynge Acrisius re­fused all them that requyred her And ymagyned that his doughter for her grete beawte might be taken away and rauysshed. by whiche she myght by auenture haue a sone that shold torne hym in to stone. And to the ende to eschewe this parcill & daunger / he thoughte that he wold make a tour the strengest of the world And that in the same tour shold his doughter [...] [Page] closed and shette duryng her lyf wyth out comyng of ony man to her / ffor he was so Ielous of her that he be leuyd her not well whan he sawe her / In the ende he sent for werkemen and forgiers of stele and of copper from alle partyes. And brought hem vnto a stronge place alle enuyronned wyth waters where was no entre but in oon place (etc):::::..

WHan he had brought theder all his werkemen he sayd to them that he wold haue a tour made alle of copper wyth a gate departyd from the tour for to put In four & twenty men of armes for to kepe the tour yf hyt were nede / the werkemen bargay­ned with the kyng Acrisyus to make the tour and the gate / they sette on hande to the werke / the towr was maad by processe of tyme And than whan alle was achieued. Acrisyus brought / theder his doughter with out latyng her knowe his entencion. And also sone as she was in the tour he sayd to her / My only doughter hit is comen vnto my knowleche / that in serchyng thy prosperyte to my god belus / I haue ben aduertised that of the shall come a sone whiche shall conuerte & torne me in to stone [...] Thou knowest that euery man naturelly coueytyth and desireth thenduryng to lyue in his lyf / I loue the passyng well / and no thynge in the world so moche sauf my lyf / But certayn my lyf toucheth more ner to my herte / than thy loue / wherfore I sekyng and requyryng the remedyes ayenst myn predestynat Infortune / I wolde neur gyue the in maryage to ony man that hath required or desired the. Also to thende that generacion descende not of thy body / And that thou [Page] sholdest haue no knowleche of man duryng my lyf / I haue do forgid this tour of copper / and wille that thou be closed and shytte therin. And that no man see the / I pray the my doughter accorde the vnto my will and desire. And take pacyence in thys place for to passe thy tyme. I shall do accompanye the with many noble virgynes. And shall gyue vnto the alle that / that thou canst or mayst thenke (etc):.

WHan the noble damoysell Danes vnderstode the will of her fader she behelde the tour of copper for to kepe her shitte faste therin. And fur­ther she conciderid that she shold neuer marye duryng the lyf of her fader the kynge. she was sore troubled in these thynges. And by grete bitternesse and sorow­full herte began to wepe and said / Alas my fader am I born vnder so vnhappy constellacion for to be a mar­teresse and prisonner / not in the ende of myn yeres. but in my yonge tyme Not in a pryson of stone or of symēt but in a tour of copper & laton in suche wise as I shold dwelle therin perpetuelly My fader what hast thou thought. thou enterpretest euyll the sentence of the god belus sayng that of me shall be born a sone that shall torne them to stone. ffor by this sentence. ought none other thynge be vnderstande. but that I shall haue a sone that shall regne after the. And shall torne them to stone. That is to saie that he shall putte the in to thy sepuliure.. beholde than what symplesse shall hit be to the to hold me thus enfermed and shitte in this tour My doughter answerd Acrisius thou interpretest the prenosticacion of our god belus after that the liketh to thy Ioye and prouffyt hit lieth me sore on my herte [Page] yf thou haue a sone / he shall putte me to deth and that is my Iugement / ne wythsaye no more ayenst me I am thy fader / lorde and mayster ouer the / thou shalt abyde here eyther by loue or otherwyse / At thys conclucion whan danes sawe that she myght not contente her fer­full fader / as wyse and sage as she was she agreed and accorded to do his playsyr / Sayng hyt with the mouth and not wyth the herte / And than the kynge sente for virgynes and also olde matrones in alle the royame aboute / And delyuerid his doughter vnto them for to accompanye serue and kepe / and maad hem all to be shette and closed / After he toke leue of them comandyng vpon payne of deth / that they ne souffryd ony man to come and speke wyth his doughter with oute his wytyng and knowleche / whan he had thus doon he retorned in to the cyte of arges. and assemblid fourty stronge women / whiche he gaf wages & sowldye and sente hem to kepe the gate and the entre of the tour And than aroos the renomee of these thynges in so grete a soūn & noyse that all grece was full of the meruaylles and ther was no kyng ne prynce / that ne complayned the losse of the youth of fayr danes than holden & na­med the most fair of alle the grekesses / doughter of the kynge (etc)::::

¶How Iupiter in gyse of a messanger brought vnto the tour of darrayn to the damoyselles and to danes many Iewels faynyng that he cam from Iupiter::.

By this tour & by this moyen Acrisyus thought to ouercome his pdestynat Infortune / and was well cased that his doughter was in so seur a place / Alle the world spacke of her and of her tour [Page] by compassion they cōplayned her / hit was so moche spoken of this caas that Iupiter had his eeres full ther­of. And not onely his eeres but also and his herte. ffor in heryng the recomendacion of thexcessiue perfeccion of this virgyne Danes. he was amourous of her so gretli and desirously like as the mariage of hym and Iuno had be consumed. And than he began with alle his herte to thenke how and whan and in what maner he myght come to see this damoysell danes. And so mo­che he thoughte & studyed in this mater / that ther was none other thynge that he wold here of ner no deuyses of his men. saue only of them that spake of the pryson of danes And he spak gladly and deuysed with good will coueytyng Instantly to be with her / And that as well in the psence of Iuno as other wise. whiche said many tymes. that he wold that the goddes wold gyue hym grace and power to brynge this damoysell da­nes out of the tour (etc)::

By this mene & these deuyses Iuno was in doubte and began to fele the firste sparklis of Ielousie castyng Infynyte curses and malediccions vp­on danes / and vpon all them that had sowen these ty­dynges to fore her husbond not only in couert and in her stomack / but more openly in the presence of her hus­bond shewyng euydently that she had thataynte of Ielowsie. This notwithstondyng Iupiter ne was the lasse desirous for to see danes than he was to fore / the malediccions ne curses myght not lette ne withdrawe his affeccions / whiche grewe more and more. In the ende he fonde hym self so surmounted that ther was no more contynence founden. And that in the diffinycōn [Page] to deuise entencions and conclusions he concluded to go vnto the gardyens and kepars of the damoysell danes and that he wold bere vnto them so largely & so many owches of gold & Iewels wyth monye of gold that he wold torne hem with his yeftes to acorde to hym & late hym entre in to the tour of danes / Than he sente for the Iewellers þ ^t were wonte to serue his fader saturne And maad hem make the moste ryche bagues and owches that were euer seen or thought whan the werkmen me had made apartye / / Iupiter toke hem and charged hym with all / And euyll clothed lyke as he had ben a seruaunt allone departed from crete and drewe hym to Arges the moste secretli that he myght / and so wente and cam sechyng the tour of darayn. whiche he fonde in an euenyng & sawe the walles shynyng and cam vnto the gate where he fonde many of the matrones syt­tyng at the dore for recreacion (etc)::.

Whan Iupiter was comen he salewed the Ma­trones and said vnto them. Noble dames the good nyght come to yow / / what tour is thys that is so noble & of so stronge facion. ffayr sone said the eldest of them. ye be not of this contre for as moche as ye knowe not the name of this tour / knowe ye cer­taynly that hit is named the tour of darayn / and this is the propre place that the kyng Acrisius hath do make for to kepe his doughter the virgyne danes / whiche is accomplisshed of all vertues and honorable manyers that her lyke is not in alle thys worlde / But the poure mayde is so moche Infortunat / that her fader acrisius holdeth her in this tour shitte for that he had an answer of hys goddes that of hys doughteer danes [Page] shold be born a childe that shold torne hym in to stone This is the cause wherfore we ben and kepe her that no man ne conuerse with her in no facōn And her fader is the kynge Acrisius whiche is so sore smeton to the herte with Ielowsye that yf he knewe of your beyng here. he wold sende to destroye yow. And therfore withdrawe yow and goth forth on your way. Iupiter heryng the answer of the woman gaf no regard vnto her wordes. sauyng his eeres / ffor he enploied his eyen vnto the regarde of the tour / And seeyng that hit was Imprenable for ony assault As well for the strength of the place where hit was founded on. as for that hit was nyghe the Cyte of Arges whyche was right stronge / he considered in hym self that for to come and see this mayde he coude not obteyne but by the mo­yen of these women. And than thus answerd to the old woman. I thanke you of your good aduertisement I am moche beholden vnto yow / but I shall yet say more vnto yow. yf hit plese yow. I am sent vnto the damoyselles of this place fro the right myghty kynge Iupiter of Crete for to delyuere to them certayn presentes on his behalue. wherfore I pray yow that hit please yow to gyue me assistence anenst them / whan the olde matrone vnderstood of Iupiter and that he brought presentes vnto the damoiselles she answerd hym that he was right welcome / And maad hym to entre in to a lityll chambre whiche was by the gate for to speke therin to her frendes whan they cam to visite them. And than she wente in to the chambre of danes. and there assemblid alle the women of the place and said vnto them. My felawes the kynge Iupiter of Crete greteth [Page] yow well by oon of hys ser [...]auntes / whom I haue putte in to the chambret of the yate / he hath sayd to me that he hath brought certayn presentes. See ye now whether ye will resseyue hem or not and what I shall answere to the messanger (etc)::.

THe damoyselles were right Ioyous and glad whan they herd these tydynges and toke their counceyll to gyder / and concluded that they wolde take and resseyue these presentes of the kynge Iupiter / Than they descended in to the chambrete and fested the mesager whiche dide hem reuerence. and said to them. Ladyes and damoyselles your renomee is so grete that hit hath meuyd the kynge Iupiter to desyre your loue / In sygne of whiche he hath sente to yow of his Iewels. and praieth yow to resseyue them in thank And that he recomandyth hym vnto the right noble grace of your maistres the kynges doughter / with these wordes Iupiter opend his sacke of lether wherin were his Iewels and delyuerid them vnto the damoyselles whan they had resseyued them and seen them what they were / they were all abasshed for to see thynges so precious and sayd that they wold goo and shewe hem to their maistresse / And forthwith they wente vp in to the tour and shewyd their present vnto danes / Sygnefyyng her that the kynge Iupiter recomandyd hym vnto her noble grace / Also sone as thys noble virgyne had seen these Iewels / She sayd that hit muste nedes be that Iupiter was riche & large and that the yeft that he had yeuen was more of value than all the royame of arges / and also that she wold that the man [Page] that had brought these Iewels were fested as hit ap­perteyneth and also thanked in her name. Than the damoyselles by the comandement of danes wente to feste the messanger of kynge Iupiter the beste wyse that they myght the moste parte of the nyght in mete and drynke / And than cam the aged woman that had first spoken with hym and said to hym. My sone the mayden danes thanketh the kynge Iupiter of the courtoysie that hit hath plesid hym to do to her damoyselles. And she taketh her self gretly beholden to hym and to yow that haue taken the payne to brynge them / yf ther may please yow ony thynge here in. spare not this hous::

DAme answerd Iupiter ye do me to moche honour that oon half / yf ther be ony thynge in crete to your pleasir. Axe ye hit / and certaynly ye shall be serued wyth good herte. And than they tal­ked so longe that hit was tyme to wythdrawe hym Iupiter toke leue of the damoyselles & concluded that he wold retorne in to his contre on the morn erly. what shall I saye more Iupiter toke this nyght as moche rest as he myght. and had the herte so surprised that he awoke more than he neded for the hour was not come for that he attended for to speke to danes / He retorned secretli in to Crete And did do make newe Iewels moche more riche and more precious than the other were for to go a gayn and presente to the damoyselles / and as sone as was to hym possible. he gadrid to geder as many as wold charge an hors. After this on a mor­nyng erly he laded an hors with these Iewels. and with oute wetyng of ony persone / with the same he [Page] so laboured that with oute auenture he cam vnto to the tour / And there assemblid the damoyselles & dide hem reuerence and sayd to them / Ladyes and damoyselles the kynge Iupiter hath yow so in his grace that know­yng by the reporte of me what feste and Ioye ye maad late of his Iewels / he hath sente vnto yow / and in his name I presente to yow these Iewels that I haue nowe brought / prayng that the presente may be acceptable & agreable / and that hit plaise yow to do so moche vnto your maistresse [...] that I myght a litil̄ speke with her for to aduertise her yf hit plaise her of certain secrete thinges that towche her / & wherof I am charged by Iupiter:.

¶How Iupiter in the guyse of a messanger wyth many Iewels cam the seconde tyme to see danes / and how he spacke & gaf her in knowleche what he was and how he laye with her the same nyght::.

Whan Iupiter had achieuyd his purpoos / he des­ploied his merceryes / and whan the matrones had vnderstand of Iupiter that he desired to haue grace to speke with danes / They wente vnto the mayde by the counceil̄ of the olde woman for to haue her oppynyon / & comyng with hem the olde woman she had the wordes for hem all / And said my doughter the kynge Iupiter hath sente hether the burthen of a hors of þ ^e most fairest Iewels that euer ye sawe / Certes hit is a tryumphe to see them / notwithstanding we durst not resseyue them for as moche as the messanger requireth to speke with yow / whiche is vs defended by your fader / See what we shal̄ doo. we ben gretly beholden vnto þ ^e kyng Iupiter of his courtosies. but whan we behold the strait comandement of your fader. we wyte neuer what to [Page] do. Whan the mayden danes had herd the wordes and the tydynges of the old woman She was right pen­syf. but not for that she ne spared not to saie that. that her herte Iugged her And thus answerd. My moder ye knowe well and hit nedeth not to telle yow. that he that doeth shewe loue and curtoisie. ought to be than kyd by semblable. The kynge Iupiter as ye haue to me said hath ofte tymes doon for vs. the first good cometh from hym. me thynketh vnder all correccions. that we may well suffre hym speke with me / Hit is a lityll thinge of his seruaunt or varlet. the kynge my fader shall neuer knowe hit / hit is no nede that he knowe all that shall falle. but first shewe to hym. howe hit is defendid yow vpon the lyf that no man speke with me. And make hym promyse and swere that he shall kepe this thynge secrete (etc)::.

THe damoisels and the olde woman Ioious of thanswer of the mayde wente doun from the tour vnto the gate. And fyndyng Iupiter besy to desploye and vnbynd his Iewels / the old woman said vnto hym / ffair sone the kynge Iupiter hath founden more grace here in this place anenst the maide danes than all the men in the world. Neuertheles ye ought to knowe that vpon payne of deth. hit is to yow defended and to other by vs. And we ben also defended vp­on the same paine by the kynge Acrisius. that we shall late no man liuyng speke with her / The comaundemēt of the kynge is so grete. And your requeste is not lityll Certes we dar not brynge yow vnto her alle thynge concyderid. ffor yf hit were knowen with out faute we shold be all put in to the ffyre. And perauenture yf [Page] ye were founden here with in by the kyng that cometh often tymes hether he wolde put yow to deth / wherfore we pray yow that hit please yow to excuse vs a yenst your maystre / By the comprysyng of this answer Iu­piter fonde nought that he soughte / And than he helde hym more ner in dyspayre than he dyde in hope. but he remembrid that a beggar shold not go away for ones warnyng / And sayd vnto the olde woman to the be­gynnyng of her answer / Dame ye do well yf ye fere and drede the kyng / whiche is to me no meruayll / All way his comandement is not so strayt / but that ye may enlarge hyt yf ye wyll / he hath deffended that none shall speke wyth her / The kynge Iupiter requyreth that his seruant may saye to her sertayn thynges secrete towchyng her honour / ye shall doo that pleseth yow but in trouth yf ye acorde hym his requeste / the accorde shall not be preuidyciable to yow in ony thynge. ffor the kynge Iupiter is no pletar and knoweth so moche of the worlde / that vnto yow he had not sent me yf he had not found me secrete / And thus yf ye wold doo to hym ony pleasyr ye haue none excusacion resonable / None knoweth herof but ye and I / yf I speke vnto the Mayde by your consente / who shall accuse vs / hit shall not be ye for the mater toucheth yow / And hit shall not be .I. nor the kynge Iupiter / ffor sartaynly we had leuer dye in sorofull deth and also abyde in­deffamable payne (etc)::::::..

FAir sone answerd the old woman / ye speke so swetly / þ ^t we may not / ner can yeue vnto yow the reffuse of your requeste we dare well affye [Page] and truste in yow. Alas dame answerd Iupiter doubte ye / whan I shall fawte ayenst yow or ony other / / I be smyten with the thonder and tempeste I wold verita­bly that ye had the prerogatyf to knowe the humayn thoughtes to the ende that in Iugyng of my corage by your Iugement were the mayde assured not to haue by my cause ony Inconuenyence / with these wordes Iupi­ter drewe to his will the olde woman and all the damoyselles as well by his subtyll langage as by his richesses / ffor short processe the old woman accorded to Iupiter that he shall haue the grace to speke with the mayde. And brought hym to fore her with all his presentes / Iupiter had than more Ioye than I can write And whan he was thus aboue in the tour of darayn in beholdyng the ample beaulte of danes his Ioye dowblid / & he knewe her lightly by her beawte. And made vnto her reuerence sayng. Right noble & right accom­plisshid damoysell the kynge Iupiter saleweth yow by me. And sendeth vnto the women of this hous of suche goodes as fortune hath gyuen to hym. yf hit be your pleasir they shall receyue them. And after I shall saie vnto yow certayn thinges secrete whiche the kyng Iupiter your seruaunt hath chargyd me to saye vnto yow. My frende answerd danes sauf your honour the kyng Iupiter is not my seruaunt / but I my self am beholden to hym and am his seruaunt / And thanke hym of the largesses that semeth as he had reyned gold in this place. hit is ryght agreable to me þ ^t the women of this tour haue your present / And hit pleseth me well also to here your charge. to thende that kynge Iupiter saye not that I were vnkynde (etc)::.

[Page]THe Matrones and the damoiselles were present at this answer / Iupiter deliuerid vnto them his Iewels whiche they resseyued with grete gladnes / After that. danes toke the mesanger by the hande and lad hym a parte vnto the beddes syde where she maad hym to lene by her / And than whan Iupiter fonde hym so allone wyth danes / he sayd vnto her / Ryght noble damoyselle / I shall no more calle yow damoyselle but lady. ffor ye ar my lady and my only maystresse whiche haue maistred myn herte / and also haue ouercome me vnder the sowne and bruyt of your gloryous loos and name / ffor to aduertyse yow verily I am Iupiter / of whom now I haue spoken to yow at the presentacion of the Iewels / And hyt is trouth that hit is not longe sythen whan I was in my royame / for to here reported the manere how your fader helde yow shette in thys tour wyth lityll good that may acorde vnto your honour / as well as for to gete your thanke and grace. as for pyte wher with I was meuyd / I haue delyberid in my herte to employe my self vnto your de­lyuerance and also for to gete your grace / and for to execute this deliberacōn / I haue taken partye of my tre­sours & am come hether to psent them vnto your damoiselles / and so departid and of newe am comen agayn in hope to haue your loue / and wherof I am well contente and thanke mercy & fortune Alas madame yf I am so hardy as for to haue put my self in thauenture of my lyf for to shewe the grete loue þ ^t I haue in yow / excuse me. yf I haue entreprised thynge so hye that I ne me hold worthy to touche hyt but in the affyance of fortune & in so moche as she wil̄ me fauour in this ꝑtye / madame than [Page] in the concideracion of my wordes. ye may see my lyf as my deth And ye only may ligtly make the Iugement yf your humylite condescende in the knowleche of pyte that I haue had of yow / disposing my self in to the dahger / where I might be sure. I am now nyhe the Ieoparde whiche ye may saue And yf not I yeld me your pry­sonner Certes the shynyng resplendissour of your re­nomed beawte. wherof the dede passeth the renome and the tryumphe of your Incompared excellence hath enrached myn herte And hath brought me hether in to the pryson of your will. Alas madame behold ande see with your eyen full of swetenes and of clemence me whiche seeth not at this time / but languysshe in f [...]ute of reste in contynuell trauayll in furies redowblyd & in sighes vpon sighes whiche may not be pourueied of re­medie but by your benyngnite & amorous purueyance.

AT the begynnyng of the first recomendacyon that was maad of yow in my presence. And at the poynt that I entreprised to delyuere you out of this tour / I helde me self right ewroꝰ and happy be cause of so hye an enterpryse. but seeyng the parels where I fynde only my self syn / I wote neuer what I may saie of my self. ffor by moneth vpon moneth. weke vpon weke And day vpon day your name hath had domynacion on me. And ofte tymes hath constraynd me to be rauysshed and yet more in a traunce be desire to speke to yow. and to ymagyne how I shold come to the poynt where I now am. And not only in this. but also to fynde mercy in yow. And I pray & requyre yow right humbly that the amerous yefte of mercy ye will [Page] to me acorde / and thus doyng ye shall do mercy to your self and haue pyte of your yonge daies whiche ye haue consentyd to lese / by the folyssh fantasies of the kynge your fader / ye knowe well that his lyf during he shal̄ not suffre yow to be maried to ony man. hit is possible that your fader shall lyue as longe as ye / ffor he is stronge of membres hard and boistous / Also ye ought conceyue yf ye wyll beleue me / that your lyf hath no welthe ne playsanse only / the playsances come vnto the peple by the syght and by beholdyng of dyuerce thynges / the women syngulerly haue their pryncypal̄ plaisus in her husbondes & in her generacōn and lignyes ye ne may come here to / but yf ye haue mercy on your self / Is hit not in your consait and knowleche that no man hath but his lyf in this world / ffor as moche as ye obeie and complaise the folish comandement of your fader the kynge Acrisius / ye shall be a woman loste beyng in this place / hit is not possible to take and haue pacience / This is to hard a thynge vnto a yonge herte to be put in prison with oute demerite / I knowe the hu­mayn affeccions and vnderstande that naturelly euery creature loueth his prouffit to fore the prouffit of an other / This is ayenst your prosperite and vtilite that ye be shitte here with Inne / how may ye haue loue vnto hym whiche is cause of two euillis. the lasse euyll is to chese syn that ye fele yowe condempned here vnto the ende of the dayes of your fader / dowte ye not but hys ende is ofte desired to his myschef for your sake. and his meschief may not ye do be don with oute grete charge of conscience / me thynketh that better hit were for yow in dyuerce facions to fynde manere to yssue and go out [Page] of this place / and to take to husbonde some man noble & puyssant / that wold entreprise to carye yow awey secreth for to be his wyf in his contrey / by this moyen ye shall be delyuered fro the payne / where ye be in / ye shuld eschewe the deth of your fader / And lasse euyll ye shold do in fleyng his folissh comandement than to abyde in the poynt wher he hath putte yow / Madame alas thynke ye hereon for your honour and helthe as I haue sayd yow I am your seruaunt / and yf hit please yow to departe from this place / ye shall fynde no man redyer than I am for to kepe yow and conduyte I gyue my self vnto your noble comandementes for to furnissh your wyll to my power / as he that bereth allewey the remembrance of yow in the most deppest place of my mynde In slepyng I see yow and wakyng I thynke on yow I haue had neuer reste in my self ner neuer shall haue but yf hit plese yow that my fortune my destynee my happe or vnhappe come of yow / yf ye take me vnto your mercy / and that I fynde grace anenst yow I shall be the moste happyest of all happy & yf ye do otherwyse / hit may be sayd that among all vnhappy none shall go to fore me / but whan suche fortune shal come to me by your rygour I shall take hit in pacience for the No­blesse that I see in yow allewey I require yow that my herte be not pryued ne put from yowr herte. For as moche as hit toucheth me / Alle the tonges of. men can not saye ner expresse the quantite of the loue that I haue in yow / no more than they can pronounce by propre names / all the sterres of heuene / by this loue I am allewey in thoughtes laboureus. en sighis anguysshous and ofte tymes in grete fere and doubte And at this oure I wote [Page] neuer whether I lyue or not / how wel me thinketh I am here for to resseyue absolucion or mortal̄ sentence Thise thinges cōsidered alas will not ye haue hym in your grace That for to deserue your loue & mercy hath abandouned and auentured his lyf as ye maye see / leuyng his ryall astate for the better to kepe his caas secrete / vnto an herte well vnderstanding fewe wordes suffisen / For conclusion I pray yow to gyue your herte vnto him. that hath gyuen his vnto yow. and that ye pourueye from hens forth for þ ^e losse where ye now be Inne after þ ^e comyn Iugemēt

WIth this Iupiter helde his pees and kept scilence and entended his eeres for to here what shold be thanswere of danes / The right noble damoysell whan she had herd his purpo [...]s. whiche she had sore noted And whan she sawe that he had gyuen her place to speke / how wel̄ she was right assewred. she changed colour & said to hym / Syre kynge alas knowe ye well what shold be the renome that shold beleue with me. yf I shold beleue your counceyll / what shold the peple saye. madame answerd Iupiter / the worste þ ^t they may saye shall be þ ^t men shall name yow dysobeyssant vnto the folissh comandement of your fader / whiche as all the world knoweth that he ho [...]eth yow folily in his prison here faste shitte in / And yf ye wole thus helpe your self & stele your self away / men shold b [...]t lawhe for your yougthe shold excuse your feet. and ye shold be renomed to haue d [...]n this fette by grete wisedom / A sire said danes ye wene to desceyue me by your fair & swete wordes / I knowe the spekinges of the argiens & also I knowe þ ^t I am boūden to obeye my fader / & forthermore I am not so ignorāt but that I wold wel haue som noble man to my [Page] husbond but that myn honour were saued / and also that more is I knowleche þ ^t I am gretly beholden to hym that hath departyd here wyth in so largely of his tre­sours and Iewels / and in lykewyse vnto yow yf hit be trouthe that ye be he that ye saye that ye ar / but whan I haue alle knowen and vnderstanden And seen visibli that thargiens shold deffame me to perpetuite And that my fader shold haue sent me where myn ho­nour shold strongly be defowled and put vndre foot. And also that I haue none other knowleche of yow / but by your propre declaracion I will in no wise abuse yow. ner ye shall haue no destourbance for my cause but I praye yow to thinke on other part and that ye late and suffre me only with my felawship and frendes (etc).:.

MAdame answerd Iupiter be ye in dowte of me that I am not Iupiter kinge of crete yf I be other alle the goddes confounde me and the thonders falle on me / the swalowe of the see resseyue me. And that I be giuen to mete vnto the most venymous bestes of the world. O madame put no suspecion in my feet. as I haue said to yow. I am comen to yow not in ryall astate / but in symple aray / for to conduyte my thinges more secretly / yet at the leste / at this first tyme accorde ye my requeste / take ye day of aduise / and that to morn I may speke ones to yow. and ye shall coun­ceylle yow well this nyght.

THe noble mayde danes had than the blood esmeuyd that wyth grete payne she wiste not what to doo she durst not beholde Iupiter. For shame smote her in the eyen. This not withstandyng [Page] her hert comaunded her to see what man he was / And whether he had the chyere of a noble man or of a kynge At hardest she toke day of aduys / And accorded to hym that she wolde speke agayn to hym on the morn / After this / she dide the tables to be coueryd by the damoysells And sayde that she wold feste the messanger of kinge Iupiter / The damoyselles heeryng that Answerd that they alle were moche bounden to feste him and to make hym grete chyere / and shewd to her their richesses that they had / all arowe in the chambre / wherof the walles shone and were bryght / what shall I saye more the damoyselles arayed wyth the Iewellis of Iupiter / Gar­nysshid the tables wyth mete / Danes & Iupiter were sette that oon agaynst that other / the seruyse was gret and riche and had I nowh to ete / how well that Iupiter ne danes gaf lityll fors of etyng / Iupiter ete lasse bodyly than spirituelly / he was in traunces in doubtan­ces and feeres he had an answer by whiche he coude not glose no thyng to his prouffyt saauf oonly that he hopid that danes shold discouuere hit vnto the damo­ysselles in suche wyse as the yonge maydens ben of custome to discouuere that on to that other / & that whan ony requyre them of loue that they shold be in fauour to hym the more for his yeftes / In this estate was the kynge Iupiter for his parte / The damoyselles behelde hym I nowh and sayde / that he had not the mayn­teygne of a yoman or of a seruaunt / / but of a man of ryght noble and grete facion / And aboue alle o­ther danes to whom Iupiter had gyuen cause to be pensyf / Caste her eyen vpon Iupiter vpon hys conte­nance vpon his facion vpon hys beaulte / And than [Page] her semed that he had sayd trouth / as well than as in the nyght folowyng she began to fele the sparklis of loue / and seeyng his richesses that he had gyuen in the hows / she varyed to gyue to hym her herte and her loue of this variacion to whiche her herte enclyned / she was right acertayned and fermly / that her engyne her entendemēt were entrelarded of habondaunt thoughtes Many noble men had required her loue afore tyme that she was shette in the tour / and coude neuer torne her herte ner cause to sighe and thenke for her requestes The only wordes of Iupiter were so ewrews and happy that constraynd her to exaudicion and parfayt pensifnes / brekyng all doutes and contrarie oppynyons

¶How Iupiter cam from his chambre by nyght and laye in the tour of darrain wyth the damoysell danes on the whyche he engendryd / the noble persens.

SO longe dured the ffeestoyng of Iupiter that hit was oure and tyme to wythdrawe Than danes toke leue of Iupiter and dyde do conueye hym in to a secrete chambre by her damoyselles whan Iupiter was departyd she entryd in to her chambre accompanyed only wyth the olde woman that was her maistresse whishe had charge on her aboue all other / and as sone as the olde woman had her pryuely in her chambre / as she that was malicioꝰ sayde to her / my doughter telle me of your tidynges / I must nedes knowe what thinge this messanger hath sayd to yow / Dame answerd danes. woll ye wete ye sayd the olde woman / than answerd danes / he muste come hym self and make the raiport / For he hath sayd to me so many thynges that the tenthe part is [Page] not in my mynde / My doughter said the olde woman I thinke well he is not comen hether wyth out cause what hath he sayd / yf ye haue not all in mynde / telle me at leste / that abideth and resteth in your mynde / Dame answerd danes ye knowe well that neuer I mystrus­ted yow / And that the secretenes of myn herte to yow hath alwey ben open / I wyll now make no newe customes / For to shorte this mater / he that nameth hym ser­uant of Iupiter / is Iupiter him self by his raport and hath maad grete othes that he hath do maad thyse presentes and yeftes for to speke to me / In dede he hath shewyd to me how I lose here my tyme / / And hath requyred me to be his wyf to whiche I haue not yet consentyd / but I haue taken day for to gyf an answer to morn hopyng to take your counceyll / And therfore I pray yow that ye me counceylle in that I haue to do and what answere he shall haue of me / ye knowe how I haue suffrid his yeftes to be resseyued he muste be contentid by som ma­ner / by fayr speche or other wyse.

THis olde woman had ben other tyme in the hous of kynge melliseus and there had seen Iupiter in the tyme of his retorne of his conqueste of ar­ [...]hade / and had in pertye knowleche of him syn the first day that he cam theder / this notwythstondyng she dou­tyd of his persone for as moche as men otherwhile ben like oon to an other And she had alway her eye on hym whan than she had vnderstande by danes that had told her that he was Iupiter / she was seure that hit was he in hys persone / and had grete Ioye saynge / my doughter certaynly I knowe hym that we speke and deuyse of longe tyme past / And for his persone I assure yow / hit [Page] is he / that hath don yow to vnderstonde of / but vnto the regarde for to counceylle yow / yf ye take hym vnto your husbonde I can saye none other wyse to yow / but that he is oon of the most vailliantest men of the world and that his entrepryses ben right hye / / and yf I had a doughter the moste best manerd of the world / ther is no man leuyng that I wold gyue her sonner vnto than to hym / [...]yf hit plesid hym to take her / ye see that not wythstandyng his symple aray that he is a goodly man he is noble / he is ryche / he is wyse / he is a kynge / ye fele in your self your corage / yf ye wole vse and ob­serue the comandement of your fader / ye may not with hym hold consistorie ne parlament / yf ye wyll absente yow from this place by good moyens ther is no man but Iupiter that may helpe yow / / I counceylle yow ney­ther that oon ne that other / chese ye and take the beste waye (etc).

A My moder sayd danes how shold I chese my self. ther is in me neyther wytte ne entende­ment to take that I shold chese. ne for to dis­cerne the good from the ywell. and as for me I shall put hit all in to your deliberacion. and wole that ye knowe that out of this tour wold I fayn bee myn ho­nour sauyd and the honour sauyd of my felawshyp. wyth thys cam In to them alle the damoyselles of the hous and sayd to her that they had made right good chere to theyr ghest. and thus faylled the secrete deuyses of danes and of the aged woman. the damoyselles wente and fette theyr Iewels. newly presented to hem and departed them eche after her porcion saynge that to kynge Iupiter was none like / but that he was [Page] amonge all other the moste large and the most honou­rable kynge of kynges.

THe mayde danes toke grete playsir wyth all these thinges / / whan the damoyselles had par­tyd among hem her Iewels of gold with grete Ioye / they brought danes to bedde / And departyd from her chambre whiche they lefte open by forgetyng / as they that had sette alle her mynde and entendementes on her rychesses / And so wente to theyr beddes in to theyr chambers / Iupiter liyng in his bed at this hour fonde hym self so surmountyd wyth couetyse of loue. That he was constraynd to aryse And to loke out at a wyndowe to beholde yf the day approched liftyng his eyen agayn the sterres of the heuene / And was rauys­shed in his herte by the remembrance of fayr danes and sayd / O noble danes that hath more beaulte than the sterre shynyng / And that ye shyne by souerayn cle­renes / Alas where be ye this houre / the payne that I en­dure for your cause / ye knewe not the grete Ieopardye and the paryllous paas that I haue put me in. to attayne your loue / vnkendenes. may she haue place in yow. with desdayn rygour and fiersnes / whiche ben myn enemyes enuenymed with mortall venym / O danes remembre your self of me / And thou fortune that haste so couryd me in alle myn affayres / so coure me in this present nede.

WIth this word his complaynt cessed / and gaf his entendemēt to many sharp thoughtes that percyd his herte right pensifly / This thoughte was grete and touchyng a right auenturous enterprise all acoūtyd & abatid he deterimned in him self to assaye yf he mocht [Page] come vnto the ende of his thoughte / and arayde and clothid hym self and went out of his chambre vnto the tour / where he sawe the dore opene to his semyng And findyng trouthe that hit was open he wente vp as softely as he cowde that he shold not be herd / [...] and cam so ferre that he cam to the chambre of danes wherof the dore was open In whiche chambre was a lampe brennyng / Iupiter all full of gladnes put his hede in to the chambre to beholde yf the damoysellys had ben wyth danes / and whan he had beholden that ther were none but that danes was allone in her bedde / he auen­turyd hym to go vnto her where he fond her slepyng and awoke her by kyssynge (etc).

DAnes was so sore abasshed whan she felt herself so kyste / that she crept wyth in the bedde. Iupiter nyghed neer so fer that he descourid her face for to speke to her / wherof she beyng a frayd opend her eyen and whan she wiste that hit was Iu­piter / [...] and was allone by her bedde side / she made a ryght grete shryche and crye / whan Iupiter herd this crye he was not right well assured / Neuertheles he poursued his aduenture tornyng her to hym ward and confortyng her by hys swete spekyng / he declared to her in the ende that hit was force that she muste be his wyf promyttyng to come and to fecche her in short tyme / and so longe he held her in suche deuyses / that he vnclothed hym self / and that in spekyng to here he sprange in to the bed and laye by her side. how well that she wyth sayd and wythstode hit wyth alle her myght Thanne sayde the mayde that she was betrayed And wepynge tenderly she wende to haue fled and [Page] dide her beste to haue gon away But Iupiter toke good hede / And at the lepe that she supposid to make caught and helde her by the Arme / And made her to lye doun agayn And beclypt her and kyste her agayn / And so appesed her in suche facion that she lefte her wepynge And on the mornyng whan he roos vp from her he lefte her wyth chylde wyth a yong sone / what shall I saye more Iupiter by this hardyesse achyeuyd his feet and gate his wyll on fayre danes And made the pees of his offence The nyght passid ouer And the day came / that Iupiter muste nede aryse and departe from her / and than by necessite constraynyng hym self for to kepe the ho­nour of danes he aroos And toke his abillements trussed to geder and retorned in to his chambre where he wente to bedde and slepte so faste and sewrly that he awoke not tyll the hour and tyme to go to dyner.

AT this hour danes axid where was the mes­sangier of kynge Iupiter and sayde that she wolde ete with him / and that they shold brynge hym vp in to the tour secretly / Wyth the worde of da­nes two damoyselles wente doun of the tour in to the chambre of Iupiter / And findyng hym a slepe awoke hym / Wherof he was hounteus and ashamed / For the sonne was that tyme mounted hye / And than he a roos and arayed hym fastely whan he wyste that danes had sent for hym to come speke wyth here / And so came to her / whiche began to wexe reed and to lese her mayntyene and contenance whan she sawe hym. After the reuerence maad they wente and ete to gyder and made grete chyere allewey danes was a shamed and was strongly sousprysed for the caas that was [Page] was happende to her & she myghte not abstaine to sette her eyen on the beawte of Iupiter / whiche also faylled not on his side to beholde her by so ardent desyr / that the eyen of that oon and that other perced eche other often tymes / / In this beholdyng they passid parte of the tyme of the dyner / / whan they had taken their refeccion / [...] Iupi­ter and danes drewe hem a part and helden a longe parlement of their werk / And was concluded betwene hem that Iupiter shold go in to his contre and that he shold retorne theder wyth a certayn nombre of peple for to take a way the fayre danes / and wyth this conclusion Iupiter departyd and retourned in to crete le­uyng danes in the tour / of whom I wyll tarye for this present & retourne to speke how Tantalus the kynge of ffrygye faughte agaynst the troyans / and had batayle agaynst them whyche was the first that euer was in troye.

¶How the kynge Tantalus of ffrygye assaylled by bataylle the kynge Troos of Troye / / and how ylyon and gammedes his sones desconfited hym in bataylle /

WHan than the kynge troos hadde named hys cyte Troye and was mountid and enhaunced in so hye renome / That the kynges his neygh­bours as to his regard were put in lityl reuerence and lasse glorye / Many thus leesing their honours / by hys right grete worship / began to murmere ayenst hym in feet and in thought / and amonge alle other the kynge tantalus of ffrigye sone of tharchaden Iupiter kynge of actyque took in ryght grete despyte thercellence of troos and conspyred ayenst hym and made a grete assemble of men of armes / and so departed out of his [Page] royame in entencion to destroye and spille the kynge Troos and his Cyte of Troye / This tantalus had a sone in his compaygnye named pelops / And also he left a sone at home named thiestes for as moche as he was yong / And this thiestes had a sone sins named philistenes the fader of menelaus that regned in the tyme of the thirde destruction of Troye / For to retorne to our purpoos / Than Tantalus exployted in suche wyse that he conduytyd and brought his ooste vpon the terrytorye of Troye / And dide do smyte doun and destroye alle thinge that was in theyr puyssance vnto playne destruction / Wherof the Crye and clamours of them that fledde was so grete / that in short tyme the kynge Troos was aduertysid / wherof he was not affrayed For he had the Cyte well garnysshid of peple / Also he made redy to resiste his aduersaryes / and that by suche dyligence / that whan he had herd the ty­dynges in the morenyng / In foure oures after he yssued out of Troye wyth .xxx. thousand fyghtyng men and drewe vnto the place where the frygyens were entryd.

THis noble kynge Tros had in his compaygnye two sones of whome the eldest was callyd ylion to whom cam doun from heuen the palladiū And the yonger was callyd Gammedes / These two sones vayllyant and hardy comen in to the feld and requyred theyr fader Troos to departe his arme in two And that he wolde graunt to them hys vawarde for to preue theyr myght vpon theyr enemyes / Troos considering that by separacion of hys peple / they that were fowled or put a back myght be socowryd whan [Page] hit sholde come to strokes / acorded the request to his ij. sones / and toke vnto them .xij. thousand of fyghtyng men / ylion and gammedes thankyd the kynge / troos their fader / and toke leue at hym / and went forth with her fyghtyng men in suche wyse that they were a mile to fore the batayll of the kynge. and so the kyng / troos sued the batayll of his .ij. sones ylion and gammedes / And he had rydars betwene bothe comysid for to re­porte to the kynge tros whan his sones had founden. tantalus their enemye / and also the .ij. noble sones had to fore hem their diuerse espies and way tars that were sente out in to diuerce places to see and to descouuere thestate the puissance & thordenance of their enemyes whiche fonde them aboute the euenyng. and anon after they retorned vnto ylion and gammedes & bad them to make chiere / and that they had seen the enemyes of troye in a certain place that they named / and that there they had seen hem logged / And that they myght well be nowmbred by estymacion aboute .xxx. thousand fightyng men.

OF these tydynges had the troyens grete Ioye / hit was that tyme aboute mydnyght and they were logged in the ende of a valeye / ylion and gammedes anon the same hour assemblid alle the noble men of ther compaygnye / & told them what the espies had raportyd / and they demanded of them councell. all were of oppynyon that they shold suffre their oste reste yet a good houre. and after that they shold breke their faste a lityll and lightly / to thende to haue the better and longer her breth / and also to be the more corageoꝰ and also to cause hem to be the better awakyd. and this [Page] don they shold departe for to goo assaylle theyr ene­myes / This oppynyon semed god vnto the fyue sones of the kynge / And they signyfied theyr entencion by the ryders vnto theyr fader Troos / After this they wyth­drewe hem to take a lityll theyr reste and gaf charge vnto them that kept the wacche [...] to awake them whan they sawe her tyme / And so they had but lityll restyd whan they were awakyd and callyd / And that eche man shold take his Armes and folowe on / This Troians obeyed and knowe well hit was tyme to make redy lightly. They were neuer so Ioyous as ther were whan they knewe that they shold go to batayll / They ete and dronke attemperatly full of oon good wyll. They garnysshid hem wyth theyr Armes / And she­wid that oon to that other how they wold fight in the batayll and confunde theyr enemyes / and menassid them of an euyll recountre for them.

IT this houre the mone shone right clere / By whiche shynyng and light ylion and gammedes putte theyr peple in araye in fayre ordenance Whan they had take the shorte refection they began to marche toward them and put hem self to fore all other they came so nyghe by mone light and by her guydes that they wer herd of them that kept wacche of theyr enemyes that they soughte / the whiche fledde vnto the tentes of kynge Tantalus and awoke hym and tolde hym that the troians were come tassaylle hym. And that they had seen hem in grete noumbre / But Tantalus beleuyd not lightly hys wacche and deffer­ryd hys arysing more than nede was / he had not longe [Page] abyden but the troyans cam vpon his ofte and smote doun right vpon the ffrygiens so desmesurably / that the redoundyng of her strokes cam & fill in to the eeres of tantalus / whyche aroos and sprange on his feet terrybly affrayed / wyth this affraye were awaked all the frygiens in generall some by mortell woundes and some by their cryes and some smyten anguysshously vnto the deth. In comynge on thus the troians domaged gretly their enemyes / and the more be cause many of them were not garnysshid wyth their armes. whyche were smyten doun by the gleyues of the troyans / there were beten doun labouryng mortally aglowtyng in her blood This not wyhtstondyng how well that the comyng on of the troyans was sharp. and that ylion and gammedes approuuyd hem self sharply in their werke Tantalus and his sone pelops recuyellyd her peple that wythdrewe hem / aboute her tente & gaderd them to geder / and than whan they fonde hem in nombre suffisant for to entre in to bataylle / Tantalus cryed ffrigye ffrygie / and after he dyde do marche his peple ayenst the troians that all bete doun to fore hem in the place where they were arryuyd / and than began the noyse grete / For on all sides were cryes made and at the Ioynyng the tempeste was horrible that hit semed that the world shold ende in the same place.

GAmmedes and pelops encountryd to geder & full of grete corages they fought to geder so sore and hard that agrete while by the enseyg­nes that were seen vpon her heedes and vpon her armes they were like that oon to slee that other / and that oon had slayn that othyr ne had tantalus and ylion haue [Page] ben by / For tantalus smote vpon gammedes / and ylion smote pelops and the troians & frygiens medlid that on wyth that other And ther began the slaughter and tuycion / And ther was fightyng shewyd as cham­pions / In shewyng eche man his vertū and his prō ­wesse so strongly for as moche as they sawe the mone go doun and declyne / And yet was not the day comen whan they fonde on the morn the place alle couerd with blode. heedes Armes and of men dede / but the nom­bre of the frigyens that ther were put to oultrance was moche gretter ten agaynst oon than of them of troye / What shall I saye alle so longe as the mone gaf his light / ther was no faute on that on side ner on that other / eche man dide his parte The mone put hym in a derk cloude And anon it waxe derk and that the medle began to cesse / And the retrayte was cryed the frigiens with drewe hem at the crye of tantalus / And the tro­ians at the crye of ylion and gammedes / And ther was none but had gladly abiden the ende of this skarmuche and tempeste.

¶How the kynge Tros chacyd in bataylle the kinge tantalus and how the kynge saturne cam by see sayl­ling to the porte of troyes and how the kynge troos receyuyd hym worshipfully.

AFter thys forsayd batayll whan Tantalus was withdrawen he began to caste his eyen vpon his peple whiche were alle on an hill for to wete how they were of nombre & how they had born hem self / And how moche peple he had lost. [Page] he had lost / and wente all a boute hem wyth his sone pelops / and hym semed well that his puissance was made lasse than he had hopyd wherof he had in his herte a right grete and sharpe desplaysir / and visityng his oost in this facion the day began to aryse and in the dawnyng / two thnyges apperid and cam to the knowleche of the peple of tantalus / oon was the grete losse of his peple. and that other was the batayll of kynge troos that they sawe from ferre discouerid & approche Certes whan tantalus considerid his euydent domayge and sawe that his enemyes be cause of the socours that came to them were more stronge than he was / he fonde not in the resolucion of his empryse but dispayre and shamefull ende / and all desconfortyd he callyd his sone and his pryncipall frendes and demanded them what was best to doo / They counceyllyd hym that he shold entende to saue hym self and sayd to hym / yf he abode and attended the troyans that shold be cause of his destruction and of alle them that were lefte of his peple (etc).

WHan tantalus vnderstode this counceyll and knewe that his prouffyt stood and was in his shamefull ende and flighte / and aboue that / that he ne myght abaysshe and put doun the name of troyes / he toke hym self by the berde that was longe by Inpacience and sayd smytyng hym self wyth his fist / O cursid enuye / thou promettyst me late to putte troye vnder my ffeet. and hast made me to ryse presumptuesly ayenst her. Now see I well the contrarye / and that by me troye shall flowre and that more is by my cause her name shall growe and shall be enhaunsid [Page] And that alle kynges shall tremble to fore her in my regard and beholding O false trayteresse fortune acursid be thou that I euer beleuyd on the / These wordes fy­nysshid he said to his sone and to other his councell and maad his peple to withdrawe a litill and a litill finably he comaunded that eche man shold saue hym self / and than they put hem all to flight / Ilion and gaminedes toke hede and ran after and chassid hem out of the terrytorie of troye wyth grete oc [...]sion and slaughter of peple of the frigiens / And after that they had chaced hem. they sayd that they had don hem shame ynowh And lefte werke and retorned and cam a non and mette the kynge tros her fader that sued them whiche had grete Ioye / whan he sawe that they had quytte hem so well vpon his enemyes by the good conduyte of his two sones.

THe Ioye than that Tros made to ylion and Gammedes after the batayll was grete and of good loue / Tros brought hem agayn vnto troye wyth grete worship / the troians men and wo­men resseyuyd them worshipfully / And blessid the wombe that had born hem And the brestes that yaf hem souke / The two noble sones of the kynge of whom the names were born in to alle the marches ther abou­tes wyth so grete a bruyt and noyse that not only the neyghbours of troyes cam to make allyance with kyng tros and the troians but ther cam also kynges of ma­ny ferre contrees of the est whiche coude not magnyfye ynowh the puissance of the kynge and of the cyte of Troye (etc).

[Page]IN these dayes whan troyes shewyd the rayes of her puyssance & noblesse by the vnyuersell world / Saturn late kynge of crete saylid by the sees wyth lityll companye Not as kynge and possessour of the royame. but as bannysshid and despour­ueyed of alle lande and contrey so clene that he had no place to wythdrawe hym to / ner wyste neuer wheder to go but only by desertes and by the abysmes of the see Whan he had be in this poynt a grete while thynkyng wyth out ende how he myght persecute his sone Iupi­ter / Fortune brought hym in to the see of hellespond and than beholdyng abowte hym he espyed and sawe Troyes whiche was a cyte passyng fayr and ryche and of meruaylleus gretenes / / And than what for to take hym a lityll reste as for to put away his melancoli and for to reuytayll his shipp and peple he sayled and rowed vnto the cyte and descended at the porte whan the troyans had seen the shipp of saturne / that was better and more of valu than all the shippes that they had euer seen / the maystre of the shippes of troyes. wente hastely vnto the kynge troos & sayde / [...]ire [...]ioye your self and make redy your hous / / I assure yow that ther is come right now vnto your porte the most riche shipp [...] that euer was seen on the see / and me semeth this conciderid that in so noble a shipp muste be some noble or grete erthely lord that cometh vnto yow (etc).

ANone as kynge troos herde these tidynges of the mayster maronner he desired to see so fayr a shypp / and acompaygnyed wyth his two sones went for to see at the porte and to feste them of the strange shypp / This kynge troos was courtoys [Page] and honourable / whan he cam vnto the poort he fonde that saturne made redy his ship & disposid hym for to go vnto the cyte / And seyng the shipp he meruayllid moche For the vtensilles that were wyth in were ry­chely made / And furthermore saturne & his felawship were Armed and had no maronners he behelde her conduyte at his comyng & knewe that they were men of warre right well in point / he thought in hym self at begynnyng for to arme himself & to sende for the troians But afterward whan he had seen her lityll nombre & that no shipp folowid ner sued these estragers fro no coste he chaunged his porpoos & thought And appro­chid vnto the shipp and callid saturne that moste best was arayed aboue the other & axid him what he sought he and his felaws and from what nacion they were of and cam fro / And saturne answerd to hym and sayd Syre how well I knowe not at what porte I am ar­riuyd / For as moche as my herte Iugeth me that ye be courtoys of your nature / I wole hele ner couere no thinge touching your enqueste / I was late kynge of Crete named saturne / now I [...]e am but saturne / for my sone hath put me out sorowfully that of alle my ry­ches of alle my peple and of alle my goodes temporels me is not lefte but this only shipp that ye may see / wherfore I pray yow and requyre that hit please yow to adresse me to som lord of this contre / to the ende that I may requyre licence and congie to entre in to his lordship and to take that / That shall be necessa­rye competently to the lyf of me and of my Felaw­shypp (etc).

[Page]THan kynge troos herd the caas of saturne comprised in breef wordes he sayd to hym by com­passion / kynge saturne ye be well come in to the hous of troyes / In trouthe I haue grete anoyance in me self of your first anoyance for your glorious reno­mee and for the goodenes that is in yow. as ofte tymes I haue herd recountyd but wyth this anoyance two thynges gladeth and Ioyeth myn herte / that oon descendyng of thacomplisshement of desyr / ffor I haue desired many dayes for to see yow / and this desir is now ac­complisshid in me / and that other procedeth of hope. and in this partie I say to yow that I kynge of this contre haue entencion to comforte and to counceylle yow to my power and also to gyue yow so good ayde that ye shall correcte your sone and shall punysshe his persone in suche wyse as hit shall apperteyne for his offence / Saturne began to sighe and to take a lityll confort of the grete prouffre and good chier that the kynge troos maad to hym / and he thanked hym of so hye and ample offres / and at the goyng out of his shippe he beclippid hym in his armes and kyste his hand / What shall I saye the kyng troos brought hym in his pallays wyth all his men and fested hem as hit apperteyned for the loue of saturne / In like wyse the peple beyng aduertysed of saturne that it was he that founde the maner of labouryng of the erthe of meltyng of metals & of sayling and rowyng by the see maad so grete and playn feste at his comyng that they coude no more doo at that tyme / duryng this festoyeng whan saturne felt hym in the grace of the troians / On a day he callyd the kyng troos and his two sones / and [Page] adressid his wordes sayng / Lordes of Troye ye haue don so moche for me / that I may neuer deserue hit / for as I haue sayd to yow. my sone is enhaunsid and lift vp aboue me / And hath taken from me my Royame. I requyre yow as moche as I may that ye wyll coun­ceylle me what thing is most conuenyent to me / And how I shall suffre and bere the Iniurye don to me (etc).

MI broder answerd the kynge troos / This is agaynst nature to a sone / hym self to rebelle ayenst his fader / the synne and crisme is fowll and worthy of reprehension / For euery sone is boun­den by alle lawes to serue. worshippe. drede and obeye his fader / And it is no reson that ony man shold ap­proue or hold with a sone disobeyssant / your sone is of this condicion cursid and right euyll / / And I am of thoppynyon that ye shall not acquytte yow well / but yf ye to your power to maystrye & ouercome his euyll maneres / And to the ende that ye shall not excuse your euydent harmes and losses / whan ye wyll I shall dely­uere yow my sone gammedes accompanyed with .xx. thousand troians that shall socoure yow. vnto the deth Or they shall sette yow agayn in your ryall trybunall Saturne was all as recomforted whan he knewe the loue that the kynge Troos shewyd to hym / And after many thankyngus toke conclusion that he wold retorne in to crete wyth gammedes / And wold be­gynne agayn the pyetous warre of hym and of his sone / And folowyng this conclusion from than forth on / he dyde do Appoynte the shyppyng of Troye / :. [Page] the shyppyng of troye / and alle thynges apperteynyg / and gaderd to gyder men of armes wyth grete puys­sance by the Introduction of gammedes / and whan alle thassamble had mustryd and were gaderd to gy­der / he toke leue of the kynge troos and of ylion / and wente to the see and shyppyd all his meyne and kno­wyng the situacions of the contrees by the sees / he ad­dressid his oost in to the see of egee / where as was egeus sone of tytan the grete pirate whiche durst not haue to do wyth hem in no wyse / and fro this see of egee / he dyde so moche by dyuerse Iournees that he cam and arryuyd at the first porte and hauen of crete.

¶How saturne by the ayde of Gammedes and of the troians retorned in to crete to fighte agaynst Iupi­ter / where he was ouercome and vaynquysshyd and Gammedes taken.

AT that our that saturne arryued in crete the sonne was torned in to the west and on the heuene began to appere the sterres. saturn knewe the porte / and toke londe hopyng to entre the contrey secretly and wente a lityll weye / and there logged his peple in a place conuenyent and dyde hem reste / ete and drynke by the space of fyfe oures / and than he awoke the oost and made the troians arme them and entre in to the royame but they were not ferre goon / but anon after the sonne rysing & approchyng a strayt passage the espyes and scowrers cam vnto saturne and gam­medes hastely / and told them that they had seen the kynge Iupiter ryght strongly accompanyed whyche kept the passage / Vpon this paas hit is to wete that whan Iupiter was departyd fro danes and fro the [Page] tour darrain and was come in to Crete and desiryng to Accomplissh hys promesse anenst danes / he dide do Assemble his men of warre / concludyng in hym self that faithfully he wold go fecche the fair danes And brynge her vnto his contre by force of Armes. what shall I saye more / his Armee was all redy / And cam the same nyght where on the morn he hopyd to haue de­partyd / but as he was in his bed that nyght in his cite of parthemye tydynges cam to hym of the Arryuyng of the Troians / Wherfore he was constrayned by force to change his purpoos / wherof he was right sory and passing heuy marueyllously / This notwythstondyng sodeinly as thyse tydynges were freshly brought vnto hym / he aroos And toke his men of Armes that he had assemblyd / And hastely brōught them vnto the strayt wherof aboue is wret [...]n / And there abode hys enemyes as wyse and well auysed. And it is not to be forgoten that in this Armee amonge his men was the kynge of mollose whiche had late founden the In­dustrye and crafte to tame and breke horses for to be ryden. And to ryde them / And was come he and his men for to serue the kynge Iupiter for his good renomee ac­companyed of an honderd men that ran as the wynde. And for this cause they were callyd centaures / And these Centaures were also terrible and cruell that they ne doubtid the puissance of kinge ne of non other what som euer they were.

FOr than to retorne to the matere entamed / whan saturne knewe that the passage was kept and that Iupiter was than aduertisid of his coming he dide do tarye his ooste & said vnto them / my children [Page] hit behoueth that this morenyng / ye so doo in crete your deuoyr / not only in mustryng and shewyng your co­rayges / but aboue that / that ye be redoubtyd and drad lyke the thonder / asseure your self of our querelle Iupi­ter myn enemy is here where he abydeth our comyng to the batayle ordeynd / yf we wole come to the aboue of our entrepryse / hyt is nede that we drawe theder / see what ye wyll saye / Than thus answerd gammedes we ben comen in to crete for to correcte your sone / and to sette yow agayn in your siege. we shall doo that we may doo by our power and furnyssh and fighte frely wyth oute doubtance or feer / and vnto the ende that no reproche be Inposid vnto vs. I shall sende & somone your sone first or ony swerd be drawen or strook smyten to thende that he yelde hym vnto your obeyssance And that he come and amende his mesdedes / and than gammedes dide do come his troians by consent of sa­turne & sette hem in ordynance of batayle / and whan he had so doon he sente oon of his auncyent knyghtes a noble man vnto Iupiter and gaf hym charge to make the somacion suche as is sayd to fore / The troyan de­partyd from the oost at comandement of gammedes / and dyd so moche that he was presentyd to fore Iu­piter and sayd to hym / Iupiter thou oughtest knowe / that euery sone oweth obeyssance vnto his fader. thou doost contrarye to these thynges and shewest that thou art not sone of a kynge / but of perdicion. For thou de­spysest thy fader. In stede of reuerence thou hast hym in hate / and thou makest hym warre where thou sholdest holde hym in loue / and thou puttest hym to grete disho­nour and thy self wher thou art holde and bounden to [Page] do hym worshippe / O Iupiter who shall gyue the abso­lucion of thy lif dwellyng in venym / who shall excuse thy synne / Thou art enemy of thy fader / the caas is so greuous that theyr is no mercy ne excusacion / but yf hyt departe fro the naturell clemence of thy fader / beholde Iupiter beholde the ende of thyn Insurrexion / Alle lawe po [...]ityf And alle lawe wreton condempne the vnto the deth And curse and Anathematyse the / hit is grete pyte thou art a goodly yong man / knowe that thy regne may not longe dure / And that thou shalt more shortly be punysshid than thou wenest perauenture at this time For gamynedes oon of the soones of Troye is here by in the helpe of saturne thy fader with. twenty thousand. fyghtyng men whiche so meneth the by me that thou re­torne in to the mercy of thy fader And yeld hym hys Royame alle excusacions set a part.

MEssanger Answerd Iupiter / yf I were suchon as ye saye / wyth Iuste rayson ye and other might gyue sentences and condempnacions vpon me / me ought here bothe parti [...]e. And I trowe yf gamy­nedes of whom ye haue spoken / had herd myn excuse he wold not be myn enemy. I answer yow that I loue my fader saturne in as moche as he is my fader. But I saye yow on that other part / that he hath often tymes wyllyd to putte me to deth he shewyng hym self my mortell aduersarye and no thyng fader. For euery fa­der naturelly loueth his sone. And After that regarde I shall kepe me from hym as from myn enemy / And wille well that the Troians knowe yf they come and Assaylle me that I shall defende me wyth alle my puyssance (etc).

[Page]WIth this answer retorned the said troian vnto saturne and gammedes and said vnto them what he had founden / saturne and gammedes swore than the deth of Iupiter / and approchid so nyghe the strayt that they cam wyth in bowe shotte that oon nyghe vnto the other / and fro as fer as they sawe echon other they made grete cryes & showtes Iupiter had sette his puyssance in two wynges / wherof he was chyef in the formest / and yxion & his centaures were gouernours of the seconde / whan Iupiter had seen that ther was no wey but for to medle he sayd he wold begynne the batayll / and after that he had en­courayged his peple / he pryckyd his hors forth / and than happend and befell a meruayllous thyng / For from the hye clowdes aboue cam doun an egle vpon his heed / and after began to flee aboute hym makyng hym feste and cheer / and not departyd ner lefte hym duryng the batayll.

BI the fleyng of this egle Iupiter and his peple toke in them an hope of good auenture. And saturne and the troians fille in a feere and doubte that coude not come out of theyr consaytes / what shal̄ I say more whan Iupiter sawe the cōduyte of the egle he had a grete Ioye in his herte / and as a man well assured in his body / he entryd among thar­chers of the troians that shotte thikke on hym / and rennyng as tempeste passid by theyr arowes / and taryed not for resistence of shotte tyll he cam among the men of armes of the troians.

THe troians had neuer seen man on hors back to fore / and whan they sawe Iupiter / they had [Page] went he had ben half man and half hors / and ther were some that fled his comyng and som abode and fought vailliantly ayenst him than began the bataylle of þ ^t day They of Crete folowed Iupiter with grete Noyse of Tabours trompes and clarions And began to medle with the troians / they dide her deuoirs on bothe sides Iu­piter bare to the ground many Troians And well enployed his hors on whiche he rode / Gamynedes and saturne on that other side faylled not / Alleway Iupiter prouyd him self in Armes the as most expert aboue all other / And abandoned his body and lif vnto fierste of his enemyes and ther was no man that durst haue to do with hym or abyde him But he was slayn and put vnder foot by the trenchyng and smytyng of his swerd

CRuell and fiers was this batayll. the Tro­ians were with oute fere And dide grete pro­wesses and manly by the conduyte of saturne And of Gamynedes saturne mette Iupiter often tymes as he that sought grete strokes but Iupiter that knewe hym well / wold neuer abyde him / sayng that he wold neuer sette hand on his ꝑsone / but fled his deth vnto his powrs This notwithstondyng he sought the deth of his helpars And made no sparyng of theyr harnoys ne Armes of lether / of theyr heedys ne of theyr liues of yong ne of olde of vayllyant ne of hardy / hit was to him al̄ oon he bowed neither to oon side ner to other for stroke of gleue / of mace ne of guysarme / he had ofte re­membrance of the fair danes / And desiryng to be quyt of his enemyes for to entende her deliuerance like as he had promisid vnto her. He smote of heedes and Ar­mes. Vnto hym was nothyng Inpossible At euery [Page] At euery strook he died his glayue wyth newe blood and the egle flawe allway aboute hym now lowe now hye / wherof the troians had grete despyt in hem self (etc).

GAmmedes the noble troian was of lityll sta­ture / Allewaye notwythstondyng he was of more gretter courayge than ony other / and vi­gourously he fought agayn them of crete / as he that en­tended nothyng but to gete worshyp and honour / what shall I saye they fought thus to gyder in this poynt from the morowe tyl̄ euen / wythoute that ony of bothe partyes obteyned ony wynnyng or losse / and than saturne wythdrowe his peple on that oon syde. And Iupiter retorned wyth the kynge yxion and the centaures / and yet folowyd hym alleweyd the egle▪ and satte vpon his tente / whyche was made of bowes and grene rysshis / ffor at that tyme tentes & pauyllons of cloyth were not had ne vsid / how be hit the makyng of lynnen cloth / and of cloth of gold and of silk was founden afore this tyme In this nyght they of troye and theye of crete made grete chere in theyr tentes and logys And dysposid them to begynne agayn on the morn the labour of armes / hoopyng alle to haue the better and victorye / the hurte men were dressid and the harnoys broken was made agayn and amended / they spack ynowe of the prowesses of oon & other / but souerainli they held theyr deuises of the egle / and spack so moche of hym that Iupiter that same nyght toke a pece of cre­mesin sa [...]yn conteynyng a yerd and an half square / and made theryn the remembrance of an egle of golde and sette hit on a spere and made a banyere / sayng that he [Page] wolde bere that banyere in alle bataylles euer after. And that he vnderstood by the egle that hit was a to­kene to hym that he shold abide victoryous of hys ene­myes And that he shold be souerain kyng of Crete like as the Egle is kynge of alle fowlys.

¶How Iupiter disconfited agayn kyng satūrne in ba­taylle and how saturne was putte to flight by see.

SVche were the deuyses of kyng Iupiter in this nyght / the whiche he passid the moste Ioyously that he coude / And visityd the hurte men and confortyd them And concluded with ixion that the day folowyng the Centaures shold haue the bataylle And they that had foughten the day afore shold reste them. After this he slept on the grene And restid hym vnto the tyme that the Centaures put hem in Aray And wente to hors back And so dide Iupiter for he had leuer deyed than haue ben ydell At this tyme saturne slept not / ner was no more lachesse founde in hym and gamynedes than was in Iupiter / they were seur that they shold be met with alle and assayled of theyr enemyes agayn. They adoubid & arayed them the beste wise they couthe And aboute the sonne rysing they rengyd and wente vnto the Oost of Iupiter / encouragyng eche other to smyte and fyghte and assaylle theyr mortell enemyes hardyly for to auenge the blood of theyr felaws that were dede in the bataylle the day before.

FOr to make shorte / than the Troians were strongly achanffid by Appetyte of vengeance / And were the firste on the felde / wherof they had grete Ioye in her hertes And maad a right grete cry [Page] But thys Ioye was anon vnto hem abaysshid and doon. For sodeynly as Iupiter and the centaures herd theyr crye they toke the banyer wyth the egle of gold theyr speres and theyr sheldes / and wyth a Ioyous soune of trompes clarions and tabours prickyd forth theyr hors whiche redounded in to the ayer and reimyng as they that helde not of heuen ne of erthe vpon theyr enemyes began to fighte / certes whan the troians sawe the centaures mountyd on horsback rennyng as the wynde they were so aferd and affrayed that they had wend neuer to haue seen light day / how wel̄ they toke corage and abode them / and the centaures fought so myghtily among hem that eche oon of them bare to the erthe a troian wyth the poynt of his spere and among other gammedes was born doun to the erthe among them / and som were hurte a parte and some releuyd of hurtyng / and some wyth oute hurte / whan gammedes felte hym self among the hors feet / he was in his herte terryble angry / and sayd that he wold be shortly auengyd / anon he aroos lightly and tooke his swerd and seyng the centaure that had smyten hym doun doyng merueyllous armes among a grete meyne of his folk / that myghtily wythstood his vnmesurable strookes / he gaf vnto hym so grete a strook as he was lenyng on the right side to haue smyten a troian that he gaf hym a grete wounde / by whyche he was so astonyed that he drowe hym doun of his hors / and he hym self leepe vp in to the sadel̄ / This centaure was named Eson and was yonge & was afterward fader of Iason that conquerd the golden flees / Whan than he had receyuyd the strook that gammedes had gyuen [Page] him he made a cry so grete that .x. centaures cam rennyng And deffended him fro the presse And castyng doun oon and other bete doun the troians And caste hem doun. And sparpelid their blood that all the place was died reed / And that they fond eson and gamynedes that oon nyhe that other And seeyng gamynedes that he approu­ued hym self to conduyte and gouerne his hors And seeyng theyr felaw put doun from his hors / they were passingly supprisid with grete yre / And by mortall yre they ascryed gamynedes vnto deth the troians appro­chid / they beyng there fought manly agayn the centau­res And the centaures castyng and smytyng on gamy­nedes the troians dide theyr power to defende hym And put hem self in Iupart of deth for him For many of them were slayn And many that were sore hurt.

THese centaures were strong huge grete and lothly / the troians had more of courage than of body In this place gamynedes shewid ynowh of prowesse And of valeur And well deffended hym awhile But in the ende Fortune was to hym aduerse in suche wyse that after he had suffryd many assault And that he had seen put and caste to ground mo than a thousand troians / he beheld that other side and sawe saturne torne at playn desconfiture After he sawe that his troians lete hym to be put aback and to be put to deth wyth oute turnyng or fyghtyng agayn And alle breke / And turne the back / Also them that were aboute hym gaf hit vp and fledd / And than knowyng this disconfiture that he had no remedye ner recowerance. And that he allone myght not bere ne abide the batayll [Page] put hym self to flight / and fled after the oder and sus­teynd as wel̄ as he myght the porsuyt that the centaures maad vpon his men / and in the ende he guyded hem vnto the poort where theyr shyppyng was.

SAturne than alle dyspayed entryd in to his shyppe wyth grete losse of troians / and gam­medes entryd in to an other / ryght angry and so dysplaysant that I can not reherce / at the entre of the shyppys / oon partye of the troians that were left were peryshyd in the see / another partye peryshyd by swerd and that other toke shyppyng / / Iupiter and yxion than­kyd theyr goddes gretly of this victorie / and concluded to gyder that they wold yet poursuye theyr enemyes by the see. for as moche as they were yet grete in nombre And yxion sayd that hit was expedient to brynge hem to plain vttrance for as moche as they had fortune wyth them / and to the ende that they shold neuer reas­semble agaynst them / Iupiter accorded this poursuyte gretly anoyed for hym semed that he taryed to longe / And yet shold tarye more yf he entryd in to the see / that he myght not be wyth danes at the day that he had promysed her / This not wyhtstondyng hopyng allewey to excuse hym vnto her he made hym redy has­tely to goo to the poursuyt of his enemyes and sent for his maryners and after went in to a temple that was ther by dedyfied vnto the god Mars.

¶How Iupiter after he had sacrefied the egle pour­suyd the troians and of the strong batayle that he had agaynst gammedes.

IVpiter was not so sone in the temple but the egle entryd also and sette hym on the awter. [Page] whan Iupiter sawe that / after many thoughtes he took the egle and maad sacrefice And anon after cam tydinges that his mariners were redy Than he went out of þ ^e temple and recomanded hym vnto god Mars and cam to his maryners that had made all thyng redy / And so wente to see Accompanyed wit [...] the Centaures And of two thousand. of his men of Crete And sayled af­ter his enemyes that he desired / For the troians fledde of force and maad all the sayle they couthe / In these two dayes Iupiter often tymes wyss hed hym with the fayr danes / And thought that his longe taryeng shold be noyous vnto her / whan than the two dayes were past / the day folowing at thre of the clock / they of crete and they of Troye began to mete to gyders vpon the see They of troye were in grete sorowe / and they of crete in grete Ioye / At this tyme saturne was not with the troians as he that durste not retorne with them for his shame that was befalle and was all discomfyt in him self and in dispayr. And passed by the wawes of the see drawyng in to the eest / Whan gammedes had aspied the shyppes of Crete fro ferre / he had supposid fyrst that hit had be saturne. And taryed a while at Auere. but in proces of tyme whan ga [...]ynedes sawe the ship­pis comyng by grete force nerre / And sawe the banyere of kyng Iupiter appere / by whiche he vnderstood vary­ly that hyt was Iupiter and his enemyes And no thing saturne that he Abood.

WHan was gaminedes sore troublid & callid his felawship & shewid hem the banyer with the golden egle And axid them what was best to do [Page] They answerd to hym and sayd that satūrne had abandonned them and gyuen hit ouer / and that they ought not to abyde and tarye / but only euery man to saue hym self / Gammedes wold fayn abyden the ba­taylle / for to proue / yf they were as fortunat & happy on the see as they were a lande / but whan he knewe the wyll of the troians / / that desired nothyng but reste / made to drawe vp ankres and sayle forth fleyng and wythdrawyng from them of crete also moche as in them was possible / Iupiter and his centaures than seyng the troians lyeng at ancre / began to araye and doube them wyth theyr harnoys / and whan they sawe theyr enemyes take vp theyr ancres / they began to showte and folowe / the pursuyt was strong and dured thre dayes and thre nyghtes / and in the morenyng of the fourth day / gammedes and his felaws aspyed lande / and that was troye that they sawe / they drewe to the porte wyth grete Ioye / that sone was entremed­led wyth sorowe / For whan they had taken lande they behelde and sawe that theyr enemyes foloweden them and cam to the porte all arayd and redy to bata­ylle / This shame and losse smote vnto the herte of gammedes in suche facion / that he ascryed and sayd in this wyse vnto his men.

MI brethern and my felaws fortūne hath doon to vs a grace / by whiche we ben brought and conduyt hether / But this grace is to vs lityll prouffit as we may playnly conceyue / lo here is the kynge Iupiter whyche hath doon to vs so grete shame as for to chasse vs vnto our owen terrytorye / and what shame shall be to hym that wyll now flee / and [Page] more ouer who is he that now will not holde the bridell by the teth / Now behoueth not to flee / But now hit behoueth to fighte. this is force and necessitee for to venge his losses and his blood and for to recouuer worship. We ben in our owen contre / yf we auenge vs not. we shall torne in to perpetuell dishonuer For socours we may not fayle / For now the troians ben vpon the walles And gon vp on the hyhe Edifices of the Cyte. that beholde our londyng. And some ther be that make them redy to well come vs. And who that now is not well couragid. neuer fare he well / late euery man en­force the vertu of his strength / For as for me. for to be hewen in pieces I shall no more flee. I pray yow that ye take courage and abide with me.

TWo thinges happend whiles he spack and she­wyd thise remonstrances vnto his felawis. the troians were aduertised of the comyng of theyr men. And of the descendyng and landyng of theyr aduersaries / And disposid them to resiste and wythstande them / And Iupiter and his men appro­chid the port / And with that gamynedes lefte war­nyng his felaws And ran vnto the porte holdyng in his hande a strong spere / his felawis took exemple in his right hye courage and folowed hym / Than began the bothe parties to make theyr cryes that went vp in to the Ayer. Iupiter and his Centaures enforced them to take londe / Gamynedes and the troians enforced them to deffende and to put hem fro the londe / Grete and sore strokes were gyuen / Many of them were perysshyd in the see / And Many ther were that her blood was shedde on the lande / But Iupiter that [Page] had no felawe in the place gate lande in a lityll space. and susteyned the feetes of the skarmusshe by helpe of some of the centaures / that he made gammedes to ressorte aback to his felawshyp / and so exployted by the hewyng of his trenchant swerd that he made alle his men to take lande / and had lightly put gammedes and his men to outtrance. yf out of troyes ne had co­men out the kyng Troos and ylion wyth a grete mul­titude of peple that ran vnto the rescousse and helpe of the vayllant gammedes / that for to saue hys men of­fred and put his body to Inpossible trauayll and labour.

THe kynge troos and ylion than made theyr cours out of troye in right fayr ordenance / and exposed them to bere partye of the trauayll of theyr blood / Iupiter wyth yxion and the centaures lete than them that he estemed vaynquisshid and ouercome And adressid them ayenst kynge troos and ylion and them that folowyd them / how well that they had ben feblid by the eyer and beyng on the see whyche lityll prou [...]ited them. the centaures were grete & huge / and stronge as olifantes hard as lyons and aygre as ty­gres at this tyme the weder was fayr and cleer the sonne shone fayr whan they began to medle / hit was a fayr thyng to see the recountres / and a good noyse to here the cryes / ther was many a spere tronchonnyd. and many an arowe shotte and many a staffe and guys arme broken / helmes ynowe frusshid and many skynnys of lyons beres and horses smyten and torne in to peces / This tros and ylion were right aspre and fiers in the rescous of gammedes / Iupiter and yxion [Page] were vayllyant and desirous to gete honour And so faught and smote on the troians on the right side and on the lefte side that afore them was no resistence ne raye holden (etc).

THe banyer of the Egle of gold was allway in the moste strength of the batayll / / the kynge Troos that had neuer seen banyer vsed in bata­ylle was gretly ameruayllyd what hit shold signefie. And ofte tymes he hardyed hym self to fight agayn them that helde hit / And wold fayn haue put hit doun and smyten hit in to pieces / But allwey he fonde there so grete strookes and so well sette / that he was fayn to go as fer back as he cam nyghe / he was vayllyant of his body And well knewe the craft of warre / Iupiter approwued hym many tymes and faught wyht hym in many places / And noted hym in his mynde for a notable man / ther was in hym no feer ne drede ne also in his sonnes ylion and gamynedes they yelded vnto Armes the deuoyrs / They dyde worshippe to theyr bo­dyes And to theyr puyssance / wyht oute ende they wrought and fought wyth theyr enemyes makyng theyr glayues reed in the blood of the troians / they fo­lowed with grete force in suche wyse that they faught alle that day otherwhile afore and somtyme behynde. And hit was soo in the ende that whan the sonne be­gan to go doun Gaminedes thenkyng on his grete losse and desiryng to recouure his worshippe / took a terrible and myghty Axe and enflamed of right noble courage faught on the banyer of the Egle of gold where was the most strengthe & smote doun on that oon side & other [Page] so dismesurabli that his axe changed lightly colour and cryed wyth an hye wys troyes troyes.

IVpiter had all way an eye on the banyer / whan he herd the crye of gammedes and sawe hys exployt he knewe hym / [...] wherof he had grete Ioye / for he sought no man but hym / he gaf ouer the place where he was in and Ioiously addressid hym vnto hym and sayde. O vayllyant troian thou hast shewde thy prowesse all this day / And now thou manyfestestt and shewyst thy self by grete fetes of ar­mes and of grete bruyt / Thou arte only he that I seche amonge the vayllantes of troye / Not only that I pre­sume me more vayllyant in armes than thou / but for as moche as thou art he that haste assayllyd crete / and that I haue poursiewed the hether / Thou hast assaillid and fought wyth me / puyssance ayenst puyssance and now late vs fighte body ayenst body / and he take hit that may gete hit.

GAmmedes wyth this worde lyfte vp his axe. and castyng his eyen on Iupiter and of that he had herd made hym this answere / Happy and [...]wreus kyng of crete I knowe now that thou art worthy to haue grace of fortune and that thou art more wyse than stronge / Thou seest that fortune is wyth the / neuerthelasse thou enhaunsest not thy self aboue me I alowe and preyse them as moche as thou dost wor­ship and honour to thyn enemye and dispreysest hym not / but ymagynest that he hath corage at his hert / knewe thou that thou doste thy self honour and wor­shyp / For for to mespryse and blame another man / no man ought to auaunce hym self / I wolde that hyt [Page] plesid the goddes that thy fader satūrne whiche is be­left on the see were now here / for it is myn entent that by his helpe we shold haue reson of the And I shall come ther to yf hit be to me possible / for I shold be re­couuerid of all my hurtes & losses yf I myghte adaunte and ouercome the / And wyth oute more wordes gamynedes late fle his axe and smote on Iupiter / Iupiter cou­ueryd him with his shelde / whiche was smyten in two pieces by the cuttyng of his axe / And than Iupiter en­uertued him self [...] that all that day had sousteyned and spared the poys and the fetes of Armes. And coman­dyd his folk that they shold lete hym allone with ga­mynedes for as moche as he was allone / In this place he approuyd him self ayenst the Axe of gamynedes / and employeng the steell of his swerd the most best wyse that in hym was possible.

THus began the bataylle of the two champions of Crete and of Troies they were bothe right expert to do the feet of Armes theyr Cryes were hye and fiers / they smote eche other fiersly and aygerly / the fire sprange out of theyr helmes by the myght of theyr strokes / but whan fortune was on the partye of Iupiter / What myght gamynedes doo. Hys strokes were grete And gaf vnto gamynedes many woundes / And in dede he toke from hym hys axe by the mene of a grete wounde that he had in the ryght Arme / And myght haue put hym to deth yf he had wolde. But for to make short processe / Whan he had taken hys wepen from hym he had pytie of hym And sauyd hys lyf / And dyde do take hym to foure [Page] hym to foure centaures. and anon after hit began wexe derke / for the nyght toke from the day his light / wher­fore hit behoued hem to take reste and leue the feete of armes / And so the troians wythdrewe them in to theyr cyte and they of crete vnto the porte of the see.

¶How the kynge troos and ylion his sone made grete sorowe for gammedes for they wyste not wher he was becomen / And how Iupiter wente to the see for to goo to arges.

WHan troos and ylion were wythdrawen / they abode at yate vnto the tyme that all the troians were comen agayn in to the cyte / as they that knewe not where gammedes was becomen / whome they sore desired for to haue founden / all they that were in the bataylle of troians were entrid And ther was no man that cowde telle the kynge tros where his sone gammedes was / or whether he was a lyue or ded / And whan he sawe that he had no mo men lefte in the felde he retorned in to his pallays sorowyng & gretely anoyed / and sente for them that were comen agayn fro crete / And enquyred of them of all the tydynges. And what they had don wyth his sone / As touchyng his sone they answerd that in the euenyng he was in the prees amonge hys enemyes but they wyst not what was comen of hym / And as touchyng of the tydynges of crete they told hym / how they had sped in theyr Iourne ayenst them and how the egle appered vnto Iupiter / And how they were ouercomen by the strength of the centaures / And how they wyste not where saturne was becomen.

THese tydynges gaf vnto the kynge troos sorow [Page] vpon sorow and to ylion also. And the teres fill doun fro theyr eyes / And in especyall ylion wept sore be­wayling his broder in this manyre. Alas my broder alas gaminedes / where is belefte the glorie of troyes by the maleureus & vnhappy saturne / whiche hath fayled them thy nede At the lefte yf thou haddest comen agayn we to geder shold haue put vs in deuoir to haue auenged thy losse. we shold haue assayed our bodyes by fra­ternall loue for to haue recouured thyn honour / how is it Art thou perisshid by parell what harde doleance and sorow is the befalle / for to saye all / thy mesaduenture and myshappe is to preiudiciable vnto the hous of Troye / Ilion fayr sone answerd Troos for oon aduersite hit behoueth not to be abasshid in the warre for non aduenture but to haue ferme courage / warre gyueth this day victorie to oon and on the morn taketh hit away and gyueth hit to a nother And so putte [...]h eche out. A vertuous and a manly man vnto his singuler deth ought not to be effrayed / yf gamynedes be ded in the bataylle or yf he be taken / what remedie / hit is than ex­pedyent eyther to avenge his deth or to socoure hym. but oure enemyes ben in lityll nombre / we shall to morn fyght with them agayn And late the goddes do theyr wylles of vs / And I shall not discorage me otherwyse.

A Lyon And the nobles of Troye conforted them in the wordes of kynge Troos / and confermed his will for to go on the morn to assaylle theyr enemyes / whiles these thinges were in comenyng in the [Page] cyte / Iupiter was in the felde and made grete chyere wyth yxion and the centaures and beyng sette at soper vpon the ground alle aboute a grete stoon. Iupiter sente for to fecche gammedes / And made hym to soupe wyth them. Gammedes was sore meuyd and had in his herte grete troble / how wel̄ he toke lightly refection wyth them / For he felte ryght grete ache and smerte in his woundes / And there recomanded Iupiter hym sayng that he was the vayllyantyst man that euer was seen among the moste vayllyanst of Troyes / / and for as moche as he is in my mercy / and that it is he / that late wyth my fader descended in crete / where he had gladly planted his name in worship yf fortune wold haue souffryd hym I shalle no more warre to fore troyes / but I / shal̄ entre agayn to morn in to the see / and I will goo and putte in execucion a thyng that lyeth me now sore at the herte / And wyll well that ye knowe that I haue entencion to go vnto the royame of arges vnto the tour of darrain / for to deliuere acording to my pro­messe out of the same tour the fayr danes / whom the kynge acrysius holdeth fast shytte in wyth oute any rayson / This conclusion plesid to kynge yxion and to the centaures for as moche as they had herd spoken of the strength of the tour darrain / And they thought wel̄ that the argyens myghte not holde agayn theyr strength / whan than they had eten / they entred in to theyr shippis / And thought among other thynges on the woundes of them that were hurte / / and also of gammedes / / and than afterward they leyd hem doun on the strawe to slepe & aboute two oures to fore day they disancred them & departyd so secretly that the troian [Page] had no knowleche therof And on the morn betymes whan kyng tros and ylion yssued out of troyes to bataylle rengid in good ordenance they fonde no man to haue a doo with alle / ner they coude not see ner parceyue theyr enemyes on no coste of the see / they had so fer say­lid fro the port by that tyme that they were out of sight Thus they had grete sorow meruayll [...]usly / And cam vnto the place where the batayll had ben and buryed the dede men / but now I will tarye of them and of Iupiter And will retorne vnto the historie of danes.

¶How the kynge acrisius whan he sawe his doughter danes grete with chylde he sente her in to exyle and put her in a lityll vessell in the see at the aduenture of fortune (etc).

THe noble damoyselle danes abode with childe of the seed of Iupiter as it is said to fore After that Iupiter was retorned in to his contre she abood passing longe in hoope þ ^t he shold retorne to by strengthe of peple and shold lede her in to his roiame as he vnto her had promised / In this hope she mounted ofte tymes vnto the hye wyndowes of the tour / And castyng her eyen now hether and now theder vpon the mountaygnes weyes and stretes for to awayte yf he came or myght see his men of armes and his peple of warre / And with oute ende she had alway her eres epen to herken yf she might here the trompes ta [...]ours or clarions / This hope duryd longe vnto the last day that Iupiter had promisid & sore she complayned in this tyme his abiding & said vnto her self that he wold come / but [Page] But certes whan euen was comen of the day that he had sette / and he was not comen ner herd no tydynge of hym / And whan she sawe that he cam not / and that the fruyt of her bely apperyd she wente doun fro the wyn­dowe of the hye tour / And alle rauysshyd of dispayr. entryd allone in to her chambre / And ther she began to beholde her bely / and sayde a poure bely I may no lenger hyde the / I haue couerd the vnto this tyme ho­pyng the comyng of Iupiter / the day is come and past that he shold haue comen / ther is no tydynge of hym. Alas and he hath also forgoten me. where art thou Iupiter. Arte thou ded or a liue. yf thou be ded speke to me in spyryte in excusing the of thy defaute / Telle me what I shall do wyth thy seed. And yf thou be a lyue what ryght euyll auenture holdeth the / art thou wery of me. of danes of her that thou enforcest by reynyng golde. of her that thou so moche desiredest. Alas thou promysist me thy loue and gauyst hit vnto me And I receyued the yeft in good / / and gaf vnto the myn herte in like caas and yet more than thou wenest. And what shall this be Iupiter my loue and frende. art thou of the nature of false men as ypocrites that payne them to deceyue poure women and late them in dishonour Alas thou art oon verayly / thou haste brought me in pardurable shame and hast abandonned and gyuen me ouer. O malewreus man. O fals liar be thow cursid with thy rychesses / And acursid be the our that euer I sawe the / / I am euer by the putte to shame / And by the myn ende approcheth I may no lenger hyde thy werkes. where shall my childe become / euery man shall see and knowe my trespaas. Alas my fader shall put me to [Page] deth I may not faylle of hit / for as for deth hit shall not greue / saue for the fruyt that I bere / yet shall I kepe hit as well as my self at all auenture come what may come therof (etc).

IN thyse and semblable wordes danes passid ouer this nyght with oute slepyng or reste / fro then forth on she began to be alle melancolious. And toke this so sore to herte that she fyll in to a right greuous maladye whan the maydens that no thyng knewe of this caas sawe her so euyll disposid / they signeffied hit vnto the kynge Acrisius / And than cam the kynge to visite his doughter / And betoke her vnto the Cure of his fisicians and medecines And demanded them what maladye she had / They answerd hym in the presence of danes that she was grete with childe / and that in short tyme she shold be deliuerd / Danes ans­werd that they fayllyd to saye the trouthe / And that she had neuer knowen man And deuyed her caas as moche as in her was possible hoping alwey to liue. For she knewe well that her fader wold dampne her to deth / yf he knewe that she were with childe / and of this alle the maydens of the hous stryued agaynst the maisters sayng that they had well and seurly kept the tour that no man saue the kynge had spoken to her / but yf he were come Inuysible / Syn that they had receyuyd her in to her gouernance. wherof the kinge was gretly abasshid and sore wondryd.

WHan the kynge herd these debates and sawe the state of his doughter he was sore troblid. [Page] For by experyence he sawe well And semed that danes was wyth chylde / he trowed and beleuyd better the fisiciens / than the excusacions of the maydens and of his doughter / And for to knowe the trouthe he sente alle the maydens of the place in to prison to arges / and betoke danes in kepyng to other women / And coman­ded them vpon payn of deth that they shuld telle hym yf she were or happend to be delyueryd of chyld or nay wyth in certayn tyme / whan danes sawe her in these termes she began to falle in to wepyng / the kynge ac­crisius fro this day forth cam euery day to knowe how she dyde / she wept wyth oute cessing / she spack not but vnto her herte / And she bewayled her loue and complayned on fortune sorowfully / But whan she had labouryd longe in these wepynges and that her fayr eyen were maad grete and reed aboute .xv. dayes to fore the tyme of her chyldyng she began remembre the cause why she was put in to the tour / And that the goddes had prenostykyd that she shold haue a sone that shold be kynge of arges in this remembrance she was confortyd a lityll / and whan the tyme cam of .ix. monethis she brought forth a passing fayr sone whiche the ladyes and women receyuyd and named hym pers [...]ns / And after that signefied hit vnto the kynge / but at burthe of this chylde she excusid and put oute of blame alle the damoyselles / and sayde that they were alle Innocentes of hir caas.

ANone than as the kynge acrisius knewe the veryte of his doughter / And that she had a fayr sone / he had in his herte more of sorowe than of Ioye / And condempned her to deth in dede. [Page] and comanded to two of his marouners. that they shold take the moder & her child And put hem in a lityll boot them bothe allone And that they shuld carye them fer in to the hie see / that after shuld neuer man see them ner haue knowleche of them / The marouners durste not reffuse the comandement of the kinge / But by his coman­dement they wente vnto the tour darrain and toke da­nes & her sone perseus And saide vnto the damoysel̄ all that / that they had charge to do / praing her humbly that she wold pardone them / and this was aboute midnyght Whan danes vnderstood that she shold be caste in to the see & her sone with her / she had hope for to escape fro thys paryll by the mene of the fortune of her sone / this notwythstondyng the tre [...]es ran doun from her eyen And wepyng tenderly she toke leue of the ladyes & damoyselles that had her in keping / And lete her be caryed vpon the see making complainte & pietous bewaylinges

WHan the marouners had brought her vpon the see they lefte her in a litill boote & put in her lappe per­seus her fayr sone / And as hastely as they mighte they conduyte her in to the hye see with oute mete or drynke & with oute steer or gouernail̄ & gafe her ouer to al̄ wyndes / Than was ther many a teer wepte among the ma­rouners & danes & perseꝰ the yong childe the maroners bewailed by verray cōpassion þ ^t they had to see suche a damoysel̄ abandouned to parill of deth danes wepte in cōceyuing the rigour of her fader / and þ ^e fawte þ ^t Iupiter had don to her / and also for the perill whiche she might not resiste / and ꝑseus wepte for þ ^e blowing of the winde and for þ ^e grosse aier of þ ^e see / that his tendrenes might not well suffre to endure In this facōn the marouners [Page] retorned to arges / and the right disconfortyd damoy­selle danes wente forth vpon the wawes of the see at the gree and wylle of the wyndes / the wawes were right ferfull & lefte hem in to the ayer as montaygnes the wyndes blewe by grete stormes / the lityl̄ boot was born and caste vpon the wawes / And often tymes danes wente and supposid to haue perysshid / but she had alwey hope in fortune. And so well hit happend that in this aduersite she was caste in to the see of apulye or naples / And there she was founden by auenture of a fisshar / that for pyte and charyte toke her in to his shippe and her sone and brought her a londe for as moche as hit was grete nede.

AT this tyme the noble danes was as a dede body And half goon / whan the maronner had brought her a lande she toke a rynge of gold that she bare on her finger and gaf hit to the good man prayng hym that he wold brynge her in to some hous where she myghte warme and chauffe her wyth her chyld for he was nyhe ded for cold and was all in a traunce. The maronner toke the gold ryng & broughte the damoyselle and the lityll chylde in to his hous / and made to them a good fire and broughte hem mete and drynke / Asso [...]e as perseus felte the ayer of the fire his herte cam to hym agayn and began to lawhe on his moder / whan she sawe that / alle her sorowes torned to nought & she toke hope to her fortune she adoubid and arayed her sone her colour cam agayn she ete and dranke. what shall I saye the fisshar behelde her / and than seeyng in her so moche beawte that like to her he sawe neuer noon / he wente hym vnto the court of the [Page] kynge of naples / and tolde him his aduenture / preising so certainly her beaute that the kinge sente hastely for to fecche her / This kinge was named pilonnus and was sone to the Auncient Iupiter / And whan danes was come to fore hym sodaynly he waxe Amorous of her. And demanded her name / her contre and the cause why that she was aduentured on the see / At begynnyng she excusid her self of alle these thinges to telle / And began to wepe / whan the kinge sawe that he conforted her and said to her that he wold take her to his wif for her beaute / And spak so fayr to her and so graciously. That she tolde hym all her lif / how she was doughter of [...]he kinge Acrusius / and how she was shette in the tour And how Iupiter had deceyuyd her / and how her fader had putte her in the see / what shall I saye more / whan the kinge pylonnus herd alle these fortunes of the da­moysell / he had pytye of her And wedded her wyth grete honnour And dide do norysshe perseus / And gate on her a sone whiche was named danus / but of this mater I will tarye and torne agayn to the historie of Iupiter (etc).

¶How Iupiter retornyng fro troyes by see encountrid the grete theef Egeon whiche he fought with and ouer came and of the tydinges that he had of danes wherof he was passing sorowfull.

WHan Iupiter was departid fro troyes as afore is sayd he made his marouners to saylle and rowe with alle diligence for to withdrawe fro the porte And for to approuche crete / for he knewe wel̄ that þ ^e time of his promesse made to danes was expired And þ ^t displesid him gretly that he might not amende hit [Page] his marouners than dyde alle that they coude do by the space of a day naturel̄ but that day past / ther roos a tempest in the see so terrible and out of mesure that hit bare many shyppys wyth theyr apparayll vnder water brake theyr sternes and helmes / and drowned alle the shyppys reseruyd only that shyppe wher Iupi­ter was in / wherfore he wepte outragyously / Thys tempeste duryd two dayes and two nyghtes / they sawe not that tyme on the heuen sonne ne mone ne ster­res / / Iupiter and they that were wyth hym wende ne­uer better haue dyed how well they escaped the deth. And toke lande on the thyrde day whan the tempest was cessid no thyng in crete ner in the see of Europe. But in the occeane so ferre that they knewe not the langage of them that enhabyted the porte where they cam to Ancre.

WHan Iupiter and his peple sawe the dyuersite of the peple dwellyng in this porte and theyr manyer of lyuyng they knewe that they were fer from theyr regyon and than was Iupiter disconfortyd in suche wyse / that he wysshed that he had not be there ner come on the see for as moche as he knewe wel̄ that he myght not accomplisshe his promesse made vnto danes his loue / he made many grete beway­linges touchyng this mater and more than I can saye / And also complayned his men that he had lost in the storme and tormente as well as he complayned the defaute of his promesse / how well whan his felaws that is to wete yxion and the centaures and gammedes had refresshid them and vytaylled them and had well putte all thynges in poynt and had taken all thynges [Page] necessarie for theyr shippe / they disancred and departid fro this porte and toke theyr waye in to the eeste / And so exployted day by day and moneth vpon moneth that they entryd in to the see Egee / but they had not longe sayled whan egeon the grete theef and rouare. whiche helde at his will alle this see / disancred fro the porte of the yle of deserte / And acompanyed with sixe galeyes and with a thousand men of Armes cam to fore Iupiter apparayllyng them to bataylle in Intencion for to haue destroyed them.

WHan Iupiter and the Centaures sawe the con­duyte of the theef / they knewe lightly that they myght not faylle of bataylle / And sayng eche to other that they shold defende them vnto the deth / they had not longe hold parlament amonge them but they garnysshed them with theyr armes and they displayed the banyer with the egle of gold And in the displaing they made a grete Ioye as they had ben in paradis At this tyme Gamynedes had his wounde heled / whan he sawe that eche man adoubed hym to fighte sauf he whiche was prisonner / he cam And kneled doun on his knees to fore Iupiter and requyred hym right hum­bly that he wold comande to deliuere hym his harnoys for to helpe to his worshipp and also to defende his lif promittyng to do his trewe deuoyr / Iupiter toke vp ga­mynedes whan he sawe hym so meke hym self / And began to sette his loue on hym in suche wyse that hit endured vnto the deth / And that more he made that his harnoys and Armes were yolden to him / sayng that fro than forth they shall be brethern and felawis in Armes [Page] and gammedes answerd to hym that he wolde alway abyde and dwelle his seruaunt.

AMonge these deuyses Egeon and his gallees aborded the shippe of Iupiter and escryed them to deth Egeon was in the fronte afore as capi­tayne / Iupiter behelde hym and knewe hym by his ar­mes that he bare / and yet er ony strook was smyten he escryed hym and sayd Theef and veray rouare and pyrate how darst thou escrye to deth hym that made the tremble and fle to fore hym at the bataylle of Crete vnder the regarde of his swerde dyed and made reed wyth the blood of the vnhappy tytannoys / beholde and see me I am Iupiter the mortal̄ enemye of alle thy lignage / Thou in lyke wyse art myn enemy / and now arte come to bataylle ayenst me / hit may be well sayd that we shall renne eche vpon other by grete felonnye And that this recountre shall be right domageable for the or for me / And late the goddes doo theyr playsir.

WHan egeon vnderstode that Iupiter had sayd to hym / And that he was the destroyar of his lignage / he had the herte so surmountyd of yre and Inpacience that he coude not answere oon word And grynyng wyth the teth he began to smyte so harde toward Iupiter / that yf the strook of the axe that he helde had ben adressid / ther had neuer be remedye of his lyf / but Iupiter knewe the feet of the warre / and whan he sawe the strook come / he auoyded hit / And haunsid his glaiue and charged hit vpon egeon so seurly that he coude not auoyde the strook that was so peysant / That he was so astonyed that he made hym falle doun vpon the plankes of the galeye / Than made the pirates and [Page] theues a grete crye and fille vpon Iupiter & his felawis Gamynedes helde his axe in his handes and was not than ydle / he dyde and wrought vayllyantly after his puyssance / And so dide the Centaures the skarmusshe was grete / And many were dede / not of the partye of Iupiter / But of the partye of the pyrates / And so la­boured the centaures that they died theyr galeyes with the blood of theyr enemyes / And that the pyrates how well they were .x. ayenst oon coude not ner myght not abide to fore them (etc).

THus began the mortell batayll of the pyrates and of the Centaures / whan that oon galeye had fought as longe as they myght / Another came on / Thus Iupiter and Gamynedes had ynowh to doo to fighte / And they faylled not. for the more they smote the more displaysir had the pyrates / Eche of theyr strokes was the deth of a pyrate / In processe of tyme egeon came a gayn to the medle dismayed and fulfild with Inpacience / he put hym in prees to fight in the moste strength. alle dispayred to wynne alle or to lose all. At this point the bataylle was so terrible and so mortall that all the galeyes closid the shippe of Iupiter. And smote on hit / but this was to her vnhapp and ylfare for the moste parte of them were slayn And than gamynedes and Iupiter entrid in to the galeye of kinge Egeon. where they foughte so sore on that oon side and that other of enuie who shold do beste / That of all them that were with in / was not lefte oon man but he was slain or cast in to the see Reseruyd only Egeon whiche Iupiter toke with his hand & bonde him with an hon­derd chaynes of yron (etc).

[Page]OF these chaynes of yron egeon had acustome for to bynde his prysonners vnto the tyme they had doon his wyll / whan the pyrates sawe the myschyef that ran vpon them / And that her maystre was ouercomen and bounden wyth the chaynes that he was wonte to tormente his prysonners wyth all / they entended to saue them self / And wythdrowe hem from the shippe of Iupiter / sayng that they had fought wyth all / were no men but deuyllis / and that they were vnhappy that cam vnto her handes / / Iupiter had but oon shippe the pirates sparklid abrood oon here & another there / And whan the centaures sawe that they sayde to Iupiter that hit ought to suffyse to haue this victorie and his enemye / And that hit was no nede to make poursuyt after the vnhappy theuys / Iupiter accorded the same and entryd agayn in to his shippe wyth gammedes and egeon / and after made his maryners to take her cours agayn / And alleway he had in his memorie da­nes / hit nedeth not to make longe deuyses of these be­waylinges and Iournees & other auentures / he was a yere long sayling by the see / And in the ende of the yere he arryued in his royame & ther fonde foure hon­derd hors whyche they of crete presentyd hym to his byen venue.

THe quene Iuno his wyf made hym grete chiere for she louyd hym wyth all her herte / she fes­tyd hym and them that presented to hym the horses / And he put in pryson egeon / And lete gamme­des goo fre where he wold they louyd than to gyder euer after as two brethern / whan Iupiter had ben there thre dayes he toke foure honderd of his men of the moste [Page] puyssant / And made them noble / And after made hem knyghtes gyuyng to eche of them oon of hys horses. And taughte them and enformed them the feet of Ar­mes after the discipline of yxion and of the Centaures And than whan he had don this he assemblid a thou­sand pietons or fotemen and two hounderd Archers. And in the compaygyne of them of the Centaures And of the knyghtes he departyd fro Crete fyften dayes af­ter his retorn / And sente not for pluto ne for neptune And toke his waye vnto the cyte of Arges in entencion to haue rauysshid the fayr Danes / But he had not fer goon whan he encountrid and mette oon of the citezeins of Arges a noble man And a worshipfull that recoun­ted and told to hym all the lif of Danes for as moche as he demanded hym tidynges / And assured hym on his lif that the kynge Acrisius had caste her on the see / For as moche as she had brought forth a litill sone ayenst his comandement.

WHan Iupiter herde the Caas and the Infortūne of Danes / he began to sorowe and sighe sore. The swete cam in to his visage And the teres in to his eyen he callyd Gamynedes and yxion And tolde hem that his viage was broken And that the kynge Acrisius had caste her in to the see for whom he made this Armee / Gamynedes and yxion conforted hym the best wyse they coude And brought hym agayn to Crete he helde hym there solitaryly a while And laye by his wif Iuno / And Iuno and her aunte seres made him good chere often tymes And so ofte came seres that ones she axid the cause of hys sorowe / He behelde the beaute of her / And that she was allone dyde so [Page] dyde so moche to her that he had to doo wyth her / and knewe her flesshly / and that she conceyuyd of his seed a doughter / and after he determyned in his wyll that he wold goo in to secylle and conquerre the contre wyl­ling alwey to ocupie hym self in ony exercitees and toke leue of the kynge yxion and of the centaures / his shyp­pyng was redy he wente to the see & cam in to secylle and conquerd hit wyth the yle of lennos / And whan he had so doon he wente in to ytalye / And descended in to the hous of kynge Ianus / whyche receyuyd hym and made hym grete chyer / and told hym that his fader saturne was come newly for to dwelle therby / And that he was souerainly louyd of alle the peple for as moche as he taughte hem to laboure the vynes & cornes

ALle the blode changed in Iupiter whan he herde that Ianus spak to hym of his fader satūrne. how well he wente for to see hym / and sawe hym and fonde his fader makyng and foundyng a newe cyte in the place where now stante the capytole of rome / And in suche wyse he submyttyd hym to his fader / that saturne toke hym to his grace / and made pees wyth hym / And also acorded to hym that he shold enioye fro than forth on hys royame of crete at the acorde and makyng of this pees were the kynge Ianus and the kynge euander / and they dwellyd that on nyhe that other / that is to wete Ianus in a cyte callyd lau­rence / And euander in a cyte beyng nyhe the mount. auentyn And so was the kynge ytalus of cyracuse that made in this tyme a newe cyte named albe vpon the ryuer of tybre / Alle thyse kynges made grete chiere of the pees of the fader and the sone / And thus Iupiter [Page] abidyng there / he acqueynted hym with the wif of kinge euander named Nychostrate for as moche as she was right experte in the science of nygromancie and in charmes and sortes / And so he lernyd this science / Iupiter after this toke leue of her and of his fader saturne and of his neyhebours / And lefte there saturne / that was there maryed agayn vnto a woman callid philiris of whom he had a sone callid picus that was fader of kynge famus husbonde of the quene fatua of whom hercules was Amorous as hit shall be said in the se­cond book / And retorned in to Crete And ther fond that his wif was deliueryd of his sone vulcan / And that his acqueyntyd amite seres was deliueryd of hys doughter named proserpine / wherof Iuno was ryght euyll plesid and contente / And complayned to Iupiter of the dishonour that he had don to her / but Iupiter sette nought ther by but laughed / And was more Ioyous of his doughter than of hys sone / For hys doughter was meruayllously fayr and wlcan his sone was foull and courbbackyd / how well for to liue in pees with Iuno he maryed seres vnto a noble man named siccam and gaf to hem the Royame of secylle and the Cyte of siracuse / And sente hem for to dwelle there with proserpina / And hit was not longe after that he sente his sone wlcan in to the yle of lennos / whome he betoke to gouerne to thre men callyd berroutes sce­ropes and pyragmon / And thyse thre men kept hym so well that he cam to cage and that he was a man of ryght enhauncyd courage and lerned alle sciences in especiall nygromancie Geomancie and promancie. [Page] And made many meruayllous thynges that be not for to beleue wherfore I wyll tarye now of hym and of Iupiter / And I wyll trete of his sone perseus for as moche as of hym cam Alcumena.

¶How the quene Meduse cam to Athenes to wor­shyp in the temple the goddesse pallas / And how the kynge neptunus wax Amerous of her and how she deceyuyd hym.

IN this tyme whan Iupiter dwellyd pesibly kynge of crete / and that his sone vlcan waxed and lerned the craft of nygromancie / / In the lande of esperye / passid out of this world a kynge na­med porcus a man of right grete enterpryse / whyche the esperiens callyd god of the see of spaygne Auncy­ently named esperye as sayd is / This kynge lefte thre doughtres that had not but oon eye as the poetes saye. that is to saye that her pryncipall charge was vnto the vanytees of the world / And therfore they were callyd gorgonnes that is to saye cultyueresses or la­bourers of the erthe for as moche as they entended vnto vyces that behelde erthely thynges Of thyse doughtres oon was named meduse that other ewryale and the thyrde scenno / Meduse that was the eldest of that other succeded in thempyre and in the royame. And the poetes saye that she had hede of a serpent / gyuyng by this to vnderstande that she was sonuerainly wyse and subtyl̄ / After the deth of kynge porcus this me­duse gouuerned hyely her royame and held pyrates and men of warre / And in her begynnyng she toke and hauntyd the see of ewrope in feet and wyth right grete tryumphe descended on aday at the porte of [Page] Attenes / and sente vnto the kynge Neptūne to requyre him that he wold graunte vnto her that she might entre in to his cyte for to worshippe in the temple the goddesse pallas / whiche was newly maad Neptune dide grete honour vnto the messangers of meduse / and Accorded vnto her that she shold entre in to his cite & in to the temple / Forseen that she shold haue none with her saue her damoyselles / whan meduse herde the answere of kynge Neptune / she concluded that she wold go in to the tem­ple / wherof was a grete renomee & was a companyed with many damoiselles so richely arayed that hit was a tryumphe for to see / she entryd in to the temple and in to the cyte And ther she torned in to stones not only the men that behelde her but Also the women & among all other specially a quene that was named yde.

BI this hit is to vnderstande that this meduse was so of excellente beaute and was so pas­sing ryche. that all they that behelde her / gafe hem self ouer perfitly to couoyte her beaute and her ry­chesses / And therfore wryte the poetes that they were torned in to stones. For they that dispose them and gyue them to the delices of this world ben lykned and compared vnto hard stones / wherof may no good come Thus than meduse entryng in to Athenes conuertyd and torned many men in to stones in so moche that Neptunus herd these tydynges And desiryng to see this quene he wente hym in to the temple where she was in contemplacion / And he had not longe beholde her / whan he felte hym so couoytous of her and of her loue that he said to hym self that she shold be his wif. And that she shold neuer escape hym.

[Page]THis meduse was longe space in contemplacion this duryng neptune desired her beaulte more and more / and his herte Iuged in hym that he sholde come to his entencion / but anon after that his herte had made this Iugement / he a lityll debated consi­deryng the excellence of her another Iugement trauersid and [...]ourded in his entendement that constraynd hym to saye these wordes that folowe / alas in what matyer in what sorow & in what right grete and enflamyng payne ben they that ben brennyng in loue by longe space of tyme / that I that now begynne / fynde me in so­many sighes and payne / that I wote neuer how I may in tyme come vnto this lady for to requyre her to be my wyf / she is shynyng in all beaulte and in right haboundaunt rychesses / this is that me lackyth / she beholdeth me amonge other whiles in her prayers / hit may hap­pen well that loue may torne her herte for to make thaliance of her and me / and what is this / men saye that loue hurteth no man / but yf hit be be his eyen / yf the eyen be not made for to see / I shal̄ saye that my desire shall happe well / where am I / wher I am I put me oute where is my herte where is my desir / I wote neuer what I thynke / And my thought may be abusion And myn abuse / may well be reuersid / Myn eyen perauen­ture wene to see that they see not / Myn eres ymagyne to here and yet they ben deef / I finde my self in a grete playne & vayne ataynt / and yet more in a superfluous errour more than ony man may haue / For whan I see this lady more excellente than the other in beaute and richesses / reson telleth me that she is not comen hether for me / And whan I beholde that she is allone wyth [Page] oute men in my cyte who shall agayn saye my will. I shall requyre her to be my wif after that she hath don her deuocion / And yf she accorde to my requeste my werke shal̄ doo well And yf she gaynsaye and with stande hit than I muste vse force and auctorite royall.

THus whan Neptune cam to thys conclucion Meduse aroos fro her contemplacion And lokyd right fayr Neptune wente to her And dide her reuerence / And after prayd her that she wold goo to his ryall palays for to refresshe her Meduse thankyd hym of his curtoisie And saide that she mighte not well tarye there at that tyme / whan neptune vnderstood that she was in wyll to retorne wyth oute to Areste her in his hows ne in his cyte he was sore dis­playsid in his herte / Alleway he held manyer And drewe her a parte and said vnto her changyng colour. Madame I am sory that ye reffuse to take pacience in my hows / I am kinge of this cyte / The goddes haue not gyuen to me so moche happe / that I haue yet ony wif ony lady or damoysell / hit is so now happend that the goddes and fortune hath enspyred yow to come hether Certes hit is so now that your right hye beaute that perisshid the eye of my herte / And hath made me so co­uoytous of yow that I gyue vnto yow. herte. body. and goodes / And alle that a louer may gyue vnto his loue and lady or ony king may gyue / wherfore I pray yow that ye will descende vnto my palays / to the ende that I may haue comynycacion more secretly there / And telle vnto yow the right grete loue that I haue in yow.

[Page]ANone as Meduse vnderstood the requestes of the kynge she began to frowne and not wyl­lyng to be other wyse / she answerd to hym. Syre kynge yf hit were soo that myn herte desired ac­queyntance and cōmynycacion of oon man more than of an other in trouthe yf I so fonde me / I shold holde my self right happy findyng my self in the grace of your eyen / but the mater goth wyth me all otherwyse / I loue the men as moche oon as an other / I haue entencion to abyde and contynue in my virginite / ye be a kynge ye haue gyuen to me saufconduyt to achyeue my pylgry­mage I requyre yow that ye holde yow plesid and that ye doo in suche wyse as ye had neuer seen me / Dame sayde neptune how shall I doo that ye saye / whan my herte is all gyuen vnto yow / Syre answerd Meduse hyt behoueth fyrst to knowe and after that to loue I haue told yow hyer that I haue entencion to abyde a virgyne / what may hit prouffite yow to saye that ye haue gyuen me your herte / thyse ben but loste wordes. Dame sayd neptune the dyamond shyneth not tyl̄ hit be pollisshyd / ye were neuer perauenture desired ne re­quyred of loue more than now / wherfore ye haue no more loue in oon man than in an other / wherfore ye muste vnderstand that the hauntyse maketh loue / And yf ye come wyth me I make no doubtes and soiourne that your wyll shall change And that ye shall take alyance wyth me Syre answerd Meduse my wyll is vnchangeable / notwythstondyng sayd neptune hit muste change / And abaysshe yow not. Syre ans­werd. Meduse I see no thyng that yeuyth me cause of enbaysshement. For I fele my herte ferme and [Page] stable in his operacions / ye be a kynge and haue gyuen me saufconduyt for to furnysh my deuocion at the tem­ple of the goddesse of your cyte / Rayson and honour shold gouerne your corage / Dame said neptune yf your beaute surmounted not the beaute of other wo­men I shold consente anon your retorne but whan I conceyue yow formed in so hye degre of nature / that nothing lackyth in yow / And further whan I see that the grete goddesse pallas hath enspyred yow to thys my cyte / Rayson may haue no place And how hit be by loue or by force / ye shall be my wif / For I had leuer dye And renne in to alle the deshonnours of the world Than for to faylle to haue your Allyance.

WHan Meduse that was wise had vnderstand the wordes of Neptune and sawe well that he was outragyously achauffid of her Amo­rous desire / and that she might not ascape his puyssance for her beaute / but yf hit were by ony auenture Than she changed her heer in to couleures / that is to saye that where force regned she wrought by subtilte And said vnto the kynge Syre I knowe that ye be a grete and puyssant lord / and that loue hath meuyd yow by force to take me to your wif Syn your playsir is suche I am cōtente to do all in suche wyse as ye haue demanded / and that this same day be maad the maryage of yow and me / but for more solempnly to halowe the fefte of our espousailles I requyre yow of two thinges First that I may retorne vnto the porte to my peple for to aray and dresse me with my triūphant richesses / for I ne may employe to more grete & glorie than this day of my mariage [Page] And secondly that ye wyll do araye and adresse the ladyes of this cyte for to receyue me as hit apperteyneth For I wyll well that ye knowe that in alle the reme­nant of ladyes of the world / ye shall not finde ony that haue more meuable goodes ne richesses than I haue

NEptune was than as oon alle rauysshyd in Ioye whan he herde this answer of meduse / he thankyd her of her swete wordes And agreed to her to do in suche wyse as she had deuysed / And anon sente agayn this Meduse vnto her galleyes ho­pyng that she wold retorne agayn to be his wyf / but whan she by the subtylte of her wytte was rendred agayn at the porte / where neptune had no puyssance In stede for to retorne to the cyte / she dyde do disancre all her shippis And lete sayle falle and in all haste wythdrewe hem fro the porte And in stede to aray her in vestementis nupciall she toke her armes and made all her men to arme them / And thus she ascapyd fro neptune whiche was in grete sorow merueyllously / And in grete Anger sayde that she had hede of a serpent / And that her heres were torned in to coleuuers to the ende to hyde more graciously the malice of her and the manyer how she had deceyuyd and begyled hym (etc).

THus than ascaped meduse the handes of nep­tune by the meen of her hede serpentyne / And neptune abood conuertyd and tornyd in to stoone / that is to saye in erthely affections of richesses of meduse / And wente not after her for as moche as her puyssance surmountyd moche alle the puyssance of atthenes / Of this thynge ran the renomee thurgh all grece / And the beaute of meduse was so recomanded. [Page] that of tho parties wente all daye many knightes auenturyng theyr liues / And many of them were torned in to stones and many loste theyr tresors innumerable / enforcyng them by Armes to conquere this lady / whiche withstood alle way here assaultes and assayllyng. And all way abode vainqueresse of them / Meduse sette nowht by kynge ne prince that wold haue her to wyf She was alle sette to gete and gader the tresors of the world / yf her fader had ben strongly coueytous / yet was she more couetous / And she comen agayn fro athenes in to her royame After she had put vnder in subiec­tion the grekes that exposed them ayenst her as said is. she so mountid in to the [...]pe swalowe of couetyse and auarice that she made warre vnto alle her nyghebours. And dauntyd hem / and constraind them to paye her yerly grete tributes / wherby her astate and name aroos and was so greet / that the bruyt therof ran in to many ferre regions And amonge other in to the cyte of naples where regned the kyng pilonne as afore is said.

IN this tyme that the renomee of meduse was in his bruyt. Perseus sone of danes and of Iu­piter was in the verdour of his begynnyng and tempryen strength / And dayly requyred his moder and the kinge that they wold gyue hym leue to serche hys Auentures Whan than pylonnes herde speke of the haultesse of Meduse of her rapines and of her aua­rice / he behelde that his sone in lawe shold do a ver­tuous werk / yf he myght correcte her / told to perseus that he wold sende hym theder Perseus thankyd hym and sayd he wold enploye therto all his puyssance [Page] Than the kynge pylonne sente for men of Armes and made redy thretty galeyes for thexercyte of perseus / whan all was redy / he callyd to hym on aday perseus. And dubbyd hym knyght for the ordre of cheuallrye began that tyme to be vsid in all the world hit was ordonned that that same day perseus shold go to the see / ¶ And whan the kynge had accomplisshed all the serymonye to the caas requyred in the paynems wyse Perseus toke leue of the kynge pylonne And of his moder danes & of the damoyselles And right Ioyously entryd in to his galeye / After they dysancred and de­partyd fro the port of naples wyth grete bruyt of ta­bours & trompes / And wyth banyer splayed saylyd in to the hye see / hit was a good and a fayr sight to see his departement ther was many a teer wept / euery body loued perseus for so moche as he was humble and debonayr / The Apulyens departyd neuer as longe as they myghte see hym / And than after they retorned home prayng vnto the goddes that good and right happy myght be the fortune of perseus / And the noble knyght wente by the see and by the portes wyth oute auenture / what shall I saye / he so exployted that he cam in to affrike that was named lybye at that tyme / And there wolde haue refresshid hym at a port beside the strayt of gybalter / where as was kynge Athlas the grete astrologyen / but this kynge put hym fro lan­dyng at this porte / And cam in armes ayenst hym and shewyd fro ferre signe that he wolde kepe his contre wyth the swerde / Than perseus whyche wold not there employe his Armee wythdrewe hym fro the porte en entencion to auenge hym another tyme of [Page] that rudesse yf fortūne wold helpe hym / he passid the strayte and sought so longe the royame of meduse / that anone after he fonde hit and had veray tydinges by certain marchantes / that he fonde labouryng on the see. that told hym that she and her susters soiourned in a cyte whiche stode on the ryuage.

GRete was the Ioye of perseus whan he vnder­stood these tydinges / his folk had grete nede of vitayll / he callid hem all & saide that they shold make hem redy and Arme them / for they were nyhe the place that they soughte / and than as they saylid alway forth aboute thre owres to fore the euen they sawe the Cyte where meduse was Inne / And more ouer they sawe meduse and her susters with grete nombre of men of warre that renged them on the porte so richely arayed and in poynt that hit was meruaylle to see. whan perseus sawe this he dyuydyd his Armee in thre egale bataylles / eche of ten galeyes and ordeyned and put in capitaynes of warre. And wysely enformed hem how to nyhe and approche the porte. And after he put hym self in the first batayll And the poetes saye that the goddes pallas gaf to hym than a shelde of cris­tall / that is to vnderstande that he approuchyd right wysely the porte that was vpon the grete see of spayne And that he conduyted hym self by suche prudence. That is likenyd to cristall / That he cam and fought hand of hand the puyssance of meduse. And that shy­nyng the ryght clere shelde of hys prudence in recey­uyng and yeuyng Infinyte strokes he gate lande and constrayned meduse to retorne in to her cyte by force [Page] by force of armes and by prowesse / and wyth grete dyscipline and fightyng of his sowdyours / At that tyme the hede of serpent of meduse myght notwyth­stonde his firste fortunes. For she that was acusto­med to put vnder foot and ouercome alle them that exposed them in armes ayenst her. At this tyme was put to thextremyte / where she had put other to.